Arthroscopic treatment of osteoid osteoma in the posterior proximal tibia: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Osteoid osteoma (OO) is a benign lesion characterized by an increased fibrous component in the bone marrow, presence of bone-like structures within the medullary cavity, and a surrounding sclerotic bone rim. Reports on OO located in the posterior proximal tibia are rare. CASE SUMMARY: Herein, we report the case of an 18-year-old male, admitted for the evaluation of right knee pain. The right knee pain had started 6 months prior without any apparent cause, which was notably severe at night, affecting sleep, and was exacerbated while climbing stairs or bearing weight. The patient also experienced pain on flexion. Three-dimensional computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a nodular lesion beneath the cortical bone of the posterior medial plateau of the right tibia and an abnormal signal focus on the posterior lateral aspect of the right tibial plateau associated with extensive bone marrow edema. A small amount of fluid was present in the right knee joint capsule. The patient subsequently underwent arthroscopic excision of the OO. Postoperatively, there was significant relief of pain, and the knee range of motion returned to normal. CONCLUSION: Although OO in the posterior proximal tibia is a rare occurrence, it can be effectively excised through minimally invasive arthroscopic visualization.

[Correlation Analysis of Water Quality Between Lake Inflow and Outflow: A Case Study of Poyang Lake].

The relationships between inflow and outflow water quality data for Poyang Lake from 1996 to 2016 are discussed and the main influencing factors are identified. TN and TP were the main factors causing a decline in water quality in Poyang Lake during the study period. The water quality of both the inflow and outflow rivers was generally good between 1996 and 2003; however, water quality declined over the study period, which is attributed to an increase in nutrients loads in the watershed. From 2004 to 2011, the water quality of the "Five Rivers" decreased significantly, which caused the water quality of Poyang Lake to decline. Due to the high purification capacity of Poyang Lake, the water quality of the outflow during this period was relatively good. A decline in water quality after this point was affected by pollution loads and hydrological conditions. Specifically, from 2012 to 2016, water quality in Poyang Lake and of the inflow water declined further. This was combined with a decrease in the water-purification capacity of the lake due to changes in the hydrological conditions, resulting in lower water quality at the outflow. Overall, the water quality of the inflow river has been closely related to the water quality in Poyang Lake. The concentrations of TN were significantly higher in the southern and eastern areas of Poyang Lake compared to the western areas. Higher nutrient loading from the Ganjiang River and the Xinjiang River has been an important driver. The concentrations of TP in the southern area of the lake have been significantly higher than in the eastern and western areas. This is attributed to comparatively high TP loads in the Ganjiang River and the Fuhe River. Compared to the changes in hydrological conditions, variations in nutrient loading have had a greater effect on water quality in the lake.

Tunable tapered waveguide for efficient compression of light to graphene surface plasmons.

Dielectric-graphene-dielectric (DGD) structure has been widely used to construct optical devices at infrared region with features of small footprint and low-energy dissipation. The optical properties of graphene can be manipulated by changing its chemical potential by applying a biased voltage onto graphene. However, the excitation efficiency of surface wave on graphene by end-fire method is very low because of large wavevector mismatch between infrared light and surface wave. In this paper, a dielectric-semiconductor-dielectric (DSD) tapered waveguide with magnetic tunability for efficient excitation of surface waves on DGD at infrared region is proposed and analyzed. Efficient excitation of surface waves on DGD with various chemical potentials in graphene layer and incident frequencies can be attained by merely changing the external magnetic field applied onto the DSD tapered waveguide. The electromagnetic simulations verify the design of the proposed structure. More importantly, the constituent materials used in the proposed structure are available in nature. This work opens the door toward various applications in the field of using surface waves.

Magnetically controlled planar hyperbolic metamaterials for subwavelength resolution.

