Studies In Scandinavia Research Articles

Constructing Nations, Reconstructing Myth: Essays in Honour of T. A. Shippey by T. A. Shippey, Andrew Wawn, Graham Johnson, John Walter

MLR, I03.4, 2oo8 Io87 Constructing Nations, ReconstructingMyth: Essays inHonour of T A. Shippey. Ed. by ANDREW WAWN with GRAHAM JOHNSON and JOHN WALTER. (Making the Middle Ages, 9) Sydney and Turnhout: Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Sydney in association with Brepols. 2007. xviii+383pp. ?70. ISBN 978-2 503-52393-4. Edited byTom Shippey's formercolleague at theUniversity ofLeeds, with help from twoex-graduate students, and containing contributions from friends,colleagues, and associates rooted in differentdisciplines and based in theUS and Europe, this sub stantial collection of essays addresses some key themes in its honorand's research career: the influence of theGrimm brothers' philological revolution on nineteenth century nationalism, thehistory of philology itselfinto the twentieth century, and the creation and interpretation ofmyth. Organized in three sections: nationalism, philo logy,and myth, along theway thevolume touches on Shippey's interests inTolkien, in reception history, and inOld English and Old Norse literature. Itwill thus appeal differently to readers engaged in aspects of themany and various disciplines which thehonorand has made his own. Five essays deal with nations and nationalism, covering subjects as various as James 'Ossian' Macpherson's attempt to rewrite the earliest Scottish literary tradition as es sentially an epic of theHighlands, an article by Stefan Thomas Hall; the contest forownership ofOld Norse language andmythological heritage between eighteenth and nineteenth-century German and Danish scholars, bringing new complications to the Schleswig-Holstein question, byMartin Arnold; the folkbelief that the Jutland dialect and English are markedly similar, a slighter piece by Hans Frede Nielsen; and the paratext of nineteenth- and twentieth-century editions and translations of Beowulf, drawing out the various claims made by British and American scholars as theyassimilated the ideas ofEnglishness, Northernness, and Teutonicness which the poem embodied for them.This article by JohnHill draws together in a leisurelyway a series of fascinating apercus. Keith Battarbee shows how, inspired by Grimmian philology, Finnish, a peasant vernacular at the startof thenineteenth century,became a literary language. largely thanks toElias L6nnrot. L6nnrot's scrupulous creation of thenational epic in theKalevala results in awork which functions as a touchstone of reliable Finnishness; key concepts from the poem come to be employed to name insurance companies. The section on philology deals with just as various a series of topics. Terry Gun nell brings clarity to thecontinuing debate about thenature of elves in Icelandic, and how far they match the idea ofElvishness created by Tolkien. Articles on the textual criticism of Frederick Klaeber's Beowulf, fromRobert Fulk who is revising the still magisterial edition, and Andrew Breeze's account of the critical history of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, crammed with useful bibliography, follow.Rory McTurk, another Leeds colleague, supplies a vigorous textof Samuel Ferguson's nineteenth century Irish version ofRagnar Lothbrok's Death-Song (Krikumal). The first line of every stanza is the rousing 'We have foughtwith our swords-hurrah!', a spi rited gesture towards the alliteration of theOld Norse 'Hjoggum ver me6 hjorvi'. In the following articles Keith Busby considers J.B. B. Roquefort, a correspondent of theGrimms, who did much in French philology, despite being an 'unscrupulous philanderer, womanizer, drunkard and general debauchee' (p. I93), while the editor contributes a sprightly account of Sabine Baring-Gould's forays intoNorse, under the influence of British Grimmians; a recently discovered cache of Baring-Gould's unpublished translations fromNorse runs to half amillion words, casting new light on thepopularity of saga material in theprovincial parishes ofVictorian Britain, far from the great universities. Jonathan Evans, in an elegant yet densely argued essay, rounds off this section by considering words, things, and truth;Tolkien's primary io88 Reviews image of theTree of Tales, thewisdom of Treebeard theEnt inLord of theRings, theOld English pun on treo (tree) and treow (truth, faith) towhich Shippey calls attention inPoems ofWisdom and Learning inOld English (Cambridge: Brewer, 1976), the tree-diagrams of the philological stemma and the close interconnection between narrative invention and linguistic imagination. In the final section Peter Orton analyses theNorse myth of themead of poetry, a storywhich took 'pride of place' inDeutsche Mythologie (p. 277). Orton demonstrates how blending theory, a development of cognitive metaphor theorymuch in vogue inmythological study in Scandinavia, can illuminate the central...

