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Biomedical subjects

D Trichopoulos

Publications and source records attributed to D Trichopoulos.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Intentional childhood injuries in Greece 1996-97--data from a population-based Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System (EDISS).

AIM: It has been gradually recognized that intentional injuries among children represent a largely hidden problem in modern societies. With the exception of mortality, population-based data from Greece have not been previously reported. To assess the magnitude and the characteristics of intentional injuries among children aged 0-14 years old, data from the population-based Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System (EDISS) database during the period 1996-97 were used. METHODS: EDISS relies on personal interviews with children and their escorts who contact the emergency departments of three hospitals. Two of these hospitals are district hospitals of the county of Magnesia and the island of Corfu, whereas the other is a university children's hospital that covers the Greater Athens area on alternative days. RESULTS: Among 46.807 children recorded in EDISS, 108 injuries (0.23%) were attributed to acts of violence. Among the 108 intentional injuries, only 11 were caused by firearms or other weapons and only 4 concerned infants. In comparison to unintentional home and leisure injuries, intentional childhood injuries increase significantly with age and they are more common among migrant children. They occur more frequently during late night and early morning hours, they are more serious, and they are more often multiple and concentrated on the head. CONCLUSIONS: In Greece. a problem of violence directed against children does exist. The actual magnitude of this problem is difficult to estimate, but its size appears to be smaller in comparison with that reported in other populations.

Accidents↗
PubMed2000

Can measurements of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 improve the sensitivity of prostate-cancer screening?

Further well designed studies are urgently needed to clarify if use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a diagnostic test for prostate cancer can be improved by incorporating measurements of serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding-protein 3 (IGFBP-3), and if these measurements might also identify men at higher risk.

Humans↗
PubMed2000

Food groups and risk of squamous cell esophageal cancer in northern Italy.

To better understand the nutritional etiology of squamous cell esophageal cancer, we conducted a case-control study in 3 areas of northern Italy. A total of 304 incident, histologically confirmed cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (275 men, 29 women) and 743 hospital controls (593 men, 150 women) with acute, non-neoplastic conditions, not related to smoking, alcohol consumption or long-term diet modification, were interviewed during 1992 to 1997. The validated food-frequency questionnaire included 78 questions on food items or recipes, which were then categorized into 19 main food groups, and 10 questions on fat intake pattern. After allowance for age, sex, education, area of residence, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking and non-alcohol energy, a significant increased risk emerged for high consumption of soups (OR=2.1 for the highest vs. lowest quintile), whereas inverse associations with esophageal cancer risk were observed for pasta and rice (OR=0.7), poultry (OR=0.4), raw vegetables (OR=0.3), citrus fruit (OR=0.4) and other fruit (OR=0.5). The associations with dietary habits were consistent in different strata of tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking. Among added lipids, olive oil intake showed a significant reduction of esophageal cancer risk, even after allowance for total vegetable consumption (OR=0.4), while butter consumption was directly associated with this risk (OR=2.2). Our results thus provide further support to the evidence that raw vegetables and citrus fruit are inversely related to the risk of squamous cell esophageal cancer and suggest that olive oil may also reduce this risk.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Insulin-like growth factor 1 in hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic liver cancer in men.

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis has important autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine roles in the promotion of growth. Alterations of the IGF system have recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of several malignancies, but the relation to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk is unclear. To address this issue, we used an immunoradiometric assay to quantify IGF-1 levels in serum samples in a hospital-based, case-control study in Greece. The study subjects were all men and included 53 patients with HCC positive for hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C virus infections, 20 virus-negative HCC patients, 25 virus-negative patients with metastatic liver cancer (MLC), and 111 virus-negative control subjects. Data were analyzed by multiple linear regression, using IGF-1 as the dependent variable. The mean value of IGF-1 was 65.9 ng/ml among virus-positive HCC patients, 79.5 ng/ml among virus-negative HCC patients, 110.8 ng/ml among patients with MLC, and 174.7 ng/ml among hospital controls. After controlling for the degree of liver damage, as assessed by prothrombin time and serum albumin level, the reduction in IGF-1 level among HCC patients was found to be more than could be attributed to liver damage alone. This finding may have both diagnostic and pathophysiological implications.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Red meat intake and cancer risk: a study in Italy.

