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Biomedical subjects

Wendy Siu

Publications and source records attributed to Wendy Siu.

3 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Association between marijuana use and transitional cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Marijuana smoking has been implicated as a causative factor in traditionally tobacco-related tumors of the head and neck and of the lung. When associated with marijuana use, such tumors occur in a much younger patient population than do similar tumors in tobacco smokers. Owing to the large number of young men with a history of marijuana presenting with transitional cell carcinoma to VA facilities, this study was designed to compare the marijuana use among young (aged less than 60 years) transitional cell carcinoma patients with that among age-matched controls. METHODS: Fifty-two men aged less than 60 years presenting consecutively with transitional cell carcinoma and 104 age-matched controls (defined by having no history of transitional cell carcinoma, hematuria, or irritative voiding symptoms, as well as unremarkable results on urinalysis and urine cytology) completed questionnaires about exposure to various potential carcinogens, including radiation, Agent Orange, smoked or processed meats, dyes, tobacco, and marijuana. RESULTS: Of the 52 transitional cell carcinoma patients, 46 (88.5%) reported a history of habitual marijuana usage, and 72 (69.2%) of the age-matched controls gave a history of habitual marijuana use. This difference was statistically significant (P = 0.008). In those with transitional cell carcinoma, marijuana use significantly correlated with tumor stage, grade, and number of recurrences. CONCLUSIONS: Marijuana smoking might increase the risk of transitional cell carcinoma.

Carcinoma, Transitional Cell↗
PubMed2005

Use of extended pattern technique for initial prostate biopsy.

PURPOSE: An extended prostate biopsy schema has been advocated at initial prostate biopsy to decrease the rate of false-negative cancer cases. However, critics have raised concerns that this may lead to the greater detection of clinically insignificant cancers. We examined the impact of using an extended pattern schema on cancer detection and also on the finding of smaller and clinically insignificant cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical data, including patient age, race, prebiopsy prostate specific antigen (PSA), digital rectal examination, prostate volume, number of needle cores and biopsy findings were abstracted from the medical records of all patients who underwent prostate biopsy in a 5-year period. Extended pattern prostate biopsy was defined as more than 10 cores. Clinically insignificant cancer was defined as a maximal tumor dimension of 1.0 cm or less, Gleason sum 6 or less and organ confined disease at radical prostatectomy. Adjusted regression models were developed to assess the independent effects of using an extended biopsy pattern on the detection of cancer overall and on the detection of clinically insignificant cancer. RESULTS: A total of 740 men with a mean age of 62.6 years were referred for prostate biopsy. Median PSA was 5.7 ng/ml and prostate volume was 39.7 cc. The OR for detecting prostate cancer was 1.55 (95% CI 1.09 to 2.19) for the extended pattern compared with standard biopsy. Of the subset of 136 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy 12.6% had clinically insignificant cancer. However, in contrast to overall cancer detection, extended pattern prostate biopsy was not found to be associated with an increased risk of detecting smaller or clinically insignificant cancer. PSA density was the single parameter found to be independently associated with the detection of clinically insignificant cancer (95% CI 0.20 to 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Using an extended prostate biopsy pattern involving more than 10 cores increases the likelihood of detecting prostate cancer. A significant association between more needle cores at initial prostate biopsy and finding smaller and clinically insignificant cancer was not apparent.

Biopsy, Needle↗