Cancer Risk Assessment Research Articles

Professional improbity: How Hermann J. Muller's ethics affected his science.

The present paper provides an assessment of how the scientific and national policy achievements/goals of Hermann J. Muller were impacted by his ethics and provides several documented episodes in which Muller acted unethically to promote his personal gain-at the expense of others-within the scientific community. Muller manipulated the scientific community in self-serving ways to suppress perspectives that challenged his own views on radiation-induced gene mutation, and hereditary and cancer risk assessment in ways that influenced his significant awards (e.g., Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology), continued grant funding, and manifest effect on public health policy. Muller acted irresponsibly toward students and directed them to violate University of Texas policies that incurred severe student disciplinary actions (e.g., University suspension). Muller avoided responsibility by resigning from the University of Texas, avoiding a trial that could have led to his dismissal, and impacted his career achievements during the period of his nomination for the Nobel Prize. Muller was also a member of a US National Academy of Sciences Committee that committed scientific misconduct by misrepresenting the research record in ways that enhanced his continued funding support and fortified his influence on US health policy. The case of Muller is presented as a morality and object lesson worthy of consideration for current and future ethical conduct of scientific research.

The known genetic variants of BRCA1, BRCA2 and NOD2 in pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer risk assessment

The single nucleotide polymorphism in NOD2 (rs2066847) is associated with conditions that may predispose to the development of gastrointestinal disorders, as well as the known BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants classified as risk factors in many cancers. In our study, we analyzed these variants in a group of patients with pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer to clarify their role in pancreatic disease development. The DNA was isolated from whole blood samples of 553 patients with pancreatitis, 83 patients with pancreatic cancer, 44 cases of other pancreatic diseases, and 116 healthy volunteers. The NOD2 (rs2066847), BRCA1 (rs80357914) and BRCA2 (rs276174813) were genotyped. The statistically significant 3-fold increased risk of pancreatic cancer was detected among the patients with rs2066847 polymorphism (OR = 2.77, p-value = 0.019). We did not find the studied polymorphisms in BRCA1 (rs80357914) and BRCA2 (rs276174813). However, the adjacent polymorphisms have been detected only in patients with pancreatic diseases. The studied variant in NOD2 occurs more frequently in pancreatic patients and significantly increases the risk of pancreatic cancer. It can be considered as a genetic risk factor that predisposes to cancer development. The analyzed regions in BRCA1 and BRCA2 may be a potential target in further search for a genetic marker of pancreatic diseases.

Breast Cancer MRI Screening of Patients After Multiplex Gene Panel Testing.

Enhanced breast cancer screening with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended to women with elevated risk of breast cancer, yet uptake of screening remains unclear after genetic testing. To evaluate uptake of MRI after genetic results disclosure and counseling. This multicenter cohort study was conducted at the University of Southern California Norris Cancer Hospital, the Los Angeles General Medical Center, and the Stanford University Cancer Institute. Patients were recruited from July 1, 2014, through November 30, 2016. Following multiplex gene panel testing and genetic counseling, patients responded to surveys about breast MRI screening at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months and to a final survey between 3 and 4 years after counseling. Participants met standard clinical criteria for genetic testing or had a 2.5% or greater probability of inherited cancer susceptibility. Patients were categorized based on breast cancer risk from genetic testing results and Tyrer-Cuzick model-calculated risk as having (1) a BRCA or other high-risk pathogenic variant (PV), (2) a moderate-risk PV, (3) a higher lifetime breast cancer risk (≥20%), or (4) a lower lifetime breast cancer risk (<20%). Analysis was conducted from September 28 to November 9, 2023. Genetic testing with a 25- or 28-gene panel, and pretest and posttest genetic counseling by a genetic counselor or an advanced practice genetics nurse practitioner, which included cancer-specific screening recommendations. MRI screening adherence over time across risk groups was estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression modeling. Likelihood of screening adherence (odds ratios [ORs] with 95% CIs), controlling for potential confounders, was estimated using logistic regression. This study included 638 patients, with a mean (SD) age of 50.7 (13.3) years at testing. There were 43 patients (6.7%) with a BRCA or other high-risk PV, 16 (2.5%) with a moderate-risk PV, 146 (22.9%) with higher lifetime breast cancer risk, and 433 (67.9%) with lower lifetime breast cancer risk. A total of 52 patients (8.2%) identified as Asian, 21 (3.3%) as Black, 271 (42.5%) as Hispanic, and 255 (40.0) as White. Compared with patients with lower lifetime breast cancer risk, patients with a BRCA or other high-risk PV and those with a moderate-risk PV were approximately 10 times (OR, 9.81 [95% CI, 4.05-23.86]; P < .001) and 4 times (OR, 4.12 [95% CI, 1.10-14.35]; P = .03) as likely to undergo MRI, respectively. Patients with a BRCA or other high-risk PV were nearly 16 times (OR, 15.81 [95% CI, 5.17-48.31]) as likely to report consistent yearly MRI screening compared with patients with lower lifetime risk. In this study, women with inherited PVs conferring increased breast cancer risk had higher and more consistent MRI uptake than women with lower estimated risk. These findings emphasize the importance of genetic cancer risk assessment for effective enhanced breast cancer screening.

