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Silvano Gallus

Publications and source records attributed to Silvano Gallus.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Family history and environmental risk factors for colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: We analyzed the joint effect of environmental risk factors and family history of colorectal cancer on colon cancer. METHODS: We used data from a case-control study conducted in northern Italy between 1992 and 1996 including 1225 cases with colon cancer and 4154 controls. We created a weighed risk factor score for the main environmental risk factors in this population (positive family history, high education, low occupational physical activity, high daily meal frequency, low intake of fiber, low intake of calcium, and low intake of beta-carotene). RESULTS: Compared with the reference category (subjects with no family history of colorectal cancer and in the lowest tertile of the risk factor score), the odds ratios of colon cancer were 2.27 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.89-2.73] for subjects without family history and in the highest environmental risk factor score, 3.20 (95% CI = 2.05-5.01) for those with family history and low risk factor score, and 7.08 (95% CI = 4.68-10.71) for those with family history and high risk factor score. The pattern of risk was similar for men and women and no meaningful differences emerged according to subsite within the colon. CONCLUSIONS: Family history of colorectal cancer interacts with environmental risk factors of colon cancer.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed2003

Does pizza protect against cancer?

We analyzed the potential role of pizza on cancer risk, using data from an integrated network of case-control studies conducted in Italy between 1991 and 2000. Cancer sites were: oral cavity and pharynx (598 cases), esophagus (304 cases), larynx (460 cases), colon (1,225 cases) and rectum (728 cases). Controls were 4,999 patients admitted for acute, non-neoplastic conditions to the same hospital network as cases. Odds ratios for regular pizza consumers were 0.66 (95% confidence interval, CI = 0.47-0.93) for oral and pharyngeal cancer, 0.41 (95% CI = 0.25-0.69) for oesophageal, 0.82 (95% CI = 0.56-1.19) for laryngeal, 0.74 (95% CI = 0.61-0.89) for colon and 0.93 (95% CI = 0.75-1.17) for rectal cancer. Pizza appears therefore to be a favorable indicator of risk for digestive tract neoplasms in this population.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed2003

Hormone replacement therapy and cancer risk: a systematic analysis from a network of case-control studies.

To provide comprehensive and quantitative information on the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on several cancer sites, we systematically examined the relation between HRT use and the risk of various cancers in women aged 45-79 by using data from a framework of case-control studies conducted in Italy between 1983 and 1999. The overall data set included the following incident, histologically confirmed neoplasms: oral cavity, pharynx, larynx and esophagus (n = 253), stomach (n = 258), colon (n = 886), rectum (n = 488), liver (n = 105), gallbladder (n = 31), pancreas (n = 122), breast (n = 4,713), endometrium (n = 704), ovary (n = 1,614), urinary bladder (n = 106), kidney (n = 102), thyroid (n = 65), Hodgkin's disease (n = 26), non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (n = 145), multiple myeloma (n = 65) and sarcomas (n = 78). The control group comprised 6,976 women aged 45-79 years, admitted for a wide spectrum of acute, nonneoplastic conditions. Odds ratios (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for use of HRT were derived from multiple logistic regression equations. There was an inverse association between ever use of HRT and colon (OR = 0.7), rectum (OR = 0.5) and liver cancer (OR = 0.2), with a consistent pattern of protection for duration of use. An excess risk was found for gallbladder (OR = 3.2), breast (OR = 1.1), endometrial (OR = 3.0) and urinary bladder cancer (OR = 2.0). These data from a southern European population add some useful information on the risk-benefit assessment of HRT among postmenopausal women.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Glycemic index and glycemic load in endometrial cancer.

Glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are measures of the metabolic effects of dietary carbohydrates. The higher their value, the greater the glucose and insulin responses. Raised insulin levels are associated with endometrial cancer and with its risk factors including obesity, diabetes and hypertension. To study the role of the GI and GL we analyzed the data of two hospital-based case-control studies on endometrial cancer conducted between 1988-98 in Italy and Switzerland, including a total of 410 women with incident, histologically confirmed endometrial cancer and 753 controls admitted for acute, non-neoplastic diseases. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the subjects usual diet and to derive estimates of dietary GI and GL. The odds ratios (OR) of endometrial cancer, after adjustment for major risk factors, for the highest versus the lowest quintile of dietary GI and GL were 2.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-3.2) and 2.7 (95% CI = 1.8-4.2), respectively. The associations were stronger in older women, in those with higher body mass index and in hormone replacement therapy users. Our study supports the hypothesis of a direct association between GI and endometrial cancer risk.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Coffee and tea intake and risk of oral, pharyngeal and esophageal cancer.