Breaking diffraction limitation is one of the most important issues and still remains to be solved for the demand of high-density optoelectronic components, especially for the photolithography industry. Since the scattered signals of fine feature (i.e. the size is smaller than half of the illuminating wavelength λ) are evanescent, these signals cannot be captured by using conventional glass- or plastic-based optical lens. Hence the corresponding fine feature is lost. In this work, we propose and analyze a magnetically controlled InSb-dielectric multi-layered structure with ability of subwavelength resolution at THz region. This layered structure can resolve subwavelength structures at different frequencies merely changing the magnitude of external magnetic field. Furthermore, the resolving power for a fixed incident frequency can be increased by only increasing the magnitude of applied external magnetic field. By using transfer matrix method and effective medium approach, the mechanism of achieving super resolution is elucidated. The electromagnetic numerical simulation results also prove the rationality and feasibility of the proposed design. Because the proposed device can be dynamically reconfigured by simply changing the magnitude of external magnetic field, it would provide a practical route for multi-functional material, real-time super-resolution imaging, and photolithography.

Posttraumatic growth and demoralization after cancer: The effects of patients' meaning-making.

OBJECTIVE: It is common for patients to experience positive and negative psychological changes (e.g., posttraumatic growth or demoralization) after being diagnosed with cancer. Although demoralization and posttraumatic growth are both related to meaning-making, little attention has been paid to the associations among these concepts. The current study investigated the relationship between demoralization, posttraumatic growth, and meaning-making (focusing on sense-making and benefit-finding during the experience of illness) in cancer patients. METHOD: Some 200 cancer patients (with lung cancer, lymphoma, or leukemia) at the MacKay Memorial Hospital in New Taipei completed the Demoralization Scale-Mandarin Version (DS-MV), the Chinese Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (CPTGI), and a self-designed questionnaire for assessing sense-making and benefit-finding. RESULTS: Demoralization was negatively correlated with posttraumatic growth, sense-making, benefit-finding, and time-since-diagnosis. Multiple regression analysis showed that meaning-making had different effects on demoralization and posttraumatic growth. The interactions of sense-making with either benefit-finding or time-since-diagnosis significantly predicted demoralization. Individuals with relatively higher sense-making and benefit-finding or shorter time-since-diagnosis experienced less demoralization. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: The suffering of cancer may turn on the psychological process of demoralization, posttraumatic growth, and meaning-making in patients. Cancer patients who evidenced higher posttraumatic growth experienced less demoralization. Trying to identify positive changes in the experience of cancer may be a powerful way to increase posttraumatic growth. As time goes by, patients experienced less demoralization. Facilitating sense-making can have similar effects. Cancer patients with less benefit-finding experience higher demoralization, but sense-making buffers this effect.

Guideline and preliminary clinical practice results for dose specification and target delineation for postoperative radiotherapy for oral cavity cancer.

BACKGROUND: Surgery followed by radiotherapy (RT) is indicated for patients with high-risk oral cavity cancer (OCC). Based on multi-institutional reports, we developed a guideline for postoperative RT for patients with OCC. METHODS: A multidisciplinary OCC team was recruited to develop a questionnaire concerning details of risk-factor categorization, target delineation, and dose specification. Thirty-one radiation oncologists from 18 institutions completed the questionnaire, and data were subjected to extensive review to establish the guideline by expert meeting. In this study, we also report the results for patients treated in accordance with the guideline at our institution between 2007 and 2011. RESULTS: Forty-one patients received RT compatible with this guideline with a median 26.8-month follow-up. Thirty-two patients (78%) remained disease-free, 6 (15%) developed locoregional recurrence (4 in-field, 1 marginal, and 1 out-field) and 4 (10%) developed distant metastasis. The overall 2-year survival rate was 86.7%. CONCLUSION: This guideline is promising and should be validated and refined in further clinical practice.

A correlational study of suicidal ideation with psychological distress, depression, and demoralization in patients with cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aims to study the effects of depression and demoralization on suicidal ideation and to determine the feasibility of the Distress Thermometer as a screening tool for patients with cancer who experience depression and demoralization, and thus to establish a model screening process for suicide prevention. METHODS: Purposive sampling was used to invite inpatients and outpatients with lung cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma. Two hundred participants completed the questionnaire, which included the Distress Thermometer (DT), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Demoralization Scale-Mandarin Version (DS-MV), and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation. All data obtained were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and SAS 9.3. RESULTS: Tobit regression analysis showed that demoralization influenced suicidal ideation more than depression did (t = 2.84, p < 0.01). When PHQ-9 ≥ 10 and DS-MV ≥42 were used as criteria for the DT, receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the AUC values were 0.77-0.79, with optimal cutoff points for both of DT ≥5; sensitivity 76.9 and 80.6 %, respectively; and specificity of 73.9 and 72.2 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Demoralization had more influence on suicidal ideation than depression did. Therefore, attention should be paid to highly demoralized patients with cancer or high demoralization comorbid with depression for the purposes of suicide evaluation and prevention. The DT scale (with a cutoff of ≥5 points) has discriminative ability as a screening tool for demoralization or depression and can also be used in clinical settings for the preliminary screening of patients with cancer and high suicide risk.

