Silvano Gallus

..Our aim was to provide a comprehensive review of European epidemiological studies on the issue...

..To update trends in smoking prevalence in Italy to 2003, with specific focus on the young...

..The difference with selected studies from North America suggests that dietary and lifestyle correlates of pizza eating vary between different populations and social groups...

..To update estimates of smoking prevalence in Italy to the year 2002...

..Information on the role of the tar yield of cigarettes in upper digestive tract carcinogenesis is sparse and needs to be updated because the tar yield of cigarettes has steadily decreased over the last few decades...

..To update trends in smoking prevalence in Italy to 2004, and describe the attitudes towards forthcoming regulation of smoking...

..BSA is also related to the risk of CMM. In terms of the population attributable risk, overweight and obesity would account for 31% of the cases of CMM in this Italian population, indicating the scope of prevention...

..Inconclusive information is available on the potential role of milk and dairy products on the risk of cancer at several sites...

..Compared to non coffee drinkers, the multivariate odds ratio was 0.7 for drinkers of three or more cups per day...

..The present analyses confirm the existence of an inverse association between price and prevalence/consumption of cigarettes in Italy, and indicate that economic aspects may have important public health implications in tobacco control...

..We conducted a population-based survey to provide information on attitudes towards smoking regulation and to disentangle the impact of the smoking ban on tobacco consumption...

..82 (95% CI = 0.56-1.19) for laryngeal, 0.74 (95% CI = 0.61-0.89) for colon and 0.93 (95% CI = 0.75-1.17) for rectal cancer. Pizza appears therefore to be a favorable indicator of risk for digestive tract neoplasms in this population...

..Measures of tobacco dependence are mainly used in the clinical setting, but limited information is available on tobacco dependence on a population level...

..Regular consumption of pizza, one of the most typical Italian foods, showed a reduced risk of digestive tract cancers. Pizza could however simply be an indicator of a typical Italian diet...

..Apples have commonly been described as a healthy food. To understand better their role on risk of cancer at several sites, we analyzed data from multicenter case-control studies conducted between 1991 and 2002 in Italy...

..None of the estimates, or the corresponding trends in risk, was statistically significant. Our results are consistent with those of several studies indicating no direct association between cigarette smoking and risk of Hodgkin's disease...

..To evaluate the potential role of pizza consumption on the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), we considered data from an Italian study...

..Overweight has been increasing in several developed countries over the last few decades. No update information on the issue is available for Italy...

..Alcohol and selected dietary aspects account for approximately 30% of cases, whereas menstrual and hormonal factors do not appear to have a consistent role in laryngeal carcinogenesis...

..Scanty information is available on the prevalence of congenital melanocytic naevi (CMN) and congenital naevus-like naevi (CNLN), particularly the small ones...

..Squamous cell oesophageal cancer is one of the few neoplasms inversely related to body mass index (BMI). However, it is not clear whether this is due to cancer-related weight loss or to other correlates of leanness...

..To analyze the relationship between selected risk factors and prostate cancer risk in men younger than 60 years, using data from a large, multicenter, case-control study conducted in Italy...

..To provide information about the association of coffee, black tea with gastric cancer risk...

..To understand the attitudes of Italian adults towards regulations to prevent minors from purchasing tobacco products, we added specific questions to the annual survey on smoking in Italy...

..To monitor trends in under-reporting of smoking in Italy over the last two decades...

..This large study provides definite evidence that examining the upper limbs only, particularly the lateral arms, is a practical and suitable tool for predicting total nevus count in children...

..On 10 January 2005 Italy became the first large European country adopting a comprehensive smoke-free legislation. We provide information on smoking prevalence in Italy and evaluate the effects of the 2005 regulations...

..Controversial information is available with reference to the role of type or yield of cigarettes on the risk of cardiovascular disease...

..To evaluate the relation between consumption of coffee and other methylxanthine-containing beverages and liver cirrhosis...

..Zinc concentration is higher in the prostate than in most other tissues. Since information on the role of zinc on prostate carcinogenesis is controversial, we analysed the issue in a case-control study...

..To provide additional information on saccharin and other sweeteners (mainly aspartame), we considered data from a large network of case-control studies...

