bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Anal cancer incidence and survival: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results experience, 1973–2000
Authors: Johnson Lisa G. , Madeleine Margaret M. , Newcomer Laura M. , Schwartz Stephen M. , Daling Janet R. 
Published: June 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDAnal cancer is a rare malignancy of the anogenital tract that historically has affected women at a greater rate than men.METHODSThe authors analyzed changing trends in incidence rates and 5‐year relative survival percentages for patients with anal cancer. The publicly available data used in the current study were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, a system of population‐based tumor registries in the United States.RESULTSThe incidence of anal cancer was similar for men and women between 1994 and 2000 (2.04 per 100,000 and 2.06 per 100,000, respectively), the most recent period for which data were available, whereas men had lower rates than did women between 1973 and 1979 (1.06 per 100,000, compared with 1.39 per 100,000), the earliest period for which data were available. In addition, recently, black men had higher incidence rates than did other race‐specific and gender‐specific groups (2.71 per 100,000). From the earliest period for which data were available to the most recent period, relative 5‐year survival improved from 59% to 73% among women, was unchanged among men (∼60%), and decreased from 45% to 27% among black men. Eighteen percent of patients who had distant disease were alive at 5 years, compared with 78% of patients who had localized disease.CONCLUSIONSThe incidence of anal cancer in the United States increased between 1973 and 2000, particularly among men. There were higher incidence rates and lower survival rates for black men compared with other race‐specific and gender‐specific groups. Later disease stage was inversely associated with the survival rate, indicating that earlier detection may improve the survival of patients with anal cancer. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Prognostic impact of hemoglobin levels on treatment outcome in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with sequential chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy alone
Authors: Chua Daniel T. T. , Sham Jonathan S. T. , Choy Damon T. K. 
Published: June 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe goal of the current study was to investigate the impact of hemoglobin (Hb) levels on treatment outcome in a randomized Phase III trial of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with induction chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy or with radiotherapy alone.METHODSBetween September 1989 and August 1993, 334 patients with advanced NPC were entered into a randomized trial comparing 3 cycles of induction chemotherapy (cisplatin and epirubicin) followed by radiotherapy with radiotherapy alone. Only evaluable patients who completed radiation were included in the analysis (n = 286). Patients were stratified into normal and low Hb groups according to baseline, preradiation, and midradiation Hb levels. Local recurrence–free, distant metastasis–free, and disease‐specific survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox model.RESULTSIn the chemotherapy arm, the mean baseline, preradiation, and midradiation Hb levels were 13.6, 11.0, and 11.8 g/dL, respectively. In the radiotherapy arm, the mean baseline/preradiation and midradiation Hb levels were 13.7 and 12.9 g/dL, respectively. A midradiation Hb level ≤ 11 g/dL was associated with significantly poorer 5‐year local recurrence–free (60% vs. 80%; P = 0.0059) and disease‐specific survival rates (51% vs. 68%; P = 0.001), with no difference in distant metastasis–free rates (69% vs. 67%; P = 0.83). No significant difference in treatment outcome according to baseline or preradiation Hb levels was noted. Multivariate analysis showed that a low midradiation Hb level, but not a low baseline or preradiation Hb level, was an independent predictor of local disease recurrence and malignancy‐related death.CONCLUSIONSThe current study showed that midradiation Hb level was an important prognostic factor with respect to local control and survival in patients with NPC. The high incidence of anemia after chemotherapy has a negative impact on treatment outcome, and this condition may reduce the benefit of induction chemotherapy. Attempts to correct anemia during radiation and the impact of anemia on treatment outcome requires further study. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Familial risk and clustering of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Guangdong, China