Exploring the Role of Communication Asset Mapping (CAM) as a Strategy to Promote Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment Information Within African American Communities

Exploring the Role of Communication Asset Mapping (CAM) as a Strategy to Promote Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment Information Within African American Communities

Development and validation of the Snehita BRISK model: A breast cancer risk assessment tool for risk stratification in women of the Indian subcontinent

Development and validation of the Snehita BRISK model: A breast cancer risk assessment tool for risk stratification in women of the Indian subcontinent

Impact of telomere length for risk assessment and prognosis in papillary thyroid cancer depending on the clinicopathological features.

. Despite the establishment of a link between telomere status and carcinogenesis, lack of a consensus in the cancer specific pattern of telomere length has a severe impact on the use of relative telomere length (RTL) in cancer diagnosis. The disparity in assessing the relationship between telomere length and cancer risk is complex and may vary as it is influenced by other factors. The objective of this study is to thoroughly examine the intricate relationship between telomere length and cancer incidence in Papillary Thyroid Cancer (PTC) depending on the tumor type, stage, patients' sex and age. Therefore, the current study is focused on the association of RTL in PTC patients with different clinicopathological characteristics and compared with controls to determine the risk of PTC and expected survival time after surgery. . This study included 126 patients with PTC and 80 controls. RTL in thyroid tissues was measured using quantitative (q) PCR. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using logistic regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression were used to analyze postsurgical outcomes. . The RTL of patients was significantly shorter than that of controls. A short RTL was significantly correlated with an elevated risk of PTC in patients aged ≥ 55 years, female sex, classic subtype, and tumor size > 2cm. A short RTL did not affect the overall survival of patients with PTC; however, it was associated with poor survival in patients with tumor size > 2cm and tumor invasion. . This unique study combines the use of RTL with various clinicopathological features of patients with PTC. In conclusion, RTL is a promising tumor marker that correlates with the clinical characteristics of patients with PTC. Specifically, RTL < 0.6 could be used with age, sex, tumor size > 2cm and tumor invasion to predict the risk of PTC development and prognosis of the disease. This study will open new horizon in the use of molecular marker such as RTL for understanding its association with increased cancer risk in patients with different clinicopathological features.

Melatonin, Oxidative Stress and the Role of Gut Microbiota in the Therapeutic Strategy for Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and in the Cancer Risk Assessment: Integration with Traditional Herbal Remedies

Melatonin, Oxidative Stress and the Role of Gut Microbiota in the Therapeutic Strategy for Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and in the Cancer Risk Assessment: Integration with Traditional Herbal Remedies

Risk assessment for esophageal cancer after bariatric surgery: a comparative cohort study between sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass.