Survival Patterns among Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Other Lymphoma Patients with Family History of Lymphoma.

Background. A role for genetic factors in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is unequivocal based on evidence from multiply affected families, from case series, twin and case-control studies, and population-based registry studies. Similar characteristics have been observed for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Population-based studies have found CLL, NHL and HL to co-occur in families. A few hospital-based series have explored survival outcomes in familial vs. sporadic CLL patients based on the hypothesis that genetic mechanisms involved in the causation of familial lymphomas might influence survival, however these have been based on small numbers with inconsistent findings. We have conducted a large study in Scandinavia including more than 41,000 lymphoma patients to quantify survival outcomes among familial vs. sporadic patients.Methods. We used the population-based central Cancer and Multigenerational Registries in Sweden and Denmark to identify all CLL (n=7749), NHL (n=25801), and HL (n=7476) patients diagnosed 1958–2001, with linkable first-degree relatives. All relatives were linked with the Cancer Registries to obtain information on CLL, NHL, and HL. Using Cox proportional hazard models, we calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as measures of overall survival for CLL, NHL, and HL patients with vs. without family history of lymphoma.Results. We found 85 (1.1%) CLL, 207 (0.8%) NHL, and 96 (1.3%) HL patients with family history of lymphoma. Overall survival was similar for CLL (HR=1.24, 95% CI 0.93–1.67), NHL (HR=0.97, 95% CI 0.80–1.16), and HL (HR=0.78, 95% CI 0.51–1.19) patients with vs. without family history of lymphoma. Risk-estimates were similar when we calculated overall survival by age at lymphoma diagnosis (above vs. below median age), year at diagnosis (before vs. after 1987), and by sex. Consistent with the literature, including all CLL, NHL and HL patients, older age (p<0.001) and male gender (p<0.001) was associated with poorer survival. However, when analyses were restricted to patients with family history of lymphoma, only older age (p<0.005) remained significant.Conclusions: Survival patterns were similar for CLL, NHL, and HL patients with vs. without family history of lymphoma, suggesting that familial lymphomas do not have an altered clinical course. Overall, there is no evidence at this time to modify therapeutic strategies for patients with CLL, NHL, or HL based solely on family history.

Meta-analysis of the relation between European and American smokeless tobacco and oral cancer.

BackgroundSmokeless tobacco is often referred to as a major contributor to oral cancer. In some regions, especially Southeast Asia, the risk is difficult to quantify due to the variety of products, compositions (including non-tobacco ingredients) and usage practices involved. In Western populations, the evidence of an increased risk in smokeless tobacco users seems unclear, previous reviews having reached somewhat differing conclusions. We report a detailed quantitative review of the evidence in American and European smokeless tobacco users, and compare our findings with previous reviews and meta-analyses.MethodsFollowing literature review a meta-analysis was conducted of 32 epidemiological studies published between 1920 and 2005 including tests for homogeneity and publication bias.ResultsBased on 38 heterogeneous study-specific estimates of the odds ratio or relative risk for smokeless tobacco use, the random-effects estimate was 1.87 (95% confidence interval 1.40–2.48). The increase was mainly evident in studies conducted before 1980. No increase was seen in studies in Scandinavia. Restricting attention to the seven estimates adjusted for smoking and alcohol eliminated both heterogeneity and excess risk (1.02; 0.82–1.28). Estimates also varied by sex (higher in females) and by study design (higher in case-control studies with hospital controls) but more clearly in studies where estimates were unadjusted, even for age. The pattern of estimates suggests some publication bias. Based on limited data specific to never smokers, the random-effects estimate was 1.94 (0.88–4.28), the eight individual estimates being heterogeneous and based on few exposed cases.ConclusionSmokeless tobacco, as used in America or Europe, carries at most a minor increased risk of oral cancer. However, elevated risks in specific populations or from specific products cannot definitely be excluded.

Defining the OE hearg: a preliminary archaeological and topographic examination of hearg place names and their hinterlands

The OE term hearg is interpreted variously as 'pagan temple', 'hilltop sanctuary' and even 'idol'. It is a rare survival in the English place-name record. When it can be identified, the place name is commonly considered to refer to a location of pre-Christian religious activity, specifically a pagan Anglo-Saxon temple. Taking inspiration from the extensive and methodologically well-advanced studies in Scandinavia, which have successfully related place-name evidence for cultic and religious sites with the archaeology and topography of these localities, this paper adopts and uses a similar methodology to investigate the archaeological and topographic character of a selection of hearg locations. The traditional interpretations of the place name are questioned and evidence is presented that these sites are characterized by long-lived, localized cult practice spanning the late prehistoric to early historic periods, but with activity reaching a zenith in the late Iron Age to Romano-British eras, rather than the fifth to seventh centuries AD.