Authors: Jia Wei‐Hua , Feng Bing‐Jian , Xu Zong‐Li , Zhang Xiao‐Shi , Huang Ping , Huang Li‐Xi , Yu Xing‐Juan , Feng Qi‐Sheng , Yao Ming‐Hong , Shugart Yin Yao , Zeng Yi‐Xin 
Published: June 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDPrevious studies have suggested that genetic susceptibility may play an important role in the etiology of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). However, to date, few large‐scale studies have been conducted on familial risk and clustering of NPC in a high‐risk area of China.METHODSIn the current study, 2252 patients with NPC who were treated at the Cancer Center of Sun Yat‐Sen University in Guangdong Province, China, were identified as probands. Family histories of NPC and other malignancies were observed in first‐degree relatives (FDRs) and second‐degree relatives, and other information was obtained through interviews. One thousand nine hundred and three Cantonese families were selected for further investigation. To assess familial aggregation, the authors used standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) to measure the risk of NPC for FDRs and compared the observed number of cases with the number predicted by population‐based frequencies in the Cantonese population of Hong Kong.RESULTSThe current analysis indicated that families with ≥ 3 relatives who had NPC were distributed predominantly among a high‐risk subgroup of the Cantonese population in Guangdong Province and that the frequency of these families was 0.68%. An SIR of 2.09 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80–2.40) was observed among 13,833 FDRs in the high‐risk subgroup, and a significantly elevated risk for NPC was observed in FDRs of probands with early age of onset (age < 40 years; SIR, 9.01 [95% CI, 6.10–13.30]). Furthermore, decreased risks of hepatic, lung, esophageal, gastric, and breast carcinoma, as well as malignancy of all sites, were observed among FDRs of probands with NPC when Hong Kong and Shanghai populations were used as reference groups.CONCLUSIONSNPC tends to aggregate in Cantonese families in Guangdong Province, and the malignancies in these families appear to be site specific, with no excess of any other malignancy. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Genetic polymorphisms in the human growth hormone‐1 gene (GH1) and the risk of breast carcinoma
Authors: Ren Zefang , Cai Qiuyin , Shu Xiao‐Ou , Cai Hui , Cheng Jia‐Rong , Wen Wan‐Qing , Gao Yu‐Tang , Zheng Wei 
Published: June 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDIn addition to possessing many physiologic functions, human growth hormone‐1 (GH1) has been shown in recent in vitro and in vivo experiments to induce malignant disease, including breast carcinoma. The authors investigated the association of breast carcinoma with genetic polymorphisms in the GH1 gene in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study.METHODSIncluded in the current investigation were 1193 women with breast carcinoma (case patients) and 1310 healthy women from the same community (control patients) who completed in‐person interviews and provided blood samples. Genetic polymorphisms in the proximal promoter region (nucleotide [nt] −162 to nt +148 relative to the transcription start site of the GH1 gene) were searched and confirmed by resequencing DNA samples from 43 study participants. A novel polymorphism, a transition from adenine to guanine at nt 69 (A69G), was identified. Samples from all participants were genotyped with TaqMan 5′ nuclease assays for five common single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)—four in the proximal region (A‐75G, G‐57T, A‐6G, and A69G) and one in intron 4 (T1169A).RESULTSThe frequencies of occurrence for the minor alleles in these polymorphic sites were 0.04, 0.60, 0.24, 0.03, and 0.34, respectively, in the control group; these frequencies were comparable to those observed in the case group. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, none of the SNPs investigated in this study showed a statistically significant association with breast carcinoma risk. This null association was found for both younger women (age < 45 years) and older women (age ≥ 45 years). GH1 gene haplotypes were assessed using SNP data and were analyzed in relation to breast carcinoma risk. Again, none of the haplotypes were associated with breast carcinoma risk.CONCLUSIONSThe results of the current study suggest that genetic polymorphisms in the proximal promoter region and in the fourth intron of the GH1 gene are unrelated to breast carcinoma risk in Chinese women. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Clinical utility of serum amyloid A and macrophage migration inhibitory factor as serum biomarkers for the detection of nonsmall cell lung carcinoma
Authors: Khan Nayela , Cromer Charles J. , Campa Michael , Patz Edward F. 
