Linda Morris Brown

Publications (28)135.61 Total impact

• Source

  Available from: PubMed Central

  Article: Oral cavity and pharynx cancer incidence trends by subsite in the United States: changing gender patterns.

  Linda Morris Brown, David P Check, Susan S Devesa
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  ABSTRACT: Objective. To evaluate oral cavity and pharynx cancer (OCPC) patterns by gender. Methods. We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program data for 71,446 cases diagnosed during 1975-2008 to classify OCPC by anatomic subsite as potentially HPV-related or not, with oral tongue cancer considered a separate category. Results. Total OCPC rates among men were 2-4 times those among women. Among whites, total OCPC rates rose in the younger age groups due to substantial increases in successive birth cohorts for HPV-related cancers, more rapid among men than women, and oral tongue cancers, more rapid among women than men. Among blacks, total OCPC rates declined among cohorts born since 1930 reflecting the strong downward trends for HPV-unrelated sites. Among Hispanics and Asians, HPV-unrelated cancer rates generally declined, and oral tongue cancer rates appeared to be converging among young men and women. Conclusions. Decreases in total OCPC incidence reflect reductions in smoking and alcohol drinking. Rising HPV-related cancers among white men may reflect changing sexual practices. Reasons for the increasing young oral tongue cancer rates are unknown, but the narrowing of the gender differences provides a clue.
  Journal of Oncology 01/2012; 2012:649498.
• Article: Oropharyngeal cancer incidence trends: diminishing racial disparities.

  Linda Morris Brown, David P Check, Susan S Devesa
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  ABSTRACT: The aim of this article is to evaluate oral cavity/pharyngeal cancer (OCPC) trends that may reflect changes in cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program data for 58,204 cases diagnosed during 1977-2007 to classify if squamous cell carcinomas of the OCP by anatomic site are potentially HPV-related. OCPC rates among men peaked during 1982-1986 before declining, most rapidly (46%) among blacks. Rates decreased least rapidly among white males while declining at intermediate paces among other ethnic groups (Asian/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics) and females. Among the men during the recent 16-year time period, the annual percent change for HPV-unrelated sites was much steeper [-6.0% (95% CI = -7.2 to -4.9)] among blacks than whites [-2.5% (95% CI = -2.9 to -2.1)]; for HPV-related sites, it was -1.7% (95% CI = -2.6 to -0.7) among blacks, in striking contrast to +3.3% (95% CI = 2.5-4.0) among whites. HPV-related rates rose rapidly among the white men born since the mid-1940s, tripling among those aged 25-44 and recently surpassing the black male rate. Relative survival rates rose over the study period due to improvements among HPV-related cases. The OCPC decreases found among all the race/sex groups reflect reductions in smoking prevalence and alcohol consumption. Rising HPV-related cancers among white men may reflect changes in sexual practices since the mid-1960s.
  Cancer Causes and Control 03/2011; 22(5):753-63. · 2.88 Impact Factor
• Article: Racial differences in chronic immune stimulatory conditions and risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in veterans from the United States.

  Jill Koshiol, Tram Kim Lam, Gloria Gridley, David Check, Linda Morris Brown, Ola Landgren
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  ABSTRACT: To examine underlying etiologic factors that may explain the racial disparity in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) incidence patterns. We assessed immune-related conditions and risk of developing NHL among more than 4 million hospitalized US veterans including 9,496 patients with NHL (7,999 white patients and 1,497 black patients) with up to 26 years of follow-up. We used time-dependent Poisson regression to estimate rate ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs for NHL risk among patients with a history of specific autoimmune diseases, infections, and allergies compared with patients without such history, adjusting for attained age, calendar year, race, number of hospital visits, and time between study entry and exit. Patients with infectious conditions had an increased risk of developing NHL (RR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.2), particularly for gastrohepatic, genital, and systemic infectious conditions. Patients with autoimmune disease were generally more likely to develop NHL than patients without autoimmune disease, especially for conditions that typically present with detectable autoantibodies with systemic involvement (RR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.8 to 2.2). Allergies were also associated with increased risk (RR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.3 to 1.5). Although the risk of NHL was lower for blacks than whites (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.92), blacks had a slightly higher risk of NHL associated with infections than whites (likelihood ratio test, P = .002) and a tendency toward higher risk associated with allergies (likelihood ratio test, P = .05). Risks associated with autoimmune conditions were similar by race (likelihood ratio test, P = .5). The observed difference in NHL risk by race supports a role for race-related differences in genes regulating immune/inflammatory response.
  Journal of Clinical Oncology 02/2011; 29(4):378-85. · 18.37 Impact Factor
• Chapter: Descriptive Epidemiology: U.S. Patterns

