Consumption of Dairy Products and the Risk of Developing Breast Cancer in Polish Women.

Lack of consistency in the relationship between dairy products consumption and breast cancer (BC) risk motivated us to evaluate this association in a case-control study of BC among Polish women. The study includes 1699 women 26-79 years of age, 823 BC cases identified in Cancer Registries and 876 randomly selected controls from the national population registry. Using a validated, semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), the consumption of dairy products was collected for a time period of 10-15 years prior to BC diagnosis. We used logistic regression, adjusting for potential confounders, to assess the relationship between total dairy consumption as well as individual dairy groups of milk, cottage cheese and hard cheese and BC risk for premenopausal and postmenopausal women. For total consumption, a significant decrease in BC risk was observed with increased consumption of one serving/week, OR trend = 0.98, 2% decrease in risk, for premenopausal women only. For milk, a significant decrease in BC risk was observed for an increase in consumption of one glass/week, OR trend = 0.95, 5% decrease, in both strata of menopause. In contrast, for hard cheese, a significant increase in the risk of 10% was observed only in premenopausal women, OR trend = 1.10. Cottage cheese consumption significantly reduced BC risk by 20%, OR trend = 0.80, for an increase in one serving/week for postmenopausal women only. Our results show that individual dairy products have a statistically significant but bi-directional relationship with BC risk, which differs for premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Cholesteatoma-associated pathogenicity: potential role of lysosomal exoglycosidases.

UNLABELLED: The enzymatic profile of lysosomal exoglycosidases in middle ear cholesteatoma has not been well known. The assessment of glycoconjugate catabolism may contribute to a better understanding of cholesteatoma pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE: The study aim was to evaluate catabolic processes of glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans in cholesteatoma through outlining the concentration of N-acetyl-ß-hexosaminidase (HEX), ß-glucuronidase (GLUC), and ß-galactosidase (GAL) activity as well as in serum of cholesteatoma patients and healthy volunteers. STUDY DESIGN: Acquired cholesteatomas (n = 25) and normal retroauricular skin specimens (n = 25) were taken during surgery as well as serum from cholesteatoma patients and healthy volunteers. HEX, GAL, and GLUC activity was assessed on basis of p-nitrophenol release from derivatives of the substrate (HEX: N-acetylglucosamine i N-acetylgalactosamine, GAL from galactose, and GLUC from glucuronide). RESULTS: The mean concentration of activity of HEX 1142.39 pKat/ml, GAL 8.90 pKat/ml, and GLUC 14.06 pKat/ml was significantly higher compared with the concentration of enzyme activity in normal tissue: HEX 267.65 pKat/ml, GAL 3.44 pKat/ml, and GLUC 3.90 pKat/ml. In the serum of cholesteatoma patients, the mean concentration of enzyme activities were as follows: HEX 641.62 pKat/ml, GAL 4.55 pKat/ml, and GLUC 12.80 pKat/ml and were significantly higher compared with the concentration of HEX activity (215.75 pKat/ml), GAL (1.89 pKat/ml), and GLUC (5.51 pKat/ml) in the serum of the healthy control group. In cholesteatoma compared with the normal tissue, there is an increase of the glycoconjugate catabolism due to significantly higher concentration of HEX, GAL, and GLUC activity in cholesteatoma. Cholesteatoma causes systemic reaction due to the increase of HEX, GAL, and GLUC activity in patient serum.

[Taxan induction chemotherapy and concomitant chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer--early results]. / Chemioterapia indukcyjna taksanami z jednoczesna radiochemioterapia z udzialem cisplatyny u chorych z miejscowo zaawansowanymi nowotworami glowy i szyi--wyniki wczesne.

UNLABELLED: The growing number of patients with head and neck cancer is a reason to search for new effective treatment strategies. Results of treatment for locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer with surgery and/or radiotherapy are still unsatisfactory. During last decade concomitant chemoradiotherapy became a new standard in this group of patients. The treatment method is charged of high toxicity and real therapeutic advantages are obtained by limited number of patients. Intensive clinical investigations on novel therapeutic strategies are in progress. One of them is the combination of induction chemotherapy with taxan (TPF) and concomitant chemoradiotherapy join with cisplatin. The aim of the study was to estimate the treatment tolerance and early term results with combination of induction chemotherapy with TPF and concomitant chemoradiotherapy join with cisplatin in patients with locally advanced, squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with locally advanced oropharyngeal and larynx cancer treated in the Institute of Oncology in Bialystok at the Department of Radiotherapy II from latter half of 2009 year were included in the study. The treatment protocol consisted of 3 courses of induction chemotherapy TPF (Taxotere 75 mg/m2, DDP 100 mg/m2, 5-Fluorouracyl 1000 mg/m2 every 3 weeks) and conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (Df=2 Gy, 5 x weekly) to total dose of 66-72 Gy and for neck cervical lymph nodes up to 60-66 Gy with concomitant of cisplatin 100 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. Early reactions were estimated according to EORTC/RTOG scales, and chemotherapy tolerance was evaluated according to the CTC scale. Twelve patients with homogenous criteria were included in the study. RESULTS: The treatment tolerance was acceptable. However several adverse reactions were present. The main adverse effect was the extensive mucosal reaction. Neutropenia and anemia were also observed in most of the patients. Some patients complained of diarrhea, vomiting and nausea in mild or moderate intensity which were persisted temporarily. CONCLUSIONS: Induction chemotherapy TPF and concomitant radiochemotherapy with cisplatin in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer in III-IV clinical stages came out as the treatment of high efficacy.