The incidence of malignant tumours in patients with respiratory sarcoidosis

During the period 1962-71 a total of 2544 patients with respiratory sarcoidosis were reported to the Danish Institute of Clinical Epidemiology. Among them 48 patients developed a malignant tumour, the follow-up period ending on 31 December 1971. Only 33·8 cases of cancer were expected if sarcoidosis patients had had the same rates as the general population; the difference between the expected and observed number is statistically significant (0·02 > P > 0·01). Malignant lymphomata occurred 11 times and lung cancer 3 times more frequently than expected. For all other forms of cancer taken together, there was no significant difference between the expected and the observed number of cases.     

陕西宝鸡地区恶性肿瘤发病及死亡调查分析

 采用整群随机抽样方法对陕西省宝鸡地区1992～1994年恶性肿瘤发病及死亡的抽样调查结果表明：在被调查的82万人口中共查出恶性肿瘤患者1291人，发病率为41．6084／10万，死亡率为31．5818／10万。恶性肿瘤发病前8位依次为胃癌、肝癌、肺癌、食道癌、宫颈癌、大肠癌、乳腺癌、胆囊癌。40岁以上患者占87．68％。在县及县级以上医疗机构就诊者占总数的96．9％。经病理学诊断的为31％。进行综合治疗的患者仅占22．85％，进行手术治疗者亦仅占13．17％。本文就目前恶性肿瘤防治工作重点及加强基层医疗卫生单位恶性肿瘤总体诊治水平提出建议。     

A comparison between England and Wales and Sweden in the incidence and mortality of malignant skin tumours

Although the population lives in a higher latitude, the incidence of and death rate from skin cancer is approximately the same in Sweden as it is in England and Wales. The proportion of malignant melanoma is higher in the Swedish deaths and the death rate from malignant melanoma is higher in Sweden than in England and Wales.     

Evolution of pleural cancers and malignant pleural mesothelioma incidence in France between 1980 and 2005

The evolution of pleural cancers and malignant pleural mesothelioma incidence in France between 1980 and 2005 was analysed using data derived from the French network of cancer registries (FRANCIM) and the French National Mesothelioma Surveillance Program (PNSM). Mesothelioma proportions in pleural cancers were calculated by diagnosis year in the 1980–2000 period. Our results suggest that the incidences of pleural cancer and mesothelioma levelled off in French men since 2000 and continued to increase in French women. A decrease of the annual pleural cancer incidence average in men was noticed (?3.4% of annual rate of change) between 2000 and 2005. The proportion of pleural cancers that were mesothelioma was unchanged between 1980 and 2003 with an average of 86%. The age standardised incidence rate of pleural mesothelioma remained relatively stable between 1998 and 2005 with a slight falling trend. For women, the age standardised incidence rate of pleural cancers and mesothelioma increased during the period 1998–2005. Additionally, the proportion of pleural cancers that were mesothelioma increased during the same period of time. Finally, the increased trend observed in the incidence of pleural mesothelioma and cancers in women is credibly due to their under diagnosis in the 1980–1997 period. The comparison between the French incidence and the American and British ones shows that the decreasing trend in incidence of mesothelioma and pleural cancers in French men since 2000 is potentially associated with a lower amphibole consumption and by the implementation of safety regulations at work from 1977.     

Glutathione S-transferase activity and isoenzyme composition in benign ovarian tumours, untreated malignant ovarian tumours, and malignant ovarian tumours after platinum/cyclophosphamide chemotherapy.

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) isoenzyme composition, isoenzyme quantities and enzymatic activity were investigated in benign (n = 4) ovarian tumours and malignant ovarian tumours, before (n = 20) and after (n = 16) chemotherapy. Enzymatic activity of GST in cytosols was measured by determining 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene conjugation with glutathione, cytosolic GST subunits were determined by wide pore reversed phase HPLC, using a S-hexylglutathione-agarose affinity column, and isoelectric focussing. Both GST activity and GST pi amount were not related to histopathologic type, differentiation grade, or tumour volume index in untreated malignant tumours. GST isoenzyme patterns were identical in benign tumours and malignant tumours before and after platinum/cyclophosphamide chemotherapy, while GST pi was the predominant transferase. Mean GST activity and GST pi amount were decreased (P < 0.05) in malignant ovarian tumours after platinum/cyclophosphamide chemotherapy compared to untreated ovarian malignant tumours. No relation was found in untreated ovarian tumours between GST pi amount and response to platinum/cyclophosphamide chemotherapy. Thus, within the limitations of the current study no arguments were found for a role of GST in in vivo drug resistance of malignant ovarian tumours to platinum/cyclophosphamide chemotherapy.     

International variations in the incidence of childhood renal tumours

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has coordinated a worldwide study of childhood cancer incidence, with data from over 50 countries. We present here the results on renal tumours. Wilms' tumour was the most common malignant kidney tumour in all regions. It is sometimes considered to be an 'index cancer of childhood' but it is clear from the present study that there is at least a threefold difference in incidence between the age-standardised annual rates of over 10 per million in the Black populations in the United States and Nigeria and those of around three per million in several East Asian populations. In White Caucasian populations, Wilms' tumour had an annual incidence of 6-9 per million, accounting for 5-7% of all childhood cancer. It was almost everywhere equally common in boys and girls, but the sex ratio in East Asia was M/F = 1.4:1. Age distributions were similar among White Caucasian and Black populations, with the peak incidence in the second year of life. In East Asia, however, 25-40% of the total incidence occurred in infants aged under 1 year, compared with around 15% in many Western series. Other studies have shown that, in the United States, Wilms' tumour has a lower incidence among Asian children than among Whites or Blacks and tends to occur at a younger age. The variation in patterns of incidence of Wilms' tumour along ethnic rather than geographical lines suggests that genetic predisposition is important in its aetiology. Renal carcinoma in childhood is rare throughout the world, with little sign of international variation. It accounted for a higher proportion of childhood renal tumours in East Asia but this was attributable to the lower incidence of Wilms' tumour in that region.     

