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Eva Negri

Publications and source records attributed to Eva Negri.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Benign ovarian cysts and breast cancer risk.

Benign ovarian cysts have been suggested to influence breast cancer risk. To provide a comprehensive picture of the relation between ovarian cysts and breast cancer, we analyzed the data of 3 case-control studies conducted in northern Italy and the Swiss Canton of Vaud between 1983 and 2001. These studies included 6,315 incident, histologically confirmed breast cancer cases and 6,038 hospital-based controls. Odds ratios (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using unconditional multiple logistic regression models, including terms for sociodemographic, menstrual and reproductive factors. Overall, 4.9% of breast cancer cases and 6.6% of controls reported a history of ovarian cysts, with a multivariate OR of 0.72 (95% CI 0.62-0.85). The inverse association between ovarian cysts and breast cancer was consistent in separate strata of age at menarche, parity, age at menopause status and family history of breast cancer. No meaningful differences were also found across strata of menstrual cycle length, oral contraceptive use, history of oophorectomy and body mass index. Thus, the inverse relation between ovarian cysts and breast cancer risk was not accounted for by earlier menopause, or by any difference in reproductive and menstrual characteristics. Although some hormonal correlates of ovarian cysts may have a role on breast cancer risk, a biological explanation of this inverse association is still unclear.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Trends in laryngeal cancer mortality in Europe.

After a steady increase since the 1950s, laryngeal cancer mortality had tended to level off since the early 1980s in men from most European countries. To update trends in laryngeal cancer mortality in Europe, age-standardized (world standard) mortality rates per 100,000 were derived from the WHO mortality database for 33 European countries over the period 1980-2001. Jointpoint analysis was used to identify significant changes in mortality rates. In the European Union (EU) as a whole, male mortality declined by 0.8% per year between 1980 and 1989, by 2.8% between 1989 and 1995, by 5.3% between 1995 and 1998, and by 1.5% thereafter (rates were 5.1/100,000 in 1980-1981 and 3.3/100,000 in 2000-2001). This mainly reflects a decrease in rates in men from western and southern European countries, which had exceedingly high rates in the past. Male laryngeal mortality rose up to the early 1990s, and leveled off thereafter in several countries from central and eastern Europe. In 2000-2001 there was still a 10-15-fold variation in male laryngeal mortality between the highest rates in Croatia (7.9/100,000) and Hungary (7.7/100,000) and the lowest ones in Sweden (0.5/100,000) and Finland (0.8/100,000). Laryngeal cancer mortality was comparatively low in women from most European countries, with stable rates around 0.3/100,000 in the EU as a whole over the last 2 decades. Laryngeal cancer trends should be interpreted in terms of patterns and changes in exposure to alcohol and tobacco. Despite recent declines, the persistence of a wide variability in male laryngeal cancer mortality indicates that there is still ample scope for prevention of laryngeal cancer in Europe.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

A history of cancer in the husband does not increase the risk of breast cancer.

Spouses share the home environment, and dietary and other lifestyle habits. Furthermore, a cancer diagnosis in the husband is a stressful event for the wife also. Thus, a history of cancer in the husband may be an indicator of breast cancer risk. We investigated the issue in a large Italian multicentric case-control study on 2,588 women with incident breast cancer and 2,569 female hospital controls, admitted for acute, non neoplastic diseases. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.0 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.7-1.4) for a history of any type of cancer in the husband, 1.0 (95% 0.4-2.7) for stomach, 0.7 (95% 0.2-2.3) for intestinal (chiefly colorectal), 0.9 (95% CI 0.5-1.7) for lung, and 1.3 (95% CI 0.4-4.3) for prostate cancer. The OR was close to unity also when data were analyzed in separate strata of patient's or husband's age, patient's education, or vital status of the husband. This study suggests that women whose husband had a diagnosis of cancer are not at increased risk of breast cancer, although results for individual cancer sites should be interpreted with caution, due to small numbers.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2006

Dietary acrylamide and human cancer.

