Regular Screening Programs Research Articles

Risk for anogenital cancer and other cancer among women hospitalized with gonorrhea

Background. We investigated the relationship between infections with Neisseria gonorrhoeae and anogenital and other cancers. Methods. Nationwide and population based register linkage study utilizing prospectively notified information. The observed numbers of cancers among the women were compared with those expected on the basis of national incidence rates. Results. In a cohort of 4440 women hospitalized for gonorrhea we observed a total of 227 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade III (CIN III), with 103 expected (standardized incidence ratio (SIR), 2.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.9–2.5). No significantly increased risk for other anogenital cancers or cancer at other sites was seen. Conclusions. These results support the view that the observed association between gonorrheal infection and subsequent cervical preneoplasia is due mainly to surveillance bias. However, our results also indicate that women hospitalized with a N. gonorrhoeae infection will benefit from the compliance with the regular Pap smear screening programs.

Early detection and prevention of lung cancer.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and is one of the world's leading causes of preventable death. Technologic advances have brought new modalities that may be useful for the early detection of lung cancer. However, because of the large number of persons at increased risk for lung cancer, screening is a formidable task. There are several risk factors that can be identified, including potential susceptibility factors, which may aid in pinpointing individuals who need to participate in regular screening programs. Aside from recognized environmental exposures including cigarette smoking, there are a number of genetic and metabolic susceptibility factors that have been examined. These include polymorphisms in the cytochrome p450 enzymes and the metabolizing capability of glutathione s-transferase or acetylation. Additionally, defects in DNA repair and in bleomycin sensitivity assays may also aid in identifying individuals who are at an increased risk for lung cancer. Additional work has been done in the area of characterizing the molecular alterations in the bronchial epithelium in high-risk smokers. This manuscript addresses only selected molecular alterations that have been examined in preneoplastic bronchial epithelium. In addition to mutations in the k-ras oncogene and the p53 gene, which are frequently seen in malignancy, alterations in the p16 gene, microsatellite instability and loss of heterozygocity are also promising potential markers of preneoplasia. The hnRNP A2/B1 gene also shows some promising increased expression in preneoplasia. Lung cancer prevention has made some strides. A number of trials with molecular and morphologic intermediate endpoints have been conducted and have suggested that some of the molecular alterations and morphologic alterations are reversible. However, the rate of spontaneous regression of these lesions is, as yet, uncharacterized. Two recent large studies, the beta-carotene and retinol efficacy trial (CARET) trial conducted in the United States and the Alpha-Tocopherol Beta Carotene (ATBC) trial conducted in Finland, both demonstrated an unexpected increased risk for lung cancer associated with beta-carotene supplementation. The EUROSCAN trial evaluation of vitamin A and N-acetylcystine also showed no benefit to supplementation in reducing risk for lung cancer. Results from the Intergroup study of 1 3-cis-retinoic acid are pending, and plans are underway for an Intergroup trial studying high selenium yeast to reduce lung cancer risk. Hopefully, the combination of identifying markers of increased risk among the numerous current and former smokers will identify high-risk populations to participate in future trials of promising agents that may lead to reduction in incidence and mortality of the leading cause of cancer death.

Mass screening for endometrial cancer directed in risk groups of patients with diabetes and patients with hypertension.

The interest in mass screening programs for the early detection of endometrial cancer (EC) has grown with the rising incidence of this disease. Preliminary programs directed at asymptomatic women with only one risk factor, i.e. age, have not been cost-effective. In the current study, 597 asymptomatic women from 45-69 years of age with diabetes and/or hypertension were screened by Vabra (Berkeley Medevices Inc., Berkeley, CA) aspiration. Among the women with diabetes, 6.3% preinvasive lesions of the endometrium were found. This is significantly more than the rate among women with hypertension, which was 1.3% (P < 0.01). Regular mass screening programs for the early detection of EC should be directed at asymptomatic diabetic women 45 years of age or older. This study does not indicate that similar screenings would be effective for women with hypertension.

Factors influencing acceptance of mammography: implications for enhancing worksite cancer control.

The purposes of this article are to review what is known about participation in mammography programs and to propose several elements that warrant consideration in planning mammography screening programs in occupational settings. Breast cancer is the most common female cancer. Regular screening programs including mammography, clinical breast examination, and monthly breast self-examination can reduce breast cancer deaths by as much as 35%. However, mammography is underutilized. This review examines factors affecting acceptance of mammography and possible worksite-based strategies to increase its appropriate use. We identified the sources cited in this review through a combination of literature searches of computerized data bases, backward searches of reference lists, and contacts with active investigators. The article includes a selected subset of the most recent and relevant references. A variety of individual factors, environmental influences, health care system factors, and employer factors influence the acceptance of mammography. Workplace mammography programs can be especially important in reducing access barriers. Six program elements which are central to planning successful worksite mammography programs are discussed: location and facilities; health professional involvement; the range of services; education and referral; employer policies, and plans for follow-up and repeat screening.

Use of Pap Smear in General Practice by Case Finding or Screening Programme

Two different organizational methods of Pap smear examination in prevention of cancer colli uteri are compared in two Danish counties. In one county the method was planned as a pure case finding model; in the other county a modified screening approach was used. Resources were measured as the number of Pap smear examinations per 1 000 women of risk age (25-54 years). They were nearly identical in the two counties. The number of sufficiently investigated women, defined as examined by a Pap smear at least once within a 3-year period, was much larger in the county using the screening model than in the other county. Furthermore the proportion of women sufficiently investigated varied greatly in the county using the case finding model. Even the most active one-fourth of the doctors in this county did not obtain the same percentage of examined women as the average in percentage of examined women in the county with a regular screening programme, even though this active group of doctors had a resource consumption about twice the average for this county. It is concluded that the Pap smear method when aiming at a maximum interval between smears in individual women of 3 years, can be conveniently carried out in general practice by using a case finding model in combination with a screening programme together with a systematized, centrally computer-surveyed procedure, in order to avoid overlapping and exclude women not examined as well as possible.