Published: June 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDEarly lung carcinoma detection strategies involving imaging studies have yet to demonstrate a reduction in mortality. Identification of serum biomarkers that could complement radiologic studies and facilitate earlier diagnosis of lung carcinoma would be of significant benefit to patients. In the current pilot study, the authors evaluated two overexpressed proteins in lung carcinoma, serum amyloid A (SAA) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), as potential diagnostic serum biomarkers for this malignancy.METHODSSerum levels of SAA and MIF were measured in 50 patients using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the markers in detecting lung carcinoma were determined.RESULTSSAA levels in patients with lung carcinoma were greater than in the control patients (P = 0.07). Serum SAA levels did not exhibit a correlation with tumor size or clinical stage and were higher in patients with squamous cell carcinoma than in patients with other histologic disease types. MIF was unable to differentiate patients with lung carcinoma from patients with other diseases.CONCLUSIONSSAA possesses potential utility as a serum biomarker for lung carcinoma, probably in conjunction with other serum markers that improve its diagnostic accuracy. Before a larger study is performed, the discovery of additional biomarkers to enhance the specificity of SAA in the diagnosis of lung carcinoma is recommended. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Novel therapies for myelodysplastic syndromes
Authors: Faderl Stefan , Kantarjian Hagop M. 
Published: June 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe assessment of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and the choice of therapies remain challenging. New therapies are now emerging after the identification of molecular targets that result in improvement of hematologic parameters and may hold promise for the prevention of disease progression.METHODSA review of the English literature was performed that included original articles and related reviews from MEDLINE (PubMed) and abstracts based on published meeting material.RESULTSMDS is a heterogeneous group of disorders. Although current classification and prognostic schemes have proven valid to define subgroups, they are insufficient to take into consideration the significant biologic diversity of MDS. New molecular targets are identified as the mosaic of pathophysiologic pathways in MDS is being unraveled. Novel and targeted therapeutic agents, such as the inhibition of farnesyl transferases and receptor tyrosine kinases, more potent thalidomide analogs, and arsenic trioxide, have shown encouraging results and may offer durable benefit to patients with MDS.CONCLUSIONSAlthough progress has been made in the understanding of clinical manifestations and some of the molecular pathways underlying ineffective hematopoiesis and leukemic transformation in MDS, intensive clinical and laboratory research continues to 1) identify further relevant pathophysiologic pathways, 2) better define MDS subgroups, and 3) develop new drugs based on a clearer understanding of disease biology. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Long‐term results of the first Italian Association of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology protocol for the treatment of pediatric B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (AIEOP LNH92)
Authors: Pillon Marta , Di Tullio Maria Teresa , Garaventa Alberto , Cesaro Simone , Putti Maria Caterina , Favre Claudio , Lippi Alma , Surico Gianmarco , Di Cataldo Andrea , D'Amore Emanuele , Zanesco Luigi , Rosolen Angelo 
Published: June 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDChildhood B‐cell lymphomas (B‐NHLs) represent a group of aggressive malignancies that are amenable to high‐intensity chemotherapy regimens. In 1992, the Italian Association of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (AIEOP) initiated a prospective clinical trial involving the diagnosis and treatment of childhood B‐NHL based on a well established strategy developed by the Berlin–Frankfurt–Munster Group.METHODSBetween November 1992 and October 1997, 163 children who had B‐NHL were treated prospectively in the first national AIEOP trial. Disease staging was performed according to the St. Jude staging system, and treatment was assigned on the basis of risk group (R1, R2, or R3), which took into account disease stage and resectability and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels.RESULTSOf the 144 evaluable patients, 11 had Stage I disease, 35 had Stage II disease, 76 had Stage III disease, and 22 had Stage IV disease. Thirteen, 54, and 77 patients were included in risk groups R1, R2, and R3, respectively. The 10‐year overall survival (OS) and event‐free survival (EFS) rates for the overall population were 89.4% and 81.8%, respectively; the EFS rates for patients in risk groups R1, R2, and R3 were 100%, 86.9%, and 75.1%, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that age ≥ 10 years, disease histology