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Diesel Emissions and Lung Cancer : Epidemiology and Quantitative Risk Assessment A Special Report of the Institute’s Diesel Epidemiology Expert Panel Health Effects Institute June 1999 Page 2 The Health Effects Institute, established in 1980, is an independent and unbiased source of information on the health effects of motor vehicle emissions. HEI supports research on all major pollutants, including regulated pollutants (such as carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter), and unregulated pollutants (such as diesel engine exhaust, methanol, and aldehydes). To date, HEI has supported more than 200 projects at institutions in North America and Europe and published over 100 Research Reports. Consistent with its mission to serve as an independent source of information on the health effects of motor vehicle pollutants, ...

Crystalline silica exposure and lung cancer mortality in diatomaceous earth industry workers: a quantitative risk assessment F L Rice, R Park, L Stayner, R Smith, S Gilbert, H Checkoway Abstract Objective —To use various exposure- response models to estimate the risk of mortality from lung cancer due to occupa- tional exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust. Methods— Data from a cohort mortality study of 2342 white male California dia- tomaceous earth mining and processing workers exposed to crystalline silica dust (mainly cristobalite) were reanalyzed with Poisson regression and Cox’s proportional hazards models. Internal and external adjustments were used to control for potential confounding from the eVects of time since first observation, calendar time, age, and Hispanic ethnicity. Cubic smoothing spline models ...

T he word “spore” comes from the Greek term for sowing or seed, so it’s a perfect acronym for the Specialized Program of Research Excellence sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. The NCI recently honored UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center with a $13.9 million, five-year SPORE grant, one of only six SPOREs awarded nationwide for lung cancer research, and the first on the west coast. “The SPORE is an honor for the cancer center. It means UCLA has been judged to be among the leaders in lung cancer research in the country. It is an honor that recognizes not only the excellence of our scientists, but also the teamwork among them that is making this collective effort a success,” says Dr. Steven Dubinett, the pro- gram’s lead investigator at the Jonsson Cancer Center. Dubinett works closely with Dr. Robert Figlin, a professor of med- ...

Copyright 2002 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. This paper was (will be) published in The Proceedings of SPIE and is made available as an electronic reprint (preprint) with permission of SPIE. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic or multiple reproduction, distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes or modification of the content of this paper are prohibited. Enhanced Lung Cancer Detection in Temporal Subtraction Chest Radiography Using Directional Edge Filtering Techniques Hui Zhao a,b , Shih-Chung Ben Lo a , Matthew T. Freedman a , and Yue Wang b a ISIS Center, Radiology Department,Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, 20007 b Electrical ...

Lung Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients Version 1/December 2001 9495- Lung 1/28/02 2:45 PM Page i Page 2 Lung Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients The mutual goal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network ® (NCCN ® ) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) partnership is to provide patients and the general public with state-of-the- art cancer treatment information in understandable language. This information, based on the NCCN’s Clinical Practice Guidelines, is intended to assist you in the dialog with your doctor. These guidelines do not replace the expertise and clinical judgment of your doctor. Each patient’s situation must be evaluated individually. It is important to discuss the guidelines and all infor- mation regarding treatment options with your doctor. To ensure that you ...

L UNG C ANCER 51 8. LUNG CANCER SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM Lung cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in Connecticut women, accounting for 13 percent of all new cases of invasive cancers in 1997. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Connecticut women, accounting for nearly one in four cancer deaths in 1998, and is the second leading cause cancer deaths before age 75. Stage at Diagnosis and Relative Survival Rate References to national cancer incidence and survival data are to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database (see Appendix A ). National data, and Connecticut when reported by SEER, are for lung and bronchus cases, which are close to numbers and rates for lung only. For example, the Connecticut 1996 through 1998 annual, age- adjusted ...

Editorial C a n c e r C o n t r o l July/August 2001, Vol.8, No.4 Cancer Control 305 In my introductory guest edito- rial that appeared in the January/ February 2000 issue of Cancer Control , which was devoted to lung cancer , I suggested that there may be room for optimism in the treatment of lung cancer . In that editorial, titled “The Future and Lung Cancer : Room for Opti- mism?” I acknowledged the dismal state of affairs at the time (160,000 deaths per year and an overall 5- year survival rate of 14%) but believed that a sense of cautious optimism seemed appropriate. To the discriminating reader, such a statement may have sounded more like wishful thinking than an accu- rate prediction. Since that time, however, a number of promising new drugs have been incorporated ...