Simultaneous imaging of temporal changes of NF-κB activity and viable tumor cells in Huh7/NF-κB-tk-luc2/rfp tumor-bearing mice.

Few studies have reported that the effect of sorafenib on advanced human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is taking place via the inhibition of NF-κB signal transduction. Here we constructed a human HCC Huh7 stable clone with NF-κB-responsive element to drive dual reporter genes, herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (tk) and firefly luciferase (luc2), and co-transfected with a third red fluorescent protein (rfp) gene, renamed as Huh7/NF-κB-tk-luc2/rfp cells, and combined with bioluminescent imaging (BLI) and red fluorescent protein imaging (RFPI) to monitor the effect of sorafenib on NF-κB activation and tumor inhibition. The results show that sorafenib could suppress the NF-κB-DNA binding activity, and the expression of downstream effector proteins. Notably, the relative photon fluxes obtained from RFPI and BLI, which represent the viable tumor cells and cells with NF-κB activation, decreased after sorafenib treatment by 50 to 65%, and 87.5 to >90%, respectively, suggesting that NF-κB activation is suppressed in viable HCC cells by sorafenib. Simultaneous molecular imaging of the temporal change of NF-κB activity and of viable cells in the same Huh7/NF-κB-tk-luc2/rfp tumors of the animal may reflect the real status of NF-κB activity and the viable tumor cells at the time of imaging.

Acute effects of three club drugs on the striatum of rats: evaluation by quantitative autoradiography with [18F]FDOPA.

In this work, we used quantitative autoradiography to study the acute effect of cocaine, methamphetamine, and ketamine on the uptake of [(18)F]FDOPA in the striatum of rats. Drugs were treated 0.5 h before (pre-treated), and 1.5 h after (post-treated) [(18)F]FDOPA injections, rats were then sacrificed at 2 h post [(18)F]FDOPA injections to determine the striatum/frontal cortex binding ratios in the striatum. The ratios were lower in the post-treated groups than those of the pre-treated groups, suggesting a net effect of inhibition of trapping of the tracer. The order of uptake inhibition is: ketamine>methamphetamine>cocaine.

Mirtazapine inhibits tumor growth via immune response and serotonergic system.

To study the tumor inhibition effect of mirtazapine, a drug for patients with depression, CT26/luc colon carcinoma-bearing animal model was used. BALB/c mice were randomly divided into six groups: two groups without tumors, i.e. wild-type (no drug) and drug (mirtazapine), and four groups with tumors, i.e. never (no drug), always (pre-drug, i.e. drug treatment before tumor inoculation and throughout the experiment), concurrent (simultaneously tumor inoculation and drug treatment throughout the experiment), and after (post-drug, i.e. drug treatment after tumor inoculation and throughout the experiment). The "psychiatric" conditions of mice were observed from the immobility time with tail suspension and spontaneous motor activity post tumor inoculation. Significant increase of serum interleukin-12 (sIL-12) and the inhibition of tumor growth were found in mirtazapine-treated mice (always, concurrent, and after) as compared with that of never. In addition, interferon-γ level and immunocompetent infiltrating CD4+/CD8+ T cells in the tumors of mirtazapine-treated, tumor-bearing mice were significantly higher as compared with that of never. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expressions, on the contrary, are decreased in the mirtazapine-treated, tumor-bearing mice as compared with that of never. Ex vivo autoradiography with [(123)I]ADAM, a radiopharmaceutical for serotonin transporter, also confirms the similar results. Notably, better survival rates and intervals were also found in mirtazapine-treated mice. These findings, however, were not observed in the immunodeficient mice. Our results suggest that tumor growth inhibition by mirtazapine in CT26/luc colon carcinoma-bearing mice may be due to the alteration of the tumor microenvironment, which involves the activation of the immune response and the recovery of serotonin level.