The risk of esophageal cancer after bariatric surgery is a matter of debate. This study aims to evaluate the risk of esophageal cancer following sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and gastric bypass (GB). We extracted data from the national discharge database (Programme De Médicalisation des Systèmes d'Information) for patients who underwent bariatric surgery in France between 2007 and 2020. Adult patients undergoing SG or GB were included and followed until December 2022. The primary endpoints were the occurrence of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancers. The impact of bariatric procedures on cancer development was assessed using multivariate analysis, along with several sensitivity analyses to validate the findings. Among the 370,271 patients included, 68.4% underwent SG and 31.6% underwent GB. The median follow-up duration was 7.4 years (interquartile range: 5.3-9.6 years), with approximately 81,000 patients followed for at least 10 years. A total of 96 cases of esophageal cancer were identified: 25 in the GB group and 71 in the SG group. The incidence rates were 2.6 per 100,000 person-years for GB and 3.9 for SG, resulting in an incidence rate ratio of .64 (95% confidence interval [CI]: .40-1.01, P = .055). In multivariate analysis, no significant difference in cancer incidence was found between SG and GB (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.60, 95% CI: .90-2.5, P = .06). Sensitivity analyses further confirmed these findings, showing similar nonsignificant differences across various models. In this extensive national cohort of bariatric surgery patients, no significant differences were observed in the incidence of esophageal and GEJ cancer between SG and GB.

Assessing heavy metal contamination in leafy vegetables and associated health risks in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Leafy vegetables, widely consumed for their nutritional benefits, can pose significant health risks when contaminated with toxic metals, emphasizing the need to monitor and assess their safety. An atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to analyze the metal accumulation in leafy vegetables. The specific minerals analyzed included calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe). Additionally, heavy metals such as copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), and nickel (Ni) were also examined. Risk factors for the human population were examined, focusing on the transfer of metals from different sources to vegetable samples. These metals were then consumed by humans through the ingestion of leafy vegetables that had accumulated them. The results of this study showed that the average concentrations detected ranged from 68.0 to 1507 mg/kg of Ca, 126.0 to 829.0 mg/kg of Mg, 4.03 to 44.0 mg/kg of Zn, 2.7 to 74.5 mg/kg of Mn, 25.0 to 154.5 mg/kg of Fe, 0.74 to 4.51 mg/kg of Cu, 0.005 to 0.22 mg/kg of Cd, 0.19 to 1.75 mg/kg of Pb, 0.43 to 4.69 mg/kg of Cr, 0.005 to 0.39 mg/kg and 0.25 to 2.21 mg/kg of Ni. The highest mean levels of minerals like Ca, Mg, Zn, Mn and Fe were detected in red amaranth, Garden purslane, Stem amaranth. The study used, estimated daily intakes (EDIs), target hazard quotient (THQ), and cancer risk (CR) assessments to assess the potential health risks of consuming contaminated vegetables. The results showed that the value of THQ was found to be larger than 1 in the cases of Pb and Mn in Stem Amaranth, indicating a significant non-carcinogenic health risk, especially due to high lead exposure exceeding the standard limit by two-fold in all fields. Furthermore, the CR values for Cd, Cr, and Ni indicated a notable carcinogenic risk in multiple cases.

Applying Neural Networks to Analyse Inflammatory, Sociodemographic, and Psychological Factors in Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer and Colon Cancer: A Statistical and Artificial Intelligence Approach.

