Smoking in Italy, 1986-1987.

Smoking trends and patterns in Italy were evaluated using data from the 1986-87 Italian National Health Survey, based on a sample of 30,096 males and 32,176 females aged 15 or over, randomly selected within strata of geographical areas and sizes of the place of residence and of the household in order to be representative of the whole Italian population: 40.8% of Italian males and 17.3% of females described themselves as current smokers (overall estimated prevalence, 28.

Breast cancer and combined oral contraceptives: an Italian case-control study.

The risk of breast cancer in relation to use of oral contraceptives was evaluated using data from a hospital-based case-control study from Northern Italy on 1517 cases below age 60 and 1351 controls admitted for acute diseases unrelated to any of the known or potential risk factors for breast cancer. The multivariate relative risk for ever vs. never users was 1.

Methodological issues in a multicentric study of gastric cancer and diet in Italy: study design, data sources and quality controls.

The authors examine the problems of planning and conducting a multicentric case-control study on diet and gastric cancer in Italy. The solutions chosen for the study design, cases and controls identification, dietary interview, production of a common protocol for the field work are discussed. Results on the evaluation of the quality and comparability of collected data are presented.

Pattern of cervical screening utilization in Italy.

The pattern of cervical screening utilization in Italy was analyzed using data from the 1986-1987 National Health Survey on the basis of a sample of 27,455 women aged 20 to 79 randomly selected within strata of municipality of residence and age in order to be representative of the whole Italian population. Overall, about 17% of women aged 20 to 79 were screened per year, for a total of 3.5 to 4 million cervical smears per year.

Descriptive epidemiology of Hodgkin's disease in Italy.

Death certification data on Hodgkin's disease in Italy over the period 1955-84 were studied in terms of age-standardized and age-specific national trends, and of geographical variation in mortality. There were substantial declines in death rates from the early 1970's onward, which can be largely attributed to therapeutic improvements. These led to avoidance of about 350 deaths, with a total 950 reported, which is probably the major absolute therapeutic advance identified for any cancer site.

A case-control study of gastric cancer and diet in Italy.

A case-control study was conducted in high- and low-risk areas of Italy to evaluate reasons for the striking geographic variation in gastric cancer (GC) mortality within the country. Personal interviews with 1,016 histologically confirmed GC cases and 1,159 population controls of similar age and sex revealed that the patients were more often of lower social class and resident in rural areas and more frequently reported a familial history of gastric (but not other) cancer. After adjusting for these effects, case-control differences were found for several dietary variables, assessed by asking about the usual frequency of consumption of 146 food items and beverages.

Population attributable risk for endometrial cancer in northern Italy.

The population attributable risk for endometrial cancer has been estimated in relation to its four major risk factors (overweight, estrogen replacement therapy, diabetes and hypertension) using data on 528 cases and 1626 controls collected within the framework of a hospital-based case-control study conducted since 1981 in the greater Milan area, northern Italy. Over 30% of the endometrial cancer cases diagnosed in the study population could be attributed to overweight, 10% to postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy, and similar proportions (around 10%) to hypertension and diabetes. The overall estimate including the joint effect of the two conceptually preventable factors (overweight and estrogen use) was 40%, while further inclusion of diabetes and hypertension, which are not easily preventable per se but are still closely linked to 'westernization', indicated that over 50% of cases were attributable to the combined effect of these four factors.

Cancer mortality in a northern Italian cohort of rubber workers.

An analysis of the mortality of a cohort of 6629 workers employed from 1906 to 1981 in a rubber tyre factory in northern Italy (978 deaths and over 133,000 man-years at risk) showed that the all cause mortality ratio was slightly lower than expected (0.91). Overall cancer mortality was close to expected (275 v 259.

Coffee consumption and digestive tract cancers.

The relationship between coffee drinking and the risk of digestive tract neoplasms was analyzed in a case-control study of 50 cases of cancer of the mouth or pharynx, 209 of the esophagus, 397 of the stomach, 455 of the colon, 295 of the rectum, 151 of the liver, 214 of the pancreas, and 1944 control subjects admitted for acute, non-digestive tract disorders. There was no significant or consistent association between coffee and cancers of the mouth or pharynx, esophagus, stomach, liver, or pancreas. In particular, for pancreatic cancer, the multivariate relative risks for the intermediate and upper tertiles were 1.

Dietary factors in the risk of bladder cancer.

The relationship between selected dietary factors and the risk of bladder cancer was investigated in a case-control study conducted in northern Italy. The study included 163 cases and 181 controls who were hospitalized for acute, nonneoplastic or urinary tract diseases. The frequency of consumption of green vegetables and carrots was lower in the cases; thus, the estimated relative risks for the upper vs.

Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in northern Italy.

The role of socio-demographic factors, lifestyle habits and selected dietary factors on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma was evaluated in a hospital-based case-control study conducted in Northern Italy on 151 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 1,051 controls in hospital for acute, non-neoplastic or digestive conditions, unrelated to any of the known or potential risk factors for primary liver cancer. There were significant inverse relationships with levels of education and social class (relative risk, RR = 1.9 and 2.

Risk factors for breast cancer: pooled results from three Italian case-control studies.