Sorafenib inhibits TPA-induced MMP-9 and VEGF expression via suppression of ERK/NF-κB pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Invasion by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been reported to occur via the up-regulation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB). Sorafenib can improve the overall survival in patients with HCC, however, the association of its inhibitory mechanisms with the inactivation of NF-κB remains unclear. Here, Huh7 cell line transfected with NF-κB-luc2 vector was used to study the effects of sorafenib on NF-κB activity, on expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which were induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). TPA increased the NF-κB activity and the expressions of MMP-9 and VEGF significantly, but its effects were suppressed by sorafenib in a dose-dependent manner. Similar results were found with PD98059, an inhibitor of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Furthermore, transfection of Huh7 cell with an inhibitor of kappaB-α mutant vector, led to reduced TPA-induced MMP-9 and VEGF mRNA expressions. Sorafenib inhibits TPA-induced MMP-9 and VEGF expressions via the suppression of ERK/NF-κB pathway in HCC cells.

A novel infusible botanically-derived drug, PG2, for cancer-related fatigue: a phase II double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the efficacy of the botanical-derived drug, PG2, a partially purified extract of Astragalus membranaceus, as a complementary and palliative medicine for managing cancer-related fatigue (CRF). METHODS: Patients with advanced cancer and moderate to severe CRF were randomized to receive either PG2 or a placebo (normal saline, NS) in the first treatment cycle (four weeks) in a double-blind manner; thereafter, on the next cycle (four weeks), all patients received open-label treatment with PG2. RESULTS: PG2 significantly improved CRF in the NS-primed group. In the first four week cycle, PG2 administration resulted in a greater fatigue-improvement response rate than seen with NS alone. In addition, approximately 82% of patients who reported an improvement of fatigue symptoms following the first cycle of PG2 experienced sustained benefits after administration of the second treatment cycle. Among patients treated with PG2 who did not report an improvement in symptoms throughout the first treatment cycle, approximately 71% showed significant improvement after the second treatment cycle. No major or irreversible toxicities were observed with PG2 treatment. CONCLUSION: PG2 might be an effective and safe treatment for relieving CRF among advanced cancer patients.

Demoralization syndrome among cancer outpatients in Taiwan.

GOALS: This paper aims to explore characteristics of demoralization syndrome as well as the relationship between demoralization syndrome and psychosocial issues as seen through examinations of cancer outpatients in Taiwan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Outpatients with different cancer types were enrolled in this study. The Demoralization Scale Mandarin Version (DS-MV), Patient Health Questionnaire, Beck Hopelessness Scale, and McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire-Taiwan Version were used as instruments. All data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0. RESULTS: Among the 234 patients studied (97 men and 223 women), the majority had cervical cancer (29.1%), followed by breast cancer (26.5%) and head and neck cancer (24.3%). The mean score of DS-MV was 31.05 (SD 14.87). The results of ANOVA analysis showed a significant effect of occupation F(4.209) = 7.145 (p < 0.001), cancer diagnosis F(7.206) = 3.795 (p < 0.001), and treatment F(8.206) = 3.553 (p < 0.001) on DS-MV. CONCLUSIONS: Demoralization syndrome was found to be related to psychosocial issues, different cancer types, and treatments. Further studies are recommended to better understand causes and impacts of demoralization in the quality of life and care of cancer patients.

The association between skull bone fractures and outcomes in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND: In traumatic brain injury (TBI), computed tomography (CT) provides a good assessment of anatomic pathologic findings and the prognostic value of CT characteristics has been well discussed. However, few studies have focused on skull bone fracture and its clinical prognostic importance. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the effects of skull bone fracture on patients with severe TBI admitted to the emergency unit. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of patients with isolated severe TBI admitted to the emergency unit of a university hospital from July 2003 to June 2008. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of skull bone fracture identified by the CT scan while in the emergency unit. Mann-Whitney U test and a Student's t test were used to identify the differences between the two groups, whereas logistic regression was applied to determine any significant differences found in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 197 patients were signed up in our study. Based on the presence of skull bone fracture on CT scan at emergency department, 92 patients (46.7%) comprised the skull bone fracture group and 59 patients (64.1%) of these died. One hundred five patients (53.3%) comprised the nonskull bone fracture group, of which 33 patients (31.4%) died. There is significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: This study shows that skull bone fracture is a mortality risk factor for patients with isolated severe blunt TBI.

