tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Relationship of Cigarette Smoking and Radiation Exposure to Cancer Mortality in Hiroshima and Nagasaki&lt;xref ref-type="fn" rid="fn2"&gt;2&lt;/xref&gt;
Authors: Ross L. Prentice, Y. Yoshimoto, Mark W. Mason
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1983)

Cancer mortality among 40,498 Hiroshima and Nagasaki residents was examined in relation to cigarette smoking habits and estimated atomic bomb radiation exposure level. Relative risk (RR) models that are either multiplicative or additive in the two exposures were emphasized. Most analyses were directed toward all nonhematologic (ANH) cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, or digestive tract cancer other than stomach cancer, for which there were, respectively, 1,725,658,281, and 338 deaths in the follow-up period for this study. Persons heavily exposed to both cigarette smoke and radiation were found to have significantly lower cancer mortality than multiplicative RR models would suggest for ANH cancer, stomach cancer, and digestive tract cancer other than stomach cancer. Surprisingly, the RR function appeared not only to be submultiplicative for some of these cancer site categories but also may be subadditive. The lung cancer RR function could not be distinguished from either a multiplicative or an additive form. The number of deaths was sufficient to permit some more detailed study of ANH cancer mortality: RR functions appeared to be consistent between males and females, though a paucity of heavy smoking females limits the precision of this comparison. The submultiplicative nature of the RR function mentioned above was particularly pronounced among persons who were relatively young (≤30 yr of age) at the time of radiation exposure. The RR function for these younger subjects depends strongly on both radiation and cigarette smoke exposure levels. Even light smoking (≈5 cigarettes/day) for an extended period of time was associated with a large estimated RR. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to human carcinogenesis models. As a byproduct, cancer mortality of several sites is significantly related to radiation exposure in this population, after accommodation for the possible confounding effects of cigarette smoking.
Sarcomatoid Renal Cell Carcinoma: Biologic Behavior, Prognosis, and Response to Combined Surgical Resection and Immunotherapy
Authors: Thomas Cangiano, Joseph Liao, John Naitoh, Frederick Dorey, Robert Figlin, Arie Belldegrun
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (1999)

Sarcomatoid variants of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are aggressive tumors that respond poorly to immunotherapy. We report the outcomes of 31 patients with sarcomatoid RCC treated with a combination of surgical resection and immunotherapy.Patients were identified from the database of the University of California Los Angeles Kidney Cancer Program. We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 31 consecutive patients in whom sarcomatoid RCC was diagnosed between 1990 and 1997. Clinical stage, sites of metastasis, pathologic stage, and type of immunotherapy were abstracted from the medical records. The primary end point analyzed was overall survival, and a multivariate analysis was performed to distinguish any factors conferring an improved survivorship.Twenty-six percent of patients were male and 74% were female, and the median age was 59 years (range, 34 to 73 years). Length of follow-up ranged from 2 to 77 months (mean, 21.4 months). Twenty-eight patients (84%) had known metastases at the time of radical nephrectomy (67% had lung metastases and 40% had bone, 21% had liver, 33% had lymphatic, and 15% had brain metastases). Twenty-five patients (81%) received immunotherapy, including low-dose interleukin (IL)-2-based therapy (five patients), tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte-based therapy plus IL-2 (nine patients), high-dose IL-2-based therapy (nine patients), dendritic cell vaccine-based therapy (one patient), and interferon alpha-based therapy alone (one patient). Two patients (6%) achieved complete responses (median duration, 46+ months) and five patients (15%) achieved partial responses (median duration, 36 months). One- and 2-year overall survival rates were 48% and 37%, respectively. Using a multivariate analysis, age, sex, and percentage of sarcomatoid tumor (< or >50%) did not significantly correlate with survival. Improved survival was found in patients receiving high-dose IL-2 therapy compared with patients treated with surgery alone or any other form of immunotherapy (P = .025). Adjusting for age, sex, and percentage of sarcomatoid tumor, the relative risk of death was 10.4 times higher in patients not receiving high-dose IL-2 therapy. Final pathologic T stage did not correlate significantly with outcome, but node-positive patients had a higher death rate per year of follow-up than did the rest of the population (1.26 v 0.76, Cox regression analysis).Surgical resection and high-dose IL-2-based immunotherapy may play a role in the treatment of sarcomatoid RCCs in select patients.
Long-term follow-up of imatinib plus combination chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Sung‐Nam Lim, Young‐Don Joo, Kyoo‐Hyung Lee, Dae‐Young Kim, Je‐Hwan Lee, Jung‐Hee Lee, Hyun‐Sook Chi, Sung‐Cheol Yun, Won Sik Lee, Sang Min Lee, Seonyang Park, Inho Kim, Sang Kyun Sohn, Joon Ho Moon, Hun‐Mo Ryoo, Sung Hwa Bae, Myung Soo Hyun, Min Kyoung Kim, Hyeoung Joon Kim, Deok‐Hwan Yang, Hyeon‐Seok Eom1, Gyeong‐Won Lee, Chul Won Jung, Jong‐Ho Won, Hawk Kim, Jae‐Hoon Lee, Ho‐Jin Shin, Dae‐Young Jang
Journal: American Journal of Hematology (2015)

