Asthma among workers in healthcare settings: role of disinfection with quaternary ammonium compounds.

INTRODUCTION: An increased incidence of asthma has been reported among healthcare workers. The role of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), commonly used in cleaning/disinfection products, has not been clearly defined. The aim of this study was to analyse associations between asthma and occupational exposure to disinfectants, especially QACs. METHODS: The study was performed on a stratified random sample of the various healthcare departments of 7 healthcare settings. The study included: questionnaire, physical examination and specific IgE assays. Occupational exposure assessment was performed by means of a work questionnaire, workplace studies and a review of products ingredients. Data were analysed by logistic regression. RESULTS: Response rate was 77%; 543 workers (89% female) participated; 37.1% were registered nurses (RNs), 16.4% auxiliary nurses (ANs), 17.3% cleaners; 32.8% were atopic. 335 participants were exposed to QACs. Nursing professionals reported a significantly higher risk of reported physician-diagnosed asthma and, for RNs, of nasal symptoms at work than administrative staff working in healthcare sector. This risk was particularly marked during disinfection tasks and when exposure to QACs. Exposure to QACs increased significantly the risk of reported physician-diagnosed asthma and nasal symptoms at work (adjusted OR = 7.5 and 3.2, respectively). No significant association was found with other exposures such as latex glove use, chlorinated products/bleach or glutaraldehyde. CONCLUSION: RNs and ANs presented a higher risk of reported asthma than administrative staff. The highest risk was associated with tasks involving dilution of disinfection products by manual mixing, suggesting possible exposure to repeated peaks of concentrated products known to be strong respiratory irritants. Workplace interventions should be conducted to more clearly determine QAC exposure and improve disinfection procedures.

Modelling the effect of breast cancer screening on related mortality using French data.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed at modelling the effect of organized breast cancer screening on mortality in France. It combined results from a Markov model for breast cancer progression, to predict number of cases by node status, and from relative survival analyses, to predict deaths. The method estimated the relative risk of mortality at 8 years, in women aged 50-69, between a population screened every two years and a reference population. METHODS: Analyses concerned cases diagnosed between 1990 and 1996, with a follow-up up to 2004 for the vital status. Markov models analysed data from 3 screening programs (300,000 mammographies) and took into account opportunistic screening among participants to avoid bias in parameter's estimates. We used survival data from cancers in the general population (n=918, 7 cancer registries) and from screened cancers (n=565, 3 cancer registries), after excluding a subgroup of screened cases with a particularly high survival. Sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS: Markov model main analysis lacked of fit in two out of three districts. Fit was improved in stratified analyses by age or district, though some lack of fit persisted in two districts. Assuming 10% or 20% overdiagnosed screened cancers, mortality reduction was estimated as 23% (95% CI: 4, 38%) and 19% (CI: -3, 35%) respectively. Results were highly sensitive to the exclusion in the screened cancers survival analysis. Conversely, RR estimates varied moderately according to the Markov model parameters used (stratified by age or district). CONCLUSION: The study aimed at estimating the effect of screening in a screened population compared to an unscreened control group. Such a control group does not exist in France, and we used a general population contaminated by opportunistic screening to provide a conservative estimate. Conservative choices were systematically adopted to avoid favourable estimates. A selection bias might however affect the estimates, though it should be moderate because extreme social classes are under-represented among participants. This modelling provided broad estimates for the effect of organized biennial screening in France in the early nineteen-nineties. Results will be strengthened with longer follow-up.

Multi-state Markov models in cancer screening evaluation: a brief review and case study.