The role of menstrual and reproductive factors, family history, and body weight in the epidemiology of breast cancer has been reassessed in a meta-analysis of three large case-control studies of breast cancer from several Italian regions, for a total data set of 4,072 cases and 4,099 controls. Multiple logistic regression equations were used to obtain relative risks adjusted for study, center, age, and various combinations of risk factors considered. Relative to women with menarche at age 15 or over, those with earlier menarche had a 20-30% higher breast cancer risk.

Trends in smoking and lung cancer mortality in Switzerland.

Patterns of cigarette smoking in Switzerland were analyzed on the basis of sales data (available since 1924) and national health surveys conducted in the last decade. There was a steady and substantial increase in cigarettes sales up to the early 1970s. Thereafter, the curve tended to level off around an average value of 3,000 cigarettes per adult per year.

Short term increase in risk of breast cancer after full term pregnancy.

To determine whether there is a short term increase in the risk of breast cancer after a full term birth data from two hospital based, case-control studies in Italy were pooled. Analysis was restricted to women aged under 50 with two or more children (573 women with cancer and 570 controls). A relative risk for breast cancer of 2.

Liposoluble vitamins and lipid parameters in breast cancer. A joint study in northern Italy and southern France.

The relationship between breast cancer, liposoluble vitamins, cholesterol and triglycerides was investigated by means of a hospital-based case-control study conducted at Milan (Italy) and Montpellier (France). These parameters were measured in blood samples taken from 319 cases and 344 controls. The interview included an evaluation of dietary intake of liposoluble vitamins.

Coffee drinking and prevalence of bronchial asthma.

The relationship between coffee consumption and the prevalence of bronchial asthma has been evaluated using data from the 1983 Italian National Health Survey, based on 72,284 individuals aged over 15 years randomly selected within strata of geographic area, size of the place of residence and of the household in order to be representative of the whole Italian population. The prevalence of bronchial asthma was inversely related with the level of coffee intake. Compared with subjects who did not drink coffee, the age- and sex-adjusted relative risks were 0.

Dietary vitamin A and the risk of intraepithelial and invasive cervical neoplasia.

The risk of invasive and intraepithelial cervical neoplasia in relation to the frequency of intake of the major sources of preformed vitamin A (retinol) and beta-carotene in the Italian diet was analyzed in a study of 392 cases of invasive cancer compared with 392 age-matched controls hospitalized for acute conditions unrelated to any of the established or suspected risk factors for cervical cancer, and of 247 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia compared with 247 controls found to have normal smears at the same screening clinics where cases had been identified. Women with invasive cancer consumed milk, green vegetables, and carrots less frequently, but no significant relation was noted for meat or liver. Consequently, estimated beta-carotene, but not retinol, intake was inversely and strongly related to the risk of invasive cervical cancer.

Cancer mortality in migrant populations within Italy.

Italian death certification rates from all causes of death, all diseases of the circulatory system, all neoplasms, and cancers of the upper digestive and respiratory tract, stomach, intestines, lung and breast in middle age (45-64 years) were analyzed according to selected geographic areas of birth and residence at death. For total cancer mortality and most neoplasms considered, the rates in middle age were closer to those of place of birth than to those of area of residence, although this pattern was more evident for some sites (e.g.

A case-control study of diet and colo-rectal cancer in northern Italy.

The relation between dietary factors and the risk of colorectal cancer was investigated in a case-control study conducted in Northern Italy on 339 cases of colon cancer, 236 cases of rectal cancer and 778 controls admitted to hospital for acute, non-neoplastic or digestive disorders. Consistent positive associations were observed with more frequent consumption of starchy foods (pasta or rice) (relative risk, RR = 3.0 for colon and 1.

Descriptive epidemiology of intestinal cancer in Italy.

Trends in the death rates from cancers of the intestine (including colon and rectum) in Italy from 1956 to 1981 were analyzed with a standard cross-sectional approach and a log-linear age/period/cohort model. In both sexes there were steady increases in mortality rates between the middle 1950s and the middle 1970s, chiefly explainable in terms of cohort effects. This was followed by a leveling off and stabilization, starting from the younger age groups and more evident in women.

Body weight and the prevalence of chronic diseases.

The relation between body mass index and prevalence of 17 chronic diseases or groups of diseases was analysed using data from the 1983 Italian National Health Survey, based on a sample of 72,284 individuals aged 15 or over randomly selected within strata of geographical area, size of place of residence and of household in order to be representative of the whole Italian population. The prevalence of diabetes was directly and strongly related to body weight (age-adjusted relative risk estimates being 1.5 for overweight and 2.

Smoking and prevalence of disease in the 1983 Italian National Health Survey.

The relation between smoking habits and selected chronic diseases was evaluated from the data of the 1983 Italian National Health Survey, based on 72,284 people aged 15 or over randomly selected within strata of geographical area, size of place of residence and of the household in order to be representative of the whole Italian population. The prevalence of all the 19 diseases or groups of diseases considered was elevated among ex-smokers, thus suggesting that the presence of any chronic condition stimulates cessation of smoking. The excess prevalence among ex-smokers was particularly large for myocardial infarction and other heart diseases.