The effects of imatinib plus chemotherapy were assessed in 87 patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph(+) ) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Imatinib was administered continuously, starting from the eighth day of remission induction chemotherapy, then through five courses of consolidation or until allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Patients who were not transplanted were maintained on imatinib for 2 years. Eighty-two patients (94.3%) achieved complete remission (CR). Among these 82 CR patients, 40 experienced recurrence of leukemia. The 5-year relapse free survival (RFS) rate and overall survival (OS) rates were 39.0% and 33.4%, respectively. In total, 56 patients underwent allogeneic HCT in first CR. The 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse and OS rate of them were 59.1% and 52.6%, respectively. Six of seven patients who were maintained on imatinib after completion of consolidation relapsed and the median time of RFS was 40.7 months. In total patient, cumulative molecular CR rate was 88.5% and median time of molecular CR duration was 13 months. Initial imatinib dose intensity was significantly associated with median CR duration (P < 0.0001), and overall survival (P = 0.002). During the initial phase of treatment of patients with Ph(+) ALL, it is important to maintain imatinib dose intensity.
Neoplastic Nature of Liver “Blood Cysts” Induced by Urethan in Mice<xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN2">2</xref>
Authors: Nathan Trainin
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1963)

Liver blood cysts were induced in C57BL/6 mice by means of 10 weekly intraperitoneal injections of urethan of 20 mg each. Animals were killed 18 months later and the resulting lesions implanted intraperitoneally or intramuscularly into mice of the same strain and sex. Four months after implantation of tissue, the autopsy showed that 10 percent of the intraperitoneally and 100 percent of the intramuscularly implanted animals had tumorous masses at the site of injection. The latent period for the first transplants was 3 months. Microscopically it was possible to show the presence of tumors that had the typical configuration of hemangioendotheliomas. This line of tumors has been maintained by serial transplantation. The interval before the appearance of the hemangioendotheliomas has decreased with each transplant generation.
Canakinumab in adults with steroid‐refractory pyoderma gangrenosum
Authors: A.G.A. Kolios, J.‐T. Maul, B. Meier, K. Kerl, C. Traidl‐Hoffmann, M. Hertl, D. Zillikens, M. Röcken, J. Ring, A. Facchiano, C. Mondino, N. Yawalkar, E. Contassot, A.A. Navarini, L.E. French
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2015)

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a rare, neutrophilic, ulcerative skin disease that is difficult to treat, especially when unresponsive to steroids.To determine whether canakinumab is an effective and safe treatment in PG.Five adult patients with clinically and histologically confirmed steroid-refractory PG were enrolled in this prospective open-label study. They received canakinumab 150 mg subcutaneously at week 0 with an optional 150 mg at week 2 in case of an inadequate response [Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) ≥ 2], and an optional 150-300 mg at week 8 depending on PGA. The primary clinical end point was clinical improvement (PGA at least -1 from baseline) and/or complete remission (PGA 0 or 1) at week 16. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed on skin samples to quantify cytokine mRNA levels.Interleukin (IL)-1β and its known target genes IL6, CXCL8 and IL36A were significantly increased in lesional skin of PG. Under canakinumab therapy, four of five patients showed a decrease in target-lesion size, PGA and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and three of five achieved complete remission. The mean diameter of target lesions decreased from 4·32 ± 2·6 cm at visit 1 to 0·78 ± 1·3 cm at visit 7 (P = 0·03). Mean DLQI decreased from 15 ± 5 at visit 1 to 8 ± 4 by visit 7 (P = 0·01). Adverse effects were reported in two patients: fatigue in one and worsening of disease at a nontarget lesion in the other.Our data indicate that IL-1β plays a key pathogenic role in PG and canakinumab may represent a therapeutic option for steroid-refractory PG.
Epidemic of severe Streptococcus pyogenes infections in injecting drug users in the UK, 2003–2004
Authors: T.L. Lamagni, S. Neal, C. Keshishian, V. Hope, R. George, G. Duckworth, J. Vuopio-Varkila, A. Efstratiou
Journal: Clinical Microbiology and Infection (2008)
Vitamin D3 and markers of systemic inflammation in sarcoidosis (SA)
Authors: Anna Kowalska, Elzbieta Puscinska, Anna Goljan-Geremek, Agnieszka Skoczylas, Justyna Czerniawska, Adriana Rozy, Paulina Jagus, Joanna Chorostowska-Wynimko, Dorota Gόrecka
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