Note from the Editor: Nature Writers and American Landscapes. &lt;i&gt;Special Edition of American Studies in Scandinavia

Note from the Editor: Nature Writers and American Landscapes. &lt;i&gt;Special Edition of American Studies in Scandinavia

Developing an ambivalence perspective on medical labelling in education: case dyslexia

There are several social actors involved in the process of constructing the social meaning of dyslexia—namely, parents, teachers, educational authorities and organisations representing dyslectics. Some of these actors emphasise the constructive social powers related to the dyslexia label, while others perceive dyslexia as diagnostic reasoning counter productive to the learning processes. In the discussion of this paradox, this article uses sociological medicalisation theory as a provider of perspectives on medical labelling as contested, and on how the labelling process is socially structured. Empirically, the article is based on four studies in Scandinavia of the construction of dyslexia in different social settings, such as individual life stories, parent stories, educational politics and the legal system. The medicalisation perspective is found most useful for the understanding of undesirable effects. To understand reported experience of medical labelling as empowering, other sociological perspectives are more useful.

Reimund Kvideland (1935–2006)

Reimund Kvideland was born on 28 January 1935 in Hojland in a district of western Norway characterised by strong religiosity, and he was the first in his family to follow an academic career. From 1957 to 1964 he studied Nordic philology and literature, history and folkloristics in Oslo, Copenhagen and Frankfurt am Main. title of his unpublished dissertation in folkloristics submitted for a Master's degree in 1964 was Eventyrforteljeren og forteljemiljo (The Storyteller and Storytelling Milieu). It was his teacher in Oslo, Svale Solheim, who spurred him on to undertake folktale research that focused on the tradition bearers and their and milieu. Above all, the inspiration came from works in German by Otto Brinkmann, Gottfried Henssen and Linda Degh. orientation towards context and function was to mark Reimund Kvideland's work throughout his career as a folklorist. Remund Kvideland's name became well known in the folklore world because of his eminent talents as an organiser of international folklore cooperation and as an editor of folklore texts. His own scholarly production should not be forgotten, however; this consists mostly of articles, introductions and reviews, as he never published a magnum opus. After his student years, Reimund Kvideland was appointed to the University of Bergen with the task of creating a folklore programme, which did not then exist there. He devoted his considerable energy to carrying out this mission and he was, indeed, successful. From a modest beginning he created--together with his colleagues Brynjulf and Bente Alver, later on--one of the most important centres for folklore studies in Scandinavia. Its international reputation reached a peak in 1984, when he and his colleagues arranged the 8th International Society for Folk Narrative Research Congress in Bergen, where many important papers were presented in a friendly, relaxed environment. Reimund Kvideland also showed his capacity as a swift editor on that occasion--together with Torunn Selberg, he published all the congress papers in four volumes within one year. two first volumes were actually presented to the participants while the congress was still in progress. In 1991, Kvideland succeeded Lauri Honko as Director of the Nordic Institute of Folklore, based in Turku, Finland. During his directorate he made contacts with scholars in India and China and--closer to home--in the Baltic states, which had gained independence consequent on the breakdown of the Soviet Union. He remained in his position in Nordic Institute of Folklore until Nordic politicians took the unfortunate decision to close the Institute down in 1997. He then returned to Bergen where he was appointed professor in 1999. Reimund Kvideland loved to travel and to meet colleagues. extensive scholarly network that he built up, and his good reputation as a scholar, meant that he was well-suited to central positions in international folklore cooperation activities. He was elected President of Societe Internationale d'Ethnologie et de Folklore for the period 1987-90, and he was President of the International Society for Folk Narrative Research from 1989 to 1998. He was also a man of extensive reading, which is reflected in his own scholarly production. Here I must confine myself to his special interests: folktales, folk song, children's lore, folk religiosity, and research history. His most important contribution, perhaps, to folktale theory was his article The Study of Folktale Repertoires, published in Telling Reality. Folklore Studies in Memory of Bengt Holbek (1993). Here Kvideland shows that the term repertoire is not as unproblematic as it may seem. article exemplifies Kvideland's best qualities as a scholar: even if his voice is low, he shows a stubborn will to analyse the concept in its whole complexity. storyteller who interested him most was a poor landless labourer named Olav Eividson Austad, who has been called Norway's last great storyteller. …