other than Burkitt or Burkitt‐like lymphoma, and LDH levels ≥ 1000 international units per liter had negative prognostic value. Analysis of the toxicity (according to the World Health Organization grading system) associated with 710 of the 748 chemotherapy cycles administered revealed 855 cases of Grade 3 or 4 toxicity, with 73% being cases of hematologic toxicity. Toxic episodes were most common after the first chemotherapy cycle and were equally common in the R2 and R3 risk groups. To date, the development of a second malignancy has not been observed in any patient in the study cohort.CONCLUSIONSLong‐term follow‐up of the current study (AIEOP LNH92) confirms the observation of a favorable outcome for patients with B‐NHL treated with short, intensive chemotherapy regimens and raises the possibility that non‐Burkitt or non‐Burkitt‐like histology and age ≥ 10 years may have negative prognostic value for patients with childhood B‐NHL. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Predictors of place of death for Japanese patients with advanced‐stage malignant disease in home care settings: A nationwide survey
Authors: Fukui Sakiko , Fukui Naoshi , Kawagoe Hiromi 
Published: June 2004

AbstractBACKGROUNDAlthough the place of death for patients with advanced malignancy is influenced by multiple factors, few studies have systematically investigated the determinants of place of death. The objective of the current retrospective study was to clarify the predictors of home death throughout the duration of home palliative care for Japanese patients with advanced malignant disease.METHODSIn the current nationwide survey, the authors investigated predictors involving patient demographics and clinical profiles, the roles and status of family caregivers, and the support provided by the healthcare system in the introductory phase (during the first week of home care), the stable phase (between the introductory and dying phases), and the dying phase (during the final week before death) of home care service in Japan.RESULTSMultivariate logistic regression models clarified that 1) patient‐related clinical variables (e.g., functional status and rehospitalization); 2) the support of the healthcare system (e.g., provision of information on the dying process and visitation by home care nurses); and 3) the status and roles of family caregivers (e.g., psychologic distress levels, assistance with patient evacuation, etc.) have an effect on place of death throughout all three phases of home palliative care. Overall, the model used in the current study was able to predict 94% of home deaths accurately.CONCLUSIONSA clearer understanding of factors that may influence place of death for patients with advanced‐stage malignant disease would allow healthcare professionals to modify healthcare systems and tailor effective interventions to help patients die in their preferred location. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Reduction in hippocampal cholinergic innervation is unrelated to recognition memory impairment in aged rhesus monkeys
Authors: Calhoun Michael E. , Mao Ying , Roberts Jeffrey A. , Rapp Peter R. 
Published: June 2004

AbstractAlterations in the basal forebrain cholinergic system have been widely studied in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease, but the magnitude of decline and relationship to cognitive impairment are still a matter of debate. The rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) provides a compelling model to study age‐related memory decline, as the pattern of impairment closely parallels that observed in humans. Here, we used antibodies against the vesicular acetylcholine transporter and a new stereological technique to estimate total cholinergic fiber length in hippocampal subregions of behaviorally characterized young and aged rhesus monkeys. The analysis revealed an age‐related decline in the length of cholinergic fibers of 22%, which was similar across the hippocampal subregions studied (dentate gyrus granule cell and molecular layers, CA2/3‐hilus, and CA1), and across the rostral–caudal extent of the hippocampus. This effect, however, was unrelated to performance on the delayed nonmatching‐to‐sample task, a test of recognition memory sensitive to hippocampal system dysfunction and cognitive aging in monkeys. These findings indicate that a decline in cholinergic input fails to account for the influence of normal aging on memory supported by the primate hippocampal region. J. Comp. Neurol. 475:238–246, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Postnatal apoptosis, development, and sex difference in the lateral septum of rats
Authors: Tsukahara Shinji , Inami Kouichi , Maekawa Fumihiko , Kakeyama Masaki , Yokoyama Toshifumi , Yuji Midori , Kitagawa Hiroshi , Kannan Yasuyuki , Yamanouchi Korehito 
Published: June 2004

