A preventive registry for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is a genetic disorder characterized by a strong family history of colorectal and extracolonic cancers, usually at a young age. This article presents a new provincial service for families with HNPCC. The Steve Atanas Stavro Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry at Mount Sinai Hospital is accruing patients that meet a set of criteria establishing a putative diagnosis of HNPCC. The objectives of the Registry are to develop and assess patient pedigrees, to coordinate screening procedures for at-risk persons, to maintain a prospective database of patient information, to provide education and support for families and to contribute to research. To date, surgeons and patients are the most common referral sources, while oncologists and geneticists are the least common. The ultimate goal of the HNPCC service is the secondary prevention of cancer and a corresponding decrease in mortality for HNPCC family members.     

In vivo bone mineral studies on volunteers during a 370-day antiorthostatic hypokinesia test

Bone mineral of spine, femur, tibia, forearm, calcaneus, hand, and foot was studied on nine volunteers by quantitative computed tomography, neutron activation analysis, single and dual photon absorptiometry during and after long-term hypokinesia. Conditions of long-term space flight were simulated using a 370-day antiorthostatic hypokinesia test. It is shown that the highest mineral losses occur in foot bones including calcaneus. Remedial measures undertaken delay the process of osteoporosis development but do not completely exclude it. The results obtained by different methods are often conflicting. Consequently, the accuracy of the in vivo methods for bone mineral determination must be more thoroughly studied.