Exposure to carcinogens and mortality in a cohort of restoration workers of water-damaged library materials following the River Arno flooding in Florence, 4 November 1966.

Background: In Florence, Italy, the Arno River overflowed on 4 November 1966 and the rare library collections of the National Central Library in Florence (FNCL) were flooded. A Restoration Centre was immediately set up. For book restoration many toxic chemicals were used, such as chlorinated solvents, ethylene oxide (EtO), formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, and pesticides.

Combined analysis of HPV DNA and p16INK4a expression to predict prognosis in ASCUS and LSIL pap smears.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is known to play an important etiological role in the genesis of cervical cancer, but only a very small proportion of infected women develop invasive cervical cancer. The purpose of cervical cancer prevention is early diagnosis of its precursors. The molecular detection of HPV DNA as a diagnostic test to cervical carcinogenesis gave a low positive predictive value as compared to the use of biomarkers.

Bronchial malondialdehyde DNA adducts, tobacco smoking, and lung cancer.

Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for lung cancer causing, among other effects, oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Malondialdehyde (MDA)-DNA adducts can be induced by direct DNA oxidation and by lipid peroxidation. We measured the relationship between bronchial MDA-DNA adducts and tobacco smoking, cancer status, and selected polymorphisms in 43 subjects undergoing a bronchoscopic examination for diagnostic purposes.

DNA adducts and lung cancer risk: a prospective study.

Objectives were to investigate prospectively the ability of DNA adducts to predict cancer and to study the determinants of adducts, especially air pollutants. DNA adducts were measured in a case-control study nested in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) investigation. Cases included newly diagnosed lung cancer (n = 115), upper respiratory cancers (pharynx and larynx; n = 82), bladder cancer (n = 124), leukemia (n = 166), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema deaths (n = 77) accrued after a median follow-up of 7 years among the EPIC former smokers and never-smokers.

Mammography screening in elderly women: efficacy and cost-effectiveness.

The definition of an upper age limit for breast cancer screening is a rather complex issue, influenced by several conditions. Randomised trials specifically designed to investigate this aspect are not available, but all process indicators (positive predictive value, length of sojourn time, sensitivity of the test) indicate that screening efficacy does not change with increasing age. On the other hand, competing causes of death could decrease screening efficacy beyond age 74.

Role of double-contrast barium enema in colorectal cancer screening based on fecal occult blood.

Aims And Background: Screening for colorectal cancer by fecal occult-blood testing has been shown to be effective in reducing colorectal cancer mortality. Total colonoscopy is the test of choice for the assessment of fecal occult blood-positive subjects. Double-contrast barium enema is commonly employed to study the rest of the colon when colonoscopy is incomplete.