Low levels of acrylamide have been found in several foods cooked at high temperatures. While there is sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of acrylamide in experimental animals, the few epidemiologic studies conducted to date on occupational and dietary exposure to acrylamide have found no consistent evidence of association with human cancer risk. Using data from an integrated network of Italian and Swiss hospital-based case-control studies, we analyzed the relation between dietary acrylamide intake and cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx (749 cases, 1,772 controls), esophagus (395 cases, 1,066 controls), large bowel (1,394 cases of colon, 886 cases of rectal cancer, 4,765 controls), larynx (527 cases, 1,297 controls), breast (2,900 cases, 3,122 controls), ovary (1,031 cases, 2,411 controls) and prostate (1,294 cases, 1,451 controls). All the studies included incident, histologically confirmed cancer cases and controls admitted to the same network of hospitals for acute nonneoplastic conditions. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) using multivariate logistic regression models, adjusted for energy intake and other major covariates of interest. The ORs for the highest versus the lowest quintile of acrylamide intake were 1.12 (95% CI = 0.76-1.66) for cancer of the oral cavity/pharynx, 1.10 (95% CI = 0.65-1.86) for esophageal, 0.97 (95% CI = 0.80-1.18) for colorectal, 1.23 (95% CI = 0.80-1.90) for laryngeal, 1.06 (95% CI = 0.88-1.28) for breast, 0.97 (95% CI = 0.73-1.31) for ovarian and 0.92 (95% CI = 0.69-1.23) for prostate cancer. None of the trend in risk was significant. This uniquely large and comprehensive data set does not show any consistent association between intake of acrylamide and the risk of breast and several other common cancers.

Acrylamide↗
PubMed2006

Milk, dairy products and cancer risk (Italy).

BACKGROUND: Inconclusive information is available on the potential role of milk and dairy products on the risk of cancer at several sites. METHODS: We analyzed data from a large and integrated network of hospital-based case-control studies in Italy on cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx (598 cases, 1491 controls), oesophagus (304 cases, 743 controls), colorectum (1953 cases, 4154 controls), larynx (460 cases, 1088 controls), breast (2569 cases, 2588 controls), ovary (1031 cases, 2411 controls) and prostate (1294 cases, 1451 controls). RESULTS: Multivariate odds ratio (OR) for the highest consumption level of any type of milk was 0.94 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.61-1.33) for cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, 1.20 (95% CI: 0.76-1.90) for oesophageal, 0.77 (95% CI: 0.62-0.96) for colon, 0.80 (95% CI: 0.60-1.05) for rectal, 0.83 (95% CI: 0.56-1.21) for laryngeal, 0.91 (95% CI: 0.76-1.10) for breast, 0.89 (95% CI: 0.68-1.15) for ovarian and 1.08 (95% CI: 0.84-1.37) for prostate cancer. A significant trend in risk was found for colon cancer only. Inverse associations were observed between consumption of skim milk and cancers of colon (OR=0.84; 95% CI: 0.73-0.97), rectum (OR=0.76; 95% CI: 0.64-0.91), breast (OR=0.87; 95% CI: 0.77-0.98) and ovary (OR=0.77; 95% CI: 0.66-0.91). Conversely, whole milk consumption was directly associated with cancer of the rectum (OR=1.22; 95% CI: 1.03-1.44) and ovary (OR=1.25; 95% CI: 1.07-1.46). High consumption of cheese was inversely related to colon cancer risk (OR=0.80; 95% CI: 0.67-0.95). CONCLUSIONS: There was a modest direct association between milk and dairy products and prostate cancer, and a moderate inverse one for colorectal cancer. However, our findings indicate that milk and dairy products are not strong risk indicators for any of the cancers considered.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Food groups and risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of a wide range of foods on the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), we conducted a case-control study in Italy between 1991 and 2002. Although BPH is an extremely common condition, particularly among older men, its risk factors, including dietary ones, remain largely undefined. METHODS: Included in the study were 1369 patients younger than 75 years old surgically treated for BPH and 1451 controls younger than 75 years of age who had been admitted to the same hospitals as cases for a wide spectrum of acute, non-neoplastic conditions. A validated and reproducible food frequency questionnaire, including 78 foods and beverages, plus a separate section on alcoholic beverages, was used to assess patients' dietary habits 2 years before diagnosis or hospital admission. Multivariate odds ratios (OR) were obtained after allowance for energy intake and other major potential confounding factors. RESULTS: A significant trend of increasing risk with more frequent consumption was found for cereals (OR 1.55 for the greatest versus lowest quintile), bread (OR 1.69), eggs (OR 1.43), and poultry (OR 1.39). Inverse associations were observed for soups (OR 0.74), pulses (OR 0.74), cooked vegetables (OR 0.66), and citrus fruit (OR 0.82). No association was observed for milk and yogurt products, coffee and tea, pasta and rice, fish, cheese, row vegetables, potatoes, fruit, or desserts. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest a role for dietary habits on the risk of BPH. In particular, a diet rich in cereals and some types of meat and poor in vegetables and pulses may have an unfavorable effect in this Italian population.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Macronutrients, fatty acids, cholesterol, and risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES: To better understand the role of specific macronutrients on the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), we used data from an Italian case-control study. Although BPH is extremely common among the elderly, its etiology-and, particularly, the role of diet and specific macronutrients-is still unclear. METHODS: A case-control study of 1369 patients with BPH and 1451 controls, admitted to the same hospitals for a wide spectrum of acute, non-neoplastic conditions, was conducted in Italy. The subjects' usual diet was investigated through a validated and reproducible food frequency questionnaire. Multivariate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained after allowance for energy intake and other potential confounding factors. RESULTS: A significant direct relation was observed between starch intake (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.99 for highest quintile compared with lowest one), and an inverse relation was observed for polyunsaturated fatty acids (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.93), linoleic acid (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.94), and linolenic acid (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.93). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest a role for specific macronutrients in the risk of BPH, including, in particular, an unfavorable effect for starch and a beneficial one for polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Mechanisms of disease: The epidemiology of bladder cancer.