Background/Objectives: Chronic inflammation and psychosocial factors significantly influence cancer progression and patient behavior in seeking medical care. Understanding their interplay is essential for enhancing early detection and developing personalized treatment strategies. This study aims to develop a comprehensive patient profiling model by comparing non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and colorectal cancer (CRC). The goal is to identify common and distinct patterns in inflammation and psychosocial factors that affect disease progression and clinical presentation. Methods: We conducted a comparative analysis of patients diagnosed with NMSC and CRC, integrating clinical data with sociodemographic and psychological assessments. Advanced neural network algorithms were employed to detect subtle patterns and interactions among these factors. Based on the analysis, a cancer risk assessment questionnaire was developed to stratify patients into low-, moderate-, and high-risk categories. Results: Patients with low systemic inflammation and adequate vagal tone, supported by a stable family environment, demonstrated heightened sensitivity to subclinical symptoms, enabling earlier diagnosis and timely intervention. Conversely, patients with high systemic inflammation and reduced vagal tone, often influenced by chronic stress and unstable family environments, presented at more advanced disease stages. The developed risk assessment tool effectively classified patients into distinct risk categories, facilitating targeted preventive measures and personalized therapeutic strategies. Neural network profiling revealed significant interactions between biological and psychosocial factors, enhancing our understanding of their combined impact on cancer progression. Conclusions: The integrated profiling approach and the newly developed risk assessment questionnaire have the potential to transform cancer management by improving early detection, personalizing treatment strategies, and addressing psychosocial factors. This model not only enhances clinical outcomes and patient quality of life but also offers a framework adaptable to other cancer types, promoting a holistic and patient-centered approach in oncology.

Online Screening and Virtual Patient Education for Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment and Testing.

To use online screening and virtual patient education tools to improve the provision of hereditary cancer risk assessment. We conducted a prospective, single-arm study in which clinicians at five U.S. community obstetrics and gynecology practices underwent an 8-week observation followed by 3-4 weeks of training on online patient screening and virtual patient education (prerecorded video with or without a genetic counselor phone call) for genetic testing-eligible patients. After a 4-week practice period, hereditary cancer risk assessment and patient education metrics were collected at 8 weeks and compared with preintervention metrics using univariate conditional logistic regression models stratified by site. The primary outcome was the change in genetic testing completion rate. Clinicians and patients were invited to complete a satisfaction survey. A total of 5,795 and 5,135 patients were seen before and after the intervention, respectively. The proportion of screened patients meeting testing guidelines increased from 21.6% before the intervention to 28.2% after the intervention (odds ratio [OR] 1.36, 95% CI, 1.26-1.47, P<.001). Guideline-eligible patients were significantly more likely to be offered genetic testing (59.1% vs 89.1%, OR 2.06, 95% CI, 1.87-2.27, P<.001), to submit a sample (32.9% vs 45.0%, OR 1.49, 95% CI, 1.27-1.74, P<.001), and to complete testing (16.0% vs 34.2%, OR 2.38, 95% CI, 2.00-2.83, P<.001). Most clinicians agreed or strongly agreed that the screening tool improved the identification of patients meeting hereditary cancer risk assessment guidelines (92.1%), saved time (64.9%), and was easy to incorporate (68.4%) and that patient education improved their ability to deliver hereditary cancer risk assessment standard of care (84.2%). Most patients agreed or strongly agreed that virtual education helped them understand the purpose (91.7%) and implications (92.6%) of genetic testing. A guideline-based online patient screening tool and virtual patient education were well received. The online tool enabled identification of significantly more guideline-eligible candidates for hereditary cancer risk assessment, and education improved patients' genetic literacy. Together, these tools ultimately improved the genetic testing completion rate.

Prediction of Brain Cancer Occurrence and Risk Assessment of Brain Hemorrhage Using Hybrid Deep Learning Technique

