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Biomedical subjects

D Forman

Publications and source records attributed to D Forman.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

The role of orthognathic surgery in the treatment of severe dentoalveolar extrusion.

BACKGROUND: When mandibular molars are not replaced after extraction, the long-term problem of inadequate interarch space for either a fixed or removable prosthesis can occur. In the past, practitioners needed to decide whether to shorten the teeth, extract the supererupted maxillary molars to recapture space or leave the area unrestored. The authors present another option. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 61-year-old man was referred to a periodontist by his general dentist for placement of mandibular implants in the posterior sextant. Extreme supereruption of the maxillary dentoalveolar segment prevented restoration of the opposing edentulous area. An oral and maxillofacial surgeon performed a segmental osteotomy of the posterior right maxilla to gain needed interarch space. After the osteotomy was stabilized, the periodontist placed implants that were subsequently restored with a fixed prosthesis. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The role of orthognathic surgery in treatment planning should not be overlooked in the comprehensive management of severe extrusion. It offers patients the opportunity to gain both function and esthetics that might otherwise be impossible.

Ambulatory Surgical Procedures↗

Variation in survival of patients with lung cancer in Europe, 1985-1989. EUROCARE Working Group.

In this study, we report on the variation in the prognosis for adult patients with lung cancer within Europe, by age, histology and country from 1985-1989. We considered trends in survival since 1978 for most countries. Survival analysis was carried out on 173,448 lung cancer cases diagnosed between 1985 and 1989 in 44 population-based cancer registries, participating in the EUROCARE study. Relative 1-year survival rates for patients with lung cancer varied from 24 to 40%, being highest in Finland, France, The Netherlands and Switzerland and lowest in Denmark, England, Poland and Scotland. Half of all patients under the age of 45 years died within 1 year of diagnosis, increasing to almost 80% for those aged 75 years or older. Whilst the prognosis for patients with non-small cell carcinoma remained more or less constant between 1978 and 1989 (25% in Denmark and 44% in Finland), that for patients with small cell carcinoma improved slightly, especially in The Netherlands (Eindhoven from 17 to 24%) and Switzerland (Geneva from 24 to 32%). In conclusion, a fairly large variation in lung cancer relative survival rates existed between European countries. The most likely explanation for the differences is the variation in access to specialised care. Except for a slight improvement in short-term survival for patients with small cell lung cancer, survival has remained poor since 1978.

Adolescent↗

Survival of patients with oesophageal and gastric cancers in Europe. EUROCARE Working Group.

The EUROCARE study is a European Union project to collect survival data from population-based cancer registries and analyse them according to standardised procedures. We investigated and compared oesophageal and gastric cancer survival in 17 countries between 1985 and 1989. Time trends in survival over the 1978-1989 period were also investigated in 13 countries. The overall European 1-year relative survival rates were 33% for oesophageal cancer and 40% for gastric cancer. The corresponding 5-year relative survival rates were 10 and 21%, respectively. Important intercountry survival differences exist within Europe for oesophageal and gastric cancer. Taking the European average as the reference, the relative risk (RR) of death at 5 years was at least 30% higher in Denmark, Poland, Estonia and Slovenia for oesophageal cancer and in Denmark, England, Scotland and Poland for gastric cancer. In the other countries survival figures were close to the European average. Gender had little influence on survival, whilst age at diagnosis was inversely related to prognosis. There was a slight improvement between 1978 and 1989 in 5-year overall relative survival rates for both oesophageal cancer (RR = 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-0.90) and gastric cancer (RR = 0.88, 95% CI 0.82-0.94). Differences in quality of care and stage at diagnosis can explain in part the differences in survival found in the EUROCARE countries. Significant improvement in prognosis has still to be achieved.

Adolescent↗

Survival of patients with primary liver cancer, pancreatic cancer and biliary tract cancer in Europe. EUROCARE Working Group.

