Meta-Analysis of Saturated Fatty Acid Intake and Breast Cancer Risk

The associations between saturated fatty acid (SFA) consumption and risk of breast cancer (BC) remains inconclusive. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to determine the quantitative relations between dietary SFA intake and incidence of BC.Literatures published up to April 2015 were systematically screened through Pubmed and Web of Science. Relevant publication quality was evaluated by conducting the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. We used fixed effects models or random effect models to calculate the summary relative risks (RRs) and odds ratios (ORs), and conducted sensitivity analyses and evaluated the publication bias.We identified a total of 52 studies (24 cohort studies and 28 case–control studies), with over 50,000 females diagnosed with BC. The associations between dietary SFA intake and risk of BC were 1.18 for case–control studies (high vs low intake, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03–1.34) and 1.04 for cohort studies (95% CI = 0.97–1.11). When restricted analyses to population-based studies, positive associations were observed for both cohort (RR [95% CI] = 1.11 [1.01–1.21]) and case–control studies (OR [95% CI] = 1.26 [1.03–1.53]). Additionally, for case–control studies, significant positive associations between higher SFA intake and BC risk were observed for Asian (OR [95% CI] = 1.17 [1.02–1.34]) and Caucasian (OR [95% CI] = 1.19 [1.00–1.41]), as well as for postmenopausal women (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.02–1.73). In contrast, higher dietary SFA intake was not associated with risk of BC among premenopausal women, in cohort studies or hospital-based studies.A positive association between higher dietary SFA intake and postmenopausal BC risk was observed in case–control but not in cohort studies. More studies are warranted to confirm these findings.     

Psychosocial mechanisms of a behavioral treatment for urinary incontinence of prostate cancer survivors

Abstract

Purpose: We examined underlying psychosocial processes of a behavioral treatment for urinary incontinence (UI) of prostate cancer survivors.

Design: Secondary analysis of data collected from a clinical trial.

Sample: Two hundred forty-four prostate cancer survivors who participated in a clinical trial of behavioral intervention to UI as intervention or control subjects.

Methods: The participants had a 3-month behavioral intervention or usual care and were followed up for an additional 3?months. They were assessed at baseline, 3, and 6?months. Latent growth curve models were performed to examine trajectories of each study variable and relationships among the variables.

Findings: Increasing self-efficacy and social support were significantly and independently associated with more reduction of urinary leakage frequency over time.

Implications for psychosocial oncology: Providing problem-solving skills and social support, including peer support, are essential for empowering patients to reduce UI.     

Multi-day radon signals with a radioactive decay limb -- occurrence and geophysical significance.

Multi-day signals, generally with duration of 2-10 days, are a prominent temporal variation type of radon (Rn) in geogas in the unsaturated zone. Rare multi-day Rn signals have been found which are characterized by: (a) a declining limb lasting up to 10 days which conforms to the radioactive decay of Rn, (b) recurs at the same location and (c) is recorded in diverse situations-volcanic and seismogenic. It suggested that a Rn blob is injected at a lower level on a steady upward flow of geogas whereby the rise and final fall of the signal are attributed to the edges of the blob while the central Rn-decay segment records the passing of the decaying blob itself. Rn-decay signals are a small subset of multi-day Rn signals which are considered as highly irregular and unusable for the understanding of geophysical processes. In difference, it is concluded that multi-day Rn signals are probably proxies of subtle geodynamic processes at upper crustal levels and are therefore significant for studying such processes.     

Double germline mutations in the RET Proto-oncogene in MEN 2A and MEN 2B kindreds.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare form of thyroid cancer representing about 10% of all thyroid malignancies. It occurs mostly as a sporadic tumor or in association with autosomal dominant inherited cancer syndromes--multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) types 2A and 2B and familial MTC. Germline mutations in exons 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the RET proto-oncogene are found in most of the familial cases. There are only a few published data reporting multiple germline mutations in the RET proto-oncogene. We have detected double germline mutations in 2 different exons on the same RET allele in two MEN 2 families. In the MEN 2A family, double germline mutation in exons 10 (Cys620Phe) and 13 (Tyr791Phe) was detected. In the MEN 2B family, beside the classical germline mutation in exon 16 (Met918Thr) a second germline mutation in exon 13 (Tyr791Phe) was found. This study revealed that MEN 2 syndromes can also be caused by double germline mutations in the RET proto-oncogene and these families can be added to small worldwide cohort of families with multiple germline mutations.