Comparison of the efficacy and toxicity of two dose levels of cisplatin/5-fluorouracil as the chemoradiotherapy regimen for the treatment of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

CONCLUSION: The low-dose regimen brought less grade 3?4 neutropenia and mucositis with similar treatment efficacy. It should be further investigated in prospective randomized clinical trials to confirm its effectiveness and tolerability. OBJECTIVES: This nonrandomized study compared the efficacy and toxicity profiles of two dose levels of cisplatin/5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as the chemoradiotherapy regimen for the treatment of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. METHODS: Concurrent chemotherapy consisted of two dose levels: a low dose (cisplatin 12 mg/m(2) + 5-FU 600 mg/m(2) per day) or a high dose (cisplatin 15 mg/m(2) + 5-FU 750 mg/m(2) per day). Both were administered as a 5-day continuous infusion in week 1 and week 5 during radiotherapy. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 44 months, the overall survival and disease-free survival were 35 months and 22 months (n = 67) for the low-dose group and 36 months and 33 months for the high-dose group (n = 96). The 2-year locoregional control rate was 67.2% for the low-dose and 66.8% for the high-dose group. No statistically significant differences were demonstrated in the treatment efficacy end points. The high-dose regimen resulted in significantly more grade 3?4 neutropenia (31.5% vs 10.9%, p = 0.003) and a trend towards more mucositis (62.1% vs 49.3%, p = 0.066).

Therapeutic efficacy evaluation of curcumin on human oral squamous cell carcinoma xenograft using multimodalities of molecular imaging.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignancy of the oral cavity; however the treatment approaches are still unsatisfactory. We used a luciferase-transfected animal model to evaluate the therapeutic effects of curcumin. Human oral squamous cell carcinoma SAS cell line was stably transfected with luc gene, named SAS/luc cells. For the in vivo study, they were inoculated subcutaneously to 6-week-old male NOD/SCID mice which were separated into four groups for intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of curcumin: control, daily with 35 mg/kg, 70 mg/kg every 2 days, and 100 mg/kg every 3 days. We applied SAS/luc bearing animal model and bioluminescent imaging (BLI) to study the inhibition effect of curcumin on tumor growth. The cytotoxic effect of curcumin on SAS/luc cells was mainly at G2/M phase and a significant dose dependent increase of the apoptotic SAS/luc cells as represented by sub-G1 phase was shown. Therapeutic efficacy evaluated by both caliper assay and BLI showed a significant difference between curcumin-treated mice and the controls (p < 0.01). The significant inhibition effects of curcumin on the proliferation and the growth of human OSCC are observed both in vitro and in vivo. No significant body weight change (i.e. within 20%) was observed in all SAS/luc-bearing mice with or without curcumin treatment. This SAS/luc human OSCC bearing animal model combined with multimodalities of molecular imaging permits a sensitive and non-invasive approach to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy in vivo.

Indoor air distribution of nitrogen dioxide and ozone in urban hospitals.

Indoor air pollution has recently become a public concern in Taiwan. People recognize that indoor air quality (IAQ) may be more important than outdoor air quality because they spend over 80% of their time indoors. IAQ could affect health and comfort of building occupants. The objectives of this study are (1) to characterize the indoor concentrations of selected air pollutants at two hospitals in Hsinchu, Taiwan, (2) to evaluate the potential indoor sources of pollutants in these selected hospitals and their indoor/outdoor relationships, and (3) to compare pollutant concentrations with values published in other studies. A significant between-hospital difference in average indoor concentration of nitrogen dioxide and 54.14, 32.69 ppb for Hospital A and B, respectively (p < 0.05). Indoor nitrogen dioxide concentration was significantly positively correlated with outdoor nitrogen dioxide concentration, PM(10) concentration, and traffic flow (r = 0.91, 0.65 and 0.72, respectively). The ozone level was also lower in our hospitals than 30 ppb standard.

