Incidence of uterine leiomyosarcoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma in Nordic countries: results from NORDCAN and NOCCA databases

Objectives and study design

Uterine sarcomas are an uncommon and heterogeneous group of malignancies. Their etiology is mainly unknown. Here, we analyzed trends in incidence and occupational variation in risk of uterine leiomyosarcomas (LMS) and endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS) in the Nordic countries aided by NORDCAN and NOCCA (Nordic Occupational Cancer) databases.

Main outcome measures

Incidence rates per 100,000 and Standardized incidences rates (SIR) obtained from NORDCAN and NOCCA databases.

Results

The incidence rates were about 0.3 per 100,000 for ESS and about 0.4 per 100,000 for LMS in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway. During the study-period (1978–2007), the incidence rates in each country were quite similar and constant. The age-specific incidence of LMS showed a peak around menopause. Significantly increased risk for LMS occurred in shoe and leather workers, farmers and teachers, whereas significantly low risk was detected with packers in the NOCCA data from Finland, Norway, and Sweden. For ESS no occupations showed either increased or decreased incidences.

Conclusions

The incidence trends of LMS and ESS in our study were constant in four Nordic countries over time. The elevated risk for LMS with women exposed to leather work and animal dust indicates further exploration.     

Sorption properties of the human stratum corneum

Water sorption is important for the overall structure and function of keratinized tissues such as the human epidermal stratum corneum (SC). In this study we report on a gravimetric method for studying sorption properties of human SC, both from heel and female breast skin. Changes in mass were measured as the relative humidity was altered in steps under controlled environmental conditions. The possibility of hysteresis is also discussed. Furthermore, we have found that the sorption time constants show triphasic behaviour during absorption, but not during desorption. This behaviour is connected to the 3 different types of water present in the SC. Water also enters the SC much more rapidly compared to its exit at relative humidities <50%. Finally, the amount of time between sample preparation and onset of measurement seems to have an effect on the absorption rate, but less on the total amount of water absorbed.     

Occupational exposure to solvents and bladder cancer: A population‐based case control study in Nordic countries

The objective of the study was to assess the relationship between exposure to selected solvents and the risk of bladder cancer. This study is based on the Nordic Occupational Cancer (NOCCA) database and comprises 113,343 cases of bladder cancer diagnosed in Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden between 1961 and 2005 and 566,715 population controls matched according to country, sex and birth year. Census‐based occupational titles of the cases and controls were linked with the job exposure matrix created by the NOCCA project to estimate quantitative cumulative occupational exposures. A conditional logistic regression model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Increased risks were observed for trichloroethylene (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.12–1.40), toluene (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.00–1.38), benzene (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04–1.31), aromatic hydrocarbon solvents (HR 1.10, 95% CI 0.94–1.30) and aliphatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon solvents (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.00–1.23) at high exposure level versus no exposure. The highest excess for perchloroethylene was observed at medium exposure level (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02–1.23). The study provides evidence of an association of occupational exposure to trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, aromatic hydrocarbon solvents, benzene and toluene and the risk of bladder cancer.     

Occupational exposure to wood dust and risk of nasal and nasopharyngeal cancer: A case‐control study among men in four nordic countries—With an emphasis on nasal adenocarcinoma

The current study aims to provide stronger evidence to aid in our understanding of the role of cumulative occupational exposure to (softwood‐dominated) mixed wood dust in aetiology of nasal cancer. We included broad exposure occurred in a range of wood‐processing occupation across varied industries in four Nordic countries. A population‐based case‐control study was conducted on all male cases with nasal adenocarcinoma (393 cases), other types of nasal cancer (2,446) and nasopharyngeal cancer (1,747) diagnosed in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland between 1961 and 2005. For each case, five male controls, who were alive at the time of diagnosis of the case (index date), were randomly selected, matched by birth‐year and country. Cumulative exposures (CE)s to wood dust and formaldehyde before the index date were quantified based on a job‐exposure matrix linked to occupational titles derived from population censuses. Hazard ratios (HRs) for the CE of wood dust were estimated by conditional logistic regression, adjusted for CE to formaldehyde and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. There was an increasing risk of nasal adenocarcinoma related to wood dust exposure. The HR in the highest CE category of wood dust (≥ 28.82 mg/m³‐years) was 16.5 (95% CI 5.05–54.1). Neither nonadenocarcinoma of the nose nor nasopharyngeal cancer could be linked to wood dust exposure. CE to softwood‐dominated mixed wood dusts is strongly linked with elevated risk in nasal adenocarcinoma but not with other types of nasal or nasopharyngeal cancer.     