..Although based on small numbers, due to the rarity of the disease, these findings provide the first direct epidemiological evidence of an association between HRT and gallbladder cancer...

..European studies of PM exposure and lung cancer do not show a clear association, but uncertainties remain for the measurement of exposure and latency...

..A higher level of education and sunburn episodes in early childhood appeared to be more strongly related to SSM than to other variants...

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..An interaction between alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking has been reported, but the issue is not adequately assessed...

..This study provides evidence that an a priori defined nutritional pattern, which includes several aspects of the Mediterranean diet, favorably affects the risk of cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract...

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..88 and 1.15. This study thus indicates that in the Italian population characterized by frequent wine consumption, wine is the beverage most strongly related to the risk of laryngeal cancer...

..This is of specific interest since iron is frequently included in supplementation and fortification of foods. We assessed the relation between dietary iron intake and the risk of non-fatal AMI...

..2, 95% CI 0.7-2.2). Our study adds further information on the association of family history of cancer and risk of PC and is, to our knowledge, the first comprehensive epidemiologic information on family history of cancer and risk of BPH...

..To analyse the association between macronutrient intake and body mass index (BMI)...

..The analysis of 'real-life' HCV-2 patients might help define the effectiveness of anti-HCV therapy and the role of response moderators...

..To provide updated information on smoking prevalence in Italy, with a focus on demographic and socio-economic characteristics...

..Our findings provide evidence that alcohol drinking is not associated with endometrial cancer risk, although a weak positive association for very high drinkers cannot be excluded...

..The association of each risk factor was much stronger in diabetic women. Preventive measures to reduce the prevalence of each additional risk factors in diabetic subjects could led to a substantial reduction of risk of AMI...

..CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that cigarette smoking is an indicator of elevated risk for FNH of the liver, whereas whole grain and, possibly, vegetable intake seems to be a favorable indicator...

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..We analyzed the relation between selected lifestyles and diseases and the risk of non-fatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in women in Northern Italy...

..We analyzed the relation between factors related to endogenous female hormones and the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI)...

..Marital status has long been related to cancer incidence and mortality rates. However, only few analytical studies have been conducted on this issue considering known or potential confounding factors...

..Data from a simplified questionnaire were collected in an over-sample of 1010 young individuals, reaching a total of 1390 participants aged 15-24 years (713 males and 677 females)...

..To provide updated information on smoking prevalence and attributable mortality in Italy...

..Limited information is available on the role of smuggling and of perceived influence of cigarette price on tobacco consumption in Italy. To elucidate the issues, we included specific questions in a survey on smoking in Italy...

..1 for oral/pharyngeal and 0.6 for esophageal cancer) or tea (OR 0.9 for both cancers), consumed in low amounts by these populations. Coffee may decrease the risk of oral/pharyngeal and esophageal cancer...

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..90), but the risk was based on three cases and 16 controls only. We observed no association between regular aspirin use and pancreatic cancer risk, although our results suggested a possible protective effect for long-term current users...

..However, the quantitative estimates of the possible protective role of physical activity appear to vary across studies and populations...

..For squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, alcohol and tobacco also appear to increase risk synergistically. With liver cancer, in contrast, alcohol consumption and tobaacco use appear to be independent risk factors...

..We analyzed the relation between HRT use and the risk of nonfatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Italy...

..CONCLUSION: The present analysis provides evidence that the inverse relation between coffee and HCC is real, though inference on causality remains open to discussion...

..Also for females the smoking prevalence in Italy is now higher than in the USA. This reflects the absence of any comprehensive policy and legislation against smoking in Italy...

..The multivariate odds ratio was 4.5 for heavy smoking and 5.4 for heavy alcohol drinking. Fruit intake, vegetable intake, oral contraceptive and HRT use were inversely related to oesophageal cancer...

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..The aim of this study was to quantify, 3 years after the law came into force, the effects of the smoking ban in terms of observance of the legislation and change of habits...

..The relations with measures of dietary vitamin A are, however, moderate compared with the associations between phenotypic characteristics, sun exposure and number of naevi and CMM risk...

