Comorbidities in head and neck cancer: agreement between self-report and chart review.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the accuracy of self-reported comorbidities compared with medical record review and the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics associated with accuracy of self-reported comorbidities. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a prospective study of 458 newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients using self-administered questionnaire and medical chart review data. Overall and itemwise consistency between self-report and chart review was evaluated. Social, clinical, and demographic characteristics of consistent versus inconsistent responders were analyzed. RESULTS: Seventy-four percent of patients had at least one comorbidity. There was good overall consistency between self-report and chart review (kappa = 0.50). Compared with consistent responders, inconsistent responders were found to be older (P < 0.05), have lower sleep (P < 0.05) and physical activity scores (P < 0.05), be more depressed (P < 0.05), and have more severe comorbidities (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Self-report may be considered as an alternative to chart review for comorbidity assessment in head and neck cancer patients. Younger patients, those with good general health, fewer depressive symptoms, and mild comorbidities, are more likely to give responses consistent with chart review.     

Antifungal potential of disulfiram.

Disulfiram, an alcohol antagonistic drug has been on the market since 1949 with 80% bioavailability and an established safety profile. Recently it has been reported as a P-glycoprotein efflux pump modulator. Herein we report its antifungal potential. The MIC50 and MIC90 of disulfiram for yeast isolates is 4 and 8 microg/ml, respectively, and the MIC range is 1-16 micro g/ml for both fluconazole sensitive and resistant strains. Interestingly, disulfiram also showed fungicidal activity on Aspergillus spp. with MIC50 and MIC90 of 2 and 8 microg/ml, respectively.     

Immunosuppression with cis-Platinum (II) Diammino-dichloride: Effect on Antibody Plaque-Forming Spleen Cells

A new antitumor compound, cis-platinum (II) diamminodichloride, suppressed antibody plaque-forming cells in C(3)H mice when given in a single dose of 10 mg per kg of body weight within 2 days before or after sensitization.     

A mixture of ammonium perchlorate and sodium chlorate enhances alterations of the pituitary-thyroid axis caused by the individual chemicals in adult male F344 rats

Ammonium perchlorate (AP) and sodium chlorate (SC) have been detected in public drinking water supplies in many parts of the United States. These chemicals cause perturbations in pituitary-thyroid homeostasis in animals by competitively inhibiting iodide uptake, thus hindering the synthesis of thyroglobulin and reducing circulating T(4) (thyroxine). Little is known about the short-term exposure effects of mixtures of perchlorate and chlorate. The present study investigated the potential for the response to a mixture of these chemicals on the pituitary-thyroid axis in rats to be greater than that induced by the individual chemicals. Adult male F-344 rats were exposed, via their drinking water, to the nominal concentrations of 0.1, 1.0, 10 mg/L AP or 10, 100, 1000 mg/L SC and their mixtures for 7 days. Serum T(4) levels were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in rats following exposure to the mixtures, but not after exposure to the individual chemicals. Serum T(3) (triiodothyronine) was not altered by treatment and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) was only increased after the high-dose chlorate treatment. Histological examination of the thyroid gland showed colloid depletion and hypertrophy of follicular epithelial cells in high-dose single chemical and all mixture-treated rats, while hyperplasia was observed only in some of the rats treated with mixtures (AP 10 + SC 100, AP 0.1 + SC 1000, and AP 10 + SC 1000 mg/L). These data suggest that short-term exposure to the mixture of AP and SC enhances the effect of either chemical alone on the pituitary-thyroid axis in rats.