Essential considerations in the investigation of associations between insulin and cancer risk using prescription databases

Boyle, P Ford, I Robertson, Jfr La Vecchia, C Boffetta, P Autier, P eng England 2009/01/01 00:00 Ecancermedicalscience. 2009;3:174. doi: 10.3332/ecancer.2009.174. Epub 2009 Dec 11.International audienceno abstrac

Genital warts and cervical neoplasia: an epidemiological study.

Cervical carcinoma and cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) are likely to be associated with all sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). To help discover which (if any) of the recognised STDs might actually cause these conditions, a key question is whether one particular such association is much stronger than the others. The present study is therefore only of women newly attending an STD clinic, and compares the prevalences of cytological abnormalities of the cervix among 415 women attending with genital warts, 135 with genital herpes, and 458 with trichomoniasis or gonorrhoea. Significantly more genital wart patients (8.1%) than trichomoniasis or gonorrhoea patients (1.9%) showed dyskaryotic changes (adjusted relative risk (RR) = 5.8 with 95% limits 2.5-13.5) at, or a few months before, first attendance, while no excess whatever was seen in women with genital herpes. Moreover, half the women had a subsequent smear (at an average of 3-4 years after first attendance) and, although the diagnosis at first attendance was not related to the onset rate of dyskaryotic changes observed in these subsequent smears, it was related to the onset rate of grade III cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN III), which was found in 7 previous genital wart patients, in 2 previous trichomonas patients, but in 0 previous genital herpes patients. Thus, our findings suggest that herpes is not directly relevant to dyskaryotic change, but that one or more of the human papilloma viruses that cause genital warts may be

Multiple primary cancers in the Vaud Cancer Registry, Switzerland, 1974-89.

Data collected by the Cancer Registry of the Swiss Canton of Vaud (whose population in 1980 was about 530,000 inhabitants) were used to estimate the incidence of second metachronous primary cancers following any specific neoplasm. Among 34,615 cases of incident neoplasms registered between 1974 and 1989 and followed through integrated active follow-up to the end of 1989, for a total of 118,241 person-years at risk, there were 2,185 second primaries (1,280 males, 905 females). For both sexes, the standardised incidence ratios (SIR) were significantly elevated by about 20%. Overall significantly elevated ratios were registered for cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx (SIR = 1.6 for males, 2.0 for females), oesophagus in males (SIR = 1.5), lung in males (SIR = 1.4), skin melanoma (SIR = 1.7 for males, 1.5 for females), non-melanomatous skin cancers (SIR = 1.6 for males, 1.5 for females), female breast (SIR = 1.3), kidney (SIR = 1.5 for males, 1.9 for females), and thyroid in males (SIR = 2.4). When specific first cancer sites were considered, the SIR following a cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx was around 3 in both sexes, mainly on account of a substantial excess of second primaries of the oral cavity, oesophagus, larynx and lung. The overall SIR following laryngeal cancer was 3.0, and significant excesses were observed for oral cavity and pharynx, oesophagus and lung. After lung cancer, the overall SIR was 1.7 for males and 2.6 for females, and significantly elevated SIRs were observed for oral cavity, lung and oesophagus. Following non-melanomatous skin cancers, elevated SIRs were observed in both sexes for skin melanoma and non-melanomas. The incidence of any cancer after breast cancer was significantly elevated (SIR = 1.2), mainly on account of an elevated risk of subsequent breast cancer (SIR = 1.7). With reference to cervical cancer, there was a significant excess for any subsequent primary (SIR = 1.6), and for lung cancer (SIR = 7.8). Significantly elevated SIRs were observed for kidney following bladder cancer, and for bladder after kidney cancer. In both sexes, the incidence of cancers of any site was elevated following leukaemias (SIR = 1.7 for males, 2.5 for females), and a significant excess was registered for lung in males and non-melanomatous skin cancers in both sexes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS

Dietary carbohydrate intake, dietary glycemic load and outcomes of in vitro fertilization : Findings from an observational italian cohort study

In recent decades, increasing attention has been paid to the influence of diet on reproductive health. Carbohydrates in diet affect glucose metabolism and multiple evidences showed the key role of insulin sensitivity in regulating female fertility. We designed a prospective cohort study to investigate the relation between dietary carbohydrate intake, glycemic load (GL) and the outcomes of assisted reproduction. A population of 494 female partners of couples referring to an Italian Fertility Center and eligible for in vitro fertilization (IVF) were enrolled in the study. On the day of the oocyte retrieval, information on their diet was obtained using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We calculated the relative risk and 95% confidence interval of embryo transfer, clinical pregnancy and live birth according to the following dietary exposures: GL, glycemic index (GI) as well as the daily carbohydrate and fiber intake. A multiple regression model was used to account for the confounders. After adjusting for age, college degree, body mass index (BMI), leisure physical activity and previous assisted reproduction techniques (ART) cycles, no significant association was observed between the considered dietary exposures and the IVF outcomes. The roles of GL, carbohydrate intake and GI were assessed in strata of the cause of infertility and body mass index and no relation emerged in this further analysis. We found no clear association between the dietary carbohydrate quantity and quality and IVF outcomes in a cohort of infertile Italian women

