Childhood cancer and parental use of alcohol and tobacco

Reported consumptions of alcohol and tobacco for the parents of 1641 children who died with cancer in England and Wales during the period 1977 to 1981 were compared with similar information for the parents of 1641 control subjects. Consumption of alcohol by fathers was not associated with an increased risk of childhood cancer (relative risk (RR)) = 1.05; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86 to 1.28), but for daily consumption of cigarettes was not shown to be associated with an increased risk and consumption of alcohol was associated with a relatively low cancer risk (RR = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.70 to 0.96). Relations between maternal consumption of cigarettes and birth weights suggested that the smoking data were equally reliable for case patients and control subjects.     

Aetiology of oral cancer: alcohol

This prospective cohort study determined the incidence and risk factors for development of postdural puncture headache (PDPH) in children after lumbar puncture (LP). Eighty-six children were enrolled. LPs were performed with use of 22-gauge spinal needles with the bevel oriented parallel to the long axis of the spine. Follow-up telephone interviews and patients' diary of symptoms were collected. Headache brought on by sitting up and relieved by lying down was defined as PDPH. Of the 80 who completed the study, six (8%) developed PDPH. Two (3%) were less than 6 years old and four (5%) were 6 to 12 years of age. Children with a history of headache following a previous LP were nine times as likely to experience PDPH. PDPH occurs not infrequently in children. A prior history of headache is a predisposing factor.     

Comparative epidemiology of dependence on tobacco, alcohol, controlled substances, and inhalants: Basic findings from the National Comorbidity Survey.

Studying prevalence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III-Revised (DSM-III-R) drug dependence among Americans 15–54 yrs old, the authors found about 1 in 4 (24%) had a history of tobacco dependence; about 1 in 7 (14%) had a history of alcohol dependence, and about 1 in 13 (7.5%) had a history of dependence on an inhalant or controlled drug. About one third of tobacco smokers had developed tobacco dependence and about 15% of drinkers had become alcohol dependent. Among users of the other drugs, about 15% had become dependent. Many more Americans age 15–54 have been affected by dependence on psychoactive substances than by other psychiatric disturbances now accorded a higher priority in mental health service delivery systems, prevention, and sponsored research programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Irish descent, religion, and alcohol and tobacco use

The West of Scotland has traditionally been a focus for Irish migration. Using data from two studies carried out in this region, one quantitative, the other qualitative, this paper shows little difference in drinking and smoking between Scots of Irish descent and other Scots. It does, however, show significant differences in these behaviours according to religious affiliation in adulthood. Rather than confirming the stereotype of Irish Catholics as heavy drinkers and smokers the present paper puts forward the hypothesis that drinkers and smokers are differentially retained in membership by different religious affiliations, and argues that this accounts for differences in reputation and in health-related behaviours.     

Smoking tobacco, oral snuff, and alcohol in the etiology of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: a population-based case-referent study in Sweden

BACKGROUND: This case-referent study was conducted to elucidate the role of selected exogenous agents in the etiology of head and neck cancer. The factors studied were tobacco smoking, alcohol intake, the use of moist oral snuff, dietary factors, occupational exposures, and oral hygiene. In this first report, the authors discuss the impact of tobacco smoking, the use of oral snuff, and alcohol consumption. METHODS: The study base was approximately 2 million person-years at risk and consisted of Swedish males age 40-79 years living in 2 geographic regions during the years 1988-1990. A total of 605 cases were identified in the base, and 756 controls were selected by stratified random sampling from population registries covering the base. RESULTS: Among those who were tobacco smokers at the time of the study, the relative risk of head and neck cancer was 6.5% (95% confidence interval, 4.4-9.5%). After cessation of smoking, the risk gradually declined, and no excess risk was found after 20 years. The relative risk associated with alcohol consumption of 50 grams or more per day versus less than 10 grams per day was 5.5% (95% confidence interval, 3.1-9.6%). An almost multiplicative effect was found for tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco smoking and alcohol intake had a strong interactive effect on the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Moderate alcohol intake (10-19 grams per day) had little or no effect among nonsmokers. No increased risk was found for the use of Swedish oral snuff.     

Stress, hormonal changes, alcohol, food constituents and drugs: factors that advance the incidence of tobacco smoke-related cancer?