  Linda Morris Brown, Gloria Gridley, Susan S. Devesa
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  ABSTRACT: This chapter reviews the descriptive patterns of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HN) (i.e., oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx, excluding cancers of the lip, salivary glands, and nasopharynx). Data from population-based registries in the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program for 1975-2004 and national vital statistics data for 1950-2004 from the National Center for Health Statistics were used to calculate race-sex-specific incidence, survival, and mortality rates by cancer site. Forty-three percent of HN tumors occurred in the oral cavity, 34% in the larynx, and 24% in the pharynx. All HN cancers combined occurred 3-4 times more frequently among men than women, and rates were 50% higher among black compared with non-Hispanic white men. The temporal trends for HN cancers varied considerably by site, sex, race/ethnicity, and human papillomavirus (HPV) status. However, for most race/sex groups, the declines observed in HN cancer incidence and mortality parallel the reduction in smoking prevalence and may also reflect decreases in alcohol consumption. The much smaller declines seen in the incidence of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx among white men are probably due to increases in the incidence of HPV-associated cancers.
  03/2010: pages 23-39;
• Article: Flavonoid consumption and esophageal cancer among black and white men in the United States.

  Gerd Bobe, Julia J Peterson, Gloria Gridley, Marianne Hyer, Johanna T Dwyer, Linda Morris Brown
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  ABSTRACT: Flavonoids and proanthocyanidins are bioactive polyphenolic components of fruits and vegetables that may account for part of the protective effect of raw fruit and vegetable consumption in esophageal cancer. We studied the relationship between esophageal cancer and dietary proanthocyanidins, flavonoids and flavonoid subclasses (anthocyanidins, flavan-3-ols, flavanones, flavones, flavonols and isoflavonoids) using recently developed USDA and Tufts flavonoid and proanthocyanidin databases. The study was a population-based, case-control analysis of 161 white men with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), 114 white and 218 black men with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and 678 white and 557 black male controls who lived in 3 areas of the United States. Neither total flavonoid nor proanthocyanidin intake was associated with EAC and ESCC in either white or black men. In white men, inverse associations were observed between anthocyanidin intake and EAC (4th vs. 1st quartile odds ratio [OR], 0.47, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24-0.91; p(trend) = 0.04) and between isoflavonoid intake and ESCC (4th vs. 1st quartile OR, 0.43, 95% CI, 0.20-0.93; p(trend) = 0.01). None of the associations remained significant after adjusting for dietary fiber, which is strongly correlated with flavonoid consumption. We conclude that total flavonoids and proanthocyanidins do not have strong protective effects in either EAC or ESCC. Some protective effects were evident in flavonoid subclasses and population subgroups. In white men, foods rich in anthocyanidins may have chemopreventive effects in EAC and those rich in isoflavonoids may do so in ESCC.
  International Journal of Cancer 04/2009; 125(5):1147-54. · 5.44 Impact Factor
• Article: Long-term garlic or micronutrient supplementation, but not anti-Helicobacter pylori therapy, increases serum folate or glutathione without affecting serum vitamin B-12 or homocysteine in a rural Chinese population.

