Using current smoking prevalence to project lung cancer morbidity and mortality in Georgia by 2020.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death in the United States. In Georgia, approximately 18% of adults smoke cigarettes, and 87% of men's lung cancer deaths and 70% of women's lung cancer deaths are due to smoking. From 2004-2008, the age-adjusted lung cancer incidence rate in Georgia was 112.8 per 100,000 population, and the mortality rate was 88.2 per 100,000 population. METHODS: The Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey was used to estimate trends in current adult smoking prevalence (1985-2010). Georgia smoking-attributable cancer mortality was estimated using a method similar to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Smoking-Attributable Morbidity, Mortality, and Economic Costs application. Data on cancer incidence (1998-2008) were obtained from the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry, and data on cancer deaths (1990-2007) were obtained from the Georgia Department of Public Health Vital Records Program. RESULTS: From 1985 through 1993, the prevalence of smoking among Georgians declined by an average of 3% per year in men and 0.2% in women. From 2001 through 2008, lung cancer incidence rates declined in men and increased in women. Lung cancer mortality rates declined in men and women from 2000 through 2007. By 2020, Georgia lung cancer incidence rates are projected to decrease for men and increase for women. Lung cancer mortality is projected to decrease for both men and women. CONCLUSION: The lung cancer mortality rates projected in this study are far from meeting the Healthy People 2020 goal (46 per 100,000 population). Full implementation of comprehensive tobacco-use control programs would significantly reduce tobacco-use-related morbidity and mortality.

Mass defect filter technique and its applications to drug metabolite identification by high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Identification of drug metabolites by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) involves metabolite detection in biological matrixes and structural characterization based on product ion spectra. Traditionally, metabolite detection is accomplished primarily on the basis of predicted molecular masses or fragmentation patterns of metabolites using triple-quadrupole and ion trap mass spectrometers. Recently, a novel mass defect filter (MDF) technique has been developed, which enables high-resolution mass spectrometers to be utilized for detecting both predicted and unexpected drug metabolites based on narrow, well-defined mass defect ranges for these metabolites. This is a new approach that is completely different from, but complementary to, traditional molecular mass- or MS/MS fragmentation-based LC/MS approaches. This article reviews the mass defect patterns of various classes of drug metabolites and the basic principles of the MDF approach. Examples are given on the applications of the MDF technique to the detection of stable and chemically reactive metabolites in vitro and in vivo. Advantages, limitations, and future applications are also discussed on MDF and its combinations with other data mining techniques for the detection and identification of drug metabolites.

A case study in teaching tobacco policy advocacy at a Historically Black university.

Policy advocacy is increasingly recognized as a crucial component of the training provided to health educators but relatively few universities offer advocacy training as part of their professional preparation programs for health educators. Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) represent a natural setting for creating strong Black leaders in tobacco policy advocacy. This case study focuses on experiential education at an HBCU to develop advocacy skills around tobacco issues among Black college students. The authors describe the structure and content of two tobacco policy courses, their efforts to evaluate these courses, and the lessons they learned planning and conducting them. They believe their experience can prove useful to others developing curricula for teaching policy advocacy skills to health education students.

Identification and control of a degradation product in Avapro film-coated tablet: low dose formulation.

A degradation product was formed during the long-term stability studies (LTSS) of the low dose formulation of Avapro film-coated tablet. The degradant was identified as the hydroxymethyl derivative (formaldehyde adduct) of the drug substance, irbesartan, based upon analysis with LC/MS, LC/MS/MS, and chromatographic comparison to the synthetic hydroxymethyl degradation product. Laboratory studies demonstrated that the interaction of individual excipients with the drug substance at elevated temperature and polyethylene glycol (PEG) used in the coating material, Opadry II White, leads to the generation of this formaldehyde adduct. Spiking of formaldehyde to the solution of drug substance gradually produced this impurity and the kinetics studies demonstrated that the reaction between formaldehyde and irbesartan is a second order reaction with a rate constant of 2.6 x 10(-4) M(-1)min(-1) at 25 degrees C in an aqueous media. The redevelopment of the formulation by eliminating PEG from the Opadry II White dry-blend system was enabled by understanding the formaldehyde adduct formation.

Mass defect profiles of biological matrices and the general applicability of mass defect filtering for metabolite detection.

Recent examples have demonstrated that the high-resolution liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS)-based mass defect filtering (MDF) technique was effective in selectively detecting drug metabolites regardless of their molecular weights or fragmentation patterns. The main objective of the current study was to evaluate the general applicability of MDF for drug metabolite detection in typical biological matrices. Mass defect profiles of commonly used biological matrices including plasma, urine, bile, and feces were obtained using an LTQ FT mass spectrometer and were compared with those of 115 commonly prescribed drugs. The mass defect profiles were presented as two-dimensional Y-X plots with the determined mass defects of components on the y-axis versus the corresponding m/z values on the x-axis. The mass defect profiles of the matrices appeared to be similar for each type of matrix across species, yet marked differences were apparent between matrices of a given species. The mass defect profiles of components in plasma, bile, and feces showed significant separation from most of the 115 drugs. The mass defect profiles of urine did not show such clean separation from that of the 115 drugs. The results suggest that MDF has a broad applicability for selective detection of drug metabolites in plasma, bile and feces although the selectivity for detecting urinary drug metabolites is not as good as in the other matrices. In addition, the mass defect profiles of the biological matrices allow for prediction of the effectiveness of MDF for certain applications, and for designing specific MDF windows for selective detection of drug metabolites.

Detection and characterization of metabolites in biological matrices using mass defect filtering of liquid chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry data.

An improved mass defect filter (MDF) method employing both drug and core structure filter templates was applied to the processing of high resolution liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) data for the detection and structural characterization of oxidative metabolites with mass defects similar to or significantly different from those of the parent drugs. The effectiveness of this approach was investigated using nefazodone as a model compound, which is known to undergo multiple common and uncommon oxidative reactions. Through the selective removal of all ions that fall outside of the preset filter windows, the MDF process facilitated the detection of all 14 nefazodone metabolites presented in human liver microsomes in the MDF-filtered chromatograms. The capability of the MDF approach to remove endogenous interferences from more complex biological matrices was examined by analyzing omeprazole metabolites in human plasma. The unprocessed mass chromatogram showed no distinct indication of metabolite peaks; however, after MDF processing, the metabolite peaks were easily identified in the chromatogram. Compared with precursor ion scan and neutral loss scan techniques, the MDF approach was shown to be more effective for the detection of metabolites in a complex matrix. The comprehensive metabolite detection capability of the MDF approach, together with accurate mass determination, makes high resolution LC/MS a useful tool for the screening and identification of both common and uncommon drug metabolites.