Primary thymic extranodal marginal zone B cell lymphoma as an incidental finding in a Caucasian woman.

Primary thymic extranodal marginal zone B cell lymphoma (TML) is an extremely rare lymphoma strongly associated with autoimmune disease. We report an exceedingly rare case of TML found in a non-Asian population. TML was found incidentally in a 60-year-old Caucasian woman with a short history of muscle and joint pain. An anterior mediastinal mass was detected by a positron emission tomography-CT (PET-CT) scan and thymectomy was performed. The mass was contained within the thymus with a homogeneous pale cut surface with solid areas. Histologically, the typical morphological and immunophenotypic features of TML were found, with a prominent lymphoid infiltrate comprising of small-to-medium-sized neoplastic lymphocytes, plasmacytic differentiation and a distorted thymic epithelial network. Postoperative follow-up has indicated an associated undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) with features of systemic lupus erythaematosus.

Bone geometry, bone mineral density, and micro-architecture in patients with myelofibrosis: a cross-sectional study using DXA, HR-pQCT, and bone turnover markers.

Primary myelofibrosis (MF) is a severe chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm, progressing towards a terminal stage with insufficient haematopoiesis and osteosclerotic manifestations. Whilst densitometry studies have showed MF patients to have elevated bone mineral density, data on bone geometry and micro-structure assessed with non-invasive methods are lacking. We measured areal bone mineral density (aBMD) using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Bone geometry, volumetric BMD, and micro-architecture were measured using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT). We compared the structural parameters of bones by comparing 18 patients with MF and healthy controls matched for age, sex, and height. Blood was analysed for biochemical markers of bone turnover in patients with MF. There were no significant differences in measurements of bone geometry, volumetric bone mineral density, and micro-structure between MF patients and matched controls. Estimated bone stiffness and bone strength were similar between MF patients and controls. The level of pro-collagen type 1 N-terminal pro-peptide (P1NP) was significantly increased in MF, which may indicate extensive collagen synthesis, one of the major diagnostic criteria in MF. We conclude that bone mineral density, geometry, and micro-architecture in this cohort of MF patients are comparable with those in healthy individuals.

Are work-related stressors associated with diagnosis of more advanced stages of incident breast cancers?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relation between work-related stressors and breast cancer incidence and prognostic characteristics (estrogen receptor status, grade, lymph node status, size, stage) at the time of diagnosis. METHODS: The 18,932 women included in the Danish Nurse Cohort reported work-related stressors in 1993 and again in 1999 and were followed until the end of 2003 in national registries. Prognostic characteristics were obtained from a clinical database and fewer than 0.1% were lost to follow up. RESULTS: During follow-up, 455 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Neither women with high work pressure (HR = 1.17; 95% CI: 0.79, 1.73) nor women with self-reported low influence on work organization (0.98; 0.69, 1.39) or long working hours (0.93; 0.54, 1.58) were at higher risk of breast cancer than women with no such stressors. Women with high work tempo had a slightly higher risk of breast cancer (1.25; 1.02, 1.54) than women with a suitable work tempo, but there was no dose-response effect. There were no clear differences in the prognostic characteristics of breast tumors diagnosed in women with and without work-related stressors. CONCLUSIONS: Work-related stressors do not affect breast cancer risk or the prognostic characteristics of incident breast cancers at the time of diagnosis. These results may be a comfort to working women and can hopefully prevent self-blaming among women who develop breast cancer.

Alcohol drinking, consumption patterns and breast cancer among Danish nurses: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of alcohol intake and drinking pattern on the risk of breast cancer. METHODS: A total of 17 647 nurses were followed from 1993 until the end of 2001. At baseline participants completed a questionnaire on alcohol intake and other lifestyle-related factors. Data were analysed using Cox's proportional hazard model. RESULTS: During follow-up 457 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. The relative risk of breast cancer was 2.30 [Confidence interval (CI): 1.56-3.39] for alcohol intake of 22-27 drinks per week, compared to 1-3 drinks per week. Among alcohol consumers, weekly alcohol intake increased the risk of breast cancer with 2% for each additional drink consumed. Weekend consumption increased the risk with 4% for each additional drink consumed friday through sunday. Binge drinking of 4-5 drinks the latest weekday increased risk with 55%, compared with consumption of one drink. A possible threshold in risk estimates was found for consumption above 27 drinks per week. CONCLUSIONS: For alcohol consumption above the intake most frequently reported, the risk of breast cancer is increased. The risk is minor for moderate levels but increases for each additional drink consumed during the week. Weekend consumption and binge drinking imply an additional increase in breast cancer risk.

The validity of self-reported use of hormone replacement therapy among Danish nurses.