  Yujue Wang, Lian Zhang, Roxana Moslehi, Junling Ma, Kaifeng Pan, Tong Zhou, Weidong Liu, Linda Morris Brown, Yuangreng Hu, David Pee, Mitchell H Gail, Weicheng You
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  ABSTRACT: The effects of a 7.3-y supplementation with garlic and micronutrients and of anti-Helicobacter pylori treatment with amoxicillin (1 g twice daily) and omeprazole (20 mg twice daily) on serum folate, vitamin B-12, homocysteine, and glutathione concentrations were assessed in a rural Chinese population. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, factorial trial was conducted to compare the ability of 3 treatments to retard the development of precancerous gastric lesions in 3411 subjects. The treatments were: 1) anti-H. pylori treatment with amoxicillin and omeprazole; 2) 7.3-y supplementation with aged garlic and steam-distilled garlic oil; and 3) 7.3-y supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium. All 3 treatments were given in a 2(3) factorial design to subjects seropositive for H. pylori infection; only the garlic supplement and vitamin and selenium supplement were given in a 2(2) factorial design to the other subjects. Thirty-four subjects were randomly selected from each of the 12 treatment strata. Sera were analyzed after 7.3 y to measure effects on folate, vitamin B-12, homocysteine, and glutathione concentrations. Regression analyses adjusted for age, gender, and smoking indicated an increase of 10.2% (95%CI: 2.9-18.1%) in serum folate after garlic supplementation and an increase of 13.4% (95%CI: 5.3-22.2%) in serum glutathione after vitamin and selenium supplementation. The vitamin and selenium supplement did not affect other analytes and the amoxicillin and omeprazole therapy did not affect any of the variables tested. In this rural Chinese population, 7.3 y of garlic supplementation increased the serum folate concentration and the vitamin and selenium supplement increased that of glutathione, but neither affected serum concentrations of vitamin B-12 or homocysteine.
  Journal of Nutrition 01/2009; 139(1):106-12. · 3.92 Impact Factor
• Article: Incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus among white Americans by sex, stage, and age.

  Linda Morris Brown, Susan S Devesa, Wong-Ho Chow
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  ABSTRACT: Rapid increases in the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus have been reported among white men. We further explored the temporal patterns of this disease among white individuals by sex, stage, and age by use of data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. We identified 22,759 patients from January 1, 1975, through December 31, 2004, with esophageal cancer, of whom 9526 were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Among white men, increases in the incidence of esophageal cancer were largely attributed to a 463% increase in the incidence of adenocarcinoma over this time period, from 1.01 per 100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.90 to 1.13) in 1975-1979 to 5.69 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI = 5.47 to 5.91) in 2000-2004. A similar rapid increase was also apparent among white women, among whom the adenocarcinoma rate increased 335%, from 0.17 (95% CI = 0.13 to 0.21) to 0.74 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI = 0.67 to 0.81), over the same time period. Adenocarcinoma rates rose among white men and women in all stage and age groups, indicating that these increases are real and not an artifact of surveillance.
  CancerSpectrum Knowledge Environment 09/2008; 100(16):1184-7. · 14.07 Impact Factor
• Article: Risk of multiple myeloma and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance among white and black male United States veterans with prior autoimmune, infectious, inflammatory, and allergic disorders.

  Linda Morris Brown, Gloria Gridley, David Check, Ola Landgren
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  ABSTRACT: In a retrospective cohort of more than 4 million white and black male United States (US) veterans, we explored the role of specific prior autoimmune, infectious, inflammatory, and allergic disorders in the etiology of multiple myeloma (MM) and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Patients were selected from computerized inpatient discharge records at US Veterans Affairs hospitals. The analysis included 4641 patients (3040 white, 1601 black) and 2046 patients (1312 white; 734 black) with a discharge diagnosis of MM and MGUS, respectively. Using Poisson regression, we calculated age-adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the relationship between MM, MGUS, and specific prior medical conditions. Significantly elevated risks of MM were associated with broad categories of autoimmune (RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.02-1.28), infectious (RR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.20-1.38), and inflammatory disorders (RR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.10-1.27) and specific prior autoimmune (polymyositis/dermatomyositis, systemic sclerosis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, pernicious anemia, and ankylosing spondylitis), infectious (pneumonia, hepatitis, meningitis, septicemia, herpes zoster, and poliomyelitis), and inflammatory (glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and osteoarthritis) disorders. Risks for MGUS were generally of similar magnitude. Our results indicate that various types of immune-mediated conditions might act as triggers for MM/MGUS development.
  Blood 05/2008; 111(7):3388-94. · 9.90 Impact Factor
• Article: Acquired immune-related and inflammatory conditions and subsequent chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

