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Purpose: This study aimed to provide a better understanding of the impact of paclitaxel chemotherapy on breath alcohol in an Irish population. Methods: Patients attending the Oncology Day Unit at Beaumont Hospital were invited to participate on the day of their treatment. The brand of paclitaxel used was Actavis Pharma Inc and contained 6 mg/mL paclitaxel in 50% Ethanol/ 50% Cremophor EL. Breath alcohol concentration was measured using the AlcoSense ™ Breathalyser on three separate visits. The primary end-point was the number of patients who were above the legal threshold for drink driving in Ireland. Results: In total, 50 patients were recruited. 36 (68%) were female. The most common diagnosis was breast cancer (56%). Ten (20%) patients had metastatic disease and 4 (8%) had liver metastases. The mean paclitaxel dose administered was 118 mg. The mean amount of ethanol infused was 7.7 g. 27 patients had a detectable breath alcohol level on at least one visit. The mean breath alcohol concentration was 2 mcg/100 mL or 0.02 mg/L of breath. The maximum concentration of ethanol in exhaled breath was 11 mcg/100 mL or 0.11 mg/L which is 50% of the statutory limit for drink driving in Ireland. A weak correlation was observed between ethanol concentration in exhaled breath and the total amount of ethanol administered. Although no patient exceeded the general limit for drink driving in Ireland, three (6%) participants had a breath alcohol concentration above the threshold for professional, learner or novice drivers. Conclusion: Although definitive conclusions are limited by relatively small numbers, it seems unlikely that weekly paclitaxel infusions pose any significant risk to patients driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives:Prospective diet diaries may be more accurate than retrospective food frequency questionnaires (FFQ). The objective of this study was to compare FFQ and 7-day diet diary (7DD) measurements of fibre intake with the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD).Subjects/Methods:We compared 7DD and FFQ fibre intake in a nested case-control study in a population of 25 639 men and women aged 40-79 years, surveyed in 1993-97 and followed up until 2007. Among 2151 CHD cases and 5354 controls, FFQ and 7DD fibre intake (6 g/day) was examined in relation to serum total cholesterol and CHD using linear and logistic regression adjusted for age and additionally for body mass index, physical activity, smoking status, family history of CHD, social class, diabetes, alcohol, energy, saturated fat and use of lipid lowering medication, antihypertensive medication or aspirin.Results:Age-adjusted serum total cholesterol was inversely associated with 7DD fibre among men and women, but with FFQ fibre among men only. In the multivariate analysis, associations with 7DD fibre were attenuated among men (regression coefficient −0.036 mmol/l, s.e. 0.021, P-value 0.087) and women (regression coefficient −0.069 mmol/l, s.e. 0.036, P-value 0.053), and were non-significant for FFQ fibre. Among men, age-adjusted CHD risk was inversely associated with 7DD fibre (odds ratio (OR) 0.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79-0.90), but not with FFQ fibre (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.90-1.12). Among women, age-adjusted CHD risk was inversely associated with 7DD fibre (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.75-0.93), and had a weaker inverse borderline-significant association with FFQ fibre (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.87-1.01). Multivariate models yielded similar results.Conclusions:Inconsistencies in diet-CHD relationships in population studies may be associated with the use of different dietary assessment methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the phase III RTOG 9802 trial, median overall survival (OS) increased from 7.8 years with radiotherapy alone to 13.3 years (P =.002) with adjuvant procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine (PCV) following surgery for low grade glioma. Although the PCV regimen improved survival, there were significant toxicities. We hypothesised more frequent toxicities would be observed in clinical practice. We aimed to identify and quantify toxicities in the real world setting in a National Neuro-Oncology centre. Patients with low grade glioma who received PCV following radiotherapy from Nov 2014 to Nov 2018 were identified from Institutional databases. Data on toxicities, dose reductions, dose delays and treatment discontinuation were collected from paper and electronic patient records. A total of 41 patients with low grade glioma were identified. Patients were predominantly male (n = 28) and the median age at diagnosis was 41. Of these, 28/41 patients had a diagnosis of oligodendroglioma and 13/41 had astrocytoma. The majority of patients had tumours with favourable molecular features such as IDH mutations (n = 38) and 1p19q co deletions (n = 23). Only 4 patients completed 6 cycles of chemotherapy without any dose modification or delay. 