Treatment patterns for ductal carcinoma in situ from 2000-2010 across six integrated health plans.

Considerable debate exists about the optimal treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Using electronic data sources, we examined first course treatment patterns among women aged 18 years and older diagnosed with DCIS between 2000-2010 from six Kaiser Permanente (KP) regions. We calculated the proportion of patients receiving breast conserving surgery (BCS), BCS plus radiation therapy, unilateral mastectomy, bilateral mastectomy, and hormone therapy.

Biobanking for research: a survey of patient population attitudes and understanding.

Population-based biobanks are a critical resource for genetic research. It is important to know what potential participants understand about the risks and benefits of providing samples in order to ensure adequate informed consent. Kaiser Permanente Colorado (KPCO) is currently planning a biobank where adult members would be asked to contribute an additional tube of blood during a routine blood draw.

Response of lipoprotein(a) levels to therapeutic life-style change in obese African-Americans.

Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is regarded as an independent risk factor for Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The objectives of this study were: to determine the effects of diet and exercise on Lp(a) and to evaluate the relation of Lp(a) with the lipid profile (total serum cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol). Baseline Lp(a), body mass index (BMI) and the lipid profiles were measured in 343 Obese (BMI >30kg/m(2)) African-Americans.

Thermoluminescence measurements of gamma-ray doses attributable to fallout from the Nevada test site using building bricks as natural dosimeters.

During the 1950's, the U.S. Government conducted an intensive atmospheric nuclear testing program in Nevada.

Individual external exposures from Nevada Test Site fallout for Utah leukemia cases and controls.

External gamma-ray exposures from fallout originating at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) have been assigned to 6,507 individual subjects (1,177 leukemia cases and 5,330 control subjects) who died as Utah residents between 1952 and 1981. Leukemia cases were identified, confirmed, and classified by cell type from the Utah Cancer Registry, Utah State vital records, and medical records. Residential histories were obtained from the Deceased Membership File (DMF) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), supplemented by information from the LDS Church Census Records that were taken in 1950, 1955, and 1960-62.

Utilization of femoral head for estimating the skeletal burden of U and Pu in humans.

Uranium and Pu were determined in vertebrae, ribs and femoral head samples obtained from the same population. Vertebrae and rib samples were obtained at autopsy and femoral head samples were obtained from persons undergoing hip surgery. The results indicate that there was no statistically (p less than or equal to 0.

Is the beagle dog an appropriate experimental animal for extrapolating data to humans on organ distribution patterns of U, Th, and Pu?

Concentrations and organ distribution patterns of alpha-emitting isotopes of U (238U and 234U), Th (232Th, 230Th, and 228Th), and Pu (239,240Pu) were determined for beagle dogs of our colony. The dogs were exposed to environmental levels of U and Th isotopes through ingestion (food and water) and inhalation to stimulate environmental exposures of the general human population. The organ distribution patterns of these radionuclides in beagles are compared to patterns in humans to determine if it is appropriate to extrapolate organ content data from beagles to humans.

The beagle: an appropriate experimental animal for extrapolating the organ distribution pattern of Th in humans.

The concentrations and the organ distribution patterns of 228Th, 230Th and 232Th in two 9-y-old dogs of our beagle colony were determined. The dogs were exposed only to background environmental levels of Th isotopes through ingestion (food and water) and inhalation as are humans. The organ distribution patterns of the isotopes in the beagles were compared to the organ distribution patterns in humans to determine if it is appropriate to extrapolate the beagle organ burden data to humans.

Determinations of actinides in biological and environmental samples.

This paper summarises the radiochemical procedures utilised in our laboratory to determine U, Th and Pu in different sample matrices, including soft tissues, bones, urine, faeces, soil, water, air-filters, lichen, and building materials such as granite, phosphate and concrete. Sample preparation, depending upon the matrix of the sample, includes either dry ashing and/or wet ashing with a mixture of HNO3 and H2SO4 or HNO3 alone with occasional additions of a few drops of HNO3 and H2O2. Uranium, Th and Pu are either co-precipitated with Fe carrier as hydroxides or with Ca as oxalates.

Concentrations of alpha-emitting isotopes of U and Th in uranium miners' and millers' tissues.

The concentrations of alpha-emitting isotopes of U (234U, 235U, and 238U) and Th (228Th, 230Th, and 232Th) were determined in soft tissues and bones of three deceased U miners and two deceased U millers. The soft tissues generally included lung, liver, kidney, spleen, gonad and heart. The concentrations of U isotopes in the miners' lungs varied up to a factor of 18, suggesting that the accumulations of U in lungs at the time of death varied drastically.

Localization of vanadium-containing particles in the lungs of uranium/vanadium miners.

Several geological formations of the Utah-Colorado mining region mined for uranium ore during and after World War II had been mined earlier for vanadium. Therefore, most miners and millers from that region were exposed to those metals' ores or tailings at one time or another. Preliminary investigation to determine uranium and vanadium retained in the lungs of a former uranium miner and miller from this region, who died of lung cancer (mesothelioma), showed a high nonuniform distribution of vanadium.

Macro-distribution of naturally occurring alpha-emitting isotopes of U in the human skeleton.

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) exhumed the remains of two individuals who had received Pu by intravenous injection, performed Pu analysis on these remains, and then sent portions of individual bones to our laboratory. We analyzed these bone samples to determine the macro-distribution of naturally occurring alpha-emitting isotopes of U (234U and 238U). We found that the sacrum contained the highest concentrations of 234U and 238U (4.

Cancer incidence and lifespan vs. alpha-particle dose in beagles.

Young adult beagles were injected with graded activities of 239Pu, 241Am, 228Th, 228Ra or 226Ra and observed throughout their lifespans. The vast majority of the dose was from alpha particles. The lifetime incidence of bone sarcoma increased with average skeletal dose, more or less linearly up to high incidence for 239Pu, 241Am, 228Th and 226Ra, but sigmoid fashion for 228Ra.

Concentrations of 210Pb and its states of equilibrium with 238U, 234U and 230Th in U miners' lungs.

The concentrations of 210Pb and its states of equilibrium with 238U, 234U and 230Th in U miners' lungs obtained at autopsy are reported. The concentration of 210Pb ranged from 0.63 to 123 Bq/kg wet weight with an average of 32.

Reducing radon exhalation from covered tailings: optimization or cost effectiveness?

Reduction of radon exhalation from uranium tailings as a function of the number of radon diffusion lengths in cover materials is discussed, based on dimensionless mathematical functions. Cost effectiveness is examined to determine the least expensive cover with a preselected number of radon diffusion lengths (i.e.

Metabolism of ingested U and Ra.

The literature on metabolism of U and Ra for man relevant to deriving drinking water standards has been reviewed and summarized. Radium is well understood, but significant gaps remain in our knowledge about U metabolism. Limits should be based on an equilibrium model where a constant relationship between intake and organ burden is established, using the best and most likely metabolic parameters.

Effect of age on the efficacy of Zn-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid therapy for removal of Am and Pu from beagles.

Decorporation of intravenously injected monomeric 241Am and 237+239Pu by the administration of 30 mumole Zn-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)/kg each day beginning 2 weeks after radionuclide injection was compared in beagles entered into the experiment when 3 months (juveniles). 1.9 years (young adults), or 10 years (mature adults) old and studied for about 5 months.