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Biomedical subjects

M S Simon

Publications and source records attributed to M S Simon.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Recent trends in the incidence of in situ and invasive breast cancer in the Detroit metropolitan area (1975-1988).

BACKGROUND: Over the past two decades, breast cancer incidence rates have increased dramatically for women in all age groups. METHODS: Breast cancer incidence trends were evaluated in a population-based study of data from the Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System, a participant in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute. Incidence rates from 1975 through 1988 were evaluated, based on tumor size, age at diagnosis, and race. RESULTS: Age-adjusted rates for all breast cancers have increased since 1975, with the largest change occurring since 1983. Age-adjusted incidence rates for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and cancers smaller than 2.0 cm were higher in white women than black women, whereas age-adjusted incidence rates for larger tumors (> or = 2.0 cm) have been higher in black women since 1985. The rate of increase in incidence as measured by the average interval percentage change was highest for DCIS and small invasive tumors (< 1.0 cm) for all age groups of women. CONCLUSIONS: The more rapid increase in incidence of early breast cancer in the population suggests that the observed increase in breast cancer incidence over the last 2 decades may have resulted, at least in part, from a screening effect.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

An evaluation of clinical follow-up in women with early stage breast cancer among physician members of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Routine clinical follow-up for distant metastatic disease among women with early stage breast cancer is of uncertain clinical benefit. In order to evaluate current practice patterns, we administered a mailed survey to a stratified random sample of physician members of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (N = 435). The survey assessed the frequency and motivation for ordering follow-up medical tests in asymptomatic postmenopausal women with stage I or II breast cancer. The response rate was 55%, distributed as 39% radiation oncologists, 32% medical oncologists, and 29% surgeons. In the first year after treatment, physicians performed, on average, one physical examination every 3 months, one blood panel (CBC, alkaline phosphatase and liver function tests) every 4 months, and one chest radiograph every 9 months. In addition, 38% of the respondents ordered CEA and 21% ordered CA 15-3 levels, 28% ordered bone scans, and less than 4% ordered CT scans, bone surveys, or bone marrow biopsies in the first year after treatment. A logistic regression analysis controlling for physician age, gender, sub-specialty, practice type, years of experience, number of breast cancer patients treated annually, geographic region, and community size, showed that surgeons were less likely to order blood tests (p < 0.001) and tumor markers (p < 0.0029) than medical oncologists in years 3 and 5 of follow-up. Compared to physicians practicing in the northeast, those from the midwest were less likely to order chest radiographs in year 3 of follow-up (p = 0.0028). Other provider characteristics had no significant effect on test ordering behavior. The results of this survey suggest that relatively uniform practice patterns in regard to the follow-up of postmenopausal women with early stage breast cancer exist among ASCO physicians.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

An in vivo and in vitro trial of aclarubicin in metastatic breast cancer: a novel approach to the study of analogs.

Aclarubicin is an anthracycline antibiotic that differs from doxorubicin in its structure, mechanism of action, and preclinical toxicity profile, especially its reduced cardiotoxicity. We therefore conducted a side-by-side in vivo and in vitro trial of this agent in metastatic breast-cancer patients and their biopsied tumor specimens, respectively. Aclarubicin (100 mg/m2) was given by intravenous infusion every 3 weeks to 22 patients with objectively measurable metastatic breast cancer, 15 of whom had not previously received doxorubicin. The dose-limiting toxicity consisted primarily of leukopenia and severe nausea and vomiting. No objective response was observed in the 19 evaluable patients. After disease progression, 10 of the 15 doxorubicin-naive patients were treated with doxorubicin; 6 patients achieved a partial response, including 4 who responded to doxorubicin alone and 2 who responded to doxorubicin in combination with thiotepa and vinblastine. Tumor specimens were obtained from 14 of the 22 patients prior to the start of therapy and were tested for in vitro sensitivity to aclarubicin and doxorubicin using a soft agar colony-forming assay. Adequate colony growth occurred in 9 of 14 cultured tumor specimens. All 9 specimens, including 3 obtained from doxorubicin-naive patients, demonstrated in vitro resistance to aclarubicin. In all, 1 of 3 specimens taken from doxorubicin-naive patients demonstrated in vitro sensitivity to doxorubicin, whereas 6 tumor specimens obtained from patients who had undergone prior doxorubicin therapy demonstrated in vitro resistance. The patient whose tumor demonstrated in vitro doxorubicin sensitivity responded to a doxorubicin regimen after failing aclarubicin treatment; in vitro doxorubicin resistance correlated with clinical resistance in all cases. We conclude that aclarubicin is inactive in metastatic breast cancer at the dose and schedule used. Side-by-side in vivo and in vitro trials are feasible and could be useful in the development of investigational agents with activity greater than that of aclarubicin and, particularly, in the evaluation of analogs of clinically active drugs.

