Denis Burkitt

Bio: Denis Burkitt is an academic researcher from Medical Research Council. The author has contributed to research in topics: Burkitt's lymphoma & Cancer. The author has an hindex of 35, co-authored 73 publications receiving 8491 citations. Previous affiliations of Denis Burkitt include Mulago Hospital & Makerere University.

Epidemiology of cancer of the colon and rectum

Abstract: All experimental studies in cancer are eventually aimed at limiting or curing the disease. When relationships have been established between environmental factors and the incidence of a particular disease, whether benign or malignant, evasive action can be taken before the actual causative agents or mode of action is understood. Cholera was evaded by the avoidance of sewage-contaminated water a century before the v. cholera was identified as the cause of the disease. Lung cancer can largely be avoided by abstinence from smoking cigarettes, although the carcinogenic mechanism whereby tobacco smoke causes cancer is not yet understood. A relationship can be demonstrated between certain bowel diseases and diet, and although this has not yet been shown to be causitive in the case of cancer, the relationship between an over-refined diet and diverticular disease can now be considered established. In view of the evidence, it seems justifiable to issue a warning against the removal of so much of the unabsorbable fiber from our food, and the associated over-ingestion of refined carbohydrates.

A sarcoma involving the jaws in African children.

Abstract: Thirty-eight cases of a sarcoma involving the jaws of African children are described. This is a syndrome which has not previously been fully recognized. It is by far the commonest malignant tumour of childhood seen at Mulago Hospital.

A sarcoma involving the jaws in african children

Abstract: Thirty-eight cases of a sarcoma involving the jaws of African children are described. This is a syndrome which has not previously been fully recognized. It is by far the commonest malignant tumour of childhood seen at Mulago Hospital.

Dietary fiber and disease.

Abstract: Many diseases common in and characteristic of modern western civilization have been shown to be related to the amount of time necessary for the passage of intestinal content through the alimentary tract, and to the bulk and consistency of stools. These factors have in turn been shown to be greatly influenced by the fiber content of the diet and by the amount of cereal fiber in particular. Mechanisms are postulated whereby these changes in gastrointestinal behavior could in part explain the occurrence of such common disorders as ischemic heart disease, appendicitis, diverticular disease, gallbladder disease, varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis, hiatus hernia, and tumors of the large bowel. Calorie intake, speed of passage through the intestine, levels of intracolonic pressures, number and type fecal bacteria, as well as levels of serum cholesterol and changes in bile-salt metabolism have all been shown to be related to the amount of dietary fiber consumed. ( JAMA 229:1068-1074, 1974)

WHO Classification of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues

Abstract: WHO CLASSIFICATION OF TUMOURS OF HAEMATOPOIETIC AND LYMPHOID TISSUES , WHO CLASSIFICATION OF TUMOURS OF HAEMATOPOIETIC AND LYMPHOID TISSUES , کتابخانه مرکزی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی تهران

Fruit, vegetables, and cancer prevention: A review of the epidemiological evidence

Abstract: Approximately 200 studies that examined the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and cancers of the lung, colon, breast, cervix, esophagus, oral cavity, stomach, bladder, pancreas, and ovary are reviewed. A statistically significant protective effect of fruit and vegetable consumption was found in 128 of 156 dietary studies in which results were expressed in terms of relative risk. For most cancer sites, persons with low fruit and vegetable intake (at least the lower one-fourth of the population) experience about twice the risk of cancer compared with those with high intake, even after control for potentially confounding factors. For lung cancer, significant protection was found in 24 of 25 studies after control for smoking in most instances. Fruits, in particular, were significantly protective in cancers of the esophagus, oral cavity, and larynx, for which 28 of 29 studies were significant. Strong evidence of a protective effect of fruit and vegetable consumption was seen in cancers of the pancreas and stomach (26 of 30 studies), as well as in colorectal and bladder cancers (23 of 38 studies). For cancers of the cervix, ovary, and endometrium, a significant protective effect was shown in 11 of 13 studies, and for breast cancer a protective effect was found to be strong and consistent in a meta analysis. It would appear that major public health benefits could be achieved by substantially increasing consumption of these foods.

Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Human Colonic Function: Roles of Resistant Starch and Nonstarch Polysaccharides

Abstract: Resistant starch (RS) is starch and products of its small intestinal digestion that enter the large bowel. It occurs for various reasons including chemical structure, cooking of food, chemical modification, and food mastication. Human colonic bacteria ferment RS and nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP; major components of dietary fiber) to short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), mainly acetate, propionate, and butyrate. SCFA stimulate colonic blood flow and fluid and electrolyte uptake. Butyrate is a preferred substrate for colonocytes and appears to promote a normal phenotype in these cells. Fermentation of some RS types favors butyrate production. Measurement of colonic fermentation in humans is difficult, and indirect measures (e.g., fecal samples) or animal models have been used. Of the latter, rodents appear to be of limited value, and pigs or dogs are preferable. RS is less effective than NSP in stool bulking, but epidemiological data suggest that it is more protective against colorectal cancer, possibly via butyrate. RS is a prebiotic, but knowledge of its other interactions with the microflora is limited. The contribution of RS to fermentation and colonic physiology seems to be greater than that of NSP. However, the lack of a generally accepted analytical procedure that accommodates the major influences on RS means this is yet to be established.

Socioeconomic Status and Obesity: A Review of the Literature

Abstract: A review of 144 published studies of the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity reveals a strong inverse relationship among women in developed societies. The relationship is inconsistent for men and children in developed societies. In developing societies, however, a strong direct relationship exists between SES and obesity among men, women, and children. A review of social attitudes toward obesity and thinness reveals values congruent with the distribution of obesity by SES in different societies. Several variables may mediate the influence of attitudes toward obesity and thinness among women in developed societies that result in the inverse relationship between SES and obesity. They include dietary restraint, physical activity, social mobility, and inheritance.