• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.235-238
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• 2009

In Korea, talc that has been widely used for a lot of consumer products as well as industrial usage until recently was found to be contaminated with asbestos. It becomes a major social issue. Critical health risk about both talc and talc contaminated with asbestos was summarized through literature review. It has been confirmed that talc can pose ovarian cancer when talc powder is used in the genital area. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) already concluded that the perineal use of cosmetic talc can cause possibly carcinogenic to humane(Group 2B), although there was study reporting the lack of a consistent an established correlation between perineal dusting frequency and ovarian tissue talc concentrations and the lack of a consistent dose-response relationship with ovarian cancer risk. The association between talc exposure and ovarian cancer is as strong as in recent studies. The epidemiological studies to date provided inadequate evidence for the carcinogenicity of either inhaled or ingested talc that does not contain asbestos or asbestosiform fibers. Future studies should focus on seeking evidence in talc-exposed populations, collecting reliable information on age at initial used of body powder, exposure assessments related to talc use and dose response relationship in order to identify possible risk of talc ingested or inhaled.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.431-440
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• 2021

Background: Neurovascular compression (NVC) is a well-known cause of trigeminal neuralgia (TN). However, patients with idiopathic TN (ITN) do not have evidence of NVC on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other patients may remain asymptomatic despite evidence of NVC on MRI. This suggests that there may be additional risk factors for TN development other than NVC. Although epidemiological factors, such as age and sex differences, are useful for understanding the pathophysiology of TN, detailed statistics for each TN subtype are currently unavailable. Therefore, this study aimed to classify patients with TN into the following groups based on data extracted from past medical records: classical TN (CTN), secondary TN, and ITN. Methods: The characteristics of the groups and their differences were explored. Results: CTN was more common in women than in men, as previously reported, whereas ITN was more common in men than in women. The ratio of pain sites located on the right side of the face was high in all groups. Patients with CTN were also prone to NVC on the asymptomatic side. Conclusion: By investigating TN subtype, it may be possible to elucidate the pathophysiology of TN. This would greatly improve treatment outcomes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.4265-4269
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• 2014

Purpose: This study aimed at summarizing epidemiological evidence of the association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and subsequent risk of cancer. Materials and Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, Cancer Lit and CINAHL for epidemiological studies published by February 1, 2014 examining the risk of cancer in patients with history of GDM using highly inclusive algorithms. Information about first author, year of publication, country of study, study design, cancer sites, sample sizes, attained age of subjects and methods used for determining GDM status were extracted by two researchers and Stata version 11.0 was used to perform the meta-analysis and estimate the pooled effects. Results: A total of 9 articles documented 5 cohort and 4 case-control studies containing 10,630 cancer cases and 14,608 women with a history of GDM were included in this review. Taken together, the pooled odds ratio (OR) between GDM and breast cancer risk was 1.01 (0.87-1.17); yet the same pooled ORs of case-control and cohort studies were 0.87 (0.71-1.06) and 1.25 (1.00-1.56) respectively. There are indications that GDM is strongly associated with higher risk of pancreatic cancer (HR=8.68) and hematologic malignancies (HR=4.53), but no relationships were detected between GDM and other types of cancer. Conclusions: Although GDM increases the risk of certain types of cancer, these results should be interpreted with caution becuase of some methodological flaws. The issue merits added investigation and coordinated efforts between researchers, antenatal clinics and cancer treatment and registration agencies to help attain better understanding.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.358-368
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• 2011

Objectives: In order to evaluate the association between occupational exposure to chloroethylene (TCE) and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), we conducted a meta-analysis of retrospective cohort studies and casecontrol studies and attempted to summarize the evidence of the association from molecular-epidemiological studies and experiments with human cells. Methods: In the meta-analysis, we restricted the analysis to those studies with data for chlorinated solvents, degreasers, or TCE. Studies involving dry cleaners or launderers were excluded from the analysis because use of TCE as a dry cleaning fluid has been rare since the 1960s. The data were combined using a random-effects model to estimate the summary risks (OR and RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Molecular evidence of the effect of TCE on human immune system were also reviewed and summarized. Results: Occupational exposure to TCE was strongly associated with NHL among cohort studies (number of studies=13, summary RR=1.33, 95% CI=1.04-1.70) whereas the association was not statistically significant among case-control studies (number of studies=15, summary OR=1.10, 0.98-1.23). When exposure level was considered, it became statistically significant for the highest exposure level (number of studies=5, summary OR=1.70, 1.25-2.32). Molecular evidences showed that TCE exposure in human or cultured human cells may cause a significant decrease immune cell subsets and changes in hormone levels related to immune response. Conclusions: Our results from meta-analysis and additional molecular evidence suggest that occupational exposure to TCE may cause NHL. However, unmeasured potential confounding and unclear dose-response relationships warrant further study on the role of TCE exposure in NHL carcinogenesis.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.383-392
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• 2000