This work presents a brief overview of Markov models in cancer screening evaluation and focuses on two specific models. A three-state model was first proposed to estimate jointly the sensitivity of the screening procedure and the average duration in the preclinical phase, i.e. the period when the cancer is asymptomatic but detectable by screening. A five-state model, incorporating lymph node involvement as a prognostic factor, was later proposed combined with a survival analysis to predict the mortality reduction associated with screening. The strengths and limitations of these two models are illustrated using data from French breast cancer service screening programmes. The three-state model is a useful frame but parameter estimates should be interpreted with caution. They are highly correlated and depend heavily on the parametric assumptions of the model. Our results pointed out a serious limitation to the five-state model, due to implicit assumptions which are not always verified. Although it may still be useful, there is a need for more flexible models. Over-diagnosis is an important issue for both models and induces bias in parameter estimates. It can be addressed by adding a non-progressive state, but this may provide an uncertain estimation of over-diagnosis. When the primary goal is to avoid bias, rather than to estimate over-diagnosis, it may be more appropriate to correct for over-diagnosis assuming different levels in a sensitivity analysis. This would be particularly relevant in a perspective of mortality reduction estimation.

Cancer incidence and mortality in France over the period 1980-2005.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to provide updated estimates of national trends in cancer incidence and mortality for France for 1980-2005. METHODS: Twenty-five cancer sites were analysed. Incidence data over the 1975-2003 period were collected from 17 registries working at the department level, covering 16% of the French population. Mortality data for 1975-2004 were provided by the Inserm. National incidence estimates were based on the use of mortality as a correlate of incidence, mortality being available at both department and national levels. Observed incidence and mortality data were modelled using an age-cohort approach, including an interaction term. Short-term predictions from that model gave estimates of new cancer cases and cancer deaths in 2005 for France. RESULTS: The number of new cancer cases in 2005 was approximately 320,000. This corresponds to an 89% increase since 1980. Demographic changes were responsible for almost half of that increase. The remainder was largely explained by increases in prostate cancer incidence in men and breast cancer incidence in women. The relative increase in the world age-standardised incidence rate was 39%. The number of deaths from cancer increased from 130,000 to 146,000. This 13% increase was much lower than anticipated on the basis of demographic changes (37%). The relative decrease in the age-standardised mortality rate was 22%. This decrease was steeper over the 2000-2005 period in both men and women. Alcohol-related cancer incidence and mortality continued to decrease in men. The increasing trend of lung cancer incidence and mortality among women continued; this cancer was the second cause of cancer death among women. Breast cancer incidence increased regularly, whereas mortality has decreased slowly since the end of the 1990s. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the divergence of cancer incidence and mortality trends in France over the 1980-2005 period. This divergence can be explained by the combined effects of a decrease in the incidence of the most aggressive cancers and an increase in the incidence of less aggressive cancers, partly due to changes in medical practices leading to earlier diagnoses.

Population-based study of breast cancer survival in Cote d'Or (France): prognostic factors and relative survival.

BACKGROUND: Few population-based studies have reported jointly analyses of relative survival according to the following prognostic factors: tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, age, number of examined and positive nodes, hormonal status, histological Scarff, Bloom and Richardson (SBR) grade, tumour extension, hormone receptor status and tumour multifocal status. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data on female invasive breast cancer were provided by the Cote d'Or breast cancer registry. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to estimate and compare the survival probability at 1, 5, 10 and 15 years. The effect of prognostic factors on survival was assessed with crude and relative multivariate survival analyses. RESULTS: Crude survival seemed to be worse in patients aged >60 years compared with those aged 45-60 (P > 0.0001), whereas relative survival did not differ. TNM stage, histological SBR grade, progesterone receptor status, tumour multifocal status, locoregional extension and the period of diagnosis were independent prognostic factors of crude and relative survival. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer is influenced by many factors. Despite the absence of any association between the number of examined nodes and overall survival in this study, the number of nodes removed, in conjunction with other prognostic factors, may be useful in selecting node-negative patients for systemic therapy.

