Journal of the National Cancer Institute
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · Jul 1995
Detection of K-ras oncogene mutations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for lung cancer diagnosis.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. A long-standing goal of cancer researchers has been to develop tests that would facilitate earlier diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer and thereby decrease mortality from this disease. Because cancer results from the accumulation of a variety of genetic events (e.g., mutations, rearrangements, and deletions) in genes controlling cell growth and differentiation, these changes might serve as diagnostically useful molecular markers. Activation of the K-ras oncogene by point mutations in codon 12, which occurs in many cases of lung adenocarcinoma, may serve as one such clinically useful molecular marker. For detection of K-ras point mutations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, in which small numbers of malignant cells are mixed with a population of predominantly genetically normal cells, the sensitivity of commonly used assays for ras mutations risks false-negative results. ⋯ Detection of these mutations could lead to earlier cancer diagnosis and less need for invasive diagnostic procedures.
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · Jun 1995
Prenatal and neonatal risk factors for childhood lymphatic leukemia.
Because the incidence of childhood acute lymphatic leukemia peaks between 2 and 4 years of age, the risk factors may exert their influence during the prenatal and/or the neonatal periods. Results of previous studies of perinatal risk factors have been contradictory, perhaps because most studies either have been hospital based or have been restricted to limited geographical areas. ⋯ Several maternal and perinatal risk factors were found to be associated with childhood lymphatic leukemia, but they showed age-specific differences. Overall, only a few risk factors were identified, and these accounted for a small proportion of cases. We concluded that most risk factors for childhood lymphatic leukemia remain unidentified in very young children.
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · Jun 1995
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialImproving treatment of chemotherapy-induced neutropenic fever by administration of colony-stimulating factors.
Several randomized trials have tested the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in relieving chemotherapy-induced bone marrow suppression. However, the use of CSFs in the treatment of neutropenic fever remains virtually unexplored. ⋯ The benefits of CSFs to cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenic fever merit further evaluation in large randomized trials.
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · May 1995
Multicenter StudyIncidence of second cancers in patients treated for Hodgkin's disease.
Numerous studies of treatment for Hodgkin's disease have demonstrated large increases in the incidence of leukemia in the early years following chemotherapy, although the duration of effect and the specific agents involved are not well understood. Also, some, but not all, studies have indicated that the incidence of certain solid tumors increases following treatment for Hodgkin's disease. ⋯ Without doubt, the benefits of treatment of Hodgkin's disease outweigh the risk of a subsequent malignancy, but data on the carcinogenic effects of radiation and drugs beyond 10 years after treatment continue to be sparse, and future analyses should be directed at long-term survivors.
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · May 1995
Vasectomy and prostate cancer: results from a multiethnic case-control study.
Vasectomy, a widely used form of contraception, has been associated in some studies with increased prostate cancer risk. ⋯ The findings of this study do not support previous reports of increased prostate cancer risk associated with vasectomy. However, the altered endocrine profiles of vasectomized control subjects seen in this cross-sectional comparison warrant further evaluation in longitudinal studies.