Background: SA is an inflammatory disease characterized by granulomas that can produce 1.25(OH)2D hormone.

Aims: To assess the relationship between vitamin D3 derivatives concentration in serum and inflammatory markers in SA.

Material and Methods: In 108 pts (48 women, 60 men; (mean±SD) age 44.3±9.5 yrs, BMI=27.5±4.8) with SA stage I-IV we measured 1.25(OH)2D (pg/m), 25(OH)D (ng/ml) in serum and BALF as well as leukocytes, lymphocyte phenotypes CD4/CD8, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), ACE, D-dimer, fibrinogen, albumin and gammaglobulin, phosphorate in serum and 24h calcium urine excretion.

Results: Results are shown below:

View this table:



There was no other significant correlation between 25OHD or 1.25(OH)2D and other evaluated inflammatory markers.

Conclusions: Significant correlations between some inflammatory markers and 25OHD or 1.25(OH)2D concentration in serum may suggests a role of vitamin D3 as an indicators of inflammatory process in SA.

Supported by: Polish Ministry of Science grant No 1594/P01/2007/32
New Life: Person or Property?
Authors: LEILA OBIER SCHROEDER
Journal: American Journal of Psychiatry (1974)

Medical science is on the threshold of creating human life through other than traditional reproductive methods. The legal problems associated with cloning, the use of a host mother, or the growth of a fetus in an artificial placenta have not been solved. An examination of the legal problems associated with the paternity of children conceived by artificial insemination reveals the need to resolve anticipated "new life" problems before continuing to develop new techniques for procreation. Adoption and legitimation statutes may serve as useful models for legislative solutions.
Frequency of Surgery Cancellations Associated With Myocardial Infarction or Death 6 Months After Coronary Stent Placement
Authors: Laura A. Graham, Robert H. Hollis, Joshua S. Richman, Mary T. Hawn
Journal: JAMA Surgery (2015)

This study hypothesizes that surgery cancellations are more frequent in the first 6 months following the placement of a drug-eluting stent and that a higher proportion of early cancellations are associated with acute myocardial infarction or death.
Speech and language therapy effectiveness in vocal cord dysfunction management
Authors: Nicola Pargeter, Sarah Manney, Adel Mansur
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Introduction Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) “paradoxical vocal cord adduction” is misdiagnosed as asthma, resulting in over medication and increased hospital admissions. There is anecdotal evidence of the benefits of Speech Therapy (SLT) in management of VCD1. This study explored the impact of SLT on symptom control and hospital admission prevention.

Method One hundred consecutively referred patients (m:f ratio=1:5, mean age 45yrs, range = 16-77) underwent detailed assessment at a tertiary VCD clinic with nasendoscopy confirmed VCD. N= 81/100 (81%) had physician-diagnosed asthma, 45/81 (56%) required oral steroids. Patients received four sessions of SLT. Treatment effectiveness was assessed pre/post therapy, using in-house self-rated, VCD symptoms score (range 0- 25). N=21/100 (21%) patients reported hospital admission with dyspnoea in the year prior to assessment. Data were analysed to determine number of hospital admissions one year pre/post SLT intervention.

Results: Differences pre/post therapy were assessed using Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test. Significant reduction in patient-reported symptoms was noted post SLT; pre vs. post therapy; mean (SD) =17.88 (3.10), 8.16 (4.13) respectively, p <0.0001.) Reduction in hospital admissions was noted in the year post SLT intervention; pre vs. post therapy mean (SD) = 10.7 (8.8), range = 2-30; 1.5 (2.2), range 0-6, p< 0.0001).

