rome and Lung-Neoplasms

A systematic examination of low-dose CT (LDCT) scan, beside lung nodules, may disclose the presence of undiagnosed diseases, improving the efficacy and the cost/efficacy of these programs. The study was aimed at evaluating the association between LDCT scan findings and non-oncologic and oncologic diseases.. The LDCT scan of participants to the "Un Respiro per la vita". Mean age of 746 participants was 62 years (SD:5), 62% were male. 11 (1.5%) received a diagnosis of lung cancer. 16.1% participants were admitted to the acute care in the following three years: 8.6% for CD, 4.3% for RD and 5.2% for OD. Valve calcification (OR 2.02, p:0.02) and mucus plugs (OR 3.37, p:0.04) were positively associated with CD, while sub-pleural fibrosis had a protective role (OR 0.47, p:0.01). Lung nodules > 8 mm (OR 5.54, p: < 0.01), tracheal deviation (OR 6.04, p:0.01) and mucus plugs (OR 4.00, p:0.04) were positively associated with OD admissions. Centrilobular emphysema OR for RD admissions was 1.97 (p:0.06).. The observed association between selected LDCT findings and ensuing CD, RD and OD suggests that the information potential of LCDT goes beyond the screening of lung cancer.

Topics: Aged; Chronic Disease; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Rome; Smoking; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Uncertainty on long-term average radon concentration has a large impact on lung cancer risk assessment in epidemiological studies. The uncertainty can be estimated by year-to-year radon concentration variability, however few data are available. In Italy a study has been planned and conducted to evaluate year-to-year radon variability over several years in normally inhabited dwellings, mainly located in Rome. This is the longest study of this kind in Europe; repeat radon measurements are carried out for 10 years using LR-115 radon detectors in the same home in consecutive years. The study includes 84 dwellings with long-term average radon concentration ranging from 28 to 636 Bq/m

Topics: Air Pollutants, Radioactive; Air Pollution, Indoor; Europe; Follow-Up Studies; Housing; Humans; Italy; Lung Neoplasms; Radon; Rome

Topics: Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Rome

Data coming from the literature investigating the effectiveness and interaction between smoking cessation (SC) and lung cancer screening (LCScr) are still sparse and inconsistent. Herein, we report the preliminary results from the ongoing lung cancer screening trial ("Cosmos-II") focusing our analysis on the inter-relationship between the SC program and the LCScr.

Topics: Aged; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Motivation; Patient Compliance; Program Evaluation; Recurrence; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Rome; Smoking; Smoking Cessation; Smoking Prevention; Time Factors

The main purpose of our project was to evaluate the prevalence of lung cancer in high risk, asymptomatic individuals in addition to quantifying the rate of surgically resectable tumors, and evaluating the role of lung cancer with low dose computed tomography (LDCT) as a tool for lung cancer screening.. Between June 2011 and March 2014, 1500 volunteers at high risk for lung cancer were enrolled in our study and underwent LDCT in our institution. The subsequent diagnostic and therapeutic steps were planned in relation to the results emerging from LDCT. To evaluate speed and type of growth, solid nodules ≤4 mm were reassessed with annual LDCT, those >4-6 mm or >6-8 mm were reassessed with LDCT in 6 or 3 months while nodules suspicious for malignancy were investigated with PET-CT or biopsy according to NCCN guidelines.. Non-calcified nodules were detected in 525 subjects (35% of population): among these 42% had a diameter ≤4 mm, 43% had a diameter >5 mm but <10 mm, 3% appeared as "ground glass" lesions, and 63 (12% of detected nodules) had malignant characteristics (irregular margins, retraction of the surrounding parenchyma, diameter >10 mm). Among the 63 patients who underwent PET-CT or biopsy, 25 cases resulted positive for lung cancer (1.7% of population). These patients underwent surgical treatment with histological detection of tumors in stages IA, IB or IIB.. Our study confirmed the emerging data on the use of LDCT as a screening tool for lung neoplasm in individuals at risk. Due to the LDCT low rate of specificity complementary biomarkers are required to properly define patients at risk and to reduce the number of further radiological examinations.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Incidence; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Multidetector Computed Tomography; Neoplasm Staging; Predictive Value of Tests; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Rome; Sensitivity and Specificity; Smoking; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