The prediction of brain cancer occurrence and risk assessment of brain hemorrhage using a hybrid deep learning (DL) technique is a critical area of research in medical imaging analysis. One prominent challenge in this field is the accurate identification and classification of brain tumors and hemorrhages, which can significantly impact patient prognosis and treatment planning. The objectives of the study address the prediction of brain cancer occurrence and the assessment of risk levels associated with both brain cancers due to brain hemorrhage. A diverse dataset of brain MRI and CT scan images. Utilize Unsymmetrical Trimmed Median Filter with Optics Clustering for noise removal while preserving edges and details. The Chan-Vese segmentation process for refined segmentation. Brain cancer detection using Multi-Head Self-Attention Dilated Convolution Neural Network (MH-SA-DCNN) with Efficient Net Model. Brain cancer detection using MH-SA-DCNN with Efficient Net Model. This trains the algorithm to predict cancerous regions in brain images. Further, implement a Graph-Based Deep Neural Network Model (G-DNN) to capture spatial relationships and risk factors from brain images. Cox regression model to estimate cancer risk over time and fine-tune and optimize the model’s parameters and features using the Osprey optimization algorithm (OPA).

Personalized nutritional risk assessment of hepato-biliopancreatic cancer - a systematic review and meta-analysis

Personalized nutritional risk assessment of hepato-biliopancreatic cancer - a systematic review and meta-analysis

Heavy metal pollution and evaluation of health risk of amaranth around Don Bosco wastewater treatment plant, Iringa, Tanzania

One of the world’s most significant sources of environmental pollution is heavy metals contamination of soil, water, and agricultural products. Liver cancer, kidney damage, anaemia, coma, hypertension and sporadic fever are among the illnesses that might result from consuming plants contaminated with heavy metals. This study assesses heavy metals (Cu, Mn, Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb) contamination and associated human health risks in amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus) grown near Don Bosco wastewater treatment plant in Iringa municipal, Tanzania. The study measured the concentration of heavy metals in amaranth vegetables using AAS. The level of Mn in the vegetables ranged between 67.90 and 493.44 mg/kg. The mean concentration of Mn obtained was 280.67 mg/kg, lower than the permissible levels set by FAO/WHO but above the limit as set by TBS. The Cu levels in amaranth ranged between 6.37 and 7.90 mg/kg, with a mean concentration of 7.24 mg/kg lower than the permissible limits set by FAO/WHO and TBS. The Cd levels in amaranth ranged between 0.05 and 0.35 mg/kg, and the mean concentration was 0.20 mg/kg below the permissible limit set by FAO/WHO and TBS. The calculated daily intake consumption fell in the following sequence: Mn>Cu>Cd. The hazard quotient (HQ) for Mn and Cd is 261.66 and 6.45, respectively, higher than the allowed limit (HQ <1), and the hazard index (HI) for all samples was HI>1, which indicates the consumption of these veggies could pose a harm to one’s health. Additionally, the assessment of cancer risks revealed that Mn and Cd levels exceeded the USEPA recommended threshold of 1E-04, indicating a risk of one additional cancer case for every 10,000 individuals consuming amaranth vegetables. Thus, regularly checking for heavy metal contamination in vegetables is critical to minimize health hazards.

Proactive cervical cancer risk assessment using data-driven analytics

This study introduces a sophisticated predictive model integrating clinical and lifestyle data addressing the critical public health challenge of cervical cancer, particularly in regions lacking routine screenings. Leveraging data driven analytics, the proposed model undergoes comprehensive preprocessing, including exploratory data analysis, missing value imputation, and feature extraction. Feature selection is carried out using the XGBoost classifier to ensure model efficacy. Data normalization and class balance via oversampling techniques are applied, with model validation conducted through stratified cross-validation. The optimized feature vector is then employed to train a LightGBM model. Utilizing a retrospective dataset of 858 patients from the Hospital Universitario de Caracas, Venezuela, comprising demographic, lifestyle, and medical history data, the LightGBM model achieves an impressive accuracy of 98%, outperforming similar existing approaches. The study outcome demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed data modelling framework and feature selection, along with the choice of LightGBM as a suitable classifier. The proposed predictive framework can efficiently aid healthcare professionals in prioritizing high-risk patients for further evaluation and intervention.

