1. |
- Beral, V, et al.
(author)
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Alcohol, tobacco and breast cancer - collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 53 epidemiological studies, including 58515 women with breast cancer and 95067 women without the disease
- 2002
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In: British Journal of Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1532-1827 .- 0007-0920. ; 87, s. 1234-45
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alcohol and tobacco consumption are closely correlated and published results on their association with breast cancer have not always allowed adequately for confounding between these exposures. Over 80% of the relevant information worldwide on alcohol and tobacco consumption and breast cancer were collated, checked and analysed centrally. Analyses included 58515 women with invasive breast cancer and 95067 controls from 53 studies. Relative risks of breast cancer were estimated, after stratifying by study, age, parity and, where appropriate, women's age when their first child was born and consumption of alcohol and tobacco. The average consumption of alcohol reported by controls from developed countries was 6.0 g per day, i.e. about half a unit/drink of alcohol per day, and was greater in ever-smokers than never-smokers, (8.4 g per day and 5.0 g per day, respectively). Compared with women who reported drinking no alcohol, the relative risk of breast cancer was 1.32 (1.19 - 1.45, P < 0.00001) for an intake of 35 - 44 g per day alcohol, and 1.46 (1.33 - 1.61, P < 0.00001) for greater than or equal to 45 g per day alcohol. The relative risk of breast cancer increased by 7.1% (95% CI 5.5-8.7%; P<0.00001) for each additional 10 g per day intake of alcohol, i.e. for each extra unit or drink of alcohol consumed on a daily basis. This increase was the same in ever-smokers and never-smokers (7.1 % per 10 g per day, P < 0.00001, in each group). By contrast, the relationship between smoking and breast cancer was substantially confounded by the effect of alcohol. When analyses were restricted to 22 255 women with breast cancer and 40 832 controls who reported drinking no alcohol, smoking was not associated with breast cancer (compared to never-smokers, relative risk for ever-smokers= 1.03, 95% CI 0.98 - 1.07, and for current smokers=0.99, 0.92 - 1.05). The results for alcohol and for tobacco did not vary substantially across studies, study designs, or according to 15 personal characteristics of the women; nor were the findings materially confounded by any of these factors. If the observed relationship for alcohol is causal, these results suggest that about 4% of the breast cancers in developed countries are attributable to alcohol. In developing countries, where alcohol consumption among controls averaged only 0.4 g per day, alcohol would have a negligible effect on the incidence of breast cancer. In conclusion, smoking has little or no independent effect on the risk of developing breast cancer; the effect of alcohol on breast cancer needs to be interpreted in the context of its beneficial effects, in moderation, on cardiovascular disease and its harmful effects on cirrhosis and cancers of the mouth, larynx, oesophagus and liver. (C) 2002 Cancer Research UK.
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2. |
- Anand, K J S, et al.
(author)
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Effects of morphine analgesia in ventilated preterm neonates : primary outcomes from the NEOPAIN randomised trial
- 2004
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In: The Lancet. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 363:9422, s. 1673-82
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Opioid analgesia is commonly used during neonatal intensive care. We undertook the Neurologic Outcomes and Pre-emptive Analgesia in Neonates (NEOPAIN) trial to investigate whether pre-emptive morphine analgesia decreases the rate of a composite primary outcome of neonatal death, severe intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH), and periventricular leucomalacia (PVL) in preterm neonates.METHODS: Ventilated preterm neonates (n=898) from 16 centres were randomly assigned masked placebo (n=449) or morphine (n=449) infusions. After a loading dose (100 microg/kg), morphine infusions (23-26 weeks of gestation 10 microg kg(-1) h(-1); 27-29 weeks 20 microg kg(-1) h(-1); 30-32 weeks 30 microg kg(-1) h(-1)) were continued as long as clinically justified (maximum 14 days). Open-label morphine could be given on clinical judgment (placebo group 242/443 [54.6%], morphine group 202/446 [45.3%]). Analyses were by intention to treat.FINDINGS: Baseline variables were similar in the randomised groups. The placebo and morphine groups had similar rates of the composite outcome (105/408 [26%] vs 115/419 [27%]), neonatal death (47/449 [11%] vs 58/449 [13%]), severe IVH (46/429 [11%] vs 55/411 [13%]), and PVL (34/367 [9%] vs 27/367 [7%]). For neonates who were not given open-label morphine, rates of the composite outcome (53/225 [24%] vs 27/179 [15%], p=0.0338) and severe IVH (19/219 [9%] vs 6/189 [3%], p=0.0209) were higher in the morphine group than the placebo group. Placebo-group neonates receiving open-label morphine had worse rates of the composite outcome than those not receiving open-label morphine (78/228 [34%] vs 27/179 [15%], p<0.0001). Morphine-group neonates receiving open-label morphine were more likely to develop severe IVH (36/190 [19%] vs 19/219 [9%], p=0.0024).INTERPRETATION: Pre-emptive morphine infusions did not reduce the frequency of severe IVH, PVL, or death in ventilated preterm neonates, but intermittent boluses of open-label morphine were associated with an increased rate of the composite outcome. The morphine doses used in this study decrease clinical signs of pain but can cause significant adverse effects in ventilated preterm neonates.
