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Query: UMLS:C0024623 (gastric cancer)
 36,219 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The problem of a relationship between nutrition and cancer has to be approached from two different points of view: 1. Direct effect of carcinogens present in foods or in food additives (direct carcinogenesis), 2. In-vivo synthesis of carcinogens caused by changes in metabolism due to altered dietary habits (indirect carcinogenesis). For the second mechanism, we have to make a distinction between the effects of nutritional deficiency and of nutritional excess. Some examples from animal experiments are presented. In man, possible relationships between nutrition and cancer are postulated mainly for tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and recently also for hormone-dependent cancers. Epidemiological evidence points to the major importance of the indirect way of carcinogenesis caused by specific nutritional deficiencies and excesses. Experimental studies in man are difficult to perform. Therefore, most hypotheses are based on statistical associations, and great caution is required in drawing inferences on causal relationships. Cancers of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract epidemiologically behave in a different way, the former showing a marked decrease in most western countries, the latter a slight increase. The etiology of the cancers of the esophagus and stomach has still to be determined in spite of many hypotheses. Migrant studies show a major effect of environmental rather than genetic factors. Substantial differences in dietary habits between countries with high and low incidence of stomach cancer (Japan and United States) point to the importance of nutrition as an etiological factor with a high probability, but no specific dietary components have been identified so far. The same is true for cancer of the large bowel. Recent hypotheses suggest that dietary factors may relate to cancer of the colon by their effect on bile production and on the bacterial makeup of faeces which in turn might be transforming bile acids into active carcinogens. There is, however, disagreement about the specific dietary component responsible for this model of carcinogenesis. BURKITT stresses the importance of the lower consumption of dietary fiber, resulting in retarded bowel function and additional time for bacterial proliferation and degradation by bacteria of bile acids. WYNDER, on the other hand, explains the increased bile acid and neutral sterol excretion and microbial modification of these compounds with the high content of animal fat in the western diet. With hormone-dependent cancers (breast, endometrium, ovary, prostate), a correlation has been shown between body weight and height and breast cancer as well as between overweight and cancer of the endometrium. Which aspect of diet, if any, is responsible for changes in hormone metabolism, resulting in an increased risk of these cancers, is still to be proved. On the basis of current knowledge, it is extremely difficult to draw inferences for preventive action. Certainly, a cancer-preventing diet cannot be established...
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PMID:[Nutrition and cancer (author's transl)]. 101 38

Eleven out of 36 autopsied cases of Wernicke's encephalopathy had developed coma. None of these patients had the diagnosis during life. There were six men and five women with ages ranging from 26 to 50 years (mean 36.6). Seven of these patients were heavy drinkers, three exhibited signs of severe malnutrition, whereas one was being evaluated for a disseminated gastric cancer and one was in treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum. Two patients were brought to the hospital after found unconscious at home. Neuropathological examination disclosed gross changes in the mammillary bodies in eight cases and microscopic changes in all cases. In one case there was atrophy of the anterior superior part of the vermis. Petechial hemorrhages were observed particularly in the walls of the third ventricle. Microscopically there were in addition to hemorrhages, glial proliferation, endothelial hypertrophy and necrosis of nerve cells and myelin. Central pontine myelinolysis was observed in one case. Wernicke's encephalopathy is a clinically underdiagnosed condition. Coma may mask its classical clinical picture or even be the sole manifestation. Although coma points to a poor outlook it may be reversed by thiamine administration. Any patient with coma of unknown etiology should be given parenteral thiamine.
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PMID:Coma and death in unrecognized Wernicke's encephalopathy. An autopsy study. 130 11

Based on the previous data which indicated a preoperative decrease in cell-mediated immunity (CMI) is associated with the occurrence of infectious complications following surgery on patients with esophageal cancer, we examined possible factors contributing to a decrease in CMI levels. A multiple linear regression analysis was made on data from 76 patients with esophageal cancer and 53 with gastric cancer as the control. In patients with esophageal cancer, both protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) and age factor contributed to a decrease in CMI, although the contribution of the latter was weak while the stage of the cancer and the grade of dysphagia showed no such contribution. The PCM and stage of the cancer were contributing factors in patients with gastric cancer. Thus, these results indicate that PCM and old age, and not the presence of malignant tumors, play a significant role in deficiency in CMI in patients with esophageal cancer.
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PMID:Factors contributing to deficiencies in cell-mediated immunity in esophageal cancer patients. 139 29