[Mortality and morbidity of consecutive surgical carotid revascularisations in octogenarians]. / Mortalité et morbidité d'une série consécutive de revascularisations chirurgicales carotidiennes chez l'octogénaire.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Retrospective evaluation of the immediate and mid term mortality and morbidity of carotid surgical revascularisations in a population of octogenarians with severe carotid artery stenosis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Retrospective study of all patients 80 years old and more, consecutively operated for an internal carotid artery stenosis, from January 1991 to December 2003, in the Unit of Vascular Surgery of the Civil Hospices of Strasbourg. We analyzed the perioperative death and stroke rates at 30 days and the mid term survival. RESULTS: We performed 81 carotid revascularisations on 70 patients. The mean age of the population studied was 83.5 (+/-2.8 years), (range 80-92). Twenty-four stenoses (29.6%) were symptomatic (23 transient ischemic accidents, 1 stroke), and 57 stenoses (70.4%) were asymptomatic. The mean degree of stenosis was 89.2+/-8.1% (based on NASCET evaluation). The main cardiovascular risk factor was arterial hypertension (95.7%). The overall perioperative death and stroke rate was 7.1%: 2 deaths, one of them related to a stroke, and 3 strokes (confidence interval: 2.4-15.9%). The perioperative death and stroke rate in the symptomatic stenosis group was 0%, and 8.8% in the asymptomatic stenosis group (p=0.163). No specific risk factor of neurologic events has been found except ASA 3 or higher (RR: 3.84 [1.2-12.1]). The mean follow up was 3.6 years (range 2-11.3), no patient was lost to follow-up. The Kaplan-Meier 5-year survival was 52%. The mean time to death was 3.5 years after the operation. Only 16.7% of these deaths were stroke-related. CONCLUSIONS: Multicentric prospective studies, which have determined current recommendations for carotid surgery, did not include patients aged 79 years and older. In this particular population, the good results observed in our institution in the symptomatic carotid stenosis group would support the use of surgical treatment. The perioperative death and stroke rate observed for the asymptomatic group, clearly superior to current recommendations, suggests in our experience and especially for ASA> or =3, an individual evaluation to determinate the best indication.

Trends in melanoma epidemiology suggest three different types of melanoma.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that the incidence of thin melanomas but not of thick tumours is rising in fair-skinned populations, although the reason for this discrepancy is not understood. OBJECTIVES: To describe temporal trends in melanoma epidemiology in a limited part of France in order to confirm this observation and to provide an explanation. METHODS: This is a retrospective population- and academic centre-based study in which all melanomas diagnosed in the department of the Bas-Rhin, France between January 1980 and December 2004 were included. RESULTS: The study included 2094 melanomas diagnosed in 2020 patients. There was a steady increase in incidence of thin (< 1 mm) melanomas, mainly located on the trunk, and to a lesser extent in the head and neck region, in both sexes, and of intermediate (1-2 mm) melanomas in men. The incidence of intermediate melanomas in women and of thick (> 2 mm) melanomas, as well as mortality related to melanoma, remained stable. There was a steady decline of mean and median Breslow thickness. The 12 months median delay to diagnosis of thick tumours was significantly shorter than the 24 months delay to diagnosis of thin tumours. CONCLUSIONS: Temporal trends suggest the existence of three unrelated types of melanoma: type I, thick melanomas, with stable incidence; type II, thin melanoma with a steady and important increase in incidence, mainly located on the trunk; and type III, melanoma with a slower increase in incidence, mainly located on the head and neck region.

[Incidence of lung cancer in Bas-Rhin, France: trends and projection for 2014]. / Incidence du cancer du poumon dans le Bas-Rhin: tendance et projections en 2014.

INTRODUCTION: In France lung cancer is the second most common cancer in men and the fourth most common in women. In the department of Bas-Rhin the incidence is increasing by 0.1% per annum in men and by 4.4% in women. The aim is to analyse and predict the trend of lung cancer incidence in Bas-Rhin from 1975 to 2014. METHODS: The incidence data from 1975 to 1999 were extracted from the Bas-Rhin cancer registry. Population estimates (2594 years) were made for the period 1975-2014. Predictions were based on a Bayesian age-period-cohort model. RESULTS: Between 1975 and 1999 the incidence of lung cancer increased by 4.5% p.a. in women. In men it increased by 1.6% p.a. between 1975 and 1989 and then diminished. For the periods 2000-2004, 2005-2009 and 2010-2014 respectively the rates should reach 25.6, 32.9 and 42.8 per 100,000 in women and 117.5, 111.6 and 110.1 per 100,000 in men. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing tobacco smoking among women and a reduction among men could be one of the reasons for the respective increasing and decreasing incidences.

