Obesity and survival among women with ovarian cancer: results from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies have reported a modest association between obesity and risk of ovarian cancer; however, whether it is also associated with survival and whether this association varies for the different histologic subtypes are not clear. We undertook an international collaborative analysis to assess the association between body mass index (BMI), assessed shortly before diagnosis, progression-free survival (PFS), ovarian cancer-specific survival and overall survival (OS) among women with invasive ovarian cancer. METHODS: We used original data from 21 studies, which included 12 390 women with ovarian carcinoma. We combined study-specific adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) using random-effects models to estimate pooled HRs (pHR). We further explored associations by histologic subtype. RESULTS: Overall, 6715 (54%) deaths occurred during follow-up. A significant OS disadvantage was observed for women who were obese (BMI: 30-34.9, pHR: 1.10 (95% confidence intervals (CIs): 0.99-1.23); BMI: ⩾35, pHR: 1.12 (95% CI: 1.01-1.25)). Results were similar for PFS and ovarian cancer-specific survival. In analyses stratified by histologic subtype, associations were strongest for women with low-grade serous (pHR: 1.12 per 5 kg m(-2)) and endometrioid subtypes (pHR: 1.08 per 5 kg m(-2)), and more modest for the high-grade serous (pHR: 1.04 per 5 kg m(-2)) subtype, but only the association with high-grade serous cancers was significant. CONCLUSIONS: Higher BMI is associated with adverse survival among the majority of women with ovarian cancer.

Nicotine inhibition of the metabolism of 3,4-benzopyrene, a carcinogen in tobacco smoke.

A decreased rate of biliary excretion of radioactive metabolites of 3,4-benzopyrene was observed in rats given a single dose of nicotine. Prior treatment of rats with nicotine decreased benzopyrene hydroxylase activity in homogenates of liver, lung, and small intestine. The addition of nicotine to incubated tissues also decreased benzopyrene hydroxylase activity. These findings show that nicotine inhibits the metabolism of 3,4-benzopyrene in vivo and in vitro.

Chest pain in rubber chemical workers exposed to carbon disulphide and methaemoglobin formers.

A cross sectional prevalence study of chest pain in 94 rubber chemical workers exposed to carbon disulphide (CS2) and methaemoglobin forming aromatic amines was carried out. The purpose of the study was to determine whether the prevalence of chest pain or coronary heart disease (CHD), or both, in exposed individuals exceeded that of a group of non-exposed individuals from the same plant. Cardiovascular, smoking, and occupational histories were obtained. Blood pressure, height, weight, serum cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose were measured. Resting electrocardiograms (ECGs) were obtained on all study participants, as were exercise stress tests on selected exposed individuals. Matching eliminated important known risk factors for coronary artery disease. Both chest pain and angina were significantly related to exposure, controlling for age and cigarette smoking. This association was not dependent on duration of exposure as defined by 10 or more years of employment in the department of interest. CHD as defined by angina, a history of myocardial infarction, or a coronary ECG or a combination of these occurred more frequently among exposed workers. The number of abnormal ECGs in the exposed group was twice that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Age rather than exposure appeared to be the important variable associated with raised blood pressure. Neither biological measures of exposure nor ECGs showed an acute effect of workplace exposures on the myocardium. Possible additive or multiplicative effects of individual chemical agents could not be evaluated. Appropriate modification of medical surveillance of rubber chemical workers with exposure to CS2 and aromatic amines is warranted.