  Ola Landgren, Gloria Gridley, David Check, Neil E Caporaso, Linda Morris Brown
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  ABSTRACT: Immune-mediated pathways have been recognized to be of importance in the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We assessed a broad variety of immune-related and inflammatory conditions and subsequent CLL development among 4 million adult male veterans admitted to VA hospitals. We identified 3,680 CLL cases with up to 27 years of follow-up. Using Poisson regression analyses restricted to immune-related or inflammatory conditions that occurred more than one year before CLL, we estimated relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals for CLL risk. Elevated CLL risk was found among individuals with prior chronic sinusitis (RR = 1.27, 1.01-1.61). Pneumonia had a borderline (RR = 1.13, 1.00-1.27) association with CLL; the risk was further elevated (RR = 1.35, 1.07-1.72) for latency <5 years. Conversely, chronic non-rheumatic valvular heart disease was associated with 0.76-fold (0.58-0.99) decreased risk. Herpes zoster and simplex were associated with increased (RR = 1.98, 1.40-2.79) and borderline increased (RR = 1.69, 0.96-2.98) CLL risk. There was no general association between autoimmunity and CLL; however, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia was associated with 3.86-fold (1.93-7.74) elevated CLL risk. Individuals with chronic osteoarthritis and prostatitis had 1.14-fold (1.03-1.25) and 1.64-fold (1.14-2.37) elevated CLL risk. These association patterns suggest primary focus on infectious agents rather than autoantigens for future aetiologic CLL studies.
  British Journal of Haematology 01/2008; 139(5):791-8. · 4.94 Impact Factor
• Article: Risk of second non-hematological malignancies among 376,825 breast cancer survivors.

  Linda Morris Brown, Bingshu E Chen, Ruth M Pfeiffer, Catherine Schairer, Per Hall, Hans Storm, Eero Pukkala, Frøydis Langmark, Magnus Kaijser, Michael Andersson, Heikki Joensuu, Sophie D Fosså, Lois B Travis
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  ABSTRACT: Breast cancer survivors are at increased risk of treatment-related second cancers. This study is the first to examine risk 30 or more years after diagnosis and to present absolute risks of second cancer which accounts for competing mortality. We identified 23,158 second non-hematological malignancies excluding breast in a population-based cohort of 376,825 one-year survivors of breast cancer diagnosed from 1943 to 2002 and reported to four Scandinavian cancer registries. We calculated standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and utilized a competing-risk model to calculate absolute risk of developing second cancers. The overall SIR for second cancers was 1.15 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14-1.17). The SIR for potentially radiotherapy-associated cancers 30 or more years after breast cancer diagnosis was 2.19 (95% CI = 1.87-2.55). However, the largest SIRs were observed for women aged <40 years followed for 1-9 years. At 20 years after breast cancer diagnosis, the absolute risk of developing a second cancer ranged from 0.6 to 10.3%, depending on stage and age; the difference in the absolute risk compared to the background population was greatest for women aged <40 years with localized disease, 2.3%. At 30 years post breast cancer diagnosis, this difference reached 3.2%. These risks were small compared to the corresponding risk of dying from breast cancer. Although the absolute risks were small, we found persistent risks of second non-hematological malignancies excluding breast 30 or more years after breast cancer diagnosis, particularly for women diagnosed at young ages with localized disease.
  Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 01/2008; 106(3):439-51. · 4.43 Impact Factor
• Article: The risk of secondary malignancies over 30 years after the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

  Linda Morris Brown, Regan A Howard, Lois B Travis
  Cancer 01/2007; 107(11):2741-2; author reply 2742. · 4.77 Impact Factor
• Article: Suicide after breast cancer: an international population-based study of 723,810 women.