Non-small-cell lung cancer in a French department, (1982-1997): management and outcome.

Addition of chemotherapy to the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) resulted in a modest but clear improvement in the survival of selected patients. To ascertain if this translates to improved survival in the whole population of patients, we conducted a retrospective population-based study of a sample of 1738 patients diagnosed with primary NSCLC in a French department between 1982 and 1997. The proportion of women, metastatic cases and adenocarcinoma changed significantly over time, as did their management: use of chemotherapy alone increased from 9.7 to 28.1% (P<0.0001), while the use of radiotherapy alone decreased from 32.2 to 9.4% (P<0.0001). The 5-year survival probability was 15.7 % for all patients and 32.6% for those with resectable disease. The 1- and 2-year survival probabilities were 38.2 and 15.6% in locally advanced disease, and were, respectively, 16.8 and 5.2% in metastatic disease. Disease extent and histological subtype were significant independent prognostic factors. Survival of resectable disease was longer among patients treated with surgery or surgery plus chemotherapy, while better outcomes for locally advanced disease were associated with radiation plus chemotherapy. In metastastic disease, patients treated by classical agent without platin or palliative care only had the shortest survival. Despite changes in treatment in accordance with the state-of-the-art, overall survival did not improve over time. It is not unlikely that more patients with bad PS were diagnosed during the latter end of the study period. This could at least partially explain the absence of detection of an overall improvement in survival.

[Assessment of a general practitioner training campaign for early detection of cutaneous melanoma in the Haut-Rhin department of France]. / Evaluation d'une campagne de formation des médecins généralistes et des médecins du travail au dépistage du mélanome dans le Haut-Rhin.

INTRODUCTION: Dermatologists frequently provide training for general practitioners, but such training is not systematic and evaluation is rare. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A training campaign for general practitioners and occupational physicians in melanoma screening was carried out in the Haut-Rhin Department of France in 2004. The 630 general practitioners and 120 occupational physicians in this geographic department received repeated mail together with materials (posters and booklets) for their waiting rooms, and they were invited to attend medical training sessions. The sessions consisted of 10 photographs for initial evaluation, provision of epidemiological information, training in identification of subjects at risk and diagnosis of pigmented lesions, with a further 10 photographs for evaluation at the end. The 20 evaluation photographs were randomly selected for each session from 40 photographs comprising 18 cases of melanomas, 14 of nevi, 4 of basal cell carcinomas and 4 of seborrheic keratoses. At the end of each session, the physicians returned 2 anonymous questionnaires containing their overall assessment of the campaign (Q1) and their answers concerning the 20 evaluation photographs (proposed diagnosis and management strategy) (Q2). The questionnaires were then analyzed. The 40 evaluation photographs were also tested on 47 dermatologists. RESULTS: Three hundred and fifty physicians - 278/630 general practitioners (44%) and 72/120 occupational physicians (60%) - attended 18 medical training sessions. Response levels for questionnaires Q1 and Q2 were 88% and 90% respectively. Almost all of the physicians involved considered the campaign to be warranted. At the end of the training sessions, 96% felt they were better equipped to identify subjects at risk for melanoma and 53% (58% of general practitioners and 39% of occupational physicians, p=0.03) felt they had greatly improved their ability to diagnose pigmented lesions. The median number of correct replies concerning the evaluation photographs increased from 6/10 to 7/10 between the initial evaluation photographs and the final evaluation photographs (p<0.0001), with no difference being seen between the general practitioners and occupational physicians. The median number of correct replies from the 47 dermatologists was 35/40 (8.75/10). The most striking improvement noted during the campaign concerned the ability to identify melanomas. The figure rose from an initial 59% at the start of the session (initial evaluation photographs) (versus 86% for the dermatologists) to 84% by the end of the session (final evaluation photographs) (p<0.0001). The management strategy proposed for photographs of melanoma (irrespective of the proposed diagnosis) was judged "appropriate" in 86% of cases at the start of the session versus 94% at the end of the session (p<0.001). Seborrheic keratosis was correctly identified in 43% of cases by the general practitioners/occupational physicians versus 75% by the dermatologists, and was confused with melanoma in 22% of cases by the general practitioners/occupational physicians versus 5% by the dermatologists. No improvement was seen during the training session in terms of the ability of the general practitioners/occupational physicians to correctly identify seborrheic keratosis. The majority of participants indicated their willingness to participate in the screening program and asked to receive information on melanoma on a regular basis. DISCUSSION: This initial study shows the immediate impact of medical training sessions on general practitioners/occupational physicians to be important in terms of sensitization and moderate but significant in terms of improved diagnosis of pigmented lesions. The longer term impact, as well as the impact of the campaign on physicians not taking part in the medical training sessions, remains unknown. This study militates in favor of the involvement of general practitioners and occupational physicians in mass screening for melanoma in collaboration with dermatologists. The 2004 campaign in the Haut-Rhin Department also included information for the general public. The primary evaluation criterion of the campaign will be change in incidence of thick melanomas recorded by the departmental cancer registry.

