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Biomedical subjects

L Giordano

Publications and source records attributed to L Giordano.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Childhood cancer registry of the Province of Torino, Italy. Survival, incidence, and mortality over 20 years.

Incident childhood cancers in the Province of Torino, Italy (population aged 0 to 14 years averaging 0.5 million) have been registered since 1967. Four population-based exhaustive surveys have been done to collect cases diagnosed during the periods 1967 to 1969, 1970 to 1975, 1976 to 1981, and 1982 to 1986. For each registered child, vital status on June 30, 1988 was assessed. This article reports incidence, mortality, and survival rates over a 20-year period. A statistically significant trend toward an increased incidence of soft tissue sarcomas was identified. Statistically insignificant trends included an increased incidence of brain tumors (probably reflecting improved diagnostic procedures) and a decreased incidence of thyroid tumors. Incidence rates of leukemias in the first year of life tended to decrease. As expected, survival rates of some childhood cancers dramatically improved throughout the 20-year period; this occurred in leukemias, brain tumors, soft tissue sarcomas, and renal tumors. Survival rates are compared with observations in comparable population-based series.

Adolescent

The effectiveness of adherence intervention in a colon cancer prevention field trial.

BACKGROUND: Adherence interventions were implemented in a 1-year community-based colon cancer prevention clinical trial (n = 110) using wheat bran fiber and calcium dietary supplements. The adherence promotion strategy was guided by a theoretical model. METHODS: The adherence intervention contains both a generalized portion given to all participants and an individualized portion given to marginal (50-74% intake) and low (under 50% intake) adherers. A regression model was employed to assess the effectiveness of the interventions both at the first intervention and at subsequent times. RESULTS: The Health Behavior in Cancer Prevention Model-based adherence promotion intervention was associated with retention of participants, both during the run-in period and after randomization (P = 0.05); and maximization of the percentage of the 13.5-g recommended fiber supplement consumed during the trial (92.5%). The positive effects of the adherence intervention were greater with first-time nonadherers and the control group than with the experimental group. The high-fiber group had notably more biological GI effects from the increased fiber intake, more preexisting comorbidities, and lower perceived cognitive and physical health status. CONCLUSIONS: Randomized participants had excellent adherence overall. Retention rates in the trial were better than would be expected without the adherence intervention, especially among those participants who may have been at higher risk for dropping out of the study. This suggests that a systematic, theoretically based adherence strategy should be further tested in clinical trial settings in which lower adherence is a problem.

Aged

Reasons related to adherence in community-based field studies.

This study identified participants' reasons for good, marginal or poor adherence, or withdrawing from community-based clinical studies using a dietary and/or drug intervention. Adults aged 48-75 years participated in one of three studies related to decreasing colon polyp recurrence. Qualitative data from progress notes (N = 675) and end-of-study evaluations (N = 87) were coded using constant comparative analysis with 100% content validity panel agreement. Most common reasons for non-adherence were barriers such as side-effects, interference with vacation plans, unrelated illness, forgetting and competing outside stressors. Participation motivators were benefits such as altruism, medical benefits, free service and staff rapport. Findings supported the Health Behavior in Cancer Prevention model-based approach to adherence interventions and provided directions for adherence promotion in future community-based clinical studies.

Aged

Neuropsychological and clinical correlates of temporal lobe anatomy in schizophrenia.

Twenty-five DSM-III schizophrenic patients were assessed neuromorphologically and neuropsychologically. Reduced temporal lobes were found through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation. In addition, in order to look for the neuropsychological correlates of temporal anatomy in schizophrenia, patients were divided into cognitive normal and abnormal schizophrenics, according to their Luria Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery profile. The latter group had statistically significant temporal lobe abnormalities as assessed by MRI, irrespective of medication, clinical picture or any other relevant variables. The implication of such findings in the light of the diaschisis model is discussed.

Adult

[Influence of sociodemographic variables in the enrollment of subjects in a population case-control study].

Selection in representation of the study base was quantified in a case-control study of laryngeal cancer among residents of the City of Torino, Italy. Two-hundred-ninety-nine out of 408 eligible cases (73.3%) and 608 out of 1104 (55.1%) eligible controls were interviewed. All interviewed and non interviewed subjects were compared in a logistic regression model with respect to age, sex, educational level, civil status and area of birth. No large differential selection with respect to these variables was found between interviewed and non interviewed cases. Lower proportions of interviewed subjects were found among older controls and controls with lower education. These results suggest the possibility of selection bias in this case-control study. In particular, biased measures of effects might be estimated when analyzing variables related to educational level.

Adult

[Granuloma of the cecum].

The clinical problems facing the medical practitioner in the presence of an aspecific granuloma of the caecum were studied. Clinical and aetiopathogenic aspects are analysed as are the indications for surgery. The difficulty of diagnosis and the importance of histopathological assessment for accurate diagnosis are emphasised.

Cecal Diseases

[Fibrin glue in gastroenteric surgery].

In order to compare the results obtained in terminoterminal and terminolateral intestinal anastomoses using fibrin glue, both fibrin glue and the tissucol KIT were used on a group of rats: comparison of the wounds so treated revealed that both products gave good results. It is claimed that with certain technical improvements the use of fibrin glue could be extended to microsurgery of the nerves and blood vessels.

Anastomosis, Surgical

Quantitative computed tomographic study in schizophrenia: cerebral density and ventricle measures.

Twenty-seven chronic schizophrenics and nineteen controls, all male, were evaluated by computed tomography (CT) scans. Lateral, third and fourth ventricles and cerebral density numbers were measured. In the schizophrenic patients there was a significant increase in third ventricle width, Ventricular Brain Ratio (VBR) and there were significantly higher densities of white matter in the right frontal and parietal region.

Adult

Social disability and clinical symptomatology in schizophrenia: their impact on compulsory admission.

In order to evaluate the peculiar features of a population of compulsorily admitted (CA) versus voluntarily admitted (VA) schizophrenics, the psychopathological status, disability measure and sociodemographic characteristics were recorded for the two studied groups. Among other assessed variables only the total score of the Current Behavioral Schedule (CBS), used as a global index of impairment, differentiated the two groups, CA patients being the more severely impaired. The severity of the CBS measure correlated with the length of current hospitalization in the CA but not in the VA group.

Adult

[Intramural infiltration of gastric cancer].

The relationship between the degree of intramural infiltration and the aspect and macroscopic dimensions of stomach cancer is investigated in the light of personal experience and reports in the literature. Statistics in the literature suggest that the choice between total and subtotal gastrectomy is only available in antropyloric cancers.

Duodenal Neoplasms