Comprehensive assessment of the impact of cigarette smoking on survival of clear cell kidney cancer.

PURPOSE: The impact of modifiable environmental factors on kidney cancer specific outcomes is under studied. We evaluated the impact of smoking exposure on cancer specific survival in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma treated with surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From a prospectively maintained database at a single center we collected the characteristics of 1,625 patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma treated with surgery between 1995 through 2012. We determined the associations of smoking status with advanced disease, defined as AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) stage greater than 2, and with cancer specific survival. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of current, former and never smoking at diagnosis was 16%, 30% and 54%, respectively. Of the patients 62% reported a smoking history of 20 pack-years or greater. Median followup in survivors was 4.5 years (IQR 2.2-7.9). On univariable analysis a smoking history of 20 pack-years or greater was associated with a significantly increased risk of advanced disease (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.02-2.00). However, it did not achieve an independent association after adjusting for age and gender. Pathological stage and Fuhrman grade adversely affected cancer specific survival on multivariable competing risks analysis. Although the association between smoking and cancer specific survival did not achieve statistical significance on multivariable analysis, the direction of the central estimate (HR 1.5, 95% CI 0.89-2.52) suggested that smoking adversely impacts cancer specific survival. Current smokers faced a higher risk of death from another cause than never smokers (HR 1.93, 95% CI 1.29-2.88). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking exposure substantially increases the risk of death from another cause and adversely impacts cancer specific survival in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Treatment plans to promote smoking cessation are recommended for these patients.

Enhancement of ovarian malignancy on clinical contrast enhanced MRI studies.

Purpose. To assess if there is a significant difference in enhancement of high grade serous carcinoma of the ovary compared with other ovarian malignancies on clinically performed contrast enhanced MRI studies. Methods. In this institutional-review-board-approved study, two radiologists reviewed contrast enhanced MRI scans in 37 patients with ovarian cancer. Readers measured the signal intensity (SI) of ovarian mass and gluteal fat pre- and postcontrast administration. Percentage enhancement (PE) was calculated as [(post-pre)/precontrast SI] × 100. Results. Pathology revealed 19 patients with unilateral and 18 patients with bilateral malignancies for a total of 55 malignant ovaries-high grade serous carcinoma in 25/55 ovaries (45%), other epithelial carcinomas in 12 ovaries (22%), nonepithelial cancers in 8 ovaries (14%), and borderline tumors in 10 ovaries (18%). Enhancement of high grade serous carcinoma was not significantly different from other invasive ovarian malignancies (Reader 1 P = 0.865; Reader 2 P = 0.353). Enhancement of invasive ovarian malignancies was more than borderline tumors but did not reach statistical significance (Reader 1P = 0.102; Reader 2 P = 0.072). Conclusion. On clinically performed contrast enhanced MRI studies, enhancement of high grade serous ovarian carcinoma is not significantly different from other ovarian malignancies.

Impact of smoking status at diagnosis on disease recurrence and death in upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

UNLABELLED: Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of urothelial carcinoma; however, the impact of smoking on outcomes after surgery for upper tract urothelial carcinoma is unknown. One study suggests that patients with a smoking history have an increased risk of recurrence in the bladder compared with never smokers but these patients did not differ with respect to time to pelvic recurrence or distant metastasis. We subdivided smokers into current and former smokers and performed multivariate analyses that showed that smoking status was not an independent predictor of recurrence when traditional prognostic factors were taken into account. In addition, competing risks analyses showed that although current smoking did not increase the risk of recurrence, it imparted a significant risk of dying compared with former and never smoking. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of smoking exposure on oncological outcomes in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patient and disease characteristics from 288 patients with UTUC treated with RNU between 1995 and 2008 were collected from a prospectively maintained database at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Disease recurrence was defined as distant metastases, or local failure in the operative site or regional nodes. Factors associated with recurrence and death were determined. RESULTS: The prevalence of current, former and never smoking at diagnosis was 19.1%, 55.2%, and 25.7%, respectively. 71.0% of patients reported a ≥20 pack-year smoking history. With a median follow-up of 4.02 years, disease recurrence occurred in 27% (n = 79) of patients and 41% (n = 117) died during follow-up. While age at diagnosis, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, advanced stage, nodal involvement and high grade adversely affected recurrence-free survival, smoking status was not associated with risk of recurrence or death in multivariate analysis (P = 0.60). Multivariate competing risks regression showed that current smokers faced a significantly higher risk of death than never smokers (hazard ratio 3.64, 95% confidence interval 1.59-8.34). CONCLUSIONS: While smoking status at diagnosis and cumulative smoking exposure were not associated with UTUC recurrence, our findings highlight the substantial risk of death in patients with UTUC who are active smokers. Treatment plans to promote smoking cessation are recommended for these patients.

Initial reactions to tobacco use and risk of future regular use.

INTRODUCTION: Studies suggest that initial smoking pleasure influences future smoking behavior. We investigated how initial reactions to cigarettes or Swedish smokeless tobacco (snus) were associated with future use among 10,708 adults from the Swedish Twin Registry. METHODS: The Early Smoking Experience questionnaire captured physiologic reactions to initial tobacco use. Binary recursive partitioning (BRP) identified combinations of initial reactions predictive of regular tobacco use. Analyses, stratified by sex, were conducted separately among those who experimented with only cigarettes (EC), only snus (ES), and both products (EC+S). RESULTS: Among EC, 39.8% of men and 43.7% of women became smokers, while among ES, 78.6% of men and 53.7% of women became snus users. Among EC+S, 31.3% of men and 20.0% of women became dual users. BRP identified different reactions as predictive of future smoking for men (buzz) and women (dizziness, difficulty inhaling). No initial reaction predicted future snus use among men, but pleasant sensations, later age at first use, and relaxation predicted future snus use for women. Among EC+S, future exclusive use of either product was associated with a favorable initial reaction to that product. Dual users experienced higher prevalence of pleasant reactions and lower prevalence of unpleasant reactions in response to both products. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support that those who progress to regular tobacco use may be sensitive to the rewarding effects of nicotine but suggest that initial reactions differ by tobacco type. A high proportion of men became regular snus users regardless of initial reactions.

Association between periodontal disease, bacterial vaginosis, and sexual risk behaviours.

BACKGROUND: Both periodontal disease and bacterial vaginosis may cause adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study evaluated the association between periodontal disease and bacterial vaginosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from 3569 women enrolled in the Longitudinal Study of Vaginal Flora were used. Periodontal disease, defined as greater than three sites with ≥4 mm attachment loss, was assessed by specially calibrated hygienists at baseline. Positive bacterial vaginosis status was based on a Nugent Gram stain score ≥7. Pairs of independent variables were compared with Pearson's χ(2) and risk ratios were calculated through log-binomial regression. RESULTS: Twenty-eight per cent of women with bacterial vaginosis had periodontal disease compared with 22% without , corresponding to 1.29 (95% CI: 1.13, 1.47) times greater risk of periodontal disease among women with bacterial vaginosis. In adjusted analysis the risk ratio dropped to 1.23 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.40). Receptive oral sex with an uncircumcised partner was associated with 1.28 times (95% CI: 0.97, 1.69) the risk for periodontal disease compared with receptive oral sex with a circumcised partner, though the association is not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, there is a small but significant association between periodontal disease and bacterial vaginosis and a possible trend between receptive oral sex with an uncircumcised partner and periodontal disease.