Epstein-Barr virus infection and plasma transforming growth factor-beta1 levels in head and neck cancers.

CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the correlation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 levels to the radiation toxicity, both Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and postoperative status play roles in the change in plasma TGF-beta1 levels in patients with head and neck cancers. OBJECTIVES: To assess the parameters involved in the change in plasma TGF-beta1 level during concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Blood samples (n=307) before, during, and after treatment were obtained from 39 patients with head and neck cancers treated with definitive or adjuvant CCRT. In situ hybridization (ISH) was used to identify EBV-encoded RNA (EBER) in tissues from the primary tumor or metastatic lymph nodes. Plasma TGF-beta1 level, white blood cell (WBC), and platelet count were assayed immediately before the first fraction of radiotherapy (RT), once a week during RT, and at the end of the RT course. The grades of mucositis and dermatitis were recorded weekly during CCRT. RESULTS: Pretreatment TGF-beta1 level and radiation toxicity were found to be significantly correlated with the increase of the plasma TGF-beta1 level during CCRT (p<0.05), but correlation of platelet count was only found in patients whose tumors were EBV-positive (p=0.0042), and WBC count in those treated with postoperative adjuvant CCRT (p=0.004).

MDM2 SNP 309 and p53 codon 72 polymorphisms are associated with the outcome of oral carcinoma patients receiving postoperative irradiation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The p53 tumor suppression pathway is important in effects associated with radiotherapy. The mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) plays a pivotal role in this pathway by down regulating p53. A functional T-to-G polymorphism at nucleotide 309 in MDM2 promoter intron 1 (SNP309) has been identified which influenced transcription activity. A G-to-C SNP at p53 codon 72 results in an Arg/Pro polymorphism, which is associated with apoptosis induction potential and p53 mutation status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We sequenced both MDM2 SNP309 and p53 codon 72 SNP in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC, n=189), oral submucosal fibrosis (OSF, n=70), and 116 controls. RESULTS: Neither MDM2 SNP309 nor p53 codon 72 SNP was associated with susceptibility to or the age at onset of OSCC or OSF. p53 codon 72 SNP Arg/Arg polymorphism was associated with the progression of OSCC, and the overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of irradiated patients. The MDM2 SNP309 G/G polymorphism was associated with poor OS in advanced OSCC, and the OS and DSF of irradiated patients. The combination of MDM2 SNP309 G/G and p53 codon 72 Arg/Arg polymorphism is associated with the worst OS and DFS. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced OSCC has high mortality and recurrence. We identified that both MDM2 SNP309 and p53 codon 72 SNP could be useful factors for evaluating the outcome of advanced OSCC treated with adjuvant radiation.

Element composition of tea leaves and tea infusions and its impact on health.

Tea infusion is the most frequently consumed beverage worldwide next to water, with about 20 billion cups consumed daily. In Taiwan, daily consumption averages 2.5 cups of tea infusion per person. Many studies have concluded that tea has numerous beneficial effects on health. However, some undesirable trace elements, such as arsenic, chromium, cadmium, lead, etc., are a concern. This study has three aims: (1) to measure the concentrations of arsenic and heavy metal elements, such as chromium, cadmium, and lead, as well as the essential trace elements contained in dried tea leaves of the common brands in Taiwan; (2) to determine the percentage released and concentration of each of these elements after infusion of these tea leaves with boiling water; (3) to assess the carcinogenic risk from daily tea consumption, to provide reference values for the general public. This study showed the total content of arsenic and heavy metals in green tea, oolong tea, and black tea produced in Taiwan was 0.11, 5.61, and 10.11 microg/g, respectively, indicating that the level of arsenic and heavy metal contamination of tea leaves was lower in Taiwan than other regions of the world. The hazard index (HI) of daily tea drinking of green tea, oolong tea, and black tea was low and within the bounds of safety (<1). Tea is an indispensable part of everyday life for many people in Taiwan, studies should continue to ensure that public health is maintained.