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3. |
- Pavey, S, et al.
(author)
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Microarray expression profiling in melanoma reveals a BRAF mutation signature
- 2004
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In: Oncogene. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1476-5594 .- 0950-9232. ; 23:23, s. 4060-4067
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have used microarray gene expression pro. ling and machine learning to predict the presence of BRAF mutations in a panel of 61 melanoma cell lines. The BRAF gene was found to be mutated in 42 samples (69%) and intragenic mutations of the NRAS gene were detected in seven samples (11%). No cell line carried mutations of both genes. Using support vector machines, we have built a classifier that differentiates between melanoma cell lines based on BRAF mutation status. As few as 83 genes are able to discriminate between BRAF mutant and BRAF wild-type samples with clear separation observed using hierarchical clustering. Multidimensional scaling was used to visualize the relationship between a BRAF mutation signature and that of a generalized mitogen-activated protein kinase ( MAPK) activation ( either BRAF or NRAS mutation) in the context of the discriminating gene list. We observed that samples carrying NRAS mutations lie somewhere between those with or without BRAF mutations. These observations suggest that there are gene-specific mutation signals in addition to a common MAPK activation that result from the pleiotropic effects of either BRAF or NRAS on other signaling pathways, leading to measurably different transcriptional changes.
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4. |
- Wagrell, L, et al.
(author)
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Feedback microwave thermotherapy versus TURP for clinical BPH - A randomized controlled multicenter study
- 2002
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In: Urology. - 1527-9995. ; 60:2, s. 292-299
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives. To compare the outcome of a microwave thermotherapy feedback system that is based on intraprostatic temperature measurement during treatment (ProstaLund Feedback Treatment or PLFT) with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in a randomized controlled multicenter study. The safety of the two methods was also investigated. Methods. The study was performed at 10 centers in Scandinavia and the United States. A total of 154 patients with clinical BPH were randomized to PLFT or TURP (ratio 2:1); 133 of them completed the study and were evaluated at the end of the study 12 months after treatment. Outcome measures included the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), urinary flow, detrusor pressure at maximal urinary flow (Qmax), prostate volume, and adverse events. Patients were seen at 3, 6, and 12 months. Responders were defined according to a combination of IPSS and Qmax: IPSS 7 or less, or a minimal 50% gain, and/or Qmax 15 mL/s or greater or a minimal 50% gain. Results. No significant differences in outcome at 12 months were found between PLFT and TURP for IPSS, Qmax, or detrusor pressure. The prostate volume measured with transrectal ultrasonography was reduced by 30% after PLFT and 51% after TURP. Serious adverse events related to the given treatment were reported in 2% after PLFT and in 17% after TURP. Mild and moderate adverse events were more common in the PLFT group. With the criteria mentioned above, 82% and 86% of the patients were characterized as responders after 12 months in the PLFT and TURP groups, respectively. The post-treatment catheter time was 3 days in the TURP group and 14 days in the PLFT group. Conclusions. The outcome of microwave thermotherapy with intraprostatic temperature monitoring was comparable with that seen after TURP in this study. From both a simplicity and safety point of view, PLFT appears to have an advantage. Taken together, our findings make us conclude that: within a 1-year perspective microwave thermotherapy with PLFT is an attractive alternative to TURP in the treatment of BPH.
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5. |
- Wagrell, L, et al.
(author)
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Three-year follow-up of feedback microwave thermotherapy versus TURP for clinical BPH: A prospective randomized multicenter study
- 2004
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In: Urology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1527-9995 .- 0090-4295. ; 64:4, s. 698-702
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives. To compare, in a prospective randomized multicenter study, the efficacy and safety of transurethral microwave thermotherapy with Prostalund Feedback Treatment (PLFT), using the CoreTherm device, with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) 36 months after treatment. Methods. The study was conducted at 10 centers in the United States and Scandinavia. A total of 154 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia were randomized to PLFT or TURP in a 2:1 ratio. The treatment outcome was evaluated on the basis of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), the quality-of-life question (QOL) of the IPSS, peak urinary flow rate (Qmax), urodynamics, and adverse events. The microwave power and treatment time were adjusted according to each patient's response to the supplied energy (ie, the intraprostatic temperature guided the PLFT). Results. Statistically significant improvements in both the TURP and the PLFT groups were observed for IPSS, QOL, and Qmax at 36 months. The average value for the PLFT group was 8.2, 1.2, and 11.9 mL/s for IPSS, QOL, and Qmax, respectively. The corresponding values for the TURP group were IPSS 5.0, QOL 1.0, and Qmax 13.5 mUs. The difference in IPSS outcome was statistically significant; however, no statistically significant differences were found in QOL or Qmax between the two treatment groups. The degree of improvement was in the same range as that observed after 12 and 24 months for both groups. During the 12 to 36-month period, the most frequent adverse events in the TURP group were impotence (15%), micturition urgency (13%), and urethral disorder (8%); in the PLFT group, impotence (8%), prostate-specific antigen increase (5%), and hematuria (4%) were the most common. Conclusions. The clinical outcome 3 years after microwave thermotherapy with PLFT was comparable to the results seen after TURP. The safety of PLFT compared favorably to that of TURP in this study.
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