The role of sexuality in cervical cancer screening among Chinese women.

Objective: Chinese women have significantly lower rates of Papanicolaou (Pap) testing than Euro-Canadian women despite efforts to promote testing. Evidence suggests that Chinese women's reluctance to undergo Pap testing may be related to culture-linked discomfort with sexuality. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of sexuality in the interaction between acculturation and Pap testing. Design: Euro-Canadian (n = 213) and Chinese (n = 260) female university students completed a battery of questionnaires. Main Outcome Measures: Questionnaires assessing sexual knowledge, sexual function, acculturation, and Pap testing frequency. Results: Euro-Canadian women had significantly more accurate sexual knowledge, higher levels of sexual functioning, a broader repertoire of sexual activities, and higher Pap testing rates. Chinese women were more likely to cite embarrassment as a barrier to Pap testing. Heritage acculturation, but not mainstream acculturation, predicted Chinese women's Pap testing behavior. Mainstream acculturation was associated with more accurate sexual knowledge and greater sexual desire and satisfaction. Conclusion: The findings provide support for the hypothesis that low Pap testing rates in Chinese women may be associated with heritage acculturation, although the hypothesis that sexual function would predict Pap testing behavior was not supported. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pancreatic cancer. Analysis of 149 cases in our 17-year experience

The Authors analyse a series of 149 consecutive patients with carcinoma of the pancreas or the periampullary region. Curative surgical treatment was achievable in 55 patients, palliative procedures included surgery in 68 patients; biliary decompression with endoscopic or percutaneous procedure in 25 patients and chemotherapy in one patient with lymphoma. Perioperative complications consisted in gastroplegia (33%), pancreatic fistula (22%), biliary fistula (7.3%), abdominal abscess (5.5%) and hemoperitoneum (1.8%). Five patients died within 30 days after surgery (9%). The overall median postoperative survival was 37, 29 and 21 months in papillary, choledochal and pancreatic cancer, respectively.     

The role of imaging in pancreatic cancer

The clinical diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult, and modern radiological imaging methods are critical to the diagnosis and accurate staging of the disease. Furthermore, endoscopic and interventional radiological techniques have now replaced surgery in palliating those patients with nonresectable disease.     

Diagnosis of uterine abnormalities with radionuclide imaging

A pelvic hypervascular blush often creates a diagnostic dilemma during radionuclide abdominal imaging studies in females. This blush is shown to be due to uterine vascularity that is more prominent in the secretory and menstrual phases of the menstrual cycle. Significant uterine vascularity in the earlier phases is inappropriate and may be pathologic. Three such cases are presented in which increased uterine vascularity on radionuclide imaging during the proliferative phase either lead to a diagnosis or supported a clinical finding.     

Pancreatic cancer and alcohol

The aetiology of pancreatic cancer remains unknown, as for other cancers, despite continued and exhaustive clinical and laboratory research. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer. Due to is anatomical location, detection of carcinoma of the pancreas is difficult in its operable stage. Of the various radiological modalities, real time ultrasonography seems to be most useful and will constitute the major diagnostic approach in the near future.     

Value of radionuclide imaging for the emergency diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. 27 cases

The urgent nature of certain cases of pulmonary ambolism limits the examinations possible to a minimum which should be rapid, immediately interpretable, absolutley harmless and of proven reliability. We reviewed 27 cases of patients referred fro possible embolectomy in a cardiovascular surgery service from 1968 to 1975. Infusion scintigraphy was carried out in all the patients and 20 underwent surgery. Retrospective study of these cases indicates that infusion lung scintigraphy confirmed the diagnosis in all 27 and indicated the need for medical or surgical treatment. The problems which were posed by certain scintigraphic images obtained using a scanning apparatus with iodine mabelled macro-agregates have disappeared with current techniques: the use of microemboli labelled with Technetium, a short-life low energy isotope, together with a scintillation camera which gives rapid AP and lateral views, the latter being essential in the determination of the topographical distribution of the defects.     

Optimal utilization of computerized cranial tomography and radionuclide brain imaging

The results of computerized cranial tomography and radionuclide brain imaging in 490 patients were compared in relationship to the patients' clinical presentation. In 195 patients with focal neurologic abnormalities, both tests detected most lesions, but computerized cranial tomography was slightly more accurate overall. Results of both studies were normal in 69 percent of 295 patients with nonfocal neurologic presentations, and radionuclide imaging failed to detect lesions in only five patients with nonfocal presentations. These results suggest that radionuclide imaging can be used to accurately screen most patients with nonfocal neurologic presentations. An exception is the patient presenting with dementia, in whom computerized cranial tomography provides details of the anatomy of the ventricular cavities and cerebral cortex. This study demonstrates a continuing role of importance for radionuclide imaging in the evaluation of patients with neurologic disease and provides data to allow a rational approach to the optimum use of both techniques.     

Psychological impact of colorectal cancer screening.