Meat intake has been positively associated with risk of digestive tract cancers in several epidemiological studies, while data on the relation of meat intake with cancer risk at most other sites are inconsistent. The overall data set, derived from an integrated series of case-control studies conducted in northern Italy between 1983 and 1996, included the following incident, histologically confirmed neoplasms: oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus (n = 497), stomach (n = 745), colon (n = 828), rectum (n = 498), liver (n = 428), gallbladder (n = 60), pancreas (n = 362), larynx (n = 242), breast (n = 3,412), endometrium (n = 750), ovary (n = 971), prostate (n = 127), bladder (n = 431), kidney (n = 190), thyroid (n = 208), Hodgkin's disease (n = 80), non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (n = 200) and multiple myelomas (n = 120). Controls were 7,990 patients admitted to hospital for acute, non-neoplastic conditions unrelated to long-term modifications in diet. The multivariate odds ratios (ORs) for the highest tertile of red meat intake (>/=7 times/week) compared with the lowest (</=3 times/week) were 1.6 for stomach, 1.9 for colon, 1.7 for rectal, 1.6 for pancreatic, 1.6 for bladder, 1.2 for breast, 1.5 for endometrial and 1.3 for ovarian cancer. ORs showed no significant heterogeneity across strata of age at diagnosis and sex. No convincing relation with red meat intake emerged for cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus, liver, gallbladder, larynx, kidney, thyroid, prostate, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and multiple myeloma. For none of the neoplasms considered was there a significant inverse relationship with red meat intake. Thus, reducing red meat intake might lower the risk for several common neoplasms.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

History of breast-feeding in relation to breast cancer risk: a review of the epidemiologic literature.

The purpose of this review is to critically evaluate the collective epidemiologic evidence that a history of breast-feeding may decrease the risk of breast cancer. Original data for inclusion were identified through a MEDLINE(R) search of the English language literature from 1966 through 1998. To date, virtually all epidemiologic data regarding breast-feeding and breast cancer risk are derived from case-control studies, which vary according to classification of breast-feeding history. Overall, the evidence with respect to "ever" breast-feeding remains inconclusive, with results indicating either no association or a rather weak protective effect against breast cancer. An inverse association between increasing cumulative duration of breast-feeding and breast cancer risk among parous women has been reported in some, but not all, studies; the failure to detect an association in some Western populations may be due to the low prevalence of prolonged breast-feeding. It appears that the protective effect, if any, of long-term breast-feeding is stronger among, or confined to, premenopausal women. It has been hypothesized that an apparently protective effect of breast-feeding may be due to elevated breast cancer risk among women who discontinue breast-feeding or who take medication to suppress lactation; however, the evidence is limited and should be interpreted with caution. The biology underlying a protective effect of breast-feeding and why this should be restricted to premenopausal women remain unknown, although several mechanisms have been postulated (hormonal changes, such as reduced estrogen; removal of estrogens through breast fluid; excretion of carcinogens from breast tissue through breast-feeding; physical changes in the mammary epithelial cells, reflecting maximal differentiation; and delay of the re-establishment of ovulation). While breast-feeding is a potentially modifiable behavior, the practical implication of reduced breast cancer risk among premenopausal women with prolonged durations of breast-feeding may be of marginal importance, particularly in Western societies.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed2000

Tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and their interaction in the causation of hepatocellular carcinoma.

During a 4-year period from January 1995 to December 1998, blood samples and questionnaire data were obtained from 333 incident cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as well as from 360 controls who were hospitalized for eye, ear, nose, throat or orthopedic conditions in Athens, Greece. Coded sera were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) by third-generation enzyme immunoassays, and information on smoking habits and beverage consumption was obtained. We found a significant dose-response, positive association between smoking and HCC risk [>/= 2 packs per day, odds ratio (OR)=2.5]. This association was stronger in individuals without chronic infection with either HBV or HCV (>/= 2 packs per day, OR=2.8). Consumption of alcoholic beverages above a threshold of 40 glasses per week increased the risk of HCC (OR=1.9). We also found evidence of a strong, statistically significant and apparently super-multiplicative effect of heavy smoking and heavy drinking in the development of HCC (OR for both exposures=9.6). This interaction was particularly evident among individuals without either HBsAg or anti-HCV (OR for both exposures=10.9). Coffee intake was not positively associated with HCC risk, but the reverse could not be excluded for the subgroup of chronically infected individuals. In conclusion, tobacco smoking and heavy alcohol consumption are associated with increased risk of HCC, especially when these 2 exposures occur together.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Leptin and insulin growth factor I in relation to breast cancer (Greece).