The relation between coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea and oral/pharyngeal, and esophageal cancer risk is inadequately quantified. Data were derived from hospital-based case-control studies conducted in Italy and Switzerland. The study on oral/pharyngeal cancer included 749 cases and 1772 controls, and that of esophageal cancer 395 cases and 1066 controls. Multivariate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed. The OR for >3 cups/day of coffee compared with </=1 were 0.6 (95% CI 0.5-0.9) for oral/pharyngeal, and 0.6 (95% CI 0.4-0.9) for esophageal cancer, consistent across strata of age, sex, education and alcohol. The inverse trends in risk were significant. No association emerged with decaffeinated coffee (OR 1.1 for oral/pharyngeal and 0.6 for esophageal cancer) or tea (OR 0.9 for both cancers), consumed in low amounts by these populations. Coffee may decrease the risk of oral/pharyngeal and esophageal cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Glycemic index and load and risk of upper aero-digestive tract neoplasms (Italy).

BACKGROUND: The ability of dietary carbohydrates to affect blood glucose and insulin levels by dietary carbohydrates is best measured by the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) which have been directly associated with risk of several chronic conditions, including cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three case-control studies were conducted between 1992 and 2000 in Italy. The first one included 598 hospital patients with incident, histologically confirmed oral and pharyngeal cancer and 1491 controls admitted to the same hospital networks for acute, non-neoplastic diseases; the second study included 304 subjects with squamous cell oesophageal cancer and 743 controls; the third one included 460 cases with laryngeal cancer and 1088 controls. All subjects were interviewed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: The odds ratios (OR) of upper aero-digestive tract neoplasms for the highest versus the lowest quintile of dietary GI and GL were 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-2.0) and 1.8 (95% CI: 1.1-2.9), respectively. The associations were in the same direction for various cancer sites. The ORs were apparently stronger in women, in those with high body mass index and reporting low alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the hypothesis that high dietary GI and GL are associated with cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Laryngeal cancer in women: tobacco, alcohol, nutritional, and hormonal factors.

Laryngeal cancer is the neoplasm with the largest male to female sex ratio in most populations. Thus, inadequate data are available on women. We analyzed several risk factors in the combined dataset from two case-control studies conducted between 1986 and 2000 in northern Italy and Switzerland. Cases were 68 women under age 79 years, with incident, histologically confirmed cancer of the larynx. Controls were 340 women, admitted to the same network of hospitals as cases, for acute, nonmalignant conditions, unrelated to tobacco and alcohol consumption. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by logistic regression models, conditioned by age, study center and year of interview, and including terms for education, body mass index, tobacco, alcohol drinking, and nonalcohol energy intake. Laryngeal cancer was strongly associated with cigarette smoking (OR = 435.7, 95% CI: 38.2-4964.4 for smokers of >/=25 cigarettes/day) and alcohol drinking (OR = 4.3, 95% CI: 0.8-24.1 for >/=5 drinks/day). An inverse relation was found for vegetables (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1-0.9 for the highest level of consumption), fruit (OR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.2-1.3), and olive oil (OR = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.1-0.9). Reproductive and hormonal factors were not consistently associated to laryngeal cancer risk. This investigation, based on a uniquely large number of laryngeal cancers in women, provides definite evidence that cigarette smoking is the prominent risk factor for laryngeal cancer in women, accounting for 78% of cases in this population. Alcohol and selected dietary aspects account for approximately 30% of cases, whereas menstrual and hormonal factors do not appear to have a consistent role in laryngeal carcinogenesis.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Influence of the Mediterranean diet on the risk of cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract.

The hypothesis that the Mediterranean diet has a beneficial role on the risk of cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract has been evaluated using data from three case-control studies conducted in Italy between 1992 and 2000. The first study included 598 cases with incident, histologically confirmed cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx and 1491 hospital controls admitted to the same network of hospitals as cases for acute, nonneoplastic diseases. The second one included 304 subjects with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and 743 controls. The third one included 460 laryngeal cancer cases and 1088 controls. A score summarizing eight of the major characteristics of the Mediterranean diet was used. Odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for increasing levels of this score were estimated using unconditional regression models, adjusted for age, sex, study center, years of education, tobacco consumption, body mass index, and total energy intake. For all cancers considered, a reduced risk was found for increasing levels of the Mediterranean score: the odds ratios for subjects with six or more Mediterranean characteristics, compared with those with less than three characteristics, were 0.40 (95% CI, 0.26-0.62) for oral and pharyngeal, 0.26 (95% CI, 0.13-0.51) for esophageal, and 0.23 (95% CI, 0.13-0.40) for laryngeal cancer. All of the estimates were consistent in strata of the major identified risk factors for these neoplasms. This study provides evidence that an a priori defined nutritional pattern, which includes several aspects of the Mediterranean diet, favorably affects the risk of cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Post-menopausal hormonal therapy and gallbladder cancer risk.