Based on data providing evidence that the enhancement of serum IgG and IgA is associated with the occurrence of infectious complications following surgery in patients with esophageal cancer, we examined the possible factors contributing to alterations in the serum IgG, IgA, IgM, C3, C4, and CH50 levels. A multiple linear regression analysis was made on data obtained from 71 patients with esophageal cancer and 57 with gastric cancer. In the patients with esophageal cancer, age and protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) were related to the elevation of IgG levels while the stage of cancer was linked to that of IgA. The sex and IgM levels were also seen to be related. Age and the stage of cancer were associated with reductions in C3, C4, and CH50 levels, although in the patients with gastric cancer, the stage of cancer and elevations of these complement levels were related. Thus, age, PCM, and tumor malignancy are all factors related to the enhancement of IgG or IgA in patients with esophageal cancer.
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PMID:Increases in immunoglobulin and complement in patients with esophageal or gastric cancer. 147 94

Body composition and energy expenditure were investigated before and 10-14 days after surgery in 44 patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer (23 esophageal and 21 gastric cancer) in order to assess the impact of preoperative weight loss on metabolic adaptation to the surgical trauma and on postoperative complications. Patients were divided in three groups with I: 0-5%, II: 5-10% and III: greater than 10% preoperative weight loss related to the usual body weight. 50% of the patients presented with no or just minor weight loss. Even in case of weight loss greater than 10% no decrease below the ideal body weight was observed. Body cell mass and fat mass were significantly (p less than 0.05) reduced in group III when compared with I. Since energy expenditure and substrate oxidation rates were rather normal in most patients weight loss was considered to be due to tumor related stenosis and dysphagia. More than 50% of the energy requirements were gained from fat oxidation. General criteria of malnutrition were not fulfilled. Perioperative weight loss was lowest (1.6 +/- 4.9 kg) in patients of group III related to group I (2.9 +/- 1.7 kg) and II (5.0 +/- 6.9 kg). Similar elevation of energy expenditure and lipid oxidation with concomitant reduction in glucose oxidation was observed in all groups of patients. This led to a similar decrease of body cell mass. Independent of preoperative weight loss major complications occurred in 8 cases--pneumonia in 6 and leakage of the anastomosis in 2 patients; no patient died. From this study can be concluded that with regard to perioperative weight loss the metabolic response to surgical trauma is adequate even in patients with marked preoperative weight loss. These patients remain compensated and preoperative weight loss is without major effect on postoperative complication rate.
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PMID:[Significance of preoperative weight loss for perioperative metabolic adaptation and surgical risk in patients with tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract]. 156 4

Based on the findings that the enhancement of serum alpha 2-macroglobulin (A2M) is associated with the occurrence of infectious complications following surgery in patients with esophageal cancer, we examined possible factors which could contribute to the alterations of serum acute phase protein levels in patients with this disease. A multiple linear regression analysis was made for 71 patients with esophageal cancer and 58 with gastric cancer. In patients with esophageal cancer, protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) and age factors more strongly contributed to the alteration of 6 acute phase protein levels than did the malignant tumor when compared to those with gastric acner. PCM was negatively associated with A2M levels while it was positively associated with alpha 1-acidglycoprotein (A1AG) and haptoglobin (Hp) levels. Age did not contribute to the A2M levels but did have a negative effect on the Hp, ceruloplasmin (Cp) and fibronectin (Fn) levels. On the other hand, the malignant tumor was positively related only to the A1AG levels. Since none of these factors contributed to the elevation of A2M levels, it is suggested that the presence of chronic infection might be a factor contributing to the A2M increase which was associated with the occurrence of postoperative infectious complications in patients with this disease.
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PMID:Factors influencing the acute phase protein levels in patients with esophageal cancer. 172 Apr 74