The EUROCARE Study is a European Union project to assemble survival data from population-based cancer registries and analyse them according to standard procedures. We investigated and compared liver, pancreatic and biliary tract cancer survival in 17 countries from 1985 to 1989. Time trends in survival over the 1978-1989 period were also investigated in 12 countries. The overall European mean 1 year relative survival was 16% for primary liver cancer, 26% for biliary tract cancer and 15% for pancreatic cancer. The corresponding 5-year relative survival was 5, 12 and 4%, respectively. Taking the European average as the reference, the relative risk (RR) of death was at least 20% higher for the three cancers in Denmark and Estonia. Survival tended to be higher in Spain for primary liver cancer and biliary tract cancer. Gender had little influence on survival whilst age at diagnosis was inversely related to prognosis. There was an improvement in 1-year relative survival rate for primary liver cancer: relative risk (RR) of 0.68 (95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.60-0.77) for 1987-1989 versus 1978-1980 and biliary tract cancer (RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.68-0.87). There was less variation in 5-year relative survival rate over time. Some intercountry survival differences for primary liver, biliary tract and pancreatic cancers exist over Europe. Differences in quality of care, in particular treatment aggressiveness, may explain some of these differences in survival. New approaches to the management of these cancers need to be found.

Adolescent↗

Nitrate in drinking water and the incidence of gastric, esophageal, and brain cancer in Yorkshire, England.

OBJECTIVES: This small-area ecologic study in Yorkshire, northern England, examines the hypothesis that exposure to higher levels of nitrate in drinking water increases the risk of stomach, esophageal, or brain cancer in adults. METHODS: Nitrate levels over the period 1990-95 and numbers of incident cancers from 1975-94 were available for 148 water supply zones, geographically defined areas each supplying water of homogeneous chemical composition to an average population of around 20,000. RESULTS: No relationship was found between nitrate concentrations and the incidence of stomach or esophageal cancers. The incidence of cancer of the brain and central nervous system was found to be higher in areas with higher nitrate levels, with a relative risk of 1.18 (95 percent confidence interval = 1.08-1.30) in the quartile of the population with the highest average levels (mean 29.8 mg/l) compared with the lowest quartile (mean 2.4 mg/l). The increase in risk remained statistically significant (P < 0.01) after allowing for other covariates and for extra-Poisson variation in a regression model. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not support the hypothesis of an increased risk of stomach or esophageal cancer associated with higher nitrate levels in drinking water. The observed relationship with brain cancer requires confirmation in other studies, including those involving data on individuals.

Adolescent↗

Helicobacter pylori infection and cancer.

This paper will briefly review the evidence for the role of Helicobacter pylori infection in the aetiology of gastric cancer and consider the implications of this relationship. The critical issue of whether H. pylori eradication may play a part in a strategy for the prevention of gastric cancer will then be discussed. Although this paper will largely be concerned with epidemiological evidence, it should be emphasised that an understanding of the mechanistic basis to the H. pylori-cancer relationship is also advancing rapidly and this area will be reviewed in the paper by Correa elsewhere in this issue.

Case-Control Studies↗

Experience with reduction mammaplasty following breast conservation surgery and radiation therapy.

Little is known about the outcome of breast reduction in the previously radiated breast. With the increased popularity of breast conservation in the management of breast cancer, it is inevitable that more women with breast cancer who have had a breast radiated will be seeking breast reduction. Although it would be expected that reduction of the radiated breast would be more challenging and would yield less-pleasing results, it has been unclear whether reduction in the radiated breast could be safely performed without interfering with mammography and cancer surveillance. Our experience using different techniques in three patients demonstrates that such reductions can be effectively and safely done if certain principles are followed. Pedicles should be designed to be broader and shorter than usual, and breast flaps should be undermined or elevated either minimally or not at all.

Breast↗

Helicobacter pylori: a true carcinogen?

Is Helicobacter pylori a true carcinogen? Most carcinogens are physical, chemical or viral agents which give rise to the development of neoplasia by inducing alterations in cellular DNA. Evidence for the carcinogenic potency of such agents is usually based on dose-response curves and animal models and there is often a direct association with (epi-) genetic events. Despite the absence of such data, H. pylori has been designated as a definite cause of human cancer. This designation is largely based on epidemiological evidence. H. pylori is a carcinogen in the sense that infection with this organism induces a persistently inflamed gastric mucosa which is associated with an increased proliferative state and an increased gastric cancer risk. As such, 1-2% of the infected subjects are estimated to develop cancer, with an incidence probably close to nine times higher than that among non-infected subjects. There is a need for additional mechanistic knowledge on this association between chronic epithelial inflammation and carcinogenesis. An additional important question is whether H. pylori eradication may contribute to gastric cancer prevention. As progressive mucosal abnormalities such as atrophy and metaplasia do not regress after such intervention, the major benefit in terms of cancer prevention is likely to be to infected subjects who have not yet developed permanent gastric mucosal damage. This is in agreement with data suggesting that the role of H. pylori may be confined to the initial stages of carcinogenesis.