Objective : We have reviewed the potential cancer preventive and other relevant properties of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, which has been traditionally used as a natural tonic in oriental countries. Data identification and study selection: Publications on Panax ginseng and its relation to cancer were obtained from the Medline database (1983-2000) and by checking reference lists to find earlier reports. The reports cover experimental models and human studies on cancer-preventive activity, carcinogenicity and other beneficial or adverse effects. In addition, possible mechanisms of chemoprevention by ginseng were also considered. Results : Published results from a cohort and two case-control studies in Korea suggest that the intake of ginseng may reduce the risk of several types of cancer. When ginseng was tested in animal models, a reduction in cancer incidence and multiplicity at various sites was noted. Panax ginseng and its chemical constituents have been tested for their inhibiting effect on putative carcinogenesis mechanisms (e.g., cell proliferation and apoptosis, immunosurveillance, angiogenesis); in most experiments inhibitory effects were found. Conclusion : While Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer has shown cancer preventive effects both in experimental models and in epidemiological studies, the evidence is currently not conclusive as to its cancer-preventive activity in humans. The available evidence warrants further research into the possible role of ginseng in the prevention of human cancer and carcinogenesis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.1227-1235
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• 2007

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) provide several potential health and nutritional benefits, including improving the nutritional value of food, controlling serum cholesterol levels, and controlling some types of cancer. Numerous in vitro, in vivo, human, and epidemiological studies have provided evidence of the chemopreventive effects of LAB on colon, bladder, liver, breast, and gastric cancers. These effects act via diverse mechanisms, including alteration of the gastrointestinal micro flora, enhancement of the host's immune response, and antioxidative and antiproliferative activities. This review discusses the recent progresses on the chemopreventive effects of LAB on specific cancer types and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

• BMB Reports
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.138-143
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• 2003

Of many viral causes of human cancer, few are of greater global importance than the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Over 250 million people worldwide are persistently infected with HBV. A significant minority of these develop severe pathologic consequences, including chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Earlier epidemiological evidence suggested a link between chronic HBV infection and HCC. Further, the existence of related animal viruses that induce acute and chronic infections of the liver, and eventually HCC, confirms the concept that HBV belongs to one of the few human oncogenic viruses. Although it is clear that chronic HBV infections are major risk factors, relatively little is understood about how the viral factors contribute to hepatocarcinogenesis. This review will introduce molecular aspects of the viral infection, and highlight recent findings on the viral contribution to hepatocarcinogenesis.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.187-200
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• 1995

This paper reviews studies on potential health effects of electric and magnetic fields at extremely low frequencies(ELF). Recent studies focus on the epidemiological investigation of cancer, reproductive outcome and neurobehavioral effects due to residential and occupational exposure to ELF. Laboratory experiments are also carried out to find the possible mechanism of biological effects of ELF. Firm conclusion regarding whether ELF cause cancer are not yet conclusive but suggestive and other health effects of exposure to ELF have also been suggested but the evidence is even weaker than that related to cancer.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.115-130
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• 2003

Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) represents a common neurodegenerative disorder. While epidemiological studies have suggested a number of risk factors including age, gender, race, and inherited disorder, the cumulative evidence supports the view that environmental or occupational exposure to certain chemicals may contribute to the initiation and progress of Parkinsonism. More recently, clinical and laboratory investigations have led to the theory that dysregulation of iron, an essential metal to body function, may underlie IPD by initiating free radical reaction, diminishing the mitochondrial energy production, and provoking the oxidative cytotoxicity. The participation of iron in neuronal cell death is especially intriguing in that iron acquisition and regulation in brain are highly conservative and thus vulnerable to interference from other metals that bear the similar chemical reactivity. Manganese neurotoxicity, induced possibly by altering iron homeostasis, is such an example. In fact, the current interest in manganese neurotoxicology stems from two primary concerns: its clinical symptoms that resemble Parkinson's disease and its increased use as an antiknock agent to replace lead in gasoline. This article will commence with addressing the current understanding of iron-associated neurodegenerative damage. The major focus will then be devoted to the mechanism whereby manganese alters iron homeostasis in brain.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.335-339
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• 2007

The link between upper airway disease (allergic rhinitis and sinusitis) and lower airway disease (asthma) has long been of interest to physicians. Many epidemiological and pharmacological studies have provided a better understanding of pathophysiologic interrelationship between allergic rhinitis and asthma. The vast majority of patients with asthma have allergic rhinitis, and rhinitis is a major independent risk factor for asthma in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. The association between sinusitis and asthma has long been appreciated. Through the recent evidences, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma may not be considered as different diseases but rather as the expression in different parts of the respiratory tract of same pathological process in nature. Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain the relationship between asthma and upper airway diseases, but the underlying mechanisms are not completely discovered. The implications for the one-airway hypothesis are important not only academically but also clinically for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.