Mortality from bladder cancer has shown downward trends over the last 2 decades in several western European countries (albeit 10-15 years later than similar trends in the US), but is still increasing in some eastern European countries. Tobacco smoking and occupational exposure to aromatic amines are the two major established environmental risk factors for bladder cancer. Controlling exposure to these factors has been an important contributor to the reduction in bladder cancer mortality, particularly among men. Diet could influence bladder carcinogenesis, as many compounds contained in foods--and their metabolites--are excreted through the urinary tract. Fruit and vegetable consumption was inversely related with bladder cancer in many studies, but no consistent association has emerged between intake of related micronutrients and reduced risk of bladder cancer. Other widely investigated lifestyle habits are probably not associated with risk of developing bladder cancer (e.g. coffee consumption, artificial sweetener use, hair dyes) or are difficult to assess (e.g. fluid intake). Infections and stones in the urinary tract might cause chronic irritation of the bladder epithelium, and thus increase bladder cancer risk. First-degree relatives of bladder cancer patients have a 50-100% increased relative risk of developing the disease, a risk that could be even higher when the proband is diagnosed at an early age.

Europe↗
PubMed2006

Dietary iron intake and risk of non-fatal acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: The relation between several measures of body iron and atherosclerotic disease, particularly acute myocardial infarction (AMI), is debated. This is of specific interest since iron is frequently included in supplementation and fortification of foods. We assessed the relation between dietary iron intake and the risk of non-fatal AMI. DESIGN: Case-control study. The information was collected by interviewers using a food-frequency questionnaire tested for validity and reproducibility. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained by multiple unconditional logistic regression models, including terms for energy and alcohol intake, as well as for sociodemographic factors, tobacco and other major recognised risk factors for AMI. SETTING: Milan, Italy, between 1995 and 1999. SUBJECTS: Cases were 507 patients, below age 79 years, with a first episode of non-fatal AMI, and controls were 478 patients admitted to hospital for a wide spectrum of acute conditions unrelated to known or potential AMI risk factors. RESULTS: Compared with patients in the lowest tertile of total iron intake, the OR was 0.48 (95% CI 0.29-0.82) for those in the highest tertile. The corresponding value for haem iron was 0.71 (95% CI 0.48-1.06), for non-haem, non-alcohol iron was 0.80 (95% CI 0.51-1.24) and for iron derived from alcoholic beverages was 0.60 (95% CI 0.40-0.90). Sex-specific OR for total iron intake were not heterogeneous. CONCLUSIONS: In this Italian population dietary iron intake was inversely related to AMI risk. This inverse association may depend on other nutrients present in the major sources of iron in the Italian diet.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

Intake of specific flavonoids and risk of acute myocardial infarction in Italy.