Changing incidence and geographical distribution of malignant paediatric germ cell tumours in the West Midlands Health Authority region, 1957-92.

The West Midlands Regional Children''s Tumour Research Group holds high-quality data from 1957 on all childhood cancers in the West Midlands Health Authority region. Since it has been reported that malignant germ cell tumours are increasing in incidence in the north-west of England, we undertook to examine rates in this region and to map the distribution of cases in order to assess any geographical changes in incidence rates. We identified a total of 102 malignant germ cell tumours (MGCTs) between 1957 and 1992. The average age-standardised rate was 1.6 per million per year in the period 1957-74 and 3.6 per million per year during 1975-92, a significant increase (P = 0.0004). Particular increases were noted in older children (10-14 years); P = 0.0002) and in yolk sac (endodermal sinus) tumours (P = 0.004). A small excess was also observed in Asian children when compared with other diagnoses. Geographical analysis showed particularly higher rates at health district level in the West Midlands conurbation as compared with the other areas in the period 1975-92. These factors suggest the possibility that industrial/urban or population effects may be implicated in the observed increase in childhood MGCT and we recommend these areas for further studies.     

Cryosurgery in aggressive, benign, and low-grade malignant bone tumours

Cryosurgery is a method of treatment for various tumours that induces tissue necrosis with ablative intent. It is used in benign, aggressive, and low-grade malignant bone tumours such as chondrosarcoma grade 1. We describe the history of the technique and the issues associated with cryobiology, as well as the indications, technique, complications, and results of cryosurgery. At the University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Netherlands, 302 tumours have been treated by use of cryosurgery with at least 2 years' follow-up. 96-100% of patients were cured-the response depended on tumour type. Comparison of functional results with data from studies shows that these results concur with other studies on cryosurgery, and are at least equal to results of marginal excision and mostly better than those of wide excisions of grade 1 chondrosarcomas. Thus from an oncological point of view, cryosurgery combined with intralesional excision is equal to marginal excision.     

Cancer of the prostate. Epidemiologic evaluation, incidence, and trends, especially in France

With 7,172 deaths in 1982, prostatic cancer is a frequent cancer in France observed among old men, coming just after the lungs cancers and representing 9.6% of male mortality from malignant disease. Its incidence in the French regional population based on departmental registries is about 25/100.000 (age adjusted to the world standard population). The geographical distribution throughout the world shows a high incidence rate among the black american, the Scandinavian countries and low rates in the south-east of Asia. As well as incidence as for mortality low trends of increase all over the world are observed. In the clinical data from the "Enquete Permanente Cancer" (E.P.C.) the high proportion of metastatic dissemination (48%) at initial time of diagnosis, and also the high proportion of epithelial cancer (92%) emerge from a series of 1,223 prostatic cancer registered between 1975 and 1982. The 9 year-survival relative rate (32%) for the whole group lets appear a level of cure observed after the 8 years of follow-up. Few risk factors have been yet recognized so that it is not easy to identify risk population and propose them any preventions.     

Interstitial thermoradiotherapy in treatment of malignant tumours

From October 1981 to October 1985, 48 recurrent/persistent tumours (46 patients) were treated with a combination of interstitial hyperthermia and interstitial radiation therapy. All patients had failed other conventional treatment modalities. Radiation was administered using 192Ir with doses varying from 2000 to 6000 rad, depending on the dose of previous irradiation. Hyperthermia was administered with either localized current fields (LCF) or microwaves, two sessions each, minimum tumour temperature of 42.5 degrees C for 60 min. Of 37 lesions treated with at least one satisfactory hyperthermia session, there were 26 of 37 (70 per cent) complete responses and 11 of 37 (29.7 per cent) partial responses. Of 11 lesions with no sessions of satisfactory hyperthermia, there were no complete responses and only five partial responses. The detailed results are presented.     

Estimation of colorectal cancer prevalence in France

The prevalence in France of patients with colorectal cancer was estimated using data from five population-based cancer registries. At the end of 1994, the number of cases diagnosed in France no more than 5 years before was approximately 95000, of whom 12180 had suffered metastasis and 9746 a local recurrence. This type of cancer is the most common in both men and women and these results enable the need for care or surveillance to be evaluated more accurately.     

Influence of misonidazole on the incidence of radiation-induced intestinal tumours in mice.

C57BL mice were given local irradiation to 2 cm2 of the lower abdomen in the dose range 16--24 Gy. There were some early deaths, but mice dying between 50--240 days predominantly developed invasive adenocarcinomas of the intestine. When the radiosensitizer misonidazole was given in a single dose shortly before irradiation the proportion of mice developing tumours was higher, but the difference was not statistically significant. However, there was a significant increase in the incidence of multiple tumours, largely attributable to tumours arising in the rectum.