Mediastinal Staging of Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Christian Lloyd, MD, and Gerard A.Silvestri, MD, FCCP Background: The goal of preoperative staging of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is to identify patients who will benefit from surgical resection. Various imaging and less invasive modalities are now available to improve therapy decision making. Methods: The available staging methods are reviewed, including conventional methods, surgical staging, and less invasive means of pathologic staging. Results: Computed tomography alone is not sufficiently accurate to stage the mediastinum, and further definitive testing is usually indicated. Positron emission tomography, along with mediastinal biopsy techniques using transbronchial needle aspiration or endoscopic ultrasound, has the potential to improve the accuracy of pretreatment staging. Conclusions: Every effort should ...

Endobronchial Management of Advanced Lung Cancer Michael J.Simoff, MD, FCCP Background: Patients with lung cancer often have bulky endobronchial disease, endobronchial extension, or airway compression. Many endobronchial treatment modalities are available to supplement traditional therapies for advanced lung cancer . Methods: The author reviews the use of several endobronchial treatment modalities that can augment standard antitumor therapies for advanced lung cancer , including rigid and flexible bronchoscopy, laser therapy, endobronchial prosthesis, and photodynamic therapy. Results: Since the early 1980s, technical advances in interventional techniques have enhanced symptom-free survival and quality of life for patients with lung cancer . Although interventional procedures are not definitive therapies, they often relieve the strangling sensation produced by airway ...

July/August 2001, Vol.8, No.4 326 Cancer Control Treatment of Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer : A Review of Current Randomized Clinical Trials and an Examination of Emerging Therapies Eric B. Haura, MD Background: Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer -related deaths for Americans. As most patients present with nonsurgically curable disease, major efforts have been made in the treatment of advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with chemotherapy. Several new agents and new combinations of chemotherapy are available. Methods: The author reviews randomized clinical trials investigating chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC in chemotherapy-naive patients, in patients who present with relapsed or progressive disease, and in elderly patients. Therapies that incorporate new biological agents to target specific aberrations in lung cancer are discussed. ...

27 ? ? Terminal, Software Technologies Development of CT Image Reading Systems for Lung Cancer Screening In vital statistics for 1998, death from lung cancer was the most common among cancer -related death, and as a result early detection has become a critical issue. In order to achieve this early detection, the use of spiral CT *1 has been considered for applications in group examinations, but because CT involves a large number of images, the process of reading these images would entail an enormous amount of work. NTT Laboratories have thus been developing a system that can efficiently read these spiral CT images. This reading system has the following characteristics: (1) Comparable reading If examinations are conducted annually, it is possible to compare images on a year-to-year basis. The film previously used for examinations was roll film, however, ...

High estrogen linked to lung cancer Women seem more susceptible than men to the carcinogenic effects of tobacco smoke, research has indicated. New findings suggest that estrogen may also play a role. When estrogen is present, some cells produce a protein on their surfaces called an estrogen receptor. The hormone can then bind to these cells and spur cell proliferation. Pharmacologist Jill M. Siegfried of the University of Pittsburgh found evidence of estrogen receptors in all five kinds of tumors from patients with non–small-cell lung cancer , the most common variety of lung cancer . Healthy lung cells rarely show estrogen receptors. Initial tests showed that the tumors made the RNA that directs production of the estrogen receptor known as alpha. A second experiment revealed a profusion of estrogen receptor alpha on the surface of tumor cells, she says. In another experiment, which compared lung tumors ...

U.S. Department of Energy’s Radiation Health Effects Studies in the Russian Federation Prooosal Number: 98-0009 Principai Invesigator: Belinskv, Steven A. Insurute: Lovelace Biomedical & Environmental Research Institute Title of Proposal: Molecular Epiaemiolo of Lung Cancer in Workers from the MAYAK Nuclear Enterprise. Abstract The molecular mechanisms and gene environment interactions leading to radiogenic lung cancer have not been weil characterized. The proposed collaboration between scientists at the Branch 1 Center of Biophysics (FIB-1). Ozyorsk. Russia. and the Love lace Respiratory Research Institute. Albuquerque. NM, will facilitate a detailed molecular epiaemiolo.q study of workers from the MAYAK nuclear enterprise. These workers were gamma irradiated and exposed ...