OBJECTIVE: As intake of flavonoids has been associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease but data on the relation with specific classes of flavonoids are scarce, we assessed the relation between dietary intake of specific classes of flavonoids and the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in an Italian population. DESIGN: Case-control study. Dietary information was collected by interviewers on a questionnaire tested for validity and reproducibility. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained by multiple logistic regression models including terms for energy and alcohol intake, as well as sociodemographic factors, tobacco and other major recognised risk factors for AMI. SETTING: Milan, Italy, between 1995 and 2003. SUBJECTS: Cases were 760 patients, below age 79 years, with a first episode of non-fatal AMI, and controls were 682 patients admitted to hospital for acute conditions unrelated to diet. RESULTS: A reduced risk of AMI was found for increasing intake of anthocyanidins (OR=0.45, 95% CI 0.26-0.78 for the highest vs. the lowest quintile, Ptrend=0.003) and flavonols (OR=0.65, 95% CI 0.41-1.02, Ptrend=0.02). A tendency towards reduced risks, although not significant, was observed for flavan-3-ols (OR=0.73, 95% CI 0.48-1.10) and total flavonoids (OR=0.74, 95% CI 0.49-1.14). No meaningful heterogeneity was found between the sexes. No association emerged for other flavonoids, including isoflavones, flavanones and flavones. CONCLUSIONS: High intake of anthocyanidins reduced the risk of AMI even after allowance for alcohol, fruit and vegetables, supporting a real inverse association between this class of flavonoids and AMI risk.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

Dietary intake of carotenoids and retinol and the risk of acute myocardial infarction in Italy.

BACKGROUND: Carotenoids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease through their antioxidant properties, but the results of epidemiological studies are controversial. We analysed the relation between the intake of selected carotenoids and retinol and risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in Milan, Italy, in 1995-2003. Cases were 760 patients with nonfatal AMI, and controls 682 patients admitted to hospital. RESULTS: The risk of AMI decreased with increasing intake of alpha-carotene (odds ratios, OR = 0.71, 95% confidence intervals, CI 0.51-0.98, for the highest vs the lowest quartile of intake), beta-carotene (OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.50-1.01) and beta-criptoxanthin (OR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.46-0.88). No associations emerged for total carotenoids, lycopene, lutein plus zeaxanthin and retinol. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests a weak protective effect of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and beta-criptoxanthin on the risk of AMI. It also indicates that total carotenoids, lycopene, lutein plus zeaxanthin and retinol were not related to the risk of the disease.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Occupational exposure to ultraviolet radiation and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Individuals diagnosed with skin cancer have elevated risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and those with non-Hodgkin lymphoma have excess rates of various types of skin cancers. Sunshine and other sources of ultraviolet radiation are major risk factors for skin cancer, and hence a potential common link between skin cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. We analyzed the relationship between occupational exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma using data from a case-control study conducted in Northern Italy between 1985 and 1997. Cases were 446 patients with histologically confirmed incident non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and controls were 1295 patients admitted to hospital for acute non-neoplastic, non-immunological conditions. The multivariate odds ratios were computed after allowance for age, sex, area of residence, education and smoking. The odds ratio for patients reporting ever ultraviolet exposure at work was 1.01 (95% confidence interval 0.72-1.43) and 1.03 (95% confidence interval 0.72-1.49) for exposure longer than 10 years. The odds ratio was 1.09 for manual workers and 0.79 for farmers exposed to ultraviolet radiation, compared with those with other occupations not exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Our study found no association between occupational exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Aspirin and the risk of prostate cancer.

