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Showing papers by "Rambam Health Care Campus published in 1993"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Even if there is a causal association between alcohol consumption and higher HDL cholesterol levels, it is suggested that efforts to reduce coronary heart disease risks concentrate on the cessation of smoking and weight control.
Abstract: OBJECTIVES. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is known to be positively related to moderate alcohol consumption from studies in selected populations. This study describes the association in a representative sample of the US adult population. METHODS. Stratification and multivariate regression analyses were used to examine HDL cholesterol levels and alcohol consumption. RESULTS. Fewer women than men reported consumption of alcohol at any frequency. Similar percentages of Whites and Blacks reported alcohol consumption. Age-adjusted mean HDL cholesterol levels were higher among alcohol drinkers than among nondrinkers in all sex-race strata. Mean HDL cholesterol levels of Whites and Blacks of both sexes increased consistently with increased frequency of consumption of beer, wine, and liquor. With age, education, body mass index, smoking, and physical activity controlled for, there were higher age-adjusted HDL cholesterol levels with increasing reported quantities of alcohol consumed. Daily or weekly ...

119 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: There is a low, but significant risk of solid SPC among patients apparently cured of early stage seminoma, and it will be important in future surveillance studies of stage I seminoma to assess the risk of SPC in the non-irradiated patients.
Abstract: The incidence of second primary cancer (SPC) was determined in 64 irradiated stage I testicular seminoma patients, treated and followed at the Northern Israel Oncology Center from 1968 to 1988. Seven (11%) patients developed a total of eight second cancers. The cumulative risk for developing second primary cancer at ten, 15 and 20 years following the diagnosis of seminoma was 2.5%, 5.1% and 8.9%, respectively. Two patients developed SPC within the radiation field (urinary bladder, sigmoid colon) and four patients outside the radiation field (bronchogenic cancer, thymoma, malignant melanoma, thyroid cancer). In two patients, who developed lung cancer and testicular seminoma, respectively, scatter dose from the main radiation field could not be excluded as one of the factors contributing to the SPC. Three patients died as a direct result of their SPC. It is concluded that there is a low, but significant risk of solid SPC among patients apparently cured of early stage seminoma. It will be important in future surveillance studies of stage I seminoma to assess the risk of SPC in the non-irradiated patients.

4 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy should further remain the optimal routine treatment in seminoma patients with stage I disease and surveillance alone in stage I testicular seminoma may be successful in terms of patient outcome.
Abstract: Sixty-nine patients with stage I testicular seminoma were referred to the Northern Israel Oncology Center between 1968 and 1987. Sixty-four patients were irradiated postoperatively and five patients had surveillance alone. Complete follow-up was available for all patients, with a median follow-up of 86 months (range 9-239 months). The last follow-up was in December 1988. Actuarial survival was 94% to 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. Six patients relapsed following completion of irradiation. All the recurrences occurred outside the radiation field. Three of the relapsed patients could be salvaged with cisplatinum-based chemotherapy and are alive at 4, 7, and 10 years following second-line treatment. Acute or chronic side effects were mild and manageable. Seven patients developed second primary cancers, two within and six outside the radiation field. While surveillance policy alone in stage I testicular seminoma may be successful in terms of patient outcome, it requires prolonged observation, good compliance of patients, and intensive use of resources. Thus, until proved otherwise, infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy should further remain the optimal routine treatment in seminoma patients with stage I disease.

3 citations