Prognostic value of morphology and hormone receptor status in breast cancer - a population-based study.

We analysed the 5-year relative survival among 4473 breast cancer cases diagnosed in 1990-1992 from cancer registries in Estonia, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK. Among eight categories based on ICD-O codes (infiltrating ductal carcinoma, lobular plus mixed carcinoma, comedocarcinoma, 'special types', medullary carcinoma, not otherwise specified (NOS) carcinoma, other carcinoma and cancer without microscopic confirmation), the 5-year relative survival ranged from 66% (95% CI 61-71) for NOS carcinoma to 95% (95% CI 90-100) for special types (tubular, apocrine, cribriform, papillary, mucinous and signet ring cell); 27% (95% CI 18-36) for cases without microscopic confirmation. Differences in 5-year relative survival by tumor morphology and hormone receptor status were modelled using a multiple regression approach based on generalised linear models. Morphology and hormone receptor status were confirmed as significant survival predictors in this population-based study, even after adjusting for age and stage at diagnosis.

[The level of knowledge of general practitioners regarding the early phase of Lyme borreliosis. Survey conducted among 106 general practitioners]. / Niveau de connaissance des médecins généralistes sur la phase précoce de la borréliose de Lyme. Enquête menée chez 106 médecins généralistes.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the level of knowledge of the general practitioners on the early phase of Lyme borreliosis in an endemic area and notably to define the attention paid to the use and interpretation of serologic investigations for the treatment of patients with erythema migrans. METHOD: This was a prospective study conducted from May 15 to June 31, 2001 among 106 randomly selected general practitioners installed in Strasbourg, France. The practitioners were all interviewed in their private practice and by the same person. Three standardized questions were asked, evaluating their level of specific medical training on Lyme borreliosis as well as their practice regarding treatment and diagnosis of erythema migrans. RESULTS: One third of the general practitioners had already accomplished a continued medical education course on Lyme borreliosis. Half of them considered that the diagnosis of erythema migrans was clinical, while the other half believed that serological confirmation was mandatory. However, the answers of those having received specific education on borreliosis were right (p=0.0079) since in this sub-group 72% considered that the diagnosis was exclusively based on clinical examination, versus 41% of the untrained physicians. Eighty-eight percent used the recommended antibiotic regimens to treat erythema migrans. Three practitioners proposed an inefficient treatment that had exposed the patients to the risk of extra-cutaneous complications of the disease. CONCLUSION: Fifty percent of the general practitioners working in endemic areas for Lyme borreliosis still believe that seropositivity against Borrelia burgdorferi is required to diagnose erythema migrans, which is untrue. However, this study shows that a specific education on Lyme borreliosis would significantly improve this score.

EUROCARE-3: survival of cancer patients diagnosed 1990-94--results and commentary.