Autoimmunity and Susceptibility to Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Population-Based Case–Control Study in Scandinavia

Personal history of autoimmune diseases is consistently associated with increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In contrast, there are limited data on risk of Hodgkin lymphoma following autoimmune diseases and almost no data addressing whether there is a familial association between the conditions. Using population-based linked registry data from Sweden and Denmark, 32 separate autoimmune and related conditions were identified from hospital diagnoses in 7476 case subjects with Hodgkin lymphoma, 18,573 matched control subjects, and more than 86,000 first-degree relatives of case and control subjects. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as measures of relative risks for each condition using logistic regression and also applied multivariable hierarchical regression models. All P values are two-sided. We found statistically significantly increased risks of Hodgkin lymphoma associated with personal histories of several autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.9 to 4.0), systemic lupus erythematosus (OR = 5.8, 95% CI = 2.2 to 15.1), sarcoidosis (OR = 14.1, 95% CI = 5.4 to 36.8), and immune thrombocytopenic purpura (OR = infinity, P = .002). A statistically significant increase in risk of Hodgkin lymphoma was associated with family histories of sarcoidosis (OR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.01 to 3.1) and ulcerative colitis (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.02 to 2.6). Personal or family history of certain autoimmune conditions was strongly associated with increased risk of Hodgkin lymphoma. The association between both personal and family histories of sarcoidosis and a statistically significantly increased risk of Hodgkin lymphoma suggests shared susceptibility for these conditions.

Incidence of chronic pancreatitis in the Czech Republic.

There have been only a few studies dealing with the incidence of chronic pancreatitis published. Over the last 80 years, original studies describing the incidence of chronic pancreatitis were undertaken, including studies in Scandinavia, Switzerland, Hungary and Poland. Incidence varied geographically, from 1.6 new cases per year among 100,000 inhabitants in Switzerland to 23 new cases among 100,000 inhabitants in Finland. The aetiology of 70% of all cases was alcoholic pancreatitis. The incidence of chronic pancreatitis in the Czech Republic is 7.9 per 100,000 inhabitants per year, similar to that of Denmark and Germany, but higher than that of Poland or Switzerland. In our study, the main aetiological factor was alcohol (65.4% of all cases, with consumption of alcohol of > 75.0 g/day).

The influence of hydrosalpinx on IVF and embryo transfer: a review.

Several retrospective studies have shown an impaired outcome of IVF in the presence of hydrosalpinx. The retrospective data have been compiled and presented in meta-analyses, demonstrating a reduction by half in the probability of achieving a pregnancy in the presence of hydrosalpinx and a doubled rate of spontaneous abortion. The main theories trying to explain the underlying mechanisms have focused on potential embryotoxic properties of the fluid or impaired endometrial receptivity to implantation. Several mouse studies have suggested an embryotoxic effect of the hydrosalpingeal fluid, a finding which is not supported in studies on human embryos. It is believed that the fluid exerts a detrimental effect on the endometrium by altering the receptivity or simply by causing a mechanical hindrance for implantation. Different treatment options would then be tubal ligation, salpingostomy, aspiration of hydrosalpinx fluid or salpingectomy. The effect of aspiration has been studied in a few retrospective trials with contradictory results. Treatment with salpingectomy has entered into clinical practice without proper evidence for its benefit. Concerns have also been raised about the potential hazard of surgical intervention to ovarian circulation and function. A randomized controlled trial on salpingectomy prior to IVF has now been conducted as a multicentre study in Scandinavia. Laparoscopic salpingectomy prior to IVF was shown to be beneficial in patients with large hydrosalpinges that were visible on ultrasound, a result which supports the theory of the fluid being involved in the impaired implantation process.

Tourism impact comparisons among norwegian towns

This study contributes to filling out the missing comparative tourism impact studies in Scandinavia and other small, economically developed societies. The study indicates the relative importance of direct industry effects, spin-off effects, and secondary effects in nine small Norwegian municipalities. Economic and employment effects are compared, and multipliers are calculated. The importance of the various groups of effects depends on regional characteristics such as the local infrastructure, the age of local tourism, and attributes of the type of industry. The study provides guidance to policymakers and directions for future research.