16 patients completed PCV with dose reductions and dose delays at various levels. The dose intensity was as follows: procarbazine: 69%, lomustine: 71% and vincristine: 68%. Neutropaenia and thrombocytopaenia (table) were the major causes of treatment discontinuation (14/21 patients). Three patients had disease progression during chemotherapy and two patient's treatment was discontinued due to abnormal LFTs. Three patients opted not to continue chemo due to intolerability in context of grade 3 to 4 fatigue and GI symptoms. At median follow up of 17 months, 9/41 patients have had disease progression. Table: 430P Table: 430P Our Study % RTOG 9802% Patient Completed PCV 48 56 Median Number of Cycles Completed 3 3.5 Thrombocytopenia G2 (50-75) 71 9 G3 (25-50) 17 18 G4 (<25) 2 0 Neutropenia G2(1-1.5) 87 9 G3(0.5-0.1) 31 35 G4(<0.5) 7 8 Frequent toxicities are observed with PCV in clinical practice. Our data suggest it might be preferable to adjust doses from the start of chemotherapy to improve tolerability. The authors. Has not received any funding. All authors have declared no conflicts of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Epidemiological studies have shown inconsistent results for the association between body size and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. Inconsistencies may be because of the reliance on self-reported measures of body size.Objective:We examined the association of self-reported and directly assessed anthropometric data (body height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist, hip, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and chest circumference) with CRC risk in the EPIC-Norfolk study.Design:A total of 20 608 participants with complete self-reported and measured height and weight and without any history of cancer were followed up an average of 11 years, during which 357 incident CRC cases were recorded. Hazard Ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models.Results:After adjustment for confounders, HRs among women in the highest quintile of the body size measure relative to the lowest quintile showed that measured height (HR=1.98, 95% CI=1.19-3.28, P trend=0.009), measured waist circumference (HR=1.65, 95% CI=0.97-2.86, P trend=0.009) and measured WHR (HR=2.07, 95% CI=1.17-3.67, P trend=0.001) were associated with increased CRC risk. Associations using corresponding self-reported measures were attenuated and not statistically significant. Conversely, the association of BMI with CRC risk in women was weaker using measured BMI (HR=1.57, 95% CI=0.91-2.73, P trend=0.05) compared with self-reported BMI (HR=1.97, 95% CI=1.18-3.30, P trend=0.02). In men no significantly increased CRC risk was observed with any of the anthropometric measures.Conclusions:Measured height, waist circumference and WHR were associated with CRC risk in women, whereas any significant associations with those measures were attenuated when self-reported data were used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives:To investigate the effects of body size and sociodemographic characteristics on differences between self-reported (SR) and measured anthropometric data in men and women.Subjects/Methods:This study comprises 9933 men and 11 856 women aged 39-79 years at baseline survey (1993-1997) in the EPIC-Norfolk study (Norfolk arm of the European Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study). The effects of sex, measured height, weight, age group, educational level and social class on differences between SR and measured weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist, hip and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were examined.Results:There were systematic differences between SR and measured anthropometric measurements by sex, measured height, weight and sociodemographic characteristics. Height was overestimated in both sexes while weight, waist, hip, and consequently, BMI and WHR were underestimated. Being male, shorter, heavier, older, and having no educational qualifications and manual occupation were independently associated with overreporting of height, and underreporting of weight was associated independently with being female, shorter, heavier, younger age, and higher education level and social class. Underreporting of waist circumference was strongly associated with being female and higher measured waist circumference, while underreporting of hip circumference was associated with being male and higher measured hip circumference. Furthermore, there was substantial degree of misclassification of BMI and waist circumference categories for both general and central obesity associated with SR data.Conclusions:These findings suggest that errors in SR anthropometric data, especially waist and hip circumference are influenced by actual body size as well as sociodemographic