Aclarubicin↗
PubMed1993

Changes in students' attitudes toward HIV-infected patients as the students progress through medical school.

PURPOSE: To examine how medical students' attitudes and intentions toward the treatment of persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) changed as the students progressed through medical school. METHOD: Similar 44-item self-administered questionnaires, to be completed anonymously, were given to 394 medical students at the University of Michigan Medical School in February 1989, when the students were in their first or second years, and to 378 of the same students in February 1991, when they were in their third or fourth years. Seven subscale variables were created, and their effects on students' willingness to treat HIV-infected patients were assessed. Bivariate statistics and logistic regression were used to relate the dependent and independent variables. RESULTS: In 1989, 201 (51%) of the students responded; in 1991, 208 (55%) responded. The students showed a high--but declining--degree of willingness to care for patients infected with HIV or at high risk of infection. Homophobic attitudes decreased, but so did the students' intentions to follow infection-control guidelines. The students who expressed a career interest in surgery specialties indicated less willingness to provide care for HIV-infected patients, presumably because these students felt that they would be at a higher risk of exposure. CONCLUSION: Overall, the students' responses indicated that over the two years of the study they became more restrictive in their attitudes toward HIV-positive patients, felt less personal obligation toward caring for these patients, and were less likely to use appropriate infection-control methods to ensure their own safety.

Attitude↗
PubMed1992

Trends in the diagnosis of in situ breast cancer in the Detroit metropolitan area, 1973 to 1987.

The recent increase in incidence in situ breast cancer has been marked by a higher detection rate among white women. Although the increase in incidence may reflect the concomitant uptrend in mammographic screening, the lower proportion of cases among black women is of major public health concern. Time trends in the diagnosis of in situ breast cancer were evaluated in a population-based analysis of data accrued from the Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System. The proportions of in situ cases detected among all women with breast cancer were measured annually between 1973 and 1987, and the average interval percentage changes were calculated for eight subgroups of women stratified by race and age at diagnosis. Although the proportions of in situ cancers were generally higher among white than black women, the greatest increase in average interval percentage change was observed in the oldest age category of black women. The disparity seen in younger black and white women suggests possible implications for breast cancer screening. From 1973 through 1987, the largest increase in diagnosis of in situ breast cancer occurred in black women older than 70.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Racial differences in cancer of the male breast--15 year experience in the Detroit metropolitan area.

Characteristics of cancer of the male breast were evaluated in a population based review of 244 cases identified retrospectively through the Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System (MDCSS) between 1973 and 1987. The mean age at diagnosis was 65 years and median survival time, 44 months. There were no apparent time trends in incidence for either white or black men from 1973 through 1987. Modified radical mastectomy was the most common surgical procedure, while simple and radical mastectomy declined in popularity over time. Cox's proportional hazards regression model was used to test the simultaneous effects of age, race, stage, and treatment on survival. Men older than 65 at diagnosis had a greater risk of dying than men under 65 (RR 1.52, 95% confidence interval, 1.01-2.28). Survival was significantly worse for men who presented at a more advanced stage; regional versus localized (RR 2.19, 95% confidence interval, 1.39-3.45) and remote versus localized (RR 4.31, 95% confidence interval 2.26-8.23). Race had no significant effect on survival in men with breast cancer in the Detroit Metropolitan Area.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Cellulitis after axillary lymph node dissection for carcinoma of the breast.