Epidemiological studies have suggested that aspirin may have a protective effect against prostate cancer, but the evidence is still limited and inconsistent. The role of aspirin in prostate cancer risk was analysed in a multicentric case-control study conducted in Italy between 1991 and 2002, including 1261 incident cases of carcinoma of the prostate and 1131 hospital controls. A total of 115 (9.1%) cases versus 90 (8.0%) controls reported regular aspirin use. The multivariate odds ratio (OR) for regular aspirin users was 1.10 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.81-1.50). No relation was found with duration of use (OR = 1.03 for <5 years, and 1.17 for > or =5 years) and time since first use (OR = 1.03 for <10 years, and 1.35 for > or =10 years). These findings do not support a protective role of regular aspirin use on prostate cancer risk.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Pizza consumption and the risk of breast, ovarian and prostate cancer.

Pizza has been favourably related to the risk of prostate cancer in North America. Scanty information, however, is available on sex hormone-related cancer sites. We therefore studied the role of pizza consumption on the risk of breast, ovarian and prostate cancers using data from three hospital-based case-control studies conducted in Italy between 1991 and 2002. These included 2569 women with breast cancer, 1031 with ovarian cancer, 1294 men with prostate cancer, and a total of 4864 controls. Compared with non-pizza eaters, the multivariate odds ratios for eaters were 0.97 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.86-1.10) for breast, 1.06 (95% CI 0.89-1.26) for ovarian and 1.04 (95% CI 0.88-1.23) for prostate cancer. Corresponding estimates for regular eaters (i.e. > or =1 portion per week) were 0.92 (95% CI 0.78-1.08), 1.00 (95% CI 0.80-1.25) and 1.12 (95% CI 0.88-1.43), respectively. Our results do not show a relevant role of pizza on the risk of sex hormone-related cancers. The difference with selected studies from North America suggests that dietary and lifestyle correlates of pizza eating vary between different populations and social groups.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2006

Type of alcoholic beverage and the risk of laryngeal cancer.

A few studies have investigated whether the risk of laryngeal cancer depends on the types of alcoholic beverage consumed, providing conflicting results. We investigated this issue using the data from two case-control studies conducted in Italy between 1986 and 2000. These included 672 cases of laryngeal cancer and 3454 hospital controls, admitted for acute, non-neoplastic conditions, unrelated to smoking and alcohol consumption. Significant trends in risk were found for total alcohol intake, with multivariate odds ratios (ORs) of 1.12 for drinkers of 3-4 drinks/day, 2.43 for 5-7, 3.65 for 8-11, and 4.83 for > 12 drinks/day, as compared to abstainers or light drinkers. Corresponding ORs for wine drinkers were 1.12, 2.45, 3.29 and 5.91. After allowance was made for wine intake, the ORs for beer drinkers were 1.65 for 1-2 drinks/day, and 1.36 for > or = 3 drinks/day, as compared to non-beer drinkers; corresponding values for spirits drinkers were 0.88 and 1.15. This study thus indicates that in the Italian population characterized by frequent wine consumption, wine is the beverage most strongly related to the risk of laryngeal cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Genital and urinary tract diseases and prostate cancer risk.

The objectives of this study were to investigate whether venereal diseases, prostatic and urinary infections, and other selected conditions of the genital and urinary tracts may have a role in the development of prostate cancer. We analysed data from a hospital-based case-control study conducted between 1985 and 1992 in Italy, including 280 cases of prostatic cancer and 689 controls, hospitalized for acute, non-neoplastic, non-genital or urinary tract conditions. We calculated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals using unconditional multiple logistic regression. The odds ratios of prostate cancer were 0.64 for history of selected venereal diseases, 0.53 for prostatitis, 0.67 for benign prostatic hyperplasia, 1.53 for urinary tract stones and 1.76 for cystitis. No relationship, however, was observed for cystitis>or=5 years before prostate cancer. The present study, based on satisfactorily reproducible information on medical history, did not found any association between genital and urinary tract diseases and prostate cancer risk.

Adult↗