Oral Microbiome Signatures as Potential Biomarkers for Gastric Cancer Risk Assessment.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The oral microbiota was investigated for distinguishable characteristics between GC, premalignant gastric conditions (Pre-GC), and control participants. Mouthwash samples from GC, Pre-GC, and control participants at a tertiary care center were prospectively collected. Following DNA extraction and sequencing, analyses of oral microbiome biodiversity and composition were performed, and receiver operating characteristic curves were created to evaluate the discriminative power of oral microbiome signatures. Oral samples from 98 participants included 30 (30.6%) GC, 30 (30.6%) Pre-GC and 38 (38.8%) controls. Of these, 61 (62.2%) were female, 31 (31.6%) were Hispanic, and 18 (18.3%) were smokers. GC compared to controls demonstrated notable differences in beta diversity (Jensen-Shannon Divergence and Bray-Curtis Dissimilarity, p<0.02). 32 bacterial genera were found to be differentially abundant when comparing GC and controls, and 23 bacterial genera demonstrated differential abundance when comparing Pre-GC and controls (W-statistic >2). Minimal compositional differences between GC and Pre-GC were found, with only three differentially abundant bacterial genera (W-statistic >2). Models were constructed from the most significant bacterial signatures (W-statistic >5). These models discriminated between GC and control oral samples with an AUC of 0.880 (95% CI 0.808, 0.952) and between Pre-GC and control oral samples with an AUC of 0.943 (95% CI 0.887, 0.999). Oral rinses of GC and Pre-GC participants exhibited distinct but similar microbiome profiles, distinguishing them from controls. This compositional difference raises the possibility of utilizing these microbial signatures to predict GC risk.

Immunohistochemical Expression of SOX 2 in Oral Epithelial Dysplasia and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent malignancy of the oral cavity. Premalignant lesions frequently precede OSCC. Over the last three decades, the overall survival rate after 5 years of the patients remains unchanged. Early detection is best in preventing malignant transformation. Sex-determining region Y-box 2 (SOX 2) is an embryonic transcription factor that is, crucial for sustaining the pluripotency of stem cells and also promotes the maintenance of squamous epithelium. Aim: This study aimed to estimate the immunohistochemical expression levels of SOX 2 in normal mucosa (NOM), oral epithelial dysplasia (OED), and OSCC, to compare and correlate those three groups and also to assess the prognostic value in OSCC. Materials and Methods: A total of 70 cases of paraffin tissue blocks were obtained from the archives of our department, which were previously diagnosed as OED, OSCC, and NOM. Selected cases were screened immunohistochemically for SOX 2 expression. Statistical Analysis Used: Dunn’s test was utilized to find out the association among the categorical variables. Kruskal–Wallis test was to compare the continuous parameters between three groups. Results: SOX 2 expressions were found to be 80% positive in the OED group, 65% in the OSCC group, and negative in the NOM group. Conclusion: SOX 2 expression acts as a biomarker for oral cancer risk assessment. Higher SOX 2 expression in well-differentiated cases compared with poorly differentiated, which might indicate decreased lymph node metastasis and improved prognosis. As a result, SOX 2 expression might play an important role in the pathogenesis of OSCC.

Mycoflora diversity, exposure to mycotoxins, and cancer risk characterization associated with the consumption of two traditionally fermented alcoholic beverages in the Ho municipality of Ghana