AbstractTo determine whether apoptosis is involved in the formation of the structure and morphological sex difference of the lateral septum (LS), the postnatal developmental changes in the number of apoptotic cells were examined in the LS on postnatal day 1 (PD1 = birth day), 4, 6, 8, 11, 16, and 31 in male and female rats. Apoptotic cells were immunohistochemically detected by antibody against single‐stranded DNA (ssDNA) or active caspase‐3. The volume of the LS was also measured and was found to increase with age. The number of apoptotic cells detected by anti‐ssDNA in the LS increased from PD1 to PD8 but decreased after PD11. Also, the LS was divided into dorsal, intermediate, and ventral parts (LSd, LSi, and LSv), and the volume and number of ssDNA‐immunoreactive cells in each part were measured on PD6, 8, 11, 16, and 31. In both sexes, a large number of ssDNA‐immunoreactive cells was found in the LSd and LSi on PD8 (but not on PD6) and in the LSv on PD6 and PD8. On PD6, the number of active caspase‐3‐immunoreactive cells was significantly greater in the LSv than in the LSd or LSi, in both sexes. Only the LSi of males had a high number of ssDNA‐immunoreacitve cells on PD16; the number was significantly greater than that of females of the same age. However, there was no significant sex difference in the number of active caspase‐3‐immunoreacitve cells in the LSi on PD16. On PD31, the volume of the LSi was significantly greater in females than in males. There was no sex difference in volume or number of apoptotic cells in the LSd or LSv. These findings indicate that loss of cells due to apoptosis, which is partially caused by activation of caspase‐3, occurs in the LS during postnatal development, with regional differences. They also indicate that sex difference in caspase‐3‐independent apoptosis contributes to morphological sexual differentiation of the LSi. J. Comp. Neurol. 475:177–187, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Juxtacapsular nucleus of the stria terminalis of the adult rat: Extrinsic inputs, cell types, and neuronal modules: A combined Golgi and electron microscopic study
Authors: Larriva‐Sahd Jorge 
Published: June 2004

AbstractThis study unravels the microscopic organization of the juxtacapsular nucleus of the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (Ju) by using silver impregnation and electron microscopic techniques. Examination of Golgi‐impregnated specimens demonstrates that the Ju has precise boundaries primarily determined by a conical condensation of fibers of the stria terminalis (StT) around the nucleus. The internal capsule, ansa peduncularis, and medial forebrain bundle together with the StT provide extrinsic afferents to the neuropil of the Ju. Two main neuron types are found in the Ju: interneurons (including basket and neurogliaform cells) and projection neurons (bipolar and small pyramidal cells). The bipolar cell type accounts for about 80% of the sampled neurons. Short‐axon neurons located within the dorsal part of the Ju send descending fibers that appear to terminate on the bipolar neurons, suggesting the existence of vertically oriented functional units within the nucleus. With the electron microscope, Ju neurons are seen in clusters of two or three neurons coupled by gap junctions. The neuropil contains numerous dendrites, axons, myelinated axons, and several types of synaptic interactions, including axospinous, axoshaft, and axosomatic. Within the neuropil, Ju neurons appear to be presynaptically modulated by axoaxonal interactions. The present findings suggest a model wherein bipolar neurons represent the output system of the Ju controlled by the interneurons, which would, in turn, be modulated by collaterals arising from the tributary fiber tracts. Additional neural interaction between Ju neurons utilizes gap junction‐mediated electrotonic coupling. J. Comp. Neurol. 475:220–237, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Large deviations for random walks in a mixing random environment and other (non‐Markov) random walks
Authors: Rassoul‐Agha F. 
Published: June 2004

AbstractWe extend a recent work by S. R. S. Varadhan [8] on large deviations for random walks in a product random environment to include more general random walks on the lattice. In particular, some reinforced random walks and several classes of random walks in Gibbs fields are included. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Transverse Dephasing Optimised NMR Spectroscopy in Solids: Natural‐Abundance 13C Correlation Spectra
Authors: De Paëpe Gaël , Lesage Anne , Steuernagel Stefan , Emsley Lyndon 
Published: June 2004

AbstractThe transverse dephasing optimized (TDOP) approach can be used to obtain heteronuclear decoupling sequences that increase significantly coherence lifetimes in solid‐state NMR spectroscopy, leading to a dramatic improvement in the sensitivity of correlation experiments. Herein we demonstrate experimentally on several model organic compounds that, by applying this procedure, solid‐state 13C‐refocused INADEQUATE experiments are feasible at natural abundance on medium‐sized molecules. Examples are provided for powdered crystalline cholesteryl acetate as well as for a sample of brucine, a less ordered compound. Effects of molecular dynamics on the sensitivity of the experiment are also discussed for a sample of tyrosine ethyl ester.