We studied the expression in the tumour infiltrate of a T-cell activation marker, the lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosin kinase (LCK), to assess if it could be associated with a better prognostic outcome in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. This retrospective study included 25 patients undergoing lobectomy with systematic hilo-mediastinal lymphadenectomy for pathological stage I NSCLC between July 2003 and June 2005. The presence of LCK was detected in the tumour infiltrate by immunohistochemistry on the specimens of all patients. No patient received adjuvant therapy. Twelve patients resulted LCK-positive and 13 LCK-negative. The distribution of patients according to the T-stage was similar between the LCK-positive group (1 T1a, 5 T1b, 6 T2a) and the LCK-negative group (1 T1a, 5 T1b, 7 T2a). Median overall survival (OS) time was not reached in the LCK-positive group and 30 months in the LCK-negative group (P = 0.01). OS was longer than 40 months in 75% of the LCK-positive patients and in 31% of the LCK-negative patients (P = 0.01). Median time to relapse (TTR) was significantly longer in LCK-positive patients than in LCK-negative patients (not reached vs. 25 months; P < 0.001). In conclusion, LCK-positive tumour infiltrate has been found to be associated with a significantly longer OS and TTR in patients with radically resected stage I NSCLC.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Disease-Free Survival; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Lung Neoplasms; Lymph Node Excision; Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck); Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplasm Staging; Pneumonectomy; Retrospective Studies; Rome; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome

There has been growing interest over recent years in the potential preventive role of the Mediterranean diet in the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer. The present study was designed to evaluate the relationship between the components of the Mediterranean diet and lung cancer. A hospital-based, case-control study of lung cancer was conducted on subjects aged 35+ yr living in the Lazio region and admitted to one of the main hospitals in Rome in the period from 1993 to 1996. Cases (n = 342) were patients with newly diagnosed primary lung cancer. Controls (n = 292) were recruited from departments of general surgery, orthopedics, ENT, and general medicine and were frequency matched by sex and age (+/-5 yr) to the cases. Exposure characteristics were obtained by interviewing study subjects. A self-administered food-frequency questionnaire was used. After careful control for several smoking variables, we found a protective effect for high consumption of carrots (odds ratio [OR] = 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.42-1.05), tomatoes (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.34-1.03), white meat (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.42-1.02), exclusive use of olive oil (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.45-0.99), and regular consumption of sage (OR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.29-0.65). In a multivariate model, considering all food items simultaneously, the protective effect of exclusive olive oil use and sage remained statistically significant. Our results indicate that some food items typical of the Mediterranean diet are associated with decreased lung cancer risk.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Case-Control Studies; Diet, Mediterranean; Educational Status; Feeding Behavior; Female; Humans; Inpatients; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Exposure; Odds Ratio; Rome; Smoking; Surveys and Questionnaires

The mortality pattern of taxi drivers in Rome as possibly exposed mainly to gasoline engine exhausts was evaluated by means of a historical cohort study. A total of 2,311 male subjects registered as taxi drivers between 1950 and 1975 was followed from 1965 through 1988. The overall mortality was lower than expected on the basis of regional (Latium) reference rates (692 deaths, standardized mortality ratio [SMR] = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82-0.96), whereas the number of recorded deaths for malignant neoplasms was about the expected (205 deaths, SMR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.86-1.13). Mortality from circulatory and respiratory diseases was lower than expected. Diabetes was significantly increased (42 deaths, SMR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.25-2.34). An increased SMR appeared for respiratory cancer (SMR = 1.23, 95% CI = 0.98-1.50), mainly due to lung cancer (observed [O] = 76, SMR = 1.23, 95% CI = 0.97-1.54); two pleural cancers were also recorded. The excess of lung cancer deaths was present only among those enrolled in the most recent period (1965-1975) (45 deaths, SMR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.02-1.87), especially among those of younger age (< 65 years) (SMR = 1.86); there was no relation between lung cancer mortality and latency since first enrollment in the cooperatives or duration of membership. There are difficulties in interpreting the excess of lung cancer on the basis of occupational exposures; however, the increased risk observed among workers employed in more recent calendar periods may be due to heavier exposure in the last decades; further follow-up of the cohort may elucidate whether there is an increasing lung cancer risk among taxi drivers.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Air Pollutants, Occupational; Automobile Driving; Cause of Death; Cohort Studies; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms; Occupational Diseases; Odds Ratio; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Rome; Smoking; Survival Analysis; Urban Population; Vehicle Emissions

The mortality of a cohort of 2310 male workers who obtained a licence to handle pesticides in the period 1973-1979 in the province of Rome was investigated. The cohort contributed 26,846 person-years of exposure. The vital status of the cohort was determined up to the end of 1988. The causes of death of the 207 who had died were ascertained from death certificates. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were computed using both the provincial and the national mortality rates. The two methods yielded very similar results. Using the national rates, the SMR for all causes was 56 (95% confidence interval (CI) : 45.3-59.8), for cardiovascular diseases 47 (95% CI : 37.1-59.1), and for all cancers 72 (95% CI : 57.8-89.3). A statistically significant excess was noted for brain cancer (SMR = 270, 95% CI : 108.6-556.9). In addition, the cohort experienced statistically significant lower lung cancer mortality (SMR = 57, 95% CI : 35.6-80.0).

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Agricultural Workers' Diseases; Brain Neoplasms; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cause of Death; Cohort Studies; Confidence Intervals; Death Certificates; Exercise; Healthy Worker Effect; Humans; Licensure; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms; Pesticides; Population Surveillance; Rome; Rural Population; Smoking