Advances in Sputum Analysis for Screening and Early Detection of Lung Cancer Melvyn S.Tockman, MD, PhD Background: Screening for lung cancer using currently available techniques is not effective in reducing mortality from the disease. Methods: Archived sputum specimens and clinical data linking specimens to lung cancer outcomes from prior screening programs have been reexamined to evaluate altered gene expressing, including specific oncogene activation and tumor suppressor gene deletion, as well as genomic instability and abnormal methylation. Results: Several of these tests allow determination of a molecular diagnosis of cancer years before clinical presentation. Conclusions: These sputum tests provide an impetus to reconsider screening for lung cancer . Prospective trials are required to confirm test performance characteristics, and management and intervention ...

Onconurse.com Fact Sheet 1 Symptoms of Lung Cancer behind a diagnostic test or exam that may seem odd on its face, and to give you an idea of the range of symp- toms that lung cancers may cause. As you can see, symptoms vary tremendously. Discuss any symptoms with your doctor. Pulmonary symptoms The symptoms of lung cancer that are clearly and direct- ly related to lung function are: • Coughing, the most common symptom, experi- enced by 74 percent of patients • Bloody sputum (phlegm; 57 percent) • Shortness of breath (37 percent) • Chest pain (25 percent) • Hoarseness (18 percent) • Paralysis of the diaphragm, either symptomless or perceived as shortness of breath • Wheezing or vibrating breathing noises (stridor) • Recurrent pneumonia or bronchitis • Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) Symptoms in other organs Non-respiratory ...

Mining Knowledge in X-Ray Images for Lung Cancer Diagnosis P etra P erner 1 Abstract. Availability of digital data within picture archiving and communication systems raises a possibility of health care and research enhancement associated with manipulation, processing and handling of data by computers. That is the basis for computer- assisted radiology development. Further development of computer- assisted radiology is associated with the use of new intelligent capabilities such as multimedia support and data mining in order to discover the relevant knowledge for diagnosis. In this paper, we present our work on data mining in medical picture archiving systems. We use decision tree induction in order to learn the knowledge for computer-assisted image analysis. We are applying our method to interpretation of x-ray images for lung cancer ...

Endoscopic Treatment of Early-Stage Lung Cancer Francis D.Sheski, MD, and Praveen N.Mathur, MBBS Background: Disease-free survival after surgical resection of lung carcinoma in situ has been reported as over 90%. After resection of stage IA non-small cell lung cancer , survival at 5 years is approximately 60% to 70%. If endoscopic or bronchoscopic treatments of early-stage lung cancer can provide similar disease-free survival with less perioperative mortality, morbidity, and cost, then they may be alternative front-line therapies. Methods: The authors review early-stage lung cancer detection by fluorescence bronchoscopy and the potential treatment of this disease by endoscopic techniques (photodynamic therapy, brachytherapy, Nd:YAG laser, electrocautery, and cryotherapy). Results: Several reports have noted improved outcomes using endoscopic therapies for early-stage lung ...

Editorial C a n c e r C o n t r o l January/February 2000, Vol.7, No.1 Cancer Control 13 The readership of Cancer Control is surely aware of the dis- mal state of affairs in the treat- ment of lung cancer . Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the United States. Deaths from lung cancer in women long ago surpassed those due to breast cancer . In 1999, an estimated 170,000 to 180,000 Americans were diagnosed with lung cancer , and 159,000 (an esti- mated 68,000 women and 91,000 men) died of this disease. 1 The number of deaths resulting from lung cancer exceeds the mortality from the next three most common cancers combined (colorectal, breast, and prostate). The expected five-year sur- vival ...

Hold your breath: Lung cancer screens? Lung cancer is one of the most common and most deadly cancers. Only about 12 percent of lung cancers are cured, primarily because few lung cancers are caught before they spread. Studies have suggested that X-ray screening for lung cancer is ineffective. According to the July 10 L ANCET , low-dose computed tomography (CT) that allows doctors to completely scan the lung during a single breath may change that picture. Among 1,000 men and women who had smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day for 10 years, CT scans detected cancer in 27 patients; X rays found cancer in just 7 of these people. CT also detected substantially smaller malignant tumors than those found by chest X rays. “Detecting more cancers in earlier stages changes survival prospects from dismal to very positive,” says Claudia I. Henschke of New York Presbyterian Hospital. Thus, CT ...