This article examines the psychological impact of participating in sigmoidoscopy screening for colorectal cancer prevention. The 1st study examined psychological well-being at 3 months, in relation to screening outcome, in 4,153 individuals. The 2nd study used longitudinal data to examine changes in psychological functioning from before to after screening in relation both to screening outcome and baseline indicators of vulnerability. There were few psychological differences between those who had received negative results or had polyps detected. These findings were confirmed in the longitudinal study, which also found no evidence for vulnerability to adverse effects among those who were initially most anxious or who perceived their risk of cancer to be higher. The longitudinal data suggested that screening might produce transient positive effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Value of radionuclide ventriculography and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis

In suggestive clinical presentations, the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis is confirmed by the haemodynamic findings of impaired ventricular filling (diastole). In this study of 15 patients with pure constrictive pericarditis, the diagnosis value of two non-invasive techniques little used in this indication until now was examined: radionuclide ventriculography (RV) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The RV provides a "functional" diagnosis through the analysis of global and segmental left ventricular filling whilst MRI provides anatomical details of the pericardial thickening. Diastolic dysfunction on RV presented as an increased early diastolic filling time as shown by a shortening of the interval to third filling T1/3R (p < 0.0001), an increased peak diastolic E wave velocity (p < 0.01) and early onset (p < 0.001), increased one third (FR 1/3) and mid (FR 1/2) diastolic filling fractions (p < 0.01) and of the E wave velocity to maximal systolic ejection velocity (S) ration (p < 0.01). The atrial contribution to filling in end diastole decreased (NS). Asynchronous filling, shown by dispersion of the times of onset of segmental early diastolic E peak velocities (delta tE) or of one third diastolic filling delta T1/3R, decreased. Seven patients underwent MRI. Pericardial thickening was present in all patients. The pericardium varied from 6 to 14 mm thick (normal 2.5 +/- 0.7 mm), without any systolo-diastolic variation. The thickening was seen as a dark low intensity signal, indicating the fibro-calcific character of the tissues. Sagittal and coronal views clearly demonstrated the non-uniformity of pericardial thickening.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Myocardial perfusion imaging: clinical experience and recent progress in radionuclide scintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging

In the past 20 years, radionuclide scintigraphy has proven to be a sensitive clinical tool in the assessment of myocardial perfusion abnormalities. Magnetic resonance imaging may also be used to study myocardial perfusion, but its potential value still has to emerge in the clinical setting. This review addresses the potential and achievements of both methods in clinical cardiology.     

Epidemiology and detection of cervical cancer. Implementing the national screening policy

The epidemiological bases of primary prevention and early detection of cancer of the uterine cervix are presented with emphasis on recent developments that are important for clinical practice. The progress of the implementation of the Australian cervical cancer screening policy is also discussed. A Medline search on cervical cancer, 1991-1996, was supplemented by material from international and local authorities, including reports on all aspects of cervical screening in Australia. National and international patterns of risk factors, predictors of progression and regression of precancerous lesions, cervical cancer incidence and mortality are summarised, with emphasis on the most recent and local research. Human papilloma virus (HPV) types are important causes of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) and squamous cell carcinoma. Most cervical screening is performed during medical consultations; additional financial incentives to promote correct targeting of this screening test should be explored. The Commonwealth Government is developing a national policy for the training of persons to provide cervical screening to supplement that provided by medical practitioners. The improvements in the national application of cervical screening should continue with the development of quality assurance at all stages of the screening pathway.     

Risk perceptions and participation in colorectal cancer screening.

Interviewed 124 siblings (mean age 56.4 yrs) of high risk colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and 171 siblings (mean age 58.8 yrs) of average-risk CRC patients to examine the relationship of risk-factor perceptions to perceived susceptibility and participation in a CRC screening test. Results show minimal differences among siblings with respect to perceived susceptibility. Although high-risk siblings were more likely to participate in screening, only 20.2% cited heredity as a risk-increasing factor, and among these siblings, there was no relationship between screening participation and the citation of any specific risk factors, including heredity. Findings suggest that beliefs about risk-increasing factors may be more important determinants of behavior than beliefs about risk-decreasing factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Breast cancer screening. State of the art and introduction to preventive measures

Carcinoma of the breast is the most frequent cause of death in women aged between approximately 38 and 50 years. At present, 1 out of 14 women in Germany and 1 out of 9 in America suffer from breast cancer within a life time. To date, modern methods of treatment and hormone therapy have only been able to increase long-term survival by about 12%. Trials have shown that early diagnosis alone has been able to increase survival from 20% to 50%. Early diagnosis proved to be most effective when clinical examination plus mammography in two planes was carried out annually. An increase in survival has been achieved in post-menopausal women as a result of screening. 22 percent of breast cancers were detected at a curable in situ stage by means of screening. Even after a limited screening program of 4 examination cycles the increase in survival rate over 15-20 years was significant.     

Supervisors' role conflict and role ambiguity differential relations with performance ratings of subordinates and the moderating effect of screening ability.

Survey data obtained from two independent samples of supervisors (Ns?=?68 and 109) supported the prediction that supervisors' experience of role conflict would correlate positively with their reported tendency to deliberately inflate subordinates' performance ratings. Contrary to expectation, in neither sample did supervisors' screening ability emerge as a moderator of the relation between role conflict and rating inflation. In a third independent sample of supervisors (N?=?25), in which rating inflation was operationalized on the basis of actual performance ratings of subordinates, strong support was obtained for both the predicted positive association between role conflict and rating inflation as well as the predicted moderating effect of screening ability on this relation. By contrast, the authors did not anticipate that supervisors' experience of role ambiguity would be directly associated with, or interact with screening ability to predict, rating inflation. The data from all three samples were, in general, in line with these expectations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)