Showing papers by "Alessandro Liberati published in 1983"
TL;DR: The model of carcinogenesis for epithelial ovarian cancer appears, therefore, to be more complex than is indicated simply by the total duration of 'ovarian activity.
Abstract: The total duration of 'ovulatory activity' or 'ovulatory age' has been reported to be the strongest indicator of the risk of ovarian cancer. In the case-control study examined in this paper this variable was found to be a strong correlate of the risk of ovarian cancer. However, the finding that in older women the major determinant of 'ovulatory age' was age at menopause (which is a very unreliable indicator of 'ovarian activity'), and that age at menopause by itself was related to the risk of ovarian cancer as strongly as the total duration of ovulatory age, threw doubt on the biological consistency of that model. Furthermore, the protection conferred by pregnancies was different at different ages, and age at first pregnancy was more strongly associated with the risk of ovarian cancer than the actual number of pregnancies. The model of carcinogenesis for epithelial ovarian cancer appears, therefore, to be more complex than is indicated simply by the total duration of 'ovarian activity.'
54 citations
TL;DR: The discussion focussed on the limits of organizational measures and efforts to determine widespread improvement in care for a disease such as lung cancer for which real therapeutic gains are still hard to achieve.
Abstract: Diagnostic procedure, therapeutic care and degree of follow-up delivered to 1692 lung cancer patients over 2 years (1978-79) in 31 Italian hospitals were reviewed. The data show marked deficiencies in the various indicators analysed: staging by standard methods was recorded only in 13% of patients; reliable histocytologic classification in 54% of patients. A group of commonly accepted protocols was adopted as first-line therapy only in 49% of treated cases; 19% of patients were regularly followed according to standard programs, whereas 49% had been dropped without any information in the charts. Better performance, although not satisfactory, was found in hospitals with oncologic facilities and wards compared to centers without "ad hoc" organizations. The discussion focussed on the limits of organizational measures and efforts to determine widespread improvement in care for a disease such as lung cancer for which real therapeutic gains are still hard to achieve.
9 citations
TL;DR: Consistency of the information obtained on selected items with published series of patients suggests that this methodology is worth a wider testing as a simple, inexpensive tool for routinely monitoring the care of cancer patients and the impact on it of organizational and educational interventions.
9 citations