The relation between post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and gallbladder cancer was analyzed in women above age 45 years, using data of a case-control study conducted in Italy between 1985 and 1997, on 31 incident, histologically confirmed cases and 3,702 controls in hospital for acute, non-neoplastic conditions. The multivariate odds ratio (OR) was 3.2 (95% confidence interval: 1.1-9.3) for those who had ever used HRT and the OR tended to rise with longer duration. Although based on small numbers, due to the rarity of the disease, these findings provide the first direct epidemiological evidence of an association between HRT and gallbladder cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Diabetes mellitus as a contributor to the risk of acute myocardial infarction.

The risk of nonfatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been studied in relation to diabetes and other risk factors, combining data from three Italian case-control studies including 1,737 cases with nonfatal AMI and 2,317 controls in hospital for acute diseases unrelated to AMI risk factors. The multivariate odds ratio (OR) of AMI for diabetes was 2.3 (95% confidence interval, 1.8-2.9); the association with AMI risk was apparently stronger in patients diagnosed with diabetes when aged <40 years (OR 2.9), and in women (OR 4.4). When the combined effect of diabetes and other known risk factors on the risk of AMI was considered, compared to nondiabetic subjects with each factor at the lowest risk level, the OR for diabetic subjects was 4.7 in smokers, 2.8 in heavy coffee drinkers, 2.7 in those with higher body mass index, 3.4 in patients with high cholesterol levels, 3.3, 4.3, and 2.7 for diabetic subjects with history of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and obesity, respectively, and 4.3 for those with a family history of AMI in first degree relatives. The association of each risk factor was much stronger in diabetic women. Preventive measures to reduce the prevalence of each additional risk factors in diabetic subjects could led to a substantial reduction of risk of AMI.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Does coffee protect against liver cirrhosis?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relation between consumption of coffee and other methylxanthine-containing beverages and liver cirrhosis. METHODS: A hospital-based case-control study of digestive tract and liver diseases was conducted in Greater Milan, Italy, including 101 cases with liver cirrhosis and 1538 controls. RESULTS: Compared with coffee non-drinkers, the multivariate odds ratio (OR) was 0.77 for one cup of coffee per day, 0.57 for two, and 0.29 for three or more. The OR for 40 years of coffee consumption or more was 0.45. Trends in risk were significant for both number of cups and duration of coffee drinking. No significant association was observed with decaffeinated coffee, tea and cola-containing beverages. The relation between coffee consumption and liver cirrhosis was not attributable to confounding and was observed across strata of tobacco, alcohol, and other major covariates of interest. In particular, an inverse relation was observed also in subjects reporting moderate alcohol drinking. CONCLUSIONS: The present study confirms, and further quantifies, the existence of an inverse association between coffee consumption and liver cirrhosis. However, the metabolism of caffeine is impaired in fasting subjects with liver cirrhosis, and the association could be due to a reduction of coffee drinking in subjects with liver cirrhosis.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Oral contraceptives and the risk of focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: A role of female hormones, including oral contraceptives, has been suggested in the etiology of focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver. There is, however, no epidemiologic quantification of this relationship. STUDY DESIGN: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted in Italy of 23 women with histologically confirmed focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver and 94 controls in the hospital for acute diseases. Odds ratios (ORs) were computed by use of multiple logistic regression models. RESULTS: Focal nodular hyperplasia was not associated with menstrual and reproductive factors. Ever oral contraceptive use was reported by 83% of cases and 59% of controls. The multivariate OR was 2.8 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.8-9.4) for ever use, and 4.5 (95% CI, 1.2-16.9) for use > or = 3 years. The trend in risk with duration was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms previous clinical observations, and provides a quantitative estimate of the association between use of oral contraceptives and focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Risk factors for focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver: an Italian case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: Risk factors for focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) of the liver are largely unknown, except for a possible role of female hormones. We evaluated the role of tobacco smoking and some lifestyle and dietary factors in its etiology. METHODS: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted in Italy between January, 1999 and February, 2000 on 28 patients with histologically confirmed FNH of the liver and 115 controls in the hospital for acute, nonneoplastic, non-liver related diseases. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed using multiple logistic regression equations. RESULTS: Compared to those who never smoked the multivariate ORs were 1.9 (95% CI = 0.6-6.0) in ex-smokers and 3.5 (95% CI = 1.2-9.7) in current smokers, and the risk increased with number of cigarettes smoked to 8.0 (95% CI = 1.7-37.4) for > or = 20 cigarettes/day. Intake of whole-grain foods was inversely related to risk, with an OR of 0.3 (95% CI = 0.1-0.7) in consumers versus nonconsumers. No significant association was observed with education, alcohol drinking, and selected indicator foods. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that cigarette smoking is an indicator of elevated risk for FNH of the liver, whereas whole grain and, possibly, vegetable intake seems to be a favorable indicator.

Adult↗