Based on data indicating that decreases in body weight (BW), arm muscle circumference (AMC), and rapid-turnover proteins (RTPs) correlate with fatal septic complications after surgery for esophageal cancer, we examined possible factors contributing to protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) in patients with this disease. Eight parameters of nutritional status were assessed. Associations between sex, age, stage of cancer, and degree of dysphagia and PCM were analyzed via multiple linear regression for 75 patients with esophageal cancer and 58 with gastric cancer. These four factors independently contributed to PCM in patients with esophageal cancer, whereas malignant tumor and age contributed to PCM in those with gastric cancer. The degree of dysphagia was related to decreases in serum albumin and RTP and weakly related to decreases in BW and AMC. Stage of cancer, age, and sex were associated with reductions in albumin and/or RTP. Thus, we conclude that simple starvation, malignant tumor, age, and sex contribute to PCM and probably to the occurrence of fatal septic complications postoperatively.
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PMID:Factors related to malnutrition in patients with esophageal cancer. 180 92

In 1901, 20% of autopsied subjects in Trieste were under the age of 30 and 28.8% were over 70. By 1985, only 0.2% were under 30 years of age and 74.5% over 70. An analysis of autopsy reports for 1901 reveals that the primary causes of death at that time were tuberculosis (22.4%), acute pulmonary infections (13.7%) and malignant neoplasms (10.6%). Other pathological conditions found at autopsy were infectious lesions (10.4%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (10.2%), arteriosclerosis (only 6.4%), syphilis (4.7%), nutritional deficiency (4.7%), cirrhosis of the liver (4.6%) and acute infections (1.1%). Overall, infectious diseases accounted for 55% of deaths in 1901. In 1985, the cause of death was infection in only 3.7% of cases. During the period analysed, the percentage of deaths from cancer tripled and mean length of survival increased by more than 20 years. In 1901, the neoplasms found most frequently were gastric cancer in males (17.9%) and cancers of the uterus and ovary in females (both 13%). Lung cancer accounted for 7.7% of all deaths from malignant neoplasms in males, and breast cancer for 10.8% of such deaths among females. By 1985, lung cancer accounted for 32.4% of deaths from malignant neoplasms among males and breast cancer for 18% among females. Between 1901 and 1985, there were highly significant increases in the numbers of deaths due to arteriosclerosis and to malignant neoplasms in people of each sex.
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PMID:Changes in underlying causes of death during 85 years of autopsy practice in Trieste. 185 46

To clarify the risk factors contributing to postoperative complications in elderly patients undergoing total gastrectomy, 84 patients with primary gastric cancer were evaluated. Twenty-seven patients were older than 65 years of age; they had much more preoperative cardiac (P = 0.00003), respiratory (P = 0.0008), and multiorgan impairment (P = 0.009) than did the control group (age less than 65 yrs). Although overall morbidities (44.4% vs. 19.2%; P = 0.01) and overall septic complication rates (33.3% vs. 12.2%; P = 0.02) were higher in aged patients, no significant differences between the two groups were found in the incidence of major surgical complications (18.5% in aged patients vs. 10.5% in control groups; P = NS), serious septic (sepsis score greater than 10) complications (18.5% vs. 7.0%; P = NS) and hospital mortalities (11.1% vs. 3.5%; P = NS). In older patients the occurrence of multiorgan impairment and malnutrition was significantly related to postoperative complication rates. These results suggest that the degree of organ impairment rather than age is predictive of postoperative difficulty and should be used in assessing preoperative risk.
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PMID:Risk factors in relation to postoperative complications and mortality after total gastrectomy in aged patients. 204 41

Total gastrectomy is the elective therapy for gastric cancer, but anastomotic dehiscences often improve the results of this surgery, performed in patients with malnutrition due to the neoplasy. The authors present a group of 27 patients treated with total gastrectomy and a routine postoperative TPN; the incidence of dehiscences and postoperative complications is very low. The preoperative evaluation of surgical risk and the choice of pre- and/or postoperative, parenteral and/or enteral nutritional therapy, are discussed.
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PMID:[Total parenteral nutrition in patients undergoing total gastrectomy in cancer of the stomach. A clinical study]. 211 8


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