Bird predation as a sex‐ and size‐selective agent of the arboreal spider Pityohyphantes phrygianus

1. The solitary sheetweb spider Pityohyphantes phrygianus (Araneae: Linyphiidae) lives in canopies of coniferous trees. Earlier studies in Scandinavia have shown that bird predation affects the spider abundance negatively. 2. In a large‐scale, 2‐year field experiment, passerine birds were excluded from foraging on spruce branches. The experimental branches were net‐enclosed, which prevented bird predation but left spiders free to leave and enter. Samples were taken in the autumn and spring for 2 years. 3. Removal of bird predation increased the mean number of subadult P. phrygianus per branch between 2·1 and 10·6 times the control number for each sex. Bird predation had approximately similar effects on the sexes, except in the second experimental spring when males were affected twice as much as females, and there was a significantly lower proportion of males on control branches exposed to bird predation than on net‐enclosed branches. 4. The mean size of females was larger on net‐enclosed branches than on controls in both spring samples. In males, this was the case in the first spring sample only. 5. This study shows that there are also mortality costs for both sexes associated with large size in the non‐mating season. In certain winters, however, there is an additional mortality risk to males, presumably caused by a higher activity level than in females.

Genetic and environmental contributions to smoking

We estimate the magnitude of genetic and shared environmental contributions to risk of initiation and maintenance of smoking. Genetic models were fitted to data from 2,204 male-male monozygotic and 1,793 male-male dizygotic twin pairs from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry who responded to smoking questions on a 1987 mail and telephone survey. The best fitting model allowed for both genetic and shared environmental effects on smoking initiation, accounting for 50% and 30% of the variance in risk, but allowed for only genetic effects, (accounting for 70% of the variance in risk), on persistence in smoking among those who had become regular smokers. This finding of a major genetic influence on smoking persistence confirms similar results from studies in Scandinavia and Australia. The role of heritable traits such as nicotine sensitivity should be addressed in smoking prevention and cessation efforts.

Genetic and environmental contributions to smoking

We estimate the magnitude of genetic and shared environmental contributions to risk of initiation and maintenance of smoking. Genetic models were fitted to data from 2 204 male-male monozygotic and I 793 male-male dizygotic twin pairs from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry who responded to smoking questions on a 1987 mail and telephone survey. The best fitting model allowed for both genetic and shared environmental effects on smoking initiation, accounting for 50% and 30% of the variance in risk, but allowed for only genetic effects, (accounting for 70% of the variance in risk), on persistence in smoking among those who had become regular smokers. This finding of a major genetic influence on smoking persistence confirms similar results from studies in Scandinavia and Australia. The role of heritable traits such as nicotine sensitivity should be addressed in smoking prevention and cessation efforts.

Occupational back pain: then and now

Before the Society for Back Pain Research was founded, studies in Scandinavia [1], Manchester [2] and Edinburgh [3] had reported that the prevalence of back pain in male workers was approximately 30%. More detailed studies indicated that the ratio of low back pain (LBP) to scapulohumeral pain (SlIP) was of the order of 3:1. It was also well established that the prevalence increased with age, was higher among those engaged in heavy tasks than light work, and also among those who had to adopt awkward postures for long periods. At that time the distribution of back pain syndromes throughout almost every section of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) made consistency difficult and encouraged specialists from a wide range of clinical disciplines to classify back disorders according to their own nomenclatures and thus justify their numerous therapies some of which were quite bizarre. Finally the attitude of the General Medical Council (GMC) to liaison between Registered Medical Practitioners and therapists who were not on their register meant that joint studies were difficult. 2. SBPR influences

Phase III latanoprost studies in Scandinavia, the United Kingdom and the United States

Three large, masked, multicenter studies are reviewed comparing the safety and efficacy of 0.005% latanoprost eyedrops given once daily to 0.5% timolol eyedrops given twice daily for six months in patients with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). A total of 829 patients were recruited from centers in Scandinavia, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA). In addition, data are reviewed from the first 198 of these patients to complete an additional six months of latanoprost treatment in an openlabel study. In all centers, both latanoprost and timolol were very effective in reducing the diurnal IOP. In the UK, both drugs reduced the IOP by 34%. In the USA, latanoprost was more effective than timolol, reducing IOP by 27% compared to 20%. In Scandinavia, latanoprost was given for three months in the evening and for three months in the morning while timolol was given twice daily for six months. Latanoprost given in the evening reduced IOP (35% reduction) significantly (p<0.001) more than latanoprost given in the morning (31% reduction) and timolol given twice daily (27% reduction). Darkening of the iris color occurred in 7% of eyes treated with latanoprost tbr six months. A clinical evaluation of eyes with increased pigmentation, as well as preclinical studies, suggest that this side effect is a cosmetic problem in patients treated unilaterally. Other side effects were slight and not clinically significant. After one year of treatment with latanoprost in 198 patients, the IOP reduction of 32% was maintained. There was no loss of efficacy and no significant increase in the incidence of side effects or adverse events other than iris color darkening, which occurred or was suspected in 12%. These results demonstrate that latanoprost is a valuable drug for the treatment of chronic open angle glaucoma.