EUROCARE-3 analysed the survival of 1815584 adult cancer patients diagnosed from 1990 to 1994 in 22 European countries. The results are reported in tables, one per cancer site, coded according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 classification. The main findings of the tables are summarised and commented on in this article. For most solid cancers, wide differences in survival between different European populations were found, as also reported by EUROCARE-1 and EUROCARE-2, despite a remarkable (10%) overall increase in cancer survival from 1985 to 1994. Survival was highest in northern Europe (Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland), and fairly good in central-southern Europe (France, Switzerland, Austria and Spain). Survival was particularly low in eastern Europe, low in Denmark and the UK, and fairly low in Portugal and Malta. The mix of tumour stage at diagnosis explains much of the survival differences for cancers of the digestive tract, female reproductive system, breast, thyroid, and also skin melanoma. For tumours of the urinary tract and prostate, the differences were explained mainly by differences in diagnostic criteria and procedures. The case mix by anatomic subsite largely explains differences in survival for head and neck cancers. For oesophagus, pancreas, liver and brain cancer, with poor prognoses, survival differences were limited. Tumours, for which highly effective treatments are available, such as testicular cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma and some haematological malignancies, had fairly uniform survival across Europe. Survival for all tumours combined (an indicator of the overall cancer care performance of a nation's health system) was better in young than old patients, and better in women than men. The affluence of countries influenced overall cancer survival through the availability of adequate diagnostic and treatment procedures, and screening programmes.

Cancer incidence and mortality in France over the period 1978-2000.

BACKGROUND: Monitoring cancer incidence and mortality time trends is essential for cancer research and health-care planning. French cancer registries do not cover the entire population and do not provide a representative sample of the national population. Our study aimed at estimating national cancer incidence and mortality trends over the longest period available. METHODS: Incidence and mortality data were collected over the period 1978-1997. Twenty-seven cancer sites were selected and age, sex and site specific incidence and mortality rates were estimated for each year from 1978 up to 2000. Observed incidence and mortality data in the population covered by cancer registries were modelled using age-cohort methods. An estimation of the incidence/mortality ratio was obtained from these models and applied to the mortality rates predicted from an age-cohort model for the entire French population. The person-years of observation were calculated cohort-wise from census data provided by the national institute of statistics RESULTS: Cancer incidence increased by 63% throughout the study period, from 170,000 new cases in 1980 to 278,000 in 2000. This evolution was due to demographic changes but also to an increase in the risk of cancer which was estimated to more than 35% during the same period. In men, this change is largely explain by the increase of prostate cancer incidence. Among women, the increase was dominated by the continuing increase in breast cancer incidence. Large increases were also seen for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, melanoma, and thyroid cancer in both genders and for lung cancer in women. Cancer mortality increased by 20% from 125,000 deaths in 1980 to 150,000 in 2000. This increase is less than that predicted from changes in demographic factors and corresponds in fact to a decrease in the risk of death estimated to about 8%, slightly greater for women than for men. This decrease is associated with a decreasing incidence for stomach cancers for both sexes, alcohol-related cancer for men and cervical cancer for women. Colo-rectal cancer decreasing mortality contributes to this improvement despite an incidence increase. CONCLUSION: Between 1980 and 2000, the study showed a large change in the cancer burden both quantitatively and qualitatively. Decrease in exposure, earlier diagnosis and therapeutic improvement explained part of this change, but overall the distribution of cancer cases shifted toward a distribution including less aggressive cancers. A striking divergence between incidence and mortality trends is observed for a great number of cancers. Prostate cancer shares with breast cancer the same pattern of a severe increasing incidence and a stable mortality. This points to important changes in medical practice and needs further analysis. The trend of lung cancer mortality among women should be emphasised since the situation will inevitably worsen in the coming years. It is already the third cause of cancer death among women.

Medical Indoor Environment Counselor (MIEC): role in compliance with advice on mite allergen avoidance and on mite allergen exposure.

