Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology
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Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. · Apr 2003
Comparative StudyA social network analysis of communication about hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer genetic testing and family functioning.
Hereditary cancers are relational diseases. A primary focus of research in the past has been the biological relations that exist within the families and how genes are passed along family lines. However, hereditary cancers are relational in a psychosocial sense, as well. ⋯ Results suggest that in these five HNPCC families, two family members are more likely to discuss genetic counseling and testing if either one carries the mutation, if either one is a spouse or a first-degree relative of the other, or if the relationship is defined by positive cohesion, leadership, or lack of conflict. Furthermore, the family functioning patterns suggest that mothers tend to be the most influential persons in the family network. Results of this study suggest encouraging family members who act in the mother role to take a "team approach" with the family proband when discussing HNPCC risks and management with family members.
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Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. · Mar 2003
Induced abortion, miscarriage, and breast cancer risk of young women.
Early studies of breast cancer raised substantial concern regarding risk associated with induced abortion and miscarriage. Literature reviews suggest that study findings depend heavily on the comparison group and that the use of parous women as a reference group for nulliparous women may artificially inflate risk. To examine the individual effects of induced abortion and miscarriage on breast cancer risk of parous and nulliparous women, 744 patients < or =40 years of age and diagnosed from 1983-1988 were matched by parity, age, and race with controls living in the same neighborhood in Los Angeles County. ⋯ Breast cancer risk was reduced among nulliparous women with a history of induced abortion relative to nulligravid women, although the risk estimate was imprecise. Risk declined as the number of induced abortions increased (P = 0.04). Our results do not support the hypothesis that induced abortion or miscarriage increase the breast cancer risk of young women.
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Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. · Mar 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialFecal bile acid concentrations in a subpopulation of the wheat bran fiber colon polyp trial.
Factors that affect the concentration of secondary bile acids in the aqueous phase of stool may have a greater impact on colon carcinogenesis than those that only modify the total fecal bile acid concentration. This hypothesis was tested using stool samples of a subset of participants enrolled in a Phase III colorectal adenomatous polyp prevention trial, which documented the inability of a 13.5 g/day wheat bran fiber (WBF) supplement to reduce polyp recurrence. Stool was collected from 68 consecutively consented participants who were enrolled in a Phase III clinical trial of WBF for the prevention of adenomatous polyp recurrence. ⋯ In contrast, the median concentrations of deoxycholic acid and other secondary bile acids (including lithochilic, isodeoxycholic, ursodeoxycholic, isoursodeoxycholic, ursocholic, 7-ketolithocholic, and 12-ketolithocholic acids) were significantly lower for the high fiber group in the solid-phase stool (P < 0.05). These results document that a high WBF intervention, taken for a median of 2.4 years, does not significantly reduce aqueous-phase concentrations of secondary bile acids in stool, although their concentrations in solid-phase stool were suppressed. Thus, the inability of the high WBF intervention to reduce colorectal adenoma recurrence may be a consequence of its lack of effect on fecal aqueous-phase secondary bile acid concentrations.
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Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. · Feb 2003
Comparative StudySoluble epidermal growth factor receptor (sEGFR/sErbB1) as a potential risk, screening, and diagnostic serum biomarker of epithelial ovarian cancer.
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancies in the United States, for which risk assessment, screening, and diagnostic tests are needed. We have shown previously that women with stage III/IV EOC have lower serum p110 sEGFR/sErbB1 (Soluble Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) concentrations than healthy women. Here, we show that serum p110 sEGFR/sErbB1 is the product of a 3-kb EGFR/ERBB1 alternate transcript. ⋯ Receiver operating characteristic curves indicate that: (a) serum sEGFR concentrations are more effective in discerning stage III/IV than stage I/II EOC cases from healthy women; and (b) sEGFR concentrations have an 89% probability of correctly discerning EOC patients from healthy women when accounting for effect modification by age. By maintaining a test specificity of approximately 95% across strata of age or menopausal status with appropriate cutoff values, we observe that sEGFR concentrations are most useful for detecting stage I/II (sensitivity: 64-67%) and stage III/IV (sensitivity: 75-81%) EOC in young, premenopausal women. We conclude that serum sEGFR concentrations warrant additional investigation in the risk assessment, early detection, and/or diagnosis of EOC.
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Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. · Nov 2002
Comparative StudyUrsodeoxycholic acid inhibits the initiation and postinitiation phases of azoxymethane-induced colonic tumor development.
Colonic tumorigenesis involves the processes of initiation and promotion/progression from normal epithelial cells to tumors. Studies in both humans and experimental models of colon cancer indicate that secondary bile acids promote tumor development. In contrast, we have demonstrated previously that another bile acid, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), inhibits the development of azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon cancer in rats. ⋯ UDCA, in the initiation but not the promotion phase, inhibited ACF formation and growth. In summary, UDCA significantly inhibited AOM-induced colonic carcinogenesis during either tumor initiation or in the promotion/progression phase. In contrast, UDCA inhibited ACF formation only when administered in the initiation phase, suggesting that the mechanisms of chemoprevention by this bile acid differ in these two phases.