The incidence of thyroid cancer was analyzed based on data provided by cancer registration in Japan and also based on data for 11,104 cases of thyroid cancer registered at the Japanese Committee for Registration of Malignant Neoplasm of Thyroid (JCR-MNT) from 1977 through 1986. Incidence rates for men and women gradually increased over the study period from 1959 through 1985. The age-adjusted rates for 1985 showed 1.1 per 100,000 for men and 3.1 per 100,000 for women. The higher rates were observed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities. Male to female ratio was 1:6 in papillary and follicular carcinomas and 1:2 in medullary and anaplastic carcinomas. Papillary, follicular, and medullary carcinomas are more common in the fifth and sixth decades of life while anaplastic carcinoma is more common in the elderly. The age-specific rates by histological classification showed no change over the study period of 1977 through 1986. The increased incidence could be attributed to improvements in diagnostic procedures.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Collaborative interventions for physically injured trauma survivors: a pilot randomized effectiveness trial.

Posttraumatic behavioral and emotional disturbances occur frequently among physically injured hospitalized trauma survivors. This investigation was a pilot randomized effectiveness trial of a 4-month collaborative care intervention for injured motor vehicle crash and assault victims. As surgical inpatients, intervention subjects (N=16) were assigned to a trauma support specialist who provided counseling, consulted with surgical and primary care providers, and attempted postdischarge care coordination. Control subjects (N=18) received usual posttraumatic care. For all participants, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptoms, episodic alcohol intoxication, and functional limitations were evaluated during the hospitalization and 1 and 4 months postinjury. Study logs and field notes revealed that over 75% of intervention activity occurred in the first month after the trauma. One-month post-trauma intervention subjects when compared to controls demonstrated statistically significant decreases in PTSD symptoms as well as a reduction in depressive symptoms. However, at the 4-month assessment, intervention subjects evidenced no significant improvements in PTSD and depressive symptoms, episodic alcohol intoxication, or functional limitations. Future larger scale trials of stepped collaborative care interventions for physically injured trauma survivors are recommended.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The prevalence of mitochondrial gene mutations in childhood diabetes in Japan.

To investigate the prevalence of mitochondrial DNA mutations among Japanese children with IDDM as well as in those with NIDDM, a total of 155 patients with IDDM and 30 patients with NIDDM who were younger than 15 years of age at onset were studied for the following mtDNA mutations: 1) the A-->G mutation at position 3243 of mitochondrial leucine transfer RNA (3243 mutation); 2) the G-->A mutation at position 3316 of mitochondrial leucine transfer RNA (3316 mutation), and 3) The T-->C mutation at position 3394 of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit (3394 mutation). None of the 155 IDDM patients had the 3243 mutation. Although two of the 155 IDDM patients had homoplasmy of 3316 and five had 3394 mutations, these frequencies were not significant compared with healthy controls. None of the 30 NIDDM patients had the 3243, 3316 or 3394 mutation. The presence of these mutations even in control subjects suggests that the effect of the 3316 or 3394 mutation on mitochondrial function is relatively mild. It seems that 3316 and 3394 mutations contribute to the manifestation of diabetes together with other genetic and/or environmental factors.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A phase III randomized study comparing doxifluridine and 5-fluorouracil as supportive chemotherapy in advanced and recurrent gastric cancer.

We conducted a phase III randomized study to investigate effects of supportive chemotherapy with oral doxifluridine (group A, 75 patients) or 5-fluorouracil (group B, 75 patients) in advanced gastric cancer when intensive chemotherapy was not an option. Although there were no significant differences between the groups with regard to survival, hospital-free survival and time to progression, median values of 3 endpoints were superior in group A. Secondary analysis showed that group A patients with prior chemotherapy tended to have longer survival and hospital-free survival and significantly longer time to progression.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Optimum duration of oral adjuvant chemotherapy of HCFU for colorectal cancer; review of 5-year follow-up.

PURPOSE: To investigate the optimal duration of oral HCFU administration for minimization of side effects induced by long-term administration. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In total, 155 patients allocated to two groups of different duration of the therapy were reviewed: twice or three times per day doses of oral HCFU (8 mg/Kg body weight/day) for 3 months vs. 12 months. RESULTS: Though statistically significant difference was not found in cumulative survival and disease-free rates between the groups due to so many violations of duration of therapy, when reanalyzing the variables in order of real duration of therapy, those rates were significantly higher in patients treated for 300 and more days than less than 300 days (g-Wilcoxon test: p < 0.04). No significant difference was observed in the background factors between the groups. CONCLUSION: At least 300 days is suggested to be necessary to obtain the optimal effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy for curatively resected colorectal cancer.

Administration, Oral↗