..4). CONCLUSIONS: The result that, on average, in Europe smoking consumption decreases 5-7% for a 10% increase in the real price of cigarettes strongly supports an inverse association between price and cigarette smoking...

..A role for inflammation, and consequently of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in ovarian carcinogenesis has been proposed, but epidemiological evidence is scanty...

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..For none of the neoplasms considered was there a significant inverse relationship with red meat intake. Thus, reducing red meat intake might lower the risk for several common neoplasms...

..The joint effect of family history of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and selected adult life risk factors on the risk of the disease is not clear...

..64 (95% CI, 0.48-0.86) for heavy coffee drinkers. The summary RR for an increase of 1 cup/d was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.89-0.97), which suggests an inverse relation between coffee and endometrial cancer. However, the causality must be confirmed...

..Further, notwithstanding the large amount of epidemiological evidence, substantial uncertainties remain about the proper aspirin dose and duration of treatment...

..The excess risks, if any, are small, and it is unclear whether they are causal, due to misclassification of the exposure or some sources of bias/residual confounding...

..In conclusion, cessation of smoking could have an appreciable impact in reducing (squamous-cell) oesophageal cancer, and represents an obvious priority for prevention and public-health purposes...

..Alcohol drinking may influence laryngeal cancer risk particularly through its direct contact or solvent action, perhaps by enhancing the effects of tobacco or other environmental carcinogens...

..We analysed the relation between the intake of selected carotenoids and retinol and risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI)...

..1 (95% CIs: 1.2-3.6) for the highest versus the lowest tertile of number of nevi. Our data do not support the hypothesis of a specific effect of nevi at each single anatomical site...

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..08 (95% CI 0.73-1.60) for case-control, 1.21 (95% CI 0.90-1.63) for cohort, and 1.16 (95% CI 0.93-1.45) for all studies. In conclusion, soft drink consumption is not materially related to pancreatic cancer risk...

..Several case-control studies have examined the association between intake of selected macronutrients and stomach cancer, with inconsistent results regarding total energy, proteins, carbohydrates and fats...

..To analyse the relation between alcohol intake and the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)...

..The hypothesis that high calcium and low vitamin D levels are associated with prostate cancer risk, however, remains unconvincingly demonstrated...

..The multivariate odds ratio was 2.46 for heavy drinkers non-smokers, and 9.38 for current smokers non-drinkers...

..We analyzed such a relation in a case-control study conducted between 1991 and 1994 in Italy...

..The inverse relationship between occupational physical activity and ovarian cancer risk was not heterogeneous across strata of selected co-variates...

..Cirrhosis is strongly related to liver cancer. Data on the possible association between cirrhosis and risk at other cancer sites are scanty...

..This study, based on a large data set; provides no support for a causal association between invasive epithelial ovarian cancer risk and coffee and alcohol intake...

..Of interest are the inverse associations with body mass index, age at menarche and time since last birth, the direct ones with age at first and last birth, and the higher risk of parous women compared with nulliparae...

..Despite the relatively small number of cases, due to the rarity of the disease, and the low frequency of HRT use in this population, these findings provide additional information for any global risk-benefit assessment of HRT use...

..04), while the ORs were 0.96 and 0.78 respectively for a diagnosis of diabetes 5-9 years and > or = 10 years ago...

..The risk of laryngeal cancer steadily decreased from 3 years after stopping smoking. Some decline in risk was observed only 20 years or more after stopping drinking...

..We investigated the relation between diabetes and the risk of prostate cancer, as epidemiological results are controversial...

..Thus, the relationship between education and social class and risk of cancers of the colon and rectum was considered...

..82 (95% CI 0.69-0.99), although the evidence is too limited to permit firm conclusions. Data are more scanty, though in the same direction, for other neoplasms, including in particular stomach and oesophageal cancer...

..44. Our study provides further support to the beneficial effect of high intake of vegetables and fruit, particularly in heavy smokers and alcohol drinkers...

..Site of disease at diagnosis, lifetime surgery, extent of ileal resections, number of clinical recurrences, TPN, and the frequency and duration of hospitalizations are independently associated with GD...

..For most cancer sites, however, significant heterogeneity between studies, and particularly between study design, was found, with a reduction in risk generally stronger in case-control studies than in cohort ones...