We collected data on the 434 individuals reported with cancer of the testis to the New York State Tumor Registry, 1960-64, from upstate New York. We compared these with the 410 members of a random sample of the upstate population interviewed from 1959 to 1962. A high risk of developing cancer of the testis was associated with professional occupations, native-born parentage, rural residence, and having been married, especially while young. These findings paralleled some other studies, as well as our earlier inquiry. Each of these factors carried a higher risk even when considered in the context of the other traits, and risk increased with an increase in the number of characteristics possessed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1977

Cancer in asbestos-mining and other areas of Quebec.

Employing incidence data from the Quebec Tumor Registry, we examined the relative risks of cancer of all sites for the years 1969-73 in the asbestos-mining, rural, and metropolitan counties of Quebec Province, Canada. Generally, rates for males exceeded those for females, and the relative risks in the asbestos-mining counties for 7-10 different sites of cancer, all of low incidence, were from 1.50 to 8.08 times those of other rural counties of the Province for both sexes. Metropolitan counties exhibited equally high risk for many of these sites. We discovered higher risks among males in asbestos-mining counties for cancer of the pleura, peritoneum, lip, tongue, salivary gland, mouth, and small intestine and higher risks among females for cancer of the pleura, lip, kidney, salivary gland, and for melanoma. Because of the likelihood of a long latent period for asbestos-related cancers, the risks we observed were possibly the product of since-altered occupational and environmental conditions existing 20-30 years ago in the asbestos-mining areas. The similarities in risks for most cancers in asbestos-mining and urban areas were noteworthy.

Asbestos↗

PubMed1977

Dentition, diet, tobacco, and alcohol in the epidemiology of oral cancer.

Interview and dental examination data were gathered on 584 males with cancer of the oral cavity and on 1,222 control patients with nonneoplastic diseases at Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York. No dietary characteristics distinguished cancer patients from controls. However, a higher risk of developing oral cancer was associated with heavy smoking, heavy drinking, and poor dentition. When controlled for the other factors, each factor carried a higher risk. Moreover, heavy smokers and heavy drinkers with poor dentition and males with all three traits had a substantially higher risk than would have been expected, if the traits were considered additively. The risk for males with all three traits was 7.7 times that of men with none of these traits.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed1977

Five year follow-up of a smoking withdrawal clinic population.

Eight hundred volunteers who attended smoking clinics at Roswell Park Memorial Institute from 1964-1965 were followed up five years later to ascertain their current smoking status. From three waves of a mailed questionnaire, plus a telephone campaign, we obtained 559 usable responses. The relationship between smoking status at the five-year follow-up and clinic protocols and selected social and psychological characteristics as determined during the clinics were examined. Of those individuals contacted five years after the clinic, 17.8 per cent were not smoking. Variations in clinic protocol in terms of drugs and education methods had no relation to long-term smoking withdrawal. Several social and psychological variables, however, were related to smoking behavior five years after the clinics. Non-smokers were more likely than smokers to be males, to be older, to have smoked less before the clinic, to have started smoking at a later age, to have a milieu that was supportive of their stopping, and to have fewer indices of neurosis and fewer psychosomatic symptoms.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1977

Can-Dial: a dial access cancer education service.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

PubMed1976

Total hearing rehabilitation.

The history and development of the hearing and dispensing system in this country is outlined in relation to the status of dispensing today. We enumerate the problems within the traditional system, various attempts to correct them, and advantages of variations of the traditional system. This article presents a concept of total hearing rehabilitation, including the direct dispensing of aids based on the professional otolaryngological-audiological team working together within the clinic setting. Based on the results of 20-months' experience in dispensing, we advocate a reexamination of professional roles involved in provision for hearing aids.

Aged↗

PubMed1976

Characteristics of blacks obtaining Papanicolaou smears.