The genotoxicity of the most potent carcinogen in cigarette smoke [4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)] is dependent on the relationship between its activation by cytochrome P450 enzymes and its detoxification by carbonyl reduction to NNK alcohol (NNAL) followed by glucuronidation. Recently, '11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase' (11 beta-HSD 1) was identified to be responsible for NNK carbonyl reduction. It is now speculated that differences in tissue expression of 11 beta-HSD 1, as well as genetic polymorphisms, may have profound influences on the organospecificity and potency of NNK-induced cancerogenesis. Moreover, endogenous and exogenous substrates or inhibitors of 11 beta-HSD 1 may shift the NNK/NNAL equilibrium and favour NNK toxification in a variety of physiological and therapeutic situations. These issues are discussed here by Edmund Maser, who also describes how recent observations could provide the experimental base for epidemiological or clinical studies, which focus on polymorphisms in 11 beta-HSD 1 enzyme expression, as well as on implications of exposure to 11 beta-HSD 1 modulators and concurrent smoking.     

The economic costs of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs in Canada, 1992

AIMS, DESIGN AND SETTING: The economic costs of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs in Canadian society in 1992 are estimated utilizing a cost-of-illness framework and recently developed international guidelines. MEASUREMENTS: For causes of disease or death (using ICD-9 categories), pooled relative risk estimates from meta-analyses are combined with prevalence data by age, gender and province to derive the proportion attributable to alcohol, tobacco and/or illicit drugs. The resulting estimates of attributable deaths and hospitalizations are used to calculate associated health care, law enforcement, productivity and other costs. The results are compared wit other studies, and sensitivity analyses are conducted on alternative measures of alcohol consumption, alternative discount rates for productivity costs and the use of diagnostic-specific hospitalization costs. FINDINGS: The misuse of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs cost more than $18.4 billion in Canada in 1992, representing $649 per capita or 2.7% of GDP. Alcohol accounts for approximately $7.52 billion in costs, including $4.14 billion for lost productivity, $1.36 billion for law enforcement and $1.30 billion in direct health care costs. Tobacco accounts for approximately $9.56 billion in costs, including $6.82 billion for lost productivity and $2.68 billion for direct health costs. The economic of illicit drugs are estimated at $1.4 billion. CONCLUSIONS: Substance abuse exacts a considerable toll to Canadian society in terms of illness, injury, death and economic costs.     

Alcohol, breast cancer and causal inference in epidemiology

In order to demonstrate how possible causal relationships are critically evaluated in epidemiologic research, literature on the association between alcohol and breast cancer is reviewed and discussed. A cause can be defined as a factor which, in combination with other factors, known and unknown, is sufficient to produce an effect. Since the hypothesis-generating study was published in 1977, a total of 34 positive and 16 negative studies have been published. Methodological problems, such as chance, bias and confounding, cannot be considered as plausible explanations for the above majority of positive findings. The question of causality was then evaluated using the guidelines developed by Bradford Hill in 1965. Among these, the strength of the association, consistency, temporality, biological gradient and biological plausibility, are the most important. In spite of the relatively weak association and somewhat inconsistent results, it is concluded that alcohol consumption should be considered as a cause of breast cancer. It is estimated that in Norway, between 24 and 180 cases of breast cancer may be attributed to alcohol consumption. Future research should focus on the question of effect-modification and on the possible implications of different patterns of alcohol consumption.     

The origins of the correlations between tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use during adolescence

Methods of structural equation modelling were used to analyse the correlations between reports of tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use in a birth cohort of New Zealand children studied to the age of 16. This analysis produced three major conclusions: (a) the correlations between tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use could be explained by a factor representing the individual's vulnerability to substance use; (b) predictors of vulnerability to substance use were the extent to which the individual affiliated with delinquent or substance using peers, novelty seeking, and parental illicit drug use; (c) in the region of 54% of the correlations between substance use behaviours could be predicted from observed risk factors and 46% was attributable to non-observed sources of vulnerability.     

Bacteria, diet, and large bowel cancer

The influence of various dietary supplements on the fecal bacteria was studied. Substances were chosen for study because they were known to influence body metabolism or had been implicated in the various hypotheses as the cause of large bowel cancer. No alteration in the fecal flora was demonstrated. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of other investigations with special reference to our theory concerning the cause of large bowel cancer.     

Ovarian cancer: epidemiology, diagnosis, and management

Ovarian cancer is a common malignancy for which no widely effective prevention or early detection strategies are known. It is one of the most responsive of adult solid tumors, however, and patients can be cured by appropriately applied regimens of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Expertise is required to select and coordinate the appropriate combinations. Therapeutic trials are underway at various centers, including the Medicine Branch of the NCI, to develop new treatment strategies and refine existing modalities.     