  Catherine Schairer, Linda Morris Brown, Bingshu E Chen, Regan Howard, Charles F Lynch, Per Hall, Hans Storm, Eero Pukkala, Aage Anderson, Magnus Kaijser, Michael Andersson, Heikki Joensuu, Sophie D Fosså, Patricia A Ganz, Lois B Travis
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  ABSTRACT: Few studies have examined long-term suicide risk among breast cancer survivors, and there are no data for women in the United States. We quantified suicide risk through 2002 among 723,810 1-year breast cancer survivors diagnosed between January 1, 1953, and December 31, 2001, and reported to 16 population-based cancer registries in the United States and Scandinavia. Among breast cancer survivors, we calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and excess absolute risks (EARs) compared with the general population, and the probability of suicide. We used Poisson regression likelihood ratio tests to assess heterogeneity in SMRs; all statistical tests were two-sided, with a .05 cutoff for statistical significance. In total 836 breast cancer patients committed suicide (SMR = 1.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28 to 1.47; EAR = 4.1 per 100,000 person-years). Although SMRs ranged from 1.25 to 1.53 among registries, with 245 deaths among the sample of US women (SMR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.32 to 1.70), differences among registries were not statistically significant (P for heterogeneity = .19). Risk was elevated throughout follow-up, including for 25 or more years after diagnosis (SMR = 1.35, 95% CI = 0.82 to 2.12), and was highest among black women (SMR = 2.88, 95% CI = 1.44 to 5.17) (P for heterogeneity = .06). Risk increased with increasing stage of breast cancer (P for heterogeneity = .08) and remained elevated among women diagnosed between 1990 and 2001 (SMR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.18 to 1.57). The cumulative probability of suicide was 0.20% 30 years after breast cancer diagnosis.
  CancerSpectrum Knowledge Environment 11/2006; 98(19):1416-9. · 14.07 Impact Factor
• Article: A randomized factorial study of the effects of long-term garlic and micronutrient supplementation and of 2-wk antibiotic treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection on serum cholesterol and lipoproteins.

  Lian Zhang, Mitchell H Gail, Yu-que Wang, Linda Morris Brown, Kai-feng Pan, Jun-ling Ma, Harunobu Amagase, Wei-Cheng You, Roxana Moslehi
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  ABSTRACT: Little is known about the long-term effects of garlic or micronutrient supplementation on total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol in disease-free persons. We aimed to assess the effects of long-term supplementation with garlic and micronutrients and of short-term amoxicillin and omeprazole treatment on serum total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol in a rural Chinese population. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2 x 2 x 2 and 2 x 2 factorial study of precancerous gastric lesions in 3411 subjects in Linqu County, Shandong Province, China. Thirty-four subjects were randomly selected from each of 12 treatment strata. Sera were analyzed at 3.3 and 7.3 y to measure effects on total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol after 2-wk twice-daily treatment with 1 g amoxicillin and 20 mg omeprazole and supplementation throughout the study with 1) 2 capsules twice daily, each containing 200 mg aged garlic extract and 1 mg steam-distilled garlic oil, or 2) twice-daily micronutrient capsules containing 250 mg vitamin C, 100 IU vitamin E, and 37.5 mg selenium. Regressions adjusted for covariates indicated increases of 0.22 mmol total cholesterol/L (P = 0.01) and 0.19 mmol LDL/L (P = 0.02) after 7.3 y of micronutrient supplementation, but no effect of garlic supplementation or short-term amoxicillin and omeprazole treatment. In this rural Chinese population with low meat intake and moderate cholesterol concentrations, long-term garlic supplementation had no effect on lipid profiles, whereas micronutrient supplementation was associated with small but significant increases in total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations at 7.3 y.
  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 11/2006; 84(4):912-9. · 6.67 Impact Factor
• Article: Prostate cancer risk in U.S. blacks and whites with a family history of cancer

  Richard B. Hayes, Jonathan M Liff, Linda M. Pottern, Raymond S. Greenberg, Janet B. Schoenberg, Ann G. Schwartz, G. Marie Swanson, Debra T. Silverman, Linda Morris Brown, Robert N. Hoover, Joseph F. Fralmeni Jr
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  ABSTRACT: Prostate cancer occurs more frequently in U.S. blacks than whites. A population-based case-control study which investigated the association with family history of cancer was carried out among 981 men (479 black, 502 white) with pathologically confirmed prostate cancer, diagnosed between August 1, 1986, and April 30, 1989, and 1,315 controls (594 black, 721 white). Study subjects, aged 40–79, resided in Atlanta, Detroit, and 10 counties in New Jersey, geographic areas covered by population-based cancer registries. Prostate cancer risk was significantly elevated among those who reported a history of prostate cancer in first-degree relatives (O.R. = 3.2; 95% C.I.: 2.0–5.0), with blacks and whites having similarly elevated risks. These risks were unchanged by statistical adjustment for job-related socio-economic status, education, income, and marital status. Overall, the ORs associated with history of prostate cancer in fathers and brothers were 2.5 (95% C.I.: 1.5–4.2) and 5.3 (95% C.I.: 2.3–12.5), respectively. Risks associated with a family history of prostate cancer were consistently elevated among younger and older subjects. Only small non-significant excesses of prostate cancer risk were associated with a family history of breast, colorectal, or other cancers. While familial occurrence is a key risk factor for prostate cancer and likely to be genetically based, the similar familial risks among blacks and whites suggest that the ethnic disparity in incidence is influenced by environmental factors. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
  International Journal of Cancer 07/2006; 60(3):361 - 364. · 5.44 Impact Factor
• Article: Dietary factors and cancers of the renal pelvis and ureter.