An understanding of the characteristics of women who do not obtain cervical cytology may shed light on procedures which can be instituted by physicians and public health workers to increase use of screening. Of particular interest are women at high risk of cervical cancer. We interviewed a random sample of about 700 blacks living in central Buffalo census tracts in regard to their past use of pelvic examinations as well as circumstances surrounding such use or non-use. We employed only data on screening which was verified in records. We found that there was decreasing use with increasing age and lack of contact with physicians, clinics, or hospitals. The relationship between increasing use and increasing education was found to be a function of the fact that women with more education are likely to be younger. There was clear evidence that making such examinations part of the contact women have with physicians or hospitals for any purpose, including childbirth, would increase the proportions screened.

Black or African American↗

PubMed1976

Epidemiology of diseases in adult males with leukemia.

In the Tri-State Leukemia Survey, the history of diseases in 605 adult male leukemia cases 15 years and older and in 668 adult male population controls was examined. These diseases occurred at least 1 year before leukemia was diagnosed. The data were based on respondents' answers that the disease was diagnosed by a physician; the respondent was either the subject or his spouse. Of 30 diseases studied, 7 showed an excess among the patients with leukemia: infectious hepatitis, eczema, psoriasis, diabetes, arthritis and rheumatism, heart disease, and ankylosing spondylitis. Mumps had a lower reported occurrence among the cases, whereas pneumonia was less frequent in acute lymphatic cases than in population controls. Three diseases occurred significantly less in controls than in persons with specific histologic types of leukemia. Our data revealed a more frequent history of herpes zoster (shingles) in chronic lymphatic leukemia, more hives in acute chronic myeloid cases, and meningitis in acute myeloid leukemia. When we only considered the patients' responses, more of them admitted having had acne than did our controls. The remaining diseases--childhood viral diseases, infectious mononucleosis, smallpox, typhoid fever, dysentery, scarlet fever, tuberculosis, asthma, hay fever, and goiter did not occur more frequently in cases than in controls. The findings were consistent with evidence from previous laboratory and clinical studies. The increased occurrence of infectious hepatitis in our case series is consistent with the findings of other studies showing an increased frequency of Australia antigen in patients with hepatitis, leukemia, and Down's syndrome.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1976

Measuring response to a cancer information telephone facility: Can-Dial.

In an attempt to meet the need for increasing public knowledge about cancer, a system providing free information by telephone has been developed. The system is comprised of 36 pre-recorded taped lectures containing information about various aspects of cancer. Interested individuals call a toll-free number, indicate a topic of interest, and listen to the pre-recorded lecture over the phone. An operator handles incoming calls and obtains information from callers used in evaluating the program. During the first year of operation, over 30,000 calls were processed. Topics most frequently requested included those concerning smoking, breast and cervical cancer, and general information. Female response exceeded male response in all age categories. Older people responded less frequently than younger. Urban utilization greatly exceeded suburban and rural utilization. Considerable fluctuation in response related to promotional activities was found. Printed advertisements elicited far greater response than radio and television. Promotional efforts in an experimental group of low-utilizing townships greatly increased utilization while no change was observed in a control group.

Adult↗

PubMed1976

Health guides as influentials in central Buffalo.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adult↗

PubMed1976

Turbidimetric and diffusion assay of bacitracin in feeds.

A manual turbidimetric method for determining zinc or methylene disalicylate bacitracin in feeds was developed. When zinc ions (10-4M) were added to the medium and the phosphate ion concentration in standard solutions was decreased to 1%, the median response of Streptococcus faecalis was about 0.038 unit. Feeds analyzed by the turbidimetric assay should be prewashed with petroleum ether and extracted with pyridine as in 42.204. Zinc bacitracin standards added to swine and broiler rations were recovered at 93.1-102.6% by the turbidimetric method. Excellent agreement between the manual turbidimetric method and the plate assay was also obtained for finished feeds containing the zinc or methylene disalicylate salt of the antibiotic. The turbidimetric method appears to have high accuracy and precision. It is more rapid and less costly than the plate assay.

Animal Feed↗