OBJECTIVES: Because both breast cancer and the hormone leptin are associated with obesity and reproductive phenomena in women, we have examined whether there is a relationship between leptin and breast cancer among premenopausal and postmenopausal women. We have also evaluated in this dataset the association of IGF-I with breast cancer. METHODS: Seventy-five cases, diagnosed during mammographic screening, with incident breast cancer were matched for age and type of permanent residence with seventy-five controls from those screened negative in the same study base. RESULTS: There was no evidence for an association between IGF-I and either premenopausal or postmenopausal breast cancer risk or between leptin and postmenopausal breast cancer. Among premenopausal women, however, there was a strong and statistically significant inverse association of leptin with breast cancer. CONCLUSION: We did not confirm the positive association, reported from other investigations, of IGF-I with premenopausal breast cancer risk. We have found evidence, however, that leptin may be inversely related to breast cancer risk among premenopausal women. The latter finding is not biologically implausible and deserves to be examined in additional datasets.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Hepatitis B and C viruses in the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma; a study in Greece using third-generation assays.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to describe the role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: During a 4-year period from January 1995 to December 1998, blood samples and questionnaire data were obtained from 333 incident cases of HCC from Athens, Greece, as well as from patients in two control groups, also from Athens. Controls were 272 metastatic liver cancer (MLC) patients and 360 patients hospitalized for injuries or eye, ear, nose or throat conditions. Coded sera were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) by third-generation enzyme immunoassays. RESULTS: The odds ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) in logistic regression modeling comparing the HCC cases to the combined control series were 48.8 (30.5-78.3) for the presence of HBsAg and 23.2 (11.4-47.3) for the presence of anti-HCV. The odds ratio for concurrent infection with HBV and HCV was 46.2 (9.9-216.6) compared to infection with neither virus. CONCLUSIONS: Although HBV and HCV are both important causes of HCC in this study population the data do not suggest, neither do they conclusively refute, a super-additive interaction between the two infections in the development of this malignancy. In this population, 58% of HCC cases can be attributed to HBV, 12% to HCV, and 3% to dual infection with these viruses.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Harvard report on cancer prevention volume 4: Harvard Cancer Risk Index. Risk Index Working Group, Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention.

OBJECTIVE: Prediction of cancer risk is a minor component of current health risk appraisals. Perception of individual cancer risk is poor. A Cancer Risk Index was developed to predict individual cancer risk for cancers accounting for 80% of the cancer burden in the United States. METHODS: We used group consensus among researchers at the Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health to identify risk factors as definite, probable and possible causes of cancer. Risk points were allocated according to the strength of the causal association and summed. Population average risk of cancer and cumulative 10-year risk was obtained from SEER data. Individual ranking relative to the population average was determined. The risk index was evaluated for validity using colon cancer incidence in prospective cohort data. RESULTS: The Harvard Cancer Risk Index provides a broad classification of cancer risk. Validation against cohort data shows good agreement for colon cancer. CONCLUSION: The Harvard Cancer Risk Index offers a simple estimation of personal risk of cancer. It may help inform users of the major risk factors for cancer and identify changes in lifestyle that will reduce their risk. It offers the potential for tailored health-promotion messages.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Endogenous risk factors for childhood leukemia in relation to the IGF system (Greece). The Childhood Haematologists-Oncologists Group.

OBJECTIVE: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its principal binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) are central in the mediation of the effect of growth hormone, and the IGF system has been reported to play a role in the pathogenesis of childhood leukemia. METHODS: To further evaluate the hypothesis connecting the IGF system to this disease, we have examined whether IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 are associated with the two main endogenous risk factors for childhood leukemia, namely gender and birth weight, since boys and heavier newborns are known to be at higher risk. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were measured under code in the serum of 118 apparently healthy children aged 0-14 years and the values of each of these components were regressed on age, gender and birth weight. Insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2), as a dependent variable, and anemia during the corresponding pregnancy, as a predictor variable, were also evaluated for exploratory purposes. RESULTS: In the total data set, IGF-1 was positively associated with birth weight (p = 0.0001), whereas girls had higher levels of IGFBP-3 (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: It appears that the associations of measured components of the IGF system with the examined risk factors for childhood leukemia are largely compatible with those that would have been expected, if this system played a role in the pathogenesis of childhood leukemia.

Child↗
PubMed2000

Infections as a major preventable cause of human cancer.

Infections may be responsible for over 15% of all malignancies worldwide. Important mechanisms by which infectious agents may induce carcinogenesis include the production of chronic inflammation, the transformation of cells by insertion of oncogenes and inhibition of tumour suppressors, and the induction of immunosuppression. Common characteristics shared by infectious agents linked to malignancies are that they are persistent in the host, often highly prevalent in the host population and induce cancer after a long latency. The associations between a selection of infectious agents and malignancies are covered in detail.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Alcohol and breast cancer risk: the alcoholism paradox.

A population-based cohort study of 36 856 women diagnosed with alcoholism in Sweden between 1965 and 1995 found that alcoholic women had only a small 15% increase in breast-cancer incidence compared to the general female population. It is therefore apparent, contrary to expectation, that alcoholism does not increase breast-cancer risk in proportion to presumed ethanol intake.

Aged↗