  Kaye E Brock, Gloria Gridley, Linda Morris Brown, Mimi C Yu, Janet B Schoenberg, Charles F Lynch, Joseph K McLaughlin
  Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers &amp Prevention 06/2006; 15(5):1051-3. · 4.12 Impact Factor
• Article: Cancer survivorship--genetic susceptibility and second primary cancers: research strategies and recommendations.

  Lois B Travis, Charles S Rabkin, Linda Morris Brown, James M Allan, Blanche P Alter, Christine B Ambrosone, Colin B Begg, Neil Caporaso, Stephen Chanock, Angela DeMichele, [......], Andrea K Ng, Kenneth Offit, Ching-Hon Pui, Leslie L Robison, Nathaniel Rothman, Peter G Shields, Louise Strong, Toshiyasu Taniguchi, Margaret A Tucker, Mark H Greene
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  ABSTRACT: Cancer survivors constitute 3.5% of the United States population, but second primary malignancies among this high-risk group now account for 16% of all cancer incidence. Although few data currently exist regarding the molecular mechanisms for second primary cancers and other late outcomes after cancer treatment, the careful measurement and documentation of potentially carcinogenic treatments (chemotherapy and radiotherapy) provide a unique platform for in vivo research on gene-environment interactions in human carcinogenesis. We review research priorities identified during a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored workshop entitled "Cancer Survivorship--Genetic Susceptibility and Second Primary Cancers." These priorities include 1) development of a national research infrastructure for studies of cancer survivorship; 2) creation of a coordinated system for biospecimen collection; 3) development of new technology, bioinformatics, and biomarkers; 4) design of new epidemiologic methods; and 5) development of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Many of the infrastructure resources and design strategies that would facilitate research in this area also provide a foundation for the study of other important nonneoplastic late effects of treatment and psychosocial concerns among cancer survivors. These research areas warrant high priority to promote NCI's goal of eliminating pain and suffering related to cancer.
  CancerSpectrum Knowledge Environment 02/2006; 98(1):15-25. · 14.07 Impact Factor
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  Available from: Hala el-zimaity

  Article: Disinfection of endoscopes from Helicobacter pylori-positive subjects: evaluation of the effectiveness of the Chinese Calijing disinfection kit.

  Linda Morris Brown, Michael Osato, Wei-cheng You, Hala El-Zimaity, Ji-you Li, Lian Zhang, Mitchell H Gail
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  ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Calijing disinfection kit (an endoscope disinfection method used in Chinese hospitals) in eradicating Helicobacter pylori and assess whether use of the kit in 1994 during endoscopies in the Shandong Intervention Trial (SIT), Shandong, China, could have resulted in iatrogenic transmission of H pylori . Bacterial culture studies at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas, using endoscopes and forceps from 49 H pylori -positive patients were performed on contaminated endoscopes before and after disinfection with the Calijing kit. At least 1 endoscope culture site was H pylori positive in 39 of 49 (79.6%) specimens predisinfection, whereas H pylori was not isolated from any endoscopic culture site postdisinfection. Non- H pylori bacteria and fungi were recovered from 22.6% of the postdisinfection cultures. Although no viable H pylori were recovered following the disinfection procedures, levels of H pylori below the detection threshold of the bacteriologic assay may have contributed to an increase in H pylori seroprevalence noted in the SIT. In addition, the kit was unable to provide disinfection against non- H pylori organisms, suggesting the need to adhere to internationally accepted disinfection procedures for endoscope reprocessing.
  American Journal of Infection Control 06/2005; 33(4):197-201. · 2.40 Impact Factor
• Article: Epidemiology of alcohol-associated cancers.

