Selected breast cancer risk factors and early detection of the neoplasm in women from Lublin region attending screening program in St. John’s Cancer Center, years 2005–2006

[b]introduction and objective[/b]. In Poland, consulting is offered to women about risk factors of breast cancer, breast symptoms and early cancer detection. Study aims were to evaluate the correlation between some risk factors and women’s attendance to breast checkups, and to assess links between risk factors and detection of early breast cancer. [b]materials and methods. [/b]The study involved 8014 women aged 50–69 years, participating in breast cancer screening program. The frequency of breast checkups (mammography, CBE and BSE) and occurrence of breast cancer risk factors in studied women were evaluated as well as clinical stage of detected tumors. Odds ratios were used to compare relative odds of breast cancer with exposure to risk factors. [b]results. [/b]47.11% studied women had regularly undergone MMG, 30.82% had CBE within the previous year, 14.26% regularly performed BSE. The incidence of risk factors varied from 2.94% (menarche at ≤ 11 years) to 12.38% (current use of HRT). In 47.82% women, no evidence of studied risk factors was found. Women with history of breast biopsies and current users of HRT had MMG, CBE and BSE significantly more often ( p<0.0001). 29.27% early breast cancers (pTis, pT1abN0) were found among 82 detected tumors. Relative odds of breast cancer occurrence in women without the risk factors were significantly lower (OR = 0.55, 95% CI [0.35; 0.86]). Only nulliparous women had significantly higher odds of early breast cancer (OR = 7.37, 95% CI [1.32; 41.17]). [b]conclusions. [/b]Women using HRT and women after breast biopsy were significantly more likely to attend breast checkups. There were no significant links between most risk factors and odds of early stages of breast cancer. Women should have preventive checkups irrespective of their breast cancer risk factors

Level of life satisfaction among perimenopausal women according to selected socio-demographic characteristics

Wstęp. Pojęcie satysfakcji z życia wiąże się ściśle z pojęciem jakości życia. Satysfakcja z życia jest uznawana za kategorię użyteczną w badaniach empirycznych w medycynie. Cel pracy. Celem badań była analiza poziomu satysfakcji z życia kobiet w okresie okołomenopauzalnym zależnie od wybranych danych socjodemograficznych. Materiał i metodyka. Badaniami objęto 268 kobiet w wieku 45–55 lat, które zgłaszały się do przychodni na terenie miasta Lublina. Kryteriami kwalifikującymi kobiety do grupy badanej były: wiek 45–55 lat, brak zaburzeń psychicznych oraz brak chorób wymagających hospitalizacji w okresie przeprowadzania badania. Z badanej grupy wykluczono kobiety z jatrogenną menopauzą. Badania były dobrowolne i anonimowe. Projekt badania uzyskał pozytywną opinię Komisji Bioetycznej Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Lublinie (Nr KE-0254/6/2008). Badania przeprowadzono w 2008 roku metodą sondażu diagnostycznego z wykorzystaniem Skali Satysfakcji z Życia (Satisfaction With Life Scale – SWLS) i kwestionariusza ankiety autorskiej w celu zgromadzenia danych socjodemograficznych. Wyniki. Średnia satysfakcja z życia w badanej grupie wynosiła 17,40 ± 7,38. Zaobserwowane w badaniach własnych wartości średnie satysfakcji z życia (SWLS) zależnie od wieku, stanu cywilnego, wykształcenia badanych wskazują na przeciętną satysfakcję z życia w badanej grupie kobiet. Ponadto w badaniach własnych wartości średnie satysfakcji z życia (SWLS) zależnie od dochodu miesięcznego badanych wskazują na niską lub przeciętną satysfakcję z życia w badanej grupie kobiet. Wnioski. Analiza uzyskanych wyników badań wykazała, że działania mające na celu poprawę satysfakcji z życia powinny być skierowane do kobiet w okresie okołomenopauzalnym z wykształceniem podstawowym lub zawodowym i średnim oraz o niskim dochodzie miesięcznym.Introduction. The term ‘life satisfaction’ is closely related with the concept of the quality of life. Life satisfaction is considered as a category which is useful in empirical studies in medicine. Objective. The objective of the study was analysis of the level of life satisfaction among perimenopausal women, according to socio-demographic characteristics. Material and methods. The study included 268 females aged 45–55 who reported to the outpatient departments in the city of Lublin. The qualification criteria into the study group were: age 45–55, lack of mental disorders, lack of diseases requiring hospitalization during the period of study. Women with iatrogenic menopause were excluded from the study. The study was voluntary and anonymous. The research project obtained a positive opinion from the Bioethical Committee at the Medical University in Lublin (No. KE-0254/6/2008). The study was conducted in 2008 by the method of a diagnostic survey with the use of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) and a questionnaire designed by the author in order to collect socio-demographic data. Results. The mean life satisfaction in the group examined was 17.40 ± 7.38. The values of satisfaction with life (SWLS) obtained in the presented study, according to the respondents’ age, marital status, and education level indicated an mediocre life satisfaction among the women examined. In addition, the mean values of satisfaction with life (SWLS) according to the monthly income showed low or mediocre satisfaction with life in the group of women examined. Conclusions. Analysis of the results obtained indicated that actions aimed at the improvement of satisfaction with life should be directed to perimenopausal women with elementary, elementary vocational and secondary school education, and those with low monthly income

Adjuvant Radiochemotherapy with a 23-Month Overall Survival Time in a Patient after a Surgery due to Splenic Hemangiosarcoma Rupture: A Case Report with the Literature Review

Spleen sarcoma is one of the most rare soft tissue malignancies. The annual incidence is 0.14–0.25/1,000,000 and the average age of diagnosis is 50 to 73 years. The incidence of this cancer has been increasing. Treatment of choice is surgical splenectomy, which rarely gives good results due to the aggressive course of the disease as well as the high potential for metastasis. Overall survival in primary spleen sarcomas as described by various authors is between 4 and 14 months. 80% of patients after spleen rupture do not survive 6 months. We report the case of a 42-year-old male diagnosed with spleen angiosarcoma. The patient underwent surgery in an emergency mode because of rapid rupture of the organ. Due to positive surgical margins, he underwent adjuvant radiochemotherapy followed by chemotherapy. Overall survival time was relatively long (23 months). The international guidelines provide information based on limited data. The role of postoperative radiotherapy in angiosarcomas remains controversial. Postoperative radiotherapy may increase local disease control, especially after nonradical operation, but this does not translate into improvement in overall survival time of these patients. The case shows that adjuvant radiotherapy as part of cancer treatment strategy may prolong the overall survival

A common variant of CDKN2A (p16) predisposes to breast cancer

Background: A common missense variant of the CDKN2A gene (A148T) predisposes to malignant melanoma in Poland. An association between malignant melanoma and breast cancer has been reported in several families with CDKN2A mutations, Objective: To determine whether this variant also predisposes to breast cancer. Methods: Genotyping was undertaken in 4209 cases of breast cancer, unselected for family history, from 18 hospitals throughout Poland and in 3000 controls. Results: The odds ratio (OR) associated with the CDKN2A allele for women diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 50 was 1.5 (p = 0.002) and after age 50 it was 1.3 (p = 0.2). The effect was particularly strong for patients diagnosed at or before the age of 30 (OR = 3.8; p = 0.0002). Conclusions: CDKN2A appears to be a low penetrance breast cancer susceptibility gene in Poland. The association should be confirmed in other populations