characteristics. These systematic differences may influence associations between SR anthropometric measures and health outcomes in epidemiological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidemiological studies have suggested that excessive alcohol intake increases colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. However, findings regarding tumour subsites and sex differences have been inconsistent.Methods: We investigated the prospective associations between alcohol intake on overall and site- and sex-specific CRC risk. Analyses were conducted on 579 CRC cases and 1996 matched controls nested within the UK Dietary Cohort Consortium using standardised data obtained from food diaries as a main nutritional method and repeated using data from food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).Results: Compared with individuals in the lightest category of drinkers (>0-<5 g per day), the multivariable odds ratios of CRC were 1.16 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.88, 1.53) for non-drinkers, 0.91 (95% CI: 0.67, 1.24) for drinkers with 5-<15 g per day, 0.90 (95% CI: 0.65, 1.25) for drinkers with 15-<30 g per day, 1.02 (95% CI: 0.66, 1.58) for drinkers with 30-<45 g per day and 1.19 (95% CI: 0.75, 1.91) for drinkers with >or=45 g per day. No clear associations were observed between site-specific CRC risk and alcohol intake in either sex. Analyses using FFQ showed similar results.Conclusion: We found no significantly increased risk of CRC up to 30 g per day of alcohol intake within the UK Dietary Cohort Consortium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives:In spite of several studies relating dietary patterns to breast cancer risk, evidence so far remains inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate associations of dietary patterns derived with three different methods with breast cancer risk.Subjects/Methods:The Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), principal components analyses (PCA) and reduced rank regression (RRR) were used to derive dietary patterns in a case-control study of 610 breast cancer cases and 1891 matched controls within four UK cohort studies. Dietary intakes were collected prospectively using 4- to 7-day food diaries and resulting food consumption data were grouped into 42 food groups. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for associations between pattern scores and breast cancer risk adjusting for relevant covariates. A separate model was fitted for post-menopausal women only.Results:The MDS was not associated with breast cancer risk (OR comparing first tertile with third 1.20 (95% CI 0.92; 1.56)), nor the first PCA-derived dietary pattern, explaining 2.7% of variation of diet and characterized by cheese, crisps and savoury snacks, legumes, nuts and seeds (OR 1.18 (95% CI 0.91; 1.53)). The first RRR-derived pattern, a 'high-alcohol' pattern, was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.00; 1.62), which was most pronounced in post-menopausal women (OR 1.46 (95% CI 1.08; 1.98)).Conclusions:A 'high-alcohol' dietary pattern derived with RRR was associated with an increased breast cancer risk; no evidence of associations of other dietary patterns with breast cancer risk was observed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives:Vitamin C intake has been inversely associated with breast cancer risk in case-control studies, but not in meta-analyses of cohort studies using Food Frequency Questionnaires, which can over-report fruit and vegetable intake, the main source of vitamin C. This is the first study to investigate associations between vitamin C intake and breast cancer risk using food diaries.Subjects/Methods:Estimated dietary vitamin C intake was derived from 4-7 day food diaries pooled from five prospective studies in the UK Dietary Cohort Consortium. This nested case-control study of 707 incident breast cancer cases and 2144 matched controls examined breast cancer risk in relation to dietary vitamin C intake using conditional logistic regression adjusting for relevant covariates. Additionally, total vitamin C intake from supplements and diet was analysed in three cohorts.Results:No evidence of associations was observed between breast cancer risk and vitamin C intake analysed for dietary vitamin C intake (odds ratios (OR)=0.98 per 60 mg/day, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88-1.09, P trend=0.7), dietary vitamin C density (OR=0.97 per 60 mg/day, 95% CI: 0.87-1.07, P trend=0.5 ) or total vitamin C intake (OR=1.01 per 60 mg/day, 95% CI: 0.99-1.03, P trend=0.3). Additionally, there was no significant association for post-menopausal women (OR=1.02 per 60 mg/day, 95% CI: 0.99-1.05, P trend=0.3).Conclusions:This pooled analysis of individual UK women found no evidence of significant associations between breast cancer incidence and dietary or total vitamin C intake derived uniquely from detailed diary recordings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]