Making high‐quality measures available in diverse contexts—The psychometric properties of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale in a Norwegian sample

ObjectivesRecent initiatives have recommended the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) for use in research and as patient‐reported outcome in health care globally. We aimed to investigate, for the first time, whether the psychometric properties of the anxiety and depression youth self‐report measures, RCADS‐47 and RCADS‐25, generalize to a Norwegian setting.MethodsWe examined gender and age differences in symptomatology among 592 children (mean age 10.7 years), and conducted a psychometric investigation of the internal reliability, structural validity, measurement invariance and convergent validity of the RCADS‐47 and RCADS‐25 youth versions.ResultsGirls reported higher levels of anxious and depressive symptoms than boys, but no age differences were observed. Reliability coefficients for the RCADS‐47 and RCADS‐25 scales indicated good internal consistency. Structural validity for RCADS‐47 and RCADS‐25 was supported by confirmatory factor analyses results. For both measures, strong gender‐based measurement invariance was present. Convergent validity of the RCADS‐47 and RCADS‐25 with other well‐established self‐report measures for anxiety (Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children) and depression (The Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire) was supported.ConclusionThe RCADS‐47 and RCADS‐25 youth versions are valid and reliable instruments for measuring symptoms of anxiety and depression in a Norwegian setting. The results add to the evidence supporting RCADS''s cross‐cultural validity.     

The development of a software program for analyzing spontaneous and externally elicited skin conductance changes in infants and adults.

OBJECTIVES: Changes in palmar and plantar skin conductance (SC) are due to outgoing bursts in the postganglionic efferent sympathetic cholinergic fibres, which responds to changes in central arousal state. The purpose of this study was designed to develop a software program for analyzing spontaneous and external elicited SC changes for infants and adults. METHODS: The program was designed to calculate the number and mean amplitude of the waves as well as the mean basal level in a given period. Different pre-set values for the minimum amplitude, maximum slope and minimum width of the spontaneous waves were used in the analysis program, and the results were compared with manually counted waves. The program was also used to perform coherent averaging of repeated elicited SC changes. For the mean elicited skin conductance responses, the latency time, response amplitude and recovery time were calculated. The habituation pattern could be calculated semi-automatically by analyzing each response. RESULTS: For SC waves, the minimum amplitude and the maximum slope should be, respectively, 0.02 microsiemens (microS) and 2 microS/s for infants and adults, and the width of the waves should be at least 1 s for adults, and unlimited for infants. The coherent average method was found to be a satisfactory method for revealing whether a subject responded to stimuli, and is recommended, especially for infants. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous and stimulated skin conductance are easily analyzed by this software program.     

The role of aerobic exercise in the treatment of depression

A search was made for exercise intervention studies with experimental designs on clinically depressed subjects. Nine studies were found and these were reviewed. The diagnostic categories were non-bipolar depressions of mild to moderate severity. The results of all studies tended to point in the same direction. Aerobic exercise was more effective than placebo or no treatment, and it was as effective as other treatment methods: group psychotherapy, different forms of individual psychotherapy and meditation-relaxation. Aerobic exercise was the most commonly used form of exercise, but divergent opinions exist regarding the importance of the aerobic element.     

Primary taste thresholds in children with leukemia undergoing marrow transplantation

Taste threshold for the four basic tastes were determined to assess taste impairments in 11 children with acute leukemia undergoing marrow transplantation and in 20 normal children. Thresholds were measured on admission, 2 days, and 45 days after transplant using the Up-Down Staircase method. No significant difference was noted between patients at admission and the control group for sweet, bitter, or salt. There was a significant difference between patients and controls for the sour threshold (p = 0.006). Patient threshold values on day 2 and day 45 (posttransplant were compared with admission values. No significant differences were seen, except for the salt threshold which was increased at day 2 posttransplant when compared with the admission values. We conclude that only minor changes in taste thresholds were demonstrated in this study. These changes probably do not account for abnormal food tastes reported by patients.