Epidemiological study on diet, smoking and alcohol drinking in the relationship to prostatic weight

BACKGROUND: There have been no epidemiological studies on the relationship between the prostatic weight and blood examination data. This study was carried out to evaluate this relationship. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Blood examination (beta-carotene, GOT, GPT, total cholesterol, etc.) and measurement of the prostatic weight were performed in 432 subjects aged 50 years or more of a town in Japan, and the possible relationship between blood analysis data and the prostatic weight was evaluated. The prostates were examined by transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) and classified into the normal prostate and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The prostatic weight was measured by Watanabe's method based on TRUS images. In addition, the possible association between the prostatic weight and smoking, drinking, height, body weight, or age was evaluated. RESULTS: Analysis by the logistic procedure and the general linear models procedure showed a significant positive correlation between the normal prostatic weight and beta-carotene, height, as well as body weight and a significant negative correlation between the normal prostatic weight and smoking. Comparison between subjects with the normal prostate and those with BPH suggested that serum beta-carotene is a significant positive risk for BPH, and HDL-cholesterol, drinking, and smoking are negative risks by logistic procedure analysis. CONCLUSION: It was thought that serum beta-carotene and smoking are associated with the development of BPH.     

Gender differences in evaluations of tobacco and alcohol advertisements.

Examined the relation between gender and reactions to different styles of advertising tobacco and alcohol products among 41 females and 34 males (aged 12–16 yrs) and their parents (39 mothers and 36 fathers). Self-monitoring was also examined as a possible correlate. Ss rated magazine advertisements oriented toward the product's image or qualities. Girls liked image-oriented advertisements more and perceived them to be more persuasive than quality-oriented advertising. This gender difference was not observed among adults. All Ss liked image-oriented more than quality-oriented advertising. Moreover, image-oriented advertisements were seen as more persuasive than quality-oriented advertisements by girls' parents who were high in self-monitoring. Results suggest that girls in early adolescence may be particularly attentive to image-oriented commercials that portray smoking and drinking as desirable behaviors. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Joint influence of alcohol, tobacco, and coffee on biological markers of heavy drinking in alcoholics

BACKGROUND: Recent reports suggest that gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) decreases with coffee intake. The aim of this study was to examine the joint influence of alcohol, tobacco, cotinine, coffee, and caffeine on biological markers of heavy drinking in an alcoholic population. METHODS: Subjects were 160 alcohol-dependent inpatients. Biological assessments, performed at admission, were plasma levels of GGT, apolipoprotein AI, aspartate aminotransferase, and mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and urine cotinine and caffeine indexes. Years of alcohol abuse and of smoking, alcohol and coffee intake, and smoking rate were estimated in a semistructured interview, and Fagerstr?m Tolerance Questionnaire was completed by inpatients. RESULTS: Coffee intake, but not caffeine, correlated negatively with biological markers of heavy drinking, after controlling for alcohol and tobacco intake. Years of smoking correlated positively to MCV, after controlling for alcohol and coffee intake. CONCLUSIONS: Concerning the effect of coffee, the most likely hypothesis is that noncaffeine coffee fractions have a protective effect on liver cells. Concerning the effect of smoking, one can propose that the increase of MCV with smoking could be a consequence of carbon monoxide inhalation, leading to hypoxemia, or of folate deficiency.     

The problem of tobacco, alcohol and drugs in boarding schools (author's transl)

The problem of tobacco, alcohol and drugs was investigated in various boarding schools in Switzerland. The number of smokers among 297 pupils in the Canton of Obwalden rose from 53% in the 12-14 year old children to 58% (15-17 years) and to 60% (18-20). In the St. Galler Oberland, 39% of the 12-13 year old children smoked and 48% of those aged 14-15 years; 75% of the younger and 64% of the older pupils preferred a glass of milk to a glass of alcohol. In the Canton of Neuchatel, 53% of 174 pupils aged from 15-17 were smokers; 10% had already tried drugs once. In the Canton of Graubunden, 33% of the 13-15 year old pupils and 34% of those aged 17-19 from a total of 166 smoked regularly or occasionally; none of the younger, but 8% of the older pupils had already tried drugs once. Of 412 Swiss pupils in boarding schools, 35% were smokers at the age of about 15-16, 52% at 17-18 and 68% at 19-20 years of age.     

Nonpharmacologic approaches to hypertension. Weight, sodium, alcohol, exercise, and tobacco considerations

Weight loss decreases blood pressure, and this change can be sustained over the long-term when the lower weight is maintained. Salt restriction may be effective in blood pressure control only in salt-sensitive individuals. Heavy drinkers (those who drink more than three drinks [30 mL] daily) experience deleterious effects such as hypertension and more cardiovascular risk factors. Consequently, they should be advised to reduce alcohol intake to less than 30 mL daily. Endurance training with dynamic exercise appears to be beneficial for hypertensive patients, although recommendation guidelines are still imprecise. Finally, smoking cessation has not been proven to decrease blood pressure levels but should nonetheless be recommended because of its favorable effects on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.