Conclusion SLT significantly improves symptom control and reduces hospital admissions in VCD. The availability of effective therapy prompts the need to increase awareness of vocal cord dysfunction.

1 Morris, Allan and Perkins. (2006)Vocal Cord dysfunction: Etiologies and treatment. Clin Pulm Med. 13(2): 73-86.
Lower Genitourinary Tract
Authors: Tzu-Chen Yen, Cheng-Keng Chuang, Chyong-Huey Lai
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (2008)

Conventional radionuclide techniques have, for many years, played a role in evaluating vesico-ureteral reflux and suspected testicular torsion. More recently, the advent of prostate immunoscintigraphy, positron emission tomography (PET) and PET/computed tomography (CT) has broadened nuclear medicine's role to the area of oncologic diagnosis, as well. This chapter will first discuss the older standard techniques and follow with the oncologic applications in both the male and female genitourinary tract
Transbronchial Needle Aspiration in Diagnosing and Staging Lung Cancer
Authors: Robert Chin, Trent W. McCain, Michael A. Lucia, James O. Cappellari, Norman E. Adair, James F. Lovato, Donnie P. Dunagan, Michael A. Brooks, Hollins P. Clark, Edward F. Haponik
Journal: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2002)

Transbronchial needle aspiration has emerged as a key technique for sampling mediastinal adenopathy but variable yields are reported. To determine the number of aspirates needed to optimize yield, we prospectively studied transbronchial needle aspiration and the sequential effect of each successive specimen on diagnostic yield in 79 patients with known or suspected lung carcinoma and mediastinal adenopathy. A total of 451 aspirates were performed in 79 patients (mean, 5.7 aspirates per patient; range, 2-13) with 45 cases (57%) positive for malignancy. A cytologically positive transbronchial needle aspiration occurred with the first aspirate in 42% of patients in whom this procedure established mediastinal nodal involvement. All positive results were achieved with seven or fewer aspirates. Similar yields were obtained for small cell and non-small cell lung cancer after seven aspirates. Rapid on-site specimen cytologic evaluation was used in 55 of 79 cases (70%), with a positive diagnosis obtained in 39 of 55 cases (71%) with on-site evaluation compared with six of 24 cases (25%) performed without on-site evaluation. The data suggest there is a plateau in yield after seven transbronchial needle aspirates, which may be sufficient to obtain an optimal yield in assessing patients with lung cancer and mediastinal adenopathy.
Micro RNAs, novel classifiers for human osteosarcoma chemosensitivity
Authors: Yaguang Xi, Skjalg Bruheim, Jingfang Ju, Oystein Fodstad
Journal: Clinical Cancer Research (2008)

B15    Background:  Despite the increased survival rate of osteosarcoma patients attributed to adjuvant chemotherapy, at least one third of the patients still succumb to their disease. Furthermore, ultra-aggressive combination chemotherapy is associated with considerable acute and long term toxicity. Further improvements in the management of osteosarcoma seemingly depend on diagnostic and prognostic tools that may allow for a more risk adapted and individualized treatment. Non-coding micro RNAs hold great promise as new prognostic biomarkers. In this study, we systematically investigated the micro RNA expression in response to doxorubicin, cisplatin or ifosfamide using osteosarcoma tumor xenografts that are either sensitive or resistant to these compounds.   Materials and Methods:  Fragments of tissue from biopsies or surgically removed tumors from 10 patients with osteosarcoma were implanted s.c. into the flanks of nude mice to established the xenografts. After evaluated the responsiveness to the drugs (doxorubicin, cisplatin and ifosfamide), the xenografts were harvested to quantify micro RNA expression profiles utilizing high throughput Luminex FlexmiRTM Micro RNA expression assay. The clustering and Venn diagram analysis was performed by GeneSpring software to group xenografts based on their sensitivity to each of the three drugs with 2-fold cut off.   Results : There were 22 micro RNAs associated with doxorubicin sensitivity and 36 and 29 micro RNAs with cisplatin and ifosfamide sensitivity, respectively. Venn diagram analysis showed 3 overlapping micro RNAs (hsa-miR-140, hsa-miR-217, and hsa-miR-431) among the three different drugs. There were 9 overlapping micro RNAs between doxorubicin and cisplatin or cisplatin and ifosfamide. Doxorubicin and ifosfamide shared the other unique 5 micro RNAs. It is interesting to note that hsa-miR-140 was highly over-expressed by an average of nearly 5 fold in the sensitive vs. resistance group for all three drugs. Hsa-miR-140 is reported to be uniquely associated with bone development by targeting histone deacetylases 4, one of the critical targets for anti-cancer therapy due to its critical role in apoptosis.   Conclusion:  We have identified candidate micro RNAs as classifiers to chemosensitivity of osteosarcoma treatment. Some of these micro RNAs may be important in contributing to increased understanding of post-transcriptional and/or translational controls in drug resistance mechanism, and potentially for the development of new therapeutic approaches.
In Chronic Nephropathies Prolonged ACE Inhibition Can Induce Remission
Authors: PIERO RUGGENENTI, ANNALISA PERNA, ROBERTO BENINI, TULLIO BERTANI, CARMINE ZOCCALI, QUIRINO MAGGIORE, MAURIZIO SALVADORI, GIUSEPPE REMUZZI
Journal: Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (1999)