Traditionally fermented alcoholic drinks are made with locally sourced ingredients and traditional knowledge, and they are typically drank in the immediate area of production. The ingredients are sources of microbial contamination in these drinks. This study aimed to update the mycoflora and evaluate levels of Ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxins contamination of some local beverages (Raffia Sap ‘Palm wine’ and sorghum beer ‘Pito’) in the Ho municipality, Volta Region, Ghana. Standard mycological analyses were carried out on the samples and the plates were incubated for 5–7 days at 28 ± 1 °C. Mycotoxin levels in the samples were quantified using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to a fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD) was used. Deterministic models recommended by a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Additives were used to assess cancer risk. The fungal counts of palm wine samples in the Ho municipality recorded were in a range of 3.29- 4.59 log10 CFU/ml, while pito samples recorded a fungal range between 2.55 and 4.08 log10 CFU/ml. A total of 13 fungal species, namely; Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium oligosporus, Fusarium verticillioides, Trichoderma harzianum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium verrucosum, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa., Mucor racemosus and Yeasts were isolated from both palm wine and pito samples. Notably, ochratoxin A (OTA) quantities ranged between 5.50 and 14.93 μg/kg for both samples while Total aflatoxins ranged between LOD-10.70 μg/kg for pito. No aflatoxins were detected in palm wine. Consumer risk assessment values computed for both moderate and heavy drinkers ranged between 4.08–40.20 ng/kg bw/day, 13.88–50.44, and 0.314–1.156 cases/10,000 person/year for Total aflatoxins while ochratoxin A contents ranged 4.08–40.20 ng/kg bw/day, 0.44–4.38, and 0.131–1.286 cases/10,000 person/year correspondingly for Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Margin of Exposure (MOE), and Cancer Risks for the age categories considered. Generally, mean fungal counts in both palm wine and pito beverages were high and were found to be unsatisfactory while the fungi species in these beverages showed great diversity. Cancer Risk assessments for the mycotoxins suggested a potential health hazard to the consumers of these beverages in the Ho municipality.

High- and Moderate-Risk Variants Among Breast Cancer Patients and Healthy Donors Enrolled in Multigene Panel Testing in a Population of Central Russia.

Assessments of breast cancer (BC) risk in carriers of pathogenic variants identified by gene panel testing in different populations are highly in demand worldwide. We performed target sequencing of 78 genes involved in DNA repair in 860 females with BC and 520 age- and family history-matched controls from Central Russia. Among BC patients, 562/860 (65.3%) were aged 50 years or less at the time of diagnosis. In total, 190/860 (22%) BC patients were carriers of 198 pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants in 30 genes, while among controls, 32/520 (6.2%) carriers of P/LP variants in 17 genes were identified. The odds ratio [95% confidence interval] was 16.3 [4.0-66.7] for BRCA1; 12.0 [2.9-45.9] for BRCA2; and 7.3 [0.9-56.7] for ATM (p < 0.05). Previously undescribed BRCA1/2, ATM, and PALB2 variants, as well as novel recurrent mutations, were identified. The contribution to BC susceptibility of truncating variants in the genes BARD1, RAD50, RAD51C, NBEAL1 (p. E1155*), and XRCC2 (p. P32fs) was evaluated. The BLM, NBN, and MUTYH genes did not demonstrate associations with BC risk. Finding deleterious mutations in BC patients is important for diagnosis and management; in controls, it opens up the possibility of prevention and early diagnostics.

The association between cancer risk assessment tool use and GP consultation duration: an observational study.

England is short of General Practitioners (GPs). GP consultation rates, consultation duration, and workload are increasing. Electronic clinical decision support (eCDS) tools assist decision-making for screening, diagnosis, and risk-management. Cancer detection is one area where tools are designed to support GPs. Electronic risk assessment tools (eRATs) estimate risk of current cancer based on symptoms. We aimed to explore any association between eRATs impact and GP workload and workflow during consultations. Thirteen practices participating in a cluster randomised controlled trial of eRATs (ERICA) were recruited to an observational sub-study. We compared the average duration of consulting sessions and consultations where eRATs were or were not activated, using mixed effects regression models. there was no evidence that sessions where an eRAT was activated were, on average, longer than sessions where no eRATs had been activated. However, individual consultations involving an eRAT were longer on average by 3.96 minutes (95% CI: 3.45 to 4.47; p<0.001), when compared with consultations with no eRATs , after adjusting for a range of session and consultation characteristics. There was no evidence to suggest that eRATs should not be used to support GPs in early cancer diagnosis from a workload perspective. eRATs were not associated with increased workload across a session. Definitive findings regarding the clinical effectiveness of eRATs, not the related workload/workflow implications, will ultimately determine whether the use of eRATs should be rolled out more widely.