Several controversial studies have suggested that people who experience bouts of depres- sion run a greater risk of developing all sorts of cancers, possibly because depression weakens the immune system’s ability to control the spread of cancerous cells. Now, a long-term investigation conducted in Finland casts doubt on those sweeping conclu- sions. Overall, new cases of cancer do not crop up disproportionately among people who have endured moderate to severe depression, investigators report in the Dec. 15 A MERICAN J OURNAL OF E PIDEMIOLOGY . However, lung cancer does develop more frequently in depressed men, the scien- tists find. The underlying link in some cases may be that the mood disturbance encourages depressed men to smoke more cigarettes rather than that it depresses the immune system or has some other biological effect. Paul Knekt, an epidemiologist at the National ...

Radon– lung cancer risk high for smokers For 2 decades, scientists have been homing in on the lung cancer risks posed by chronic exposure to radon, a radioactive gas emitted by rocks and soil. Now, a blue-ribbon panel con- vened by the National Research Council in Washington, D.C., to review the most recent studies of radon’s effects on health has confirmed earlier estimates. In the United States alone, residential exposure to this ubiquitous gas causes between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancers annually—or 12 percent of all such malignancies. Indeed, radon is second only to smoking as a source of lung cancer , the NRC stated in its report, released Feb. 19. Cancer risk climbs with lifetime exposure to radon’s toxic decay products, which are them- selves radioactive. In the absence of any confounding risk factors, a doubling of exposure will double risk, the report says. However, cigarette smoking greatly ...

Copyright © 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company. All rights reserved. 295 A BASIC INFORMATION DESCRIPTION Malignant tissue growth in the lung . It involves the bronchial tubes and lungs. Lung cancer spreads to the larynx, liver, brain, bones and kidneys and affects adults of both sexes, usually between ages 40 and 70. Lung cancer causes more deaths than any other form of can- cer and the incidence is increasing. It is related almost exclusively to cigarette smoking. FREQUENT SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS • Persistent cough. • Sputum that may contain blood. • Wheezing. • Chest pain. • Fatigue and weakness. • Weight loss. • Shoulder, arm, or bone pain. • Sometimes, no symptoms. CAUSES • Cigarette smoking. • Air pollution. • Unknown (some forms). • Asbestos exposure. • Spread of cancer from somewhere else in the body. • Chronic ...

Statistics Courtesy of the Lung Cancer Alliance Nearly one in every three cancer deaths is due to lung cancer . Lung cancer kills: An average of 440 people a day, one every three minutes. More than breast, prostate, colon, kidney, melanoma and liver cancers combined. Three times as many men as prostate cancer and twice as many women as breast cancer . More women than breast, cervical and ovarian cancers combined. Non-smokers and former smokers now account for more than 60 percent of new lung cancer cases, a fact that the public is just starting to become aware of. 50 percent of new cases in former smokers: Tong L, Spitz MR, Fueger JJ, et al: “ Lung Carcinoma in Former Smokers.” Cancer 78:1004-10, 1996. Warner EE, Mulshine JL, “ Lung Cancer Screening With Spiral CT: Toward a Working Strategy.”Oncology (Williston Park). 2004 May; 18(5):564-75, ...

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States. An estimated 169,400 people will be diagnosed and 154,900 will die from lung cancer in 2002. Smokers are about nine times more likely to develop lung cancer than nonsmokers. Small cell and nonsmall cell are the most common types of lung cancer . Nonsmall cell lung cancer , the most common, accounts for 75 to 80 percent of all lung cancers. This type of lung cancer generally grows and spreads more slowly than small cell lung cancer . The three main types of nonsmall cell lung cancer are squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. Small cell lung cancer , sometimes called oat cell cancer , grows more quickly and is more likely to spread to other organs in the body than nonsmall cell lung cancer . What you need to know about LUNG CANCER A risk factor is something that increases ...

PUBLIC HEALTH FACT SHEET Lung Cancer What is Lung Cancer ? Lung cancer typically begins as a tiny spot on the inner lining of a bronchial tube. It can take many years for lung cancer to develop and be discovered. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women. What are the Symptoms of Lung Cancer ? • Constant chest pain • Persistent cough • Blood in saliva • Wheezing • Shortness of breath during routine activities • Hoarseness • Fever • Neck enlargement • Weight loss • Arm and shoulder pain • Repeated pneumonia and bronchitis What are the Risk Factors for Lung Cancer ? • Smoking • Second hand smoke • Air pollution • Occupational exposure to hazardous agents, such as asbestos • Scarred area from a previous inflammation • Exposure to asbestos • Exposure to radon ...