Gastric Mucosa↗

Review article: Is there significant variation in the risk of gastric cancer associated with Helicobacter pylori infection?

Helicobacter pylori infection is a risk factor for gastric cancer and most epidemiological studies have estimated a relative risk associated with infection in the order of two to four-fold. There is interest in the extent to which this risk estimate might vary between different populations especially as several populations have been identified with low rates of gastric cancer despite a high infection prevalence. Methodological differences between studies make it difficult to compare the results of retrospective case-control studies to quantify the variation in risk, but prospective studies indicate that there may be a six-fold variation in risk between different populations. It is likely that genetic and/or environmental co-factors are important in modifying the risk associated with H. pylori infection but there are few studies that have fully investigated the role of such co-factors.

Environment↗

Gastric cancer, gastritis and plasma vitamin C: results from an international correlation and cross-sectional study. The Eurogast Study Group.

Low intake of foods rich in vitamin C is associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer, and geographic variation in average vitamin C intake, therefore, could explain some of the wide international variation in gastric cancer rates. This multicentre study investigated the relationships between plasma levels of vitamin C, as an indicator of vitamin C intake, and gastric cancer rates, markers of gastritis and other socio-demographic variables. Fasting plasma samples from about 1,400 individuals from 9 centres in 7 countries worldwide were assayed for total vitamin C using a fluorometric assay. There was no association between average plasma vitamin C levels and either gastric cancer mortality or incidence rates in the populations studied. Therefore, variation in fasting plasma vitamin C levels, as an indicator of consumption of vitamin C, does not appear to explain any of the wide geographic variation in gastric cancer rates. Furthermore, there was no association between plasma vitamin C levels and Helicobacter pylori infection, low serum levels of pepsinogen A (as a marker of severe chronic atrophic gastritis) or the presence of DNA adducts in blood leukocyte DNA. Multivariate models showed that fasting plasma vitamin C levels were associated positively with female sex, higher levels of education, never having smoked and increasing height and negatively with number of cigarettes smoked per day and increasing weight. This suggests not only that gender and tobacco smoking, in particular, are important predictors of plasma vitamin C levels but also that their effects are consistent throughout the developed world.

Adult↗

Selection of radioimmunoconjugates for the therapy of well-established or micrometastatic colon carcinoma.

In order to optimize radioimmunotherapy (RAIT) as a cancer-treatment modality, it is necessary to select the appropriate radionuclide and antibody carrier. We evaluated the therapeutic potential of a single cycle of Mu-9 anti-CSAp monoclonal antibody (MAb) labeled with 3 different radionuclides, 131I, 90Y and 188Re. Intact antibodies and bivalent fragments with different blood clearance kinetics, normal organ distribution and varying tumor accretion and retention are also evaluated. Efficacy of treatment for large and small tumor burden was assessed in nude mice bearing s.c. GW-39 human colonic-carcinoma xenografts or intrapulmonary micrometastatic GW-39 colonies at the maximal tolerated dose of each agent. The magnitude and duration of myelosuppression associated with each radioantibody was considered by monitoring peripheral blood counts, marrow colony-forming unit activity and hematopoietic tissue weight. Radiation-dose estimates were calculated based on the kinetics of antibody accretion and elimination from tumor and normal tissues, and the results were correlated with tumoricidal activity and dose-limiting toxicity results. These studies, therefore, represent a detailed analysis, in a well-defined experimental tumor system, of several parameters (antibody form, radioisotope, tumor size) influencing the overall outcome of RAIT using equitoxic doses. It was found that myelosuppression is the primary dose-limiting toxicity for all radioantibodies except 90Y-F(ab')2, even though the different agents showed varied organ distribution. In a single-cycle treatment schedule of Mu-9 MAb, the 131I-labeled IgG is the radioimmunoconjugate of choice for the treatment of s.c. and intrapulmonary growth of the GW-39 human colonic-carcinoma xenograft in nude mice.

