Praying to win this battle: Cancer Metaphors in Latina and Spanish Women’s Narratives

ABSTRACT

This study closely examines 51 breast cancer narratives Latina and Spanish women wrote for other patients to illuminate how they conceptualize their health, with insights for addressing health disparities. Using discourse analysis of the role of language and culture in health care communication, this study focuses on the use of metaphors in the narratives. This provides revelations about the cultural and linguistic aspects of how the writers conceptualize their disease. Building on past research on metaphor use in cancer discourse in the English language, this study reveals the prevalence of metaphors comparing cancer to combat, or more generally, violence (e.g., “my battle against cancer”), or a journey (e.g., “my path with cancer”). Writers used this metaphorical language to offer advice to others with cancer and to mark their membership in a larger community of people with cancer. We also find that Spanish women use metaphors more frequently than Latinas and that they differed in their metaphorical portrayals of cancer. This research uncovers culturally embedded themes that are central to how women with cancer think about the disease, such as the prominence of spirituality in Latinas’ metaphorical constructions, a pattern not evident in Spanish women’s narratives.     

Clinicopathological features of melanocytic skin lesions in Egypt.

Although melanocytic skin lesions have been recognized since antiquity, their literature was limited to Caucasians. To date, the clinicopathologic features of these lesions in Egyptians are still unknown. To define these features, diagnostic records of the melanocytic skin lesions received at the Pathology Department, Assuit University Hospitals (1989-2004) were reviewed. The lesions examined included 12 benign naevi (BN), 10 dysplastic naevi (DN), and 21 cutaneous malignant melanomas (CMMs). The DN and CMMs were more common in men than in women (2 : 1 and 1.5 : 1, respectively) while BN were more common in women (2 : 1). The average age incidence was 33+/-5, 38+/-7 and 54+/-3 years, for BN, DN and CMM, respectively. The lower limb (13/21, 62%), head and neck (7/21, 33%) were the most common sites for CMMs. The average size (mm) was 2+/-0.3, 4+/-0.6 and 21+/-0.3 for BN, DN and CMMs, respectively. Recurrence occurred in 10% of CMMs. Histologically, CMMs were of nodular type and composed of epithelioid (7/21, 33%), spindle cells (1/21, 5%), or mixed cells (13/21, 62%). The mean tumour thickness (Breslow) was 6+/-0.5 mm. CMMs included two of 21(9%), three of 21(14%), six of 21(38%), and 10 of 21(38%) with Clark level II, III, IV and V. In Egypt, CMM is the third most common cutaneous neoplasm following squamous and basal cell carcinomas. Compared with Western societies, melanoma has a male sex predilection, similar histological features but different topographical distribution and rare incidence. The striking difference from Western series is the incidence of nodular melanoma - in the West this represents 15-30% of melanomas, with superficial spreading being the majority. Another key difference from the West is the 'sun-bed' culture of the West and the desire to have suntans. This is the first study that reports the clinicopathologic features of melanocytic skin lesions in Egypt.     

Characteristics of children and their families at entry into foster care

This study provides an overview of children, their families, and their circumstances at the time that the child entered foster care in Israel. Data regarding a representative sample of 800 children were collected as part of the ongoing operation of a clinical information system set up for Israel's foster care service in 1988. Implications of our findings for interventions are discussed.     

Testicular amplificaion and impaired transmission of human butyrylcholinesterase cDNA in transgenic mice

Gene amplification occurs frequently in tumour tissues yet is,in general, non-inheritable. To study the molecular mechanismsconferring this restraint, we created transgenic mice carryinga human butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE) coding sequence, previouslyfound to be amplified in a father and son. Blot hybridizationof tail DNA samples revealed somatic transgene amplificationswith variable restriction patterns and intensities, suggestingthe occurrence of independent amplification events, in 31% (11/35)of mice from the FII generation but in only 3.5% (2/58) of theFII and FIV generations. In contrast, >10-fold amplificationsof the BCHE transgene and the endogenous acetylcholinesteraseand c-raf genes appeared in both testis and epididymis DNA from>80% of FIII mice. Drastic, selective reductions in testisBCHEmRNA but not in actin mRNA were detected by the PCR amplificationof testis cDNA from the transgenic mice, and apparently resultedin the limited transmission of amplified genes. The testicularamplification of the BCHE transgene may potentially representa general phenomenon with clinical implications in human infertility.     

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.