Contemporary China Studies in Scandinavia

Thirty years ago contemporary China studies in Scandinavia was largely an unknown phenomenon. Most sinologists worked on aspects of traditional sinology such as historical phonology, classical religion, philosophy and linguistics, and contemporary studies were seen as a rather shallow preoccupation which could be left safely in the hands of journalists and diplomats. However, as the public interest in contemporary China studies in Scandinavia grew and as development economists, political scientists and sociologists began to encroach on the China field, it increasingly became difficult to limit Chinese studies to classical pursuits. Today the contemporary China field in Scandinavia has grown strong and active and consists of approximately 90 active scholars. In most Scandinavian institutes classical studies occupy a dominant position in terms of faculty staff, but new positions are increasingly established within the contemporary field, where one also finds the majority of new Ph.D. projects.

American Studies in Scandinavia

American Studies in Scandinavia

Adjuvant Tamoxifen Therapy for Early Stage Breast Cancer and Second Primary Malignancies

Tamoxifen is being increasingly used for the treatment of breast cancer and is undergoing study for the primary prevention of breast cancer. However, concerns have been raised that the drug may increase the incidence of new primary malignancies, such as endometrial, liver, and colorectal cancers. Our goal was to assess the carcinogenic risks associated with long-term use of tamoxifen in women with early stage breast cancer. The incidence of new primary cancers among 2729 women participants of the Stockholm Trial was determined at a median follow-up of 9 years. In this trial, after primary surgery, postmenopausal patients aged less than 71 years with unilateral invasive breast cancer were randomly allocated to receive either 2 years of adjuvant tamoxifen (40 mg daily) or no adjuvant endocrine therapy. Information on second cancers was obtained by retrospective linkage to the Swedish Cancer Registry. To increase statistical power, a joint analysis of the incidence of endometrial and gastrointestinal cancers was performed in the following three major studies in Scandinavia evaluating adjuvant tamoxifen therapy: the Stockholm Trial, the Danish Breast Cancer Group Trial, and the South-Swedish Trial. These studies included a total of 4914 patients with a median follow-up of 8-9 years. All P values were calculated from two-tailed tests of statistical significance. In the Stockholm Trial, there was a statistically significant (P = .008) reduction in the incidence of second primary cancers in the contralateral breast among the tamoxifen-treated patients. However, there was a nearly sixfold increase in endometrial cancers (P < .001) and a threefold increase in gastrointestinal cancers in the tamoxifen-treated patients. The results of the joint studies showed a statistically significant increase in endometrial cancers among the tamoxifen-treated patients (relative risk [RR] = 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.9-8.9). There was also an excess of gastrointestinal cancers associated with tamoxifen. Most of this excess involved colorectal cancers (RR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.1-3.3) and stomach cancer (RR = 3.2; 95% CI = 0.9-11.7). There was no substantial increase in any other type of gastrointestinal cancer (e.g., liver cancer) among the tamoxifen-treated patients. The endometrium and gastrointestinal organs may be target sites for tamoxifen-induced carcinogenesis in humans. The increased incidence of colorectal and stomach cancers reported here should be regarded as tentative until supported by long-term data from a larger number of tamoxifen trials. Also, appropriate surveillance of cancer incidence is warranted for the protection of participants enrolled in current tamoxifen chemoprevention trials.

Personality and the inheritance of smoking behavior: a genetic perspective.

In contrast to the extensive research effort to understand the genetic contribution to alcoholism risk, there has been little research directed at understanding genetic influences on smoking behavior. Data from large twin studies in Scandinavia and Australia are consistent with a major genetic influence on the probability that an individual will become a smoker ("initiation") and will persist in the smoking habit once smoking has started ("persistence"). We use data from the 1988/1989 follow-up survey of the Australian NH&MRC twin panel to determine to what degree personality measures (Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire--Revised) and attitudinal and sociodemographic variables (social and political conservatism, education, religious involvement) might account for genetic or environmental influences on smoking. While we find significant phenotypic associations between these variables and smoking, these are too modest to account for much of the genetic variance. Possible mechanisms by which this genetic variance may arise are discussed.