[Research of the air environment in cafes and restaurants, where a nargile is smoked].

By means of special devices there was performed research of air in premises of 17 cafes and restaurants where nargile is smoking. In the premises during the day and more there was evaluated a concentration of the following markers of tobacco smoke: carbon monoxide (CO), nicotine, tobacco smoke particles PM2,5 andpolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In the air of the examined enterprises the concentration of the major markers of tobacco smoke was established to exceed by several times acceptable and safe levels. At that in cafes and restaurants where nargile smoking the higher concentration of CO and PAHs was on average significantly more frequently than in a cafes with a rare nargile smoking. The data obtained can be used to refute the opinion on the safety of nargile smoking and tobacco smoke from the nargiles. All modern legislative and administrative measures to restrict and ban tobacco smoking should be extend to smoking nargile.

Geographic variation in cancer incidence in the USSR: estimating the proportion of avoidable cancer.

BACKGROUND. The Soviet Union offers a unique frame in which to study geographic variation in cancer incidence because of its uniform registration system of all newly diagnosed cancer cases throughout its 15 republics and 162 oblasts (administrative units). Variation in cancer rates is stronger when examined by oblasts than it is when examined by republics. In 1986, the age-standardized all-site cancer incidence rate for both sexes, in the Soviet republic having the highest overall rate (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic for males, Lithuania for females) was about twice that of the Soviet republic with the lowest all-site cancer rate (Georgia). Within Soviet oblasts (data are from 1979), the ratio of the highest to the lowest rates was about 4 for all sites, 144 for male oesophageal cancer, and 303 for female oesophageal cancer. The excess incidence in the entire USSR compared with the republic having the lowest all-site incidence rate was 59% for males and 49% for females. CONCLUSION. Although the observed differences between republics or between oblasts are partially due to uneven quality of data recording or to statistical variability related to population sizes, there is a strong geographic variation of cancer incidence rates in the USSR that suggests a potentially important role of environmental factors in cancer etiology.

[THe secondary prevention of stomach cancer]. / O vtorichnoi profilaktike raka zheludka.

The histories of 313 primary gastric cancer patients were analysed. Stage-IV disease was identified in 55%. Radical surgery was performed in 26.1% of cases only. The evaluation of conditions of identification and time to diagnosis of gastric cancer in general health care service showed the inadequacy of the existing patterns and procedures of regular check-up and outpatient follow-up for secondary prophylaxis of gastric cancer. Potentialities and strategy of development of effective secondary prophylaxis of the disease are discussed.

[The reproductive function and the risk of developing cancer of the breast in different ethnic groups]. / Reproduktivnaia funktsiia i risk razvitiia raka molochnoi zhelezy v razlichnykh étnicheskikh gruppakh.

The study was concerned with the relationship between certain characteristics of reproductive case history and risk for breast cancer development in three different ethnic groups of females living in the Moldavian SSR: Moldavians, Ukrainians and Russians. Risk of cancer was found to be higher in all groups in cases of premenstrual syndrome, late onset of sexual life (greater than or equal to 26 years), suspension of sexual life for more than 12 months, late first pregnancy and delivery, low productivity (0-1 birth in case history), agalactia, and menstrual cycle resumption 1-2 months after childbirth. However, certain ethnic differences in relationships between such factors as age of menopause onset, no pregnancies, late pregnancy (greater than or equal to 40 years) and type of contraceptives used and risk of cancer are rather due to the difference in prevalence of said factors in the groups under study. The results of the investigation suggest a common pattern of influence of reproductive case history factors on risk for breast cancer in different ethnic groups.

[Reproductive function of women and risk of the development of breast cancer]. / Reproduktivnaia funktsiia zhenshchin i risk razvitiia raka molochnoi zhelezy.

The relationship between risk for breast cancer and certain factors of reproductive function was studied on a "case-control" basis. It was demonstrated that the traditional and well-known index of age at first birth cannot be considered a universal factor for all females who have borne different numbers of children. Indexes which take into account age at all births proved more reliable in evaluating risk of cancer in bi-, tri- and multiparae. Indexes of relative risk and the role of characteristics of reproductive function are discussed.

[Evaluation of individual factors in the risk of the development of breast cancer]. / Otsenka vliianiia otdel'nykh faktorov na risk razvitiia raka molochnoi zhelezy.

A new parameter--risk factor-related morbidity index--is suggested to assess the role of separate risk factors of morbidity in a population. The index based on relative risk indices and occurrence of a specific risk factor provides the "share" of the latter in the total morbidity. The risk factor-related index was identified among others involved in breast cancer morbidity on a case-control study basis. The informative value and advantages of its application in comparative analysis of separate risk factors are discussed.