BACKGROUND: In order to improve patient compliance in allergen avoidance, a new occupational activity was created: Medical Indoor Environment Counselor (MIEC). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an MIEC on compliance with advice for mite allergen reduction in patients sensitized and exposed to mite allergens, and on mite allergen levels. METHODS: The study included 378 patients from four centers (Marseilles, Montpellier, Paris, Strasbourg) in a randomized prospective study. Patients in group A received advice from doctors only, and those in group B from doctors and MIEC. Mite allergen levels were measured on mattresses, mattress bases, and floors. Compliance and mite allergen levels were assessed 5 months later. RESULTS: Compliance for changing the mattress bases, removing or treating the carpets, washing duvets, pillows and stuffed animals were significantly higher in group B than in group A. A significant decrease in mite allergen was obtained for group B in mattress bases (83.8-22.9 micro g/g) and in carpets (15.8-6.3 micro g/g), but not in group A. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the home visit by the MIEC 1) increased the compliance to mite reduction methods advised; 2) induced a significant difference in mite reduction levels on mattress bases and on carpets; 3) avoided nonestablished avoidance advice.

Prevalence of symptoms, sensitization to rats, and airborne exposure to major rat allergen (Rat n 1) and to endotoxin in rat-exposed workers: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the relation between airborne exposure to major rat allergen and to endotoxins in exclusively rat-exposed workers and the prevalence of rat-related symptoms and sensitization. METHODS: A total of 113 workers answered a standardized questionnaire on their atopy status, occupational exposure to rats, and possible work-related symptoms. Specific IgE against rat urinary proteins (RUP) was measured for 73 subjects. Individual airborne exposure to Rat n 1 and endotoxin were determined with static (n = 256) samplings. Rat n 1 was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and endotoxin by the Limulus method. RESULTS: Forty-four of 113 subjects (38.9%) reported at least one rat-related symptom: asthma (4.4%), rhinitis (34%) and conjunctivitis (16%). Twelve per cent were sensitized to RUP (specific IgE > 0.35 KU/L). But only 30.8% of all symptomatic subjects were sensitized to rat allergens. Airborne Rat n 1 levels were not related to symptoms in workers. Symptomatic patients not sensitized to rats were exposed to higher endotoxin levels, but airborne exposure to endotoxins did not significantly protect against or increase sensitization to RUP or rat-related symptoms. CONCLUSION: Most symptomatic workers were not sensitized to rat allergen; but no significant relation between rat-related symptoms and endotoxin levels was found. This suggests that more studies are needed to determine causes other than rat allergens or endotoxins that may be responsible for symptoms in rat-exposed workers.

Ten-year trends of dietary intake in a middle-aged French population: relationship with educational level.

OBJECTIVE: To compare dietary intakes at a 10 y interval of a population aged 35-64 living in France. Trends in nutrient intake and food consumption were examined with a special emphasis on the relationships between educational level and dietary behaviour. DESIGN: Two independent surveys conducted in 1985-1987 (S1) and 1995-1997 (S2) in the framework of the WHO MONICA project. Dietary intake was assessed with a 3-day record method and a food frequency questionnaire. The samples analysed included 416 men and 446 women for S1, 393 men and 409 women for S2. RESULTS: A significant improvement of the quality of fat intake was observed between S1 and S2, independently of educational level, with an increase of the age adjusted P/S ratio from 0.42 to 0.50 in men (P=10(-4)) and from 0.41 to 0.50 in women (P=10(-4)), whereas the daily cholesterol intake dropped from 552.0 to 466.9 mg and from 447.2 to 384.6 mg in men and women, respectively (P=10(-4)). These variations were associated with a decrease in the consumption of high-fat foods and an increase in that of low-fat products (poultry, low-fat dairy foods, fish) in all educational classes. By contrast, the consumption of fruit and vegetables, which was highly associated with educational level, varied little over time. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate slight improvement in fat quality, independently of educational level, while fruit and vegetable intake, which appeared more dependent on educational level, was only poorly modified over the 10 y interval.

[Cervical cancer in Bas-Rhin: trend and prediction of the incidence in 2014]. / Cancer du col de l'utérus dans le Bas-Rhin: tendance et projection de l'incidence jusqu'en 2014.