Animals↗

Identification of genetic polymorphisms at the glutathione S-transferase Pi locus and association with susceptibility to bladder, testicular and prostate cancer.

Two variant glutathione S-transferase cDNAs have been described at the GSTP1 locus, which differ by a single base pair (A-G) substitution at nucleotide 313 of the GSTP1 cDNA. This results in an amino acid substitution which alters the function of the enzyme. In this study, a novel PCR assay has been developed which demonstrates that these two variant cDNAs represent distinct GSTP1 alleles (GSTP1a and GSTP1b). In a study of individuals with different forms of cancer, the GSTP1b allele is found to be strongly associated with bladder cancer and testicular cancer. In controls 6.5% of individuals were homozygous for the GSTP1b allele. In bladder cancer cases, this rose to 19.7% [n = 71, odds ratio 3.6 (1.4-9.2), P = 0.006] and in testicular cancer to 18.7% [n = 155, odds ratio 3.3 (1.5-7.7), P = 0.002]. In addition, in prostate cancer a highly significant decrease in the frequency of the GSTP1a homozygotes was observed [control 51.0% versus 27.8% cancer cases, n = 36, odds ratio 0.4 (0.02-3.3), P = 0.008]. Increases in the frequency of GSTP1b homozygotes was also observed in lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, these were not statistically significant. No change in breast or colon cancer allele frequencies was observed.

Aged↗

Association of Helicobacter pylori infection with precancerous lesions and stomach cancer: a case-control study in Yangzhong County.

Previous study has raised H. pylori infection as a suspected biologic risk factor for gastric cancer. A comparative case-control study involving precancerous lesions and gastric cancer was conducted in Yanzhong county, an area with one of the highest rates of gastric cancer in China to study the relationship between the H. pylori infection and gastric cancer. Subjects in the study were all randomly selected participants of a screening program for gastric cancer sponsored by the Cancer Institute of CAMS in cooperation with Yangzhong county Hospital. Totally, 125 normal controls, 108 superficial gastritis, 111 atrophic gastritis and 110 gastric cancer patients were included in our study according to endoscopy and pathology result. Status of H. pylori infection was evaluated by measuring IgG antibody in plasma with ELISA assay. Our result showed Odds ratios of H. pylori infection were higher among gastritis and cancer groups, 4.5 (95% CI 2.5-7.9) for superficial gastritis, 6.3 (95% CI 3.4-12) for atrophic gastritis, 3.3 (95% CI 1.9-5.9) for gastric cancer. It was found in our study that consumption of pickled vegetables and drinking dirty water increased the relative risk of H. pylori infection for both precancerous lesions and gastric cancer and that H. pylori infection had higher risk of atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer for males and also higher risk of atrophic gastritis for olders. Our results strongly support the casual role played by H. pylori infection in the carcinogenic process of gastric mucosa.

Aged↗

The meaning of spirituality: a literature review.

This paper presents a literature review in relation to the meaning of spirituality. It is proposed that meeting the spiritual needs of patients is a fundamental part of providing holistic nursing care, but that the assessment and meeting of those needs is impeded by inadequate definitions and conceptual frameworks. It should not be assumed that spirituality is either synonymous, or coterminous, with religion, and it is suggested that to adopt this restrictive view is unhelpful in the provision of individualized care. Reflection on the literature reveals that the self, others and 'God' provide the key elements within a definition of spirituality, and that other emerging themes namely meaning, hope, relatedness/connectedness, beliefs/belief systems and expressions of spirituality, can be articulated in the context of those three key elements. In particular, it is proposed that the nature of 'God' may take many forms and, essentially, is whatever an individual takes to be of highest value in his/her life. It is suggested that the themes emerging from the literature can be utilized as a framework to give practitioners and researchers a direction for future exploration of the concept of spirituality.

Holistic Nursing↗