B Terracini

..In the authors' opinion the underlying assumptions are invalid...

....

..However, access to the best therapy differs widely among countries because of the unequal distribution of resources for cancer care. Any double standard in the fate of children with cancer is ethically unacceptable...

..A handful of papers carried out in Brazil are briefly commented in order to highlight the difficulties that epidemiological investigations face in developing countries...

..The effectiveness of protocols suggested for "controlled use" has not been tested with a scientfiic approach: they seem hardly practicable, particularly in the countries which are currently the major consumers of asbestos...

....

..As yet, no convincing findings have been obtained in this area. In any case, this line of research is not to be considered as an approach to preventive strategies alternative to the elimination of exposure to occupational carcinogens...

..The present work confirms the association of environmental asbestos exposure and pleural MM, controlling for other sources of asbestos exposure, and suggests that environmental exposure caused a greater risk than domestic exposure...

..Survival results in the present study are similar to those presented for other European countries and the United States. For most types of neoplasm (except CNS) survival probability appears to stabilize 5-10 years after diagnosis...

..A dose-response pattern appeared with intensity of both sources of exposure. It is suggested that low-dose exposure to asbestos at home or in the general environment carries a measurable risk of malignant pleural mesothelioma...

..From the methodologic point of view, the present study shows the feasibility of surveillance surveys on health-related quality of life with the contribution of general practitioners...

..CONCLUSIONS: Present data are compared with those resulting from other population-based series: this exercise can be useful for an overall evaluation of delivery of cancer therapy at the population basis...

....

....

..An association was also observed with paternal occupation as butcher, building worker or employment in the production of domestic appliances. One case and no controls reported a maternal aunt affected by breast cancer...

..The different trends for pleural and peritoneal cancer might be related to clearance of the asbestos from the workers' lungs...

..9 were expected. CONCLUSIONS: The data do not indicate any increase in mortality from cancer or other causes end, on the contrary, show a reduction in mortality which was more evident for the causes related to life style...

....

..Adjustment of risk estimates for standard height adjusted for standard weight, and vice versa, showed a stronger and more consistent association of osteosarcoma with increasing height than increasing weight...

..INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Survival of children with all types of tumors improved in Piedmont. This improved survival is comparable to that reported by other European and North American population-based cancer registries...

..8%, 10.7% and 12.8%, respectively. This pattern clearly differed from the corresponding trend for acute lymphoid leukaemia (6.4%, 2.0%, 0.4%)...

..The different trends for pleural and peritoneal cancer might be related to clearance of the asbestos from the workers' lungs...

..5 million total population). It focused on possible differences related to period of diagnosis a proxy of changes in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures...

..Possible causes to be investigated include environmental factors, changes in family size and parental age, socioeconomic conditions and geographical distribution of cases...

....

..Although the hazard is established, the magnitude of the risk is uncertain, and it is unclear whether risk is also increased for other cancers. Few cohort studies have been reported...

..Instead, FIOH should provide the same level of scientific information in Africa that it does in Finland and other developed countries...

..Although more information is needed to identify corrective public health measures, the official recognition of areas in need of cleaning up, which appears to be unique to Italy and which fostered the study, is a promising beginning...

....

..Nevertheless the increases were concentrated in developed countries whereas in developing countries there was a substantial decrease in registration, attributable to the political and economical situation...

..Loggers were also found at risk; a previously unreported finding...

..8, 1.3-2.7). CONCLUSIONS: In our study occupational exposure to solvents was associated with an increased risk of hypopharyngeal/laryngeal cancer. Results also provide additional evidence of an excess of risk for exposure to asbestos...

..To compare hospital mortality in a cardiac surgery unit with external data and to assess changes in time (patients undergoing surgery in two different periods)...

..1%; 3.3%). The limits stated in the European Union directives for 2010 would have been saved about 900 deaths (1.4%) for PM10 or 1400 deaths for NO2 (1.7%) among all the MISA cities, applying posterior city-specific effect estimates...

..Results add evidence for an association between air pollution and early mortality or morbidity and support the hypothesis of a synergism between meteorological variables and air pollution...

..These results indicate the occurrence of important risk factors, some of which are related to the industrial activities, but more detailed data are needed for the identification of corrective public health actions...