BACKGROUND: Recent findings from randomized clinical trials on the effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) among postmenopausal women contradict findings from observational studies indicating a protective effect on the development of cardiovascular disease. Most observational studies on HRT are based on self-reported data, although data on the validity of HRT in postmenopausal women are sparse. METHODS: We examined self-reported HRT use from questionnaires administered in 1993 (n = 2694) and again in 1999 (n = 2666) to a cohort of Danish nurses living in two Danish counties compared with prescription-reimbursement data from two administrative databases through the Danish National Health Service. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of the self-reported, current HRT use in 1993 were 78.4%[95% confidence interval (95% CI) 75.4-81.4] and 98.4% (95% CI 97.8-98.9), respectively. In 1999, the estimates were 74.8% (95% CI 72.0-77.7) and 98.0% (95% CI 97.3-98.8), respectively. None of the factors examined--including age, alcohol intake, physical activity, smoking, presence of hypertension, and body mass index--was strongly associated with validity. We found a relatively high validity of self-reported data on HRT use. Furthermore, agreement between self-reported and registry-based data was not strongly associated with a range of demographic and lifestyle factors. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that use of self-reported data is not an important contributor to the apparent discrepancy between observational studies and randomized trials on the cardiovascular effects of HRT use.

Increased risk of breast cancer following different regimens of hormone replacement therapy frequently used in Europe.

Epidemiologic studies have shown an increased risk of breast cancer following hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The aim of this study was to investigate whether different treatment regimens or the androgenecity of progestins influence the risk of breast cancer differently. The Danish Nurse Cohort was established in 1993, where all female nurses aged 45 years and above received a mailed questionnaire (n = 23,178). A total of 19,898 women returned the questionnaire (86%). The questionnaire included information on HRT types and regimens, reproductive history and lifestyle-related factors. Breast cancer cases were ascertained using nationwide registries. The follow-up ended on 31 December 1999. Women with former cancer diagnoses, women with missing information on HRT, surgical menopause, premenopausal, as well as hysterectomized women were excluded, leaving 10,874 for analyses. Statistical analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards model. A total of 244 women developed breast cancer during follow-up. After adjustment for confounding factors, an increased risk of breast cancer was found for the current use of estrogen only (RR = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.16-3.35), for the combined use of estrogen and progestin (RR = 2.70; 95% CI = 1.96-3.73) and for current users of tibolone (RR = 4.27; 95% CI = 1.74-10.51) compared to the never use of HRT. In current users of combined HRT with testosterone-like progestins, the continuous combined regimens were associated with a statistically significant higher risk of breast cancer than the cyclical combined regimens (RR = 4.16, 95% CI = 2.56-6.75, and RR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.26-3.00, respectively). An increased risk of breast cancer was noted with longer durations of use for the continuous combined regimens (p for trend = 0.048). The European traditional HRT regimens were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. The highest risk was found for the use of continuous combined estrogen and progestin.

Hormone replacement therapy and risk of breast cancer: the role of progestins.

Epidemiological studies have shown an increased risk of breast cancer associated with the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This notion is mostly based on studies from the USA. During the last decades unopposed estrogen treatment has been used to a lesser extent, whereas the combined estrogen-progestin treatment regime is now prescribed worldwide. In the USA the predominant compounds are conjugated estrogens and medroxyprogesterone-acetate, whereas oestradiol combined with testosterone-like progestins is commonly used in Europe. These differences are largely the result of traditions. Recent studies originating from both the USA and Europe suggest that the combined treatment regimens with estrogen and progestin increase the risk of breast cancer beyond the risk following the use of unopposed estrogen. At present it is not known if progestins with different androgenicity influence the risk of breast cancer to a varying degree. This review focuses on studies published after the latest meta-analysis in 1997, with special attention given to the type of progestin used and the treatment mode, i.e., cyclical or continuous regimen.

Hormone replacement therapy and risk of breast cancer: the role of progestins.

Epidemiological studies have shown an increased risk of breast cancer associated with the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This notion is mostly based on studies from the USA. During the last decades unopposed estrogen treatment has been used to a lesser extent, whereas the combined estrogen-progestin treatment regimen is now prescribed worldwide. In the USA the predominant compounds are conjugated estrogens and medroxyprogesterone-acetate, whereas oestradiol combined with testosterone-like progestins is commonly used in Europe. These differences are mainly the result of traditions. Recent studies originating from both the USA and Europe suggest that the combined treatment regimens with estrogen and progestin increase the risk of breast cancer beyond the risk following the use of unopposed estrogen. At present it is not known if progestins with different androgenecity influence the risk of breast cancer to a varying degree. This review focuses on studies published after the latest meta-analysis in 1997, with special attention given to the type of progestin used and the treatment mode, i.e. cyclical or continuous regimen.