BACKGROUND: In the world, the cervix cancer is the second commonest cancer in women. Its incidence is decreasing but it is still too frequent. The aim of this study was to predict the incidence of cervix cancer among women in the Department of Bas-Rhin. METHODS: Incidence data were provided by the Bas-Rhin Tumor Registry. The incidence of in situ tumors and invasive cancers was predicted in 2010-2014 by using an age - period - cohort model and a Bayesian approach. RESULTS: The incidence rates predicted by the model, standardized to the European population, were 99.7 per 10(5)population in 2000-2004 (CI 95%: [82.7-118.5]) and 177.1 per 10(5) population in 2010-2014 (CI 95%: [103.7-288.5]) for in situ and 13.0 per 10(5) population (CI 95%: [9.5-17.2]) in 2000-2004 and 11.1 per 10(5)population (CI 95%: [4.5-22.7]) in 2010-2014 for invasive tumors. CONCLUSIONS: The decrease of invasive tumors is due to screening. The improvement of the quality of the screening and treatment of in situ tumors would allow the number of incident cases of cervix cancer to decrease.

Progress in the management and outcome of small-cell lung cancer in a French region from 1981 to 1994.

Recent analyses of series of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients included in clinical trials have shown improved survival over time, but it has been impossible to determine whether this was due to selection biases, stage migration, or true therapeutic improvement. To determine if there has been a true improvement of survival over time, we reviewed the medical records of all consecutive patients diagnosed with SCLC between 1981 and 1994 in the Bas-Rhin in France. Among the 787 patients (median age 63), there was no significant period effect for sex, age, or stage. Staging work-ups became increasingly thorough (significant period effect). The mean number of investigations and of tumour sites detected correlated significantly. The chemotherapy rate increased (from 76.4% in 1981-1983 to 91.7% in 1993-1994, P = 10(-5)) and mediastinal irradiation decreased (to roughly 25% of patients after 1983). Median survival time increased for the overall population from 6.6 months in 1981-1983 to 11.3 months in 1993-1994 (P = 10(-5)), for patients with limited disease (LD) from 9.2 (P = 0.002) months to 14.0 months, and for those with extensive (ED) disease from 3.5 months to 9.6 months (P = 10(-5)). Significant independent prognostic factors were disease extent, clinical trial participation, period, type of chemotherapy, and mediastinal irradiation in LD. Survival time has truly improved as 'state of the art' management of SCLC has changed.

Prognostic factors in primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphomas: a European multicenter study.

PURPOSE: Most primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas have an excellent prognosis. However, primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphomas (PCLBCLs) of the leg have been recognized as a distinct entity with a poorer prognosis in the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) classification. This distinction on the basis of site has been debated. Our aim was to identify independent prognostic factors in a large European multicenter series of PCLBCL. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The clinical and histologic data of 145 patients with PCLBCL were evaluated. According to the EORTC classification, 48 patients had a PCLBCL of the leg and 97 had a primary cutaneous follicle center-cell lymphoma (PCFCCL). Data from both groups were compared. Univariate and multivariate analyses of specific survival were performed using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Compared with PCFCCL, PCLBCL-leg were characterized by an older age of onset, a more recent history of skin lesions, a more frequent predominance of tumor cells with round nuclei and positive bcl-2 staining, and a poorer 5-year disease-specific survival rate (52% v 94%; P <.0001). Univariate survival analysis in the entire study group showed that older age, a more recent onset of skin lesions, the location on the leg, multiple skin lesions, and the round-cell morphology were significantly related to death. In multivariate analysis, the round-cell morphology (P <.0001), the location on the leg (P =.002), and multiple skin lesions (P =.01) remained independent prognostic factors. The round-cell morphology was an adverse prognostic factor both in PCLBCL-leg and in PCFCCL, whereas multiple skin lesions were associated with a poor prognosis only in patients with PCLBCL-leg. CONCLUSION: With site, morphology, and number of tumors taken into account, guidelines for the management of PCLBCL are presented.