Sub one per cent mass fractions of young stars in red massive galaxies

Early-type galaxies are considered to be the end products of massive galaxy formation1. Optical spectroscopic studies reveal that massive early-type galaxies formed the bulk of their stars over short timescales (≲≲1 Gyr) and at high redshift (z ≳≳ 2), followed by passive evolution to the present2. However, their optical spectra are unable to constrain small episodes of recent star formation, since they are dominated by old stars. Fortunately, this problem can be tackled in the ultraviolet range. While recent studies that make use of ultraviolet absorption lines have suggested the presence of young stars in a few early-type galaxies3, the age and mass fractions of young stars and their dependence on galaxy mass are unknown. Here we report a detailed study of these young stellar populations, from high-quality stacked spectra of 28,663 galaxies from the BOSS survey4, analysing optical and ultraviolet absorption lines simultaneously. We find that residual star formation is ubiquitous in massive early-type galaxies, measuring average mass fractions of 0.5% in young stars in the last 2 Gyr of their evolution. This fraction shows a decreasing trend with galaxy stellar mass, consistent with a downsizing scenario5. We also find that synthetic galaxies from state-of-the-art cosmological numerical simulations6 substantially overproduce both intermediate and young stellar populations. Therefore, our results pose stringent constraints on numerical simulations of galaxy formation6,7

Analysis of oral cancer epidemiology in the US reveals state-specific trends: implications for oral cancer prevention

Background: Downward trends have been observed in oral cancer incidence and mortality in the US over the past 30 years; however, these declines are not uniform within this population. Several studies have now demonstrated an increase in the incidence and mortality from oral cancers among certain demographic groups, which may have resulted from increased risks or risk behaviors. This study examines the underlying data that comprise these trends, to identify specific populations that may be at greater risk for morbidity and mortality from oral cancers. Methods: Oral cancer incidence and mortality data analyzed for this study were generated using the National Cancer Institute\u27s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program. Results: While oral cancer incidence and mortality rates have been declining over the past thirty years, these declines have reversed in the past five years among some demographic groups, including black females and white males. Sorting of these data by state revealed that eight states exhibited increasing rates of oral cancer deaths, Nevada, North Carolina, Iowa, Ohio, Maine, Idaho, North Dakota, and Wyoming, in stark contrast to the national downward trend. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of data from these states revealed increasing rates of oral cancer among older white males, also contrary to the overall trends observed at the national level. Conclusion: These results signify that, despite the declining long-term trends in oral cancer incidence and mortality nationally, localized geographic areas exist where the incidence and mortality from oral cancers have been increasing. These areas represent sites where public health education and prevention efforts may be focused to target these specific populations in an effort to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities within these populations

Simplifying one-loop amplitudes in superstring theory

We show that 4-point vector boson one-loop amplitudes, computed in ref.[1] in the RNS formalism, around vacuum configurations with open unoriented strings, preserving at least N=1 SUSY in D=4, satisfy the correct supersymmetry Ward identities, in that they vanish for non MHV configurations (++++) and (-+++). In the MHV case (--++) we drastically simplify their expressions. We then study factorisation and the limiting IR and UV behaviour and find some unexpected results. In particular no massless poles are exposed at generic values of the modular parameter. Relying on the supersymmetric properties of our bosonic amplitudes, we extend them to manifestly supersymmetric super-amplitudes and compare our results with those obtained in the D=4 hybrid formalism, pointing out difficulties in reconciling the two approaches for contributions from N=1,2 sectors.Comment: 38 pages plus appendice

Alcohol intake and semen variables: cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study of men referring to an Italian Fertility Clinic

BACKGROUND: The association between alcohol intake and male reproductive function is still controversial. In the frame of a prospective cohort study, designed to investigate the relation between life style and fertility, we performed a cross-sectional analysis of semen quality. METHODS: Men of subfertile couples, referring to an Italian Infertility Unit and eligible for assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs), were asked about their lifestyle: BMI, smoking, caffeine intake, occupational and leisure physical activity (PA) and alcohol intake in the last year before ART procedure. Semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count and sperm motility were determined. Age, risk factors for impaired male fertility, caffeine, smoking, leisure PA, days of abstinence and daily calories intake were accounted for in the analyses. RESULTS: Between September 2014 and December 2016, we enrolled 323 male patients, mean age 39.3 years. Thirty-one (9.6%) were abstainers, 97 (30.0%) drank <1-3, 98 (30.3%) 4-7 and 97 (30.0%) 658 alcohol units per week. As compared to men drinking <1-3 units per week, median semen volume was higher in the 4-7 units/week group (3.0 mL, interquartile range, IQR, 2.0-4.0 vs. 2.4 mL, IQR 1.7-3.5), as well as total sperm count (87.9 mil/mL, IQR 20.2-182.1 vs. 51.5 mil/mL, IQR 15.2-114.7). Association with sperm concentration was also significant, with a U-shaped trend in groups of alcohol intake. After adjusting for potential confounders, these relations were confirmed. Similar patterns were observed in subgroups of leisure PA and risk factors for impaired male fertility, although these estimates often lacked statistical significance, presumably because of low sample size. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate alcohol intake appears positively associated to semen quality in male partners of infertile couples undergoing ART