Abstract. The Ramipril Efficacy in Nephropathy Core and Follow-Up Study found that ≥36 mo of continued ramipril therapy decreased substantially the risk of end-stage renal failure (ESRF) in patients with chronic nephropathies and a urinary protein excretion rate ≥3 g/24 h. This study investigates the time-dependent changes in GFR in these patients and in control subjects who were randomized to conventional therapy during the Core period and switched to ramipril during the Follow-Up study. Analyses included 150 patients (continued ramipril: n = 74; switched to ramipril: n = 76) who had at least three GFR measurements (including baseline) during the whole observation period and a subgroup of 43 patients (continued ramipril: n = 26; switched to ramipril: n = 17) who had at least six GFR measurements, including at least three on the Core and at least three on the Follow-Up study. Ramipril (1.25 to 5 mg/d) and conventional therapy were targeted at achieving a diastolic BP below 90 mmHg. The main efficacy variables were GFR and ESRF (need for dialysis). Analysis was by intention to treat. Throughout the study, the mean ± SEM rate of GFR decline (ΔGFR) was significantly lower in patients continued on ramipril compared to those switched to ramipril (0.51 ± 0.09 versus 0.76 ± 0.10 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 per mo, P &lt; 0.03). In patients on continued ramipril who had at least six GFR measured—but not in control subjects—ΔGFR progressively improved with time and, in the cohort with the longest follow-up, decreased from (in ml/min per 1.73 m 2 per mo): 0.16 ± 0.12 (at 18 mo) to 0.10 ± 0.05 (at 60 mo). This rate was about 10-fold slower compared to patients on conventional therapy during the REIN Core study. Analyses of the individual slopes found that at the end of the follow-up, 10 of 26 patients on continued ramipril therapy had a positive ΔGFR and another 10 patients had an improvement of ΔGFR while on ramipril therapy. ΔGFR significantly improved in parallel with a significant reduction in proteinuria. Changes in ΔGFR ( P = 0.0001) and proteinuria ( P = 0.04) were significantly different in the two groups. Baseline characteristics and changes in systolic and diastolic BP and 24-h urine urea and sodium excretion were comparable. The present results offer evidence that in chronic nephropathies, the tendency of GFR to decline with time can be effectively halted, even in patients with remarkably severe disease.
The accuracy of dry gas meters at continuous and sinusoidal flows
Authors: JD Hart, RT Withers, AH Ilsley
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (1992)

Dry gas meters are used in physiology laboratories to measure minute ventilation. The accuracy of these meters must be known since an error, of for instance 5%, affects the subsequent calculations for oxygen consumption by the same amount. Two precalibrated DTM-325 dry gas meters (American Meter Co., Philadelphia, PA, USA) were therefore tested for accuracy against a 350 l Collins chain-compensated gasometer. Provided that at least 25 l was passed per measurement then: a. continuous flows (air saturated with water vapour) between 60 and 150 l.min-1 were measured with an error of < 1%; and b. sinusoidal flows (ambient air) between 8 and 100 l.min-1 were misread by < 1% and the error was still within 2% at 140 l.min-1. It may, therefore, be concluded that the two precalibrated dry gas meters studied are valid volume measuring devices.