  Linda Morris Brown
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  ABSTRACT: Alcohol, especially in combination with smoking, is a well-established risk factor for cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, and larynx, with 25% to 80% of these cancers being attributable to alcohol. Rates of these cancers in the United States have been decreasing in recent years, possibly because of reductions in cigarette smoking and alcohol use. Chronic alcohol consumption has been linked with increased risk of liver cancer in epidemiologic studies. However, the rising rates of this cancer in the United States are most likely due to the increasing prevalence of chronic hepatitis B and C infections. Epidemiologic evidence has linked light to moderate intake of alcohol to cancers of the colorectum and female breast. These cancers are common in developed countries, so even small increases in risk can have important public health implications. Although results of most epidemiologic studies have provided little or no support for a causal relation between light and moderate alcohol use and risk of pancreatic cancer, a possible role of heavy alcohol consumption cannot be ruled out. Further studies of these cancers are needed to clarify the role of type of alcoholic beverage, the role of alcohol concentration, and the dose-response curve at low concentrations of alcohol. Future research also should be designed to promote the use of uniform ways to report alcohol intake and uniform measures for analysis, to include the investigation of alcohol-associated cancer risks in U.S. minority populations, to enhance experimental work to better understand the underlying mechanisms through which alcohol promotes carcinogenesis, and to develop preventive strategies.
  Alcohol 05/2005; 35(3):161-8. · 2.47 Impact Factor
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  Available from: sjweh.fi

  Article: Occupation, pesticide exposure and risk of multiple myeloma.

  Dalsu Baris, Debra T Silverman, Linda Morris Brown, G Marie Swanson, Richard B Hayes, Ann G Schwartz, Jonathan M Liff, Janet B Schoenberg, Linda M Pottern, Raymond S Greenberg, Patricia A Stewart
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  ABSTRACT: This population-based case-control study examined the relationship between occupation, living or working on a farm, pesticide exposure, and the risk of multiple myeloma. The study included 573 persons newly diagnosed with myeloma and 2131 controls. Information was obtained on sociodemographic factors, occupational history, and history of living and working on a farm. Occupational and industrial titles were coded by standardized classification systems. A job-exposure matrix was developed for occupational pesticide exposure. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression. Farmers and farm workers had odds ratios of 1.9 (95% CI 0.8-4.6) and 1.4 (95% CI 0.8-2.3), respectively. An odds ratio of 1.7 (95% CI 1.0-2.7) was observed for sheep farm residents or workers, whereas no increased risks were found for cattle, beef, pig, or chicken farm residents or workers. A modestly increased risk was observed for pesticides (OR 1.3, 95% CI 0.9-1.8). Significantly increased risks were found for pharmacists, dieticians and therapists (OR 6.1, 95% CI 1.7-22.5), service occupations (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.02-1.7), roofers (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.1-9.8), precision printing occupations (OR 10.1, 95% CI 1.03-99.8), heating equipment operators (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.4-15.8), and hand molders and casters (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.0-8.4). A modest increased risk of multiple myeloma is suggested for occupational pesticide exposure. The increased risk for sheep farm residents or workers indicates that certain animal viruses may be involved in myeloma risk.
  Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health 07/2004; 30(3):215-22. · 3.12 Impact Factor
• Article: Sugarcane farming, occupational solvent exposures, and the risk of oral cancer in Puerto Rico.

  Joseph B Coble, Linda Morris Brown, Richard B Hayes, Wen-Yi Huang, Deborah M Winn, Gloria Gridley, Eleuterio Bravo-Otero, Joseph F Fraumeni
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  ABSTRACT: The work history information from a population-based case-control study conducted in Puerto Rico was analyzed using a job exposure matrix to investigate the relationship between occupational exposures and cancers of the oral cavity or pharynx. After adjustment for age, alcohol, smoking, and residence in a logistic model, the risk for cancer of the oral cavity, but not the pharynx, was significantly elevated among farm workers in the sugarcane industry (OR = 4.4, 95% CI = 1.4-13.6). An exposure-response trend was seen for cumulative exposure to solvents, with an OR = 3.2 (95% CI = 0.8-12.6) in the highest exposure category. The overall contribution to the risk of cancer of the oral cavity or pharynx associated with occupational exposures in Puerto Rico appears to be small, however, the elevated risks were seen among sugarcane farmers and subjects with high cumulative exposure to solvents.
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 09/2003; 45(8):869-74. · 2.06 Impact Factor