We present a series of patients who developed cellulitis following axillary lymph node dissection for carcinoma of the breast. Bacterial cultures were not helpful in making a diagnosis for the majority of the cases. The clinical scenario of upper extremity cellulitis after axillary dissection mimics the presentation of cellulitis in the lower extremity. Until diagnostic methods or treatment advances can eliminate the indications for axillary lymphadenectomy, many women treated for breast cancer will be at long-term risk for the development of cellulitis due to localized immune impairment. Patient and physician awareness of this syndrome is the best available tool to prevent secondary exacerbation of lymphedema. Prompt treatment with appropriate antibiotics appears universally successful. Antistreptococcal antibiotics should not be withheld pending results of blood or tissue cultures, since in only a few cases will a pathogen be isolated. Although there are no studies confirming the concept, it is likely that appropriate treatment for lymphedema may reduce the risk of infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Alcohol consumption and the risk of breast cancer: a report from the Tecumseh Community Health Study.

The relationship between prior alcohol consumption and the risk of breast cancer was studied in 1954 women in the Tecumseh Community Health Study (TCHS) who entered the cohort in 1959-1960 and were followed potentially for 28 years. The mean alcohol consumption at baseline was 0.89 (SD 2.2) oz/week for premenopausal women and 0.85 (SD 2.2) oz/week for postmenopausal women. Only 25% of the cohort consumed more than 0.5 oz of ethanol/week or about 1.6 g/day. The adjusted relative risks (RRs) for breast cancer associated with the use of ethanol vs never drinking were 0.93 (95% CI, 0.40-2.18) for ex-drinkers, 1.08 (95% CI, 0.64-1.82) for 0- less than 1 drink/day, 1.23 (95% CI, 0.49-3.10) for 1- less than 2 drinks/day and 1.12 (95% CI, 0.25-5.01) for greater than or equal to 2 drinks/day. There were only 37 subjects in the group at the highest level of consumption (greater than or equal to 2 drinks/day). There was no significant interaction between alcohol and the period of onset of breast cancer (premenopausal or postmenopausal). In the TCHS, alcohol consumption generally at levels not exceeding 2 drinks/day, was not significantly associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Although we have found little excess risk associated with alcohol consumption, the wide confidence intervals summarized above are not inconsistent with previously published reports that have suggested a modest positive association.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Medical student attitudes toward the treatment of HIV-infected patients.

The intention to treat HIV-infected persons and correlates of those intentions were examined in a cross-sectional sample of 1st- and 2nd-year medical students (n = 201). An anonymous questionnaire measured knowledge of HIV transmission, intention to provide medical care to HIV-infected persons, comfort in performing a physical examination on patients from subgroups with high HIV prevalence, level of homophobia, professional altruism, and personal perceived risk of HIV infection. Intention to provide medical care was considered as the dependent variable. All variables except perceived personal risk were found to be significantly related to the intention to provide medical care although knowledge showed the weakest relationship (Odds Ratio = 2.14). The presence of professional altruism and the presence of homophobia were associated with a significant increase in the effect of knowledge on increasing the intention to treat. Results of this report support other studies that showed that factors other than knowledge play a role in clinical decision making regarding patients with AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1990

Phase II trial of methylglyoxal bis-guanylhydrazone (MGBG) in refractory small cell lung cancer.

Methylglyoxal bis-guanylhydrazone (MGBG), a potent inhibitor of polyamine synthesis, has demonstrated single agent activity against a number of tumor types including malignant lymphomas and head and neck, esophageal and non-small cell lung cancers. The growth of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines can be arrested by polyamine inhibition. Therefore a phase II trial was conducted in twenty-four patients with refractory SCLC. MGBG was administered by intravenous infusion at a dose of 500 mg/m2 per week for four cycles and then every two weeks thereafter. The dose was escalated by 100 mg/m2 every two weeks in the absence of toxicity greater than or equal to grade 2. One patient achieved a partial response of objectively measurable lung disease and supraclavicular adenopathy. Three patients had stable disease. Dose limiting toxicity consisted primarily of mild to moderate nausea, vomiting, stomatitis and/or diarrhea. Myelosuppression was uncommon and rarely dose limiting. We conclude that MGBG in the dose and schedule used does not have significant activity as a single agent in previously treated small cell lung cancer.

Aged↗