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This study estimates the incidence and prevalence of larynx and lung cancers using a mathematical model based on available data on specific mortality and survival. In Italy, larynx and lung cancers account for more than 95% of respiratory cancers. In this paper, estimates of age/sex-specific and age-standardized incidence rates and prevalence are presented for the years 1970 and 1987. Age and birth-cohort effects on incidence are also presented by sex and broad geographical area. The procedure was firstly validated using data from four cancer registries: Varese (Northern Italy), Parma (North-Central Italy), Florence (Central Italy), and Ragusa (Southern Italy). Estimates were then carried out at the national level and for each major geographical area (i.e. North, Center and South). Larynx cancer age-standardized incidence rates increased for men by about 25% from 1970 to 1987. Age-specific rates increased for ages greater than 44 years, but decreased for younger ages. Cohort effects are low for older cohorts; they steeply increase and plateau for the 1900-1905 cohorts, and then peak for the 1930 cohort. The risk for cohorts born after 1930 systematically decreases. We estimated that the 1930 birth cohort has a risk five times higher than the 1890 cohort. For women, the incidence rates increased by about 30% from 1970 to 1987, for all age classes. Cohort effects steadily increase from the 1886 birth cohort to the 1960 cohort. The estimated prevalence between ages 30 and 84 increased from about 24,400 cases in 1970 (23,000 males and 1,400 females) to about 51,400 cases in 1987 (48,600 males and 2,800 females). For men, 42% of the increase can be attributed to an increase in the incidence of the disease; 45% can be attributed to population aging, and only 13% to an increase in the survival probability. Corresponding figures for women are 42%, 48%, and 10%. For lung cancer, we estimated 32,000 incident cases for 1987 (28,000 men and 4,000 women), two times the corresponding figures for 1970 (14,000 men and 2,000 women). Looking at age-adjusted rates, the overall risk of lung cancer increased by about 60% for men and 52% for women during a period of 17 years. Age-specific incidence rates increased proportionally with age for ages greater than 50 years. By contrast, there was a slight but systematic risk reduction in younger age classes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The authors briefly reviewed the literature concerning the risk factors for primary pleural tumors in humans. The results from the most relevant studies emphasize the fact that the large majority of mesotheliomas are associated with exposure to asbestos or asbestiform fibers. Exposure to asbestos is mainly through industrial use, and mesotheliomas result from occupational, para-occupational, or environmental exposure. Fibers of crocidolite, amosite, and chrysotile appear to be, in descending order, more carcinogenic for pleural tissues. The authors summarize the available data on consumption of asbestos and asbestos-based products in Italy. The chrysotile-asbestos mine in Balangero (Piedmont) stimulated the industrial production of asbestos-cement; asbestos has been largely sprayed among shipyards and user for insulating railroad coaches and carriages. Italy had the greatest consumption of crocidolite in Europe, which was not banned until 1986. The authors discuss the major findings derived from descriptive epidemiological data presented in previous papers dealing with this issue. In addition, standardized mortality rates of primary pleural tumors for European countries are shown. A clearly increasing trend for mortality is observed in Italy, which has also the provinces with the highest mortality rates in Europe. Among Italian provinces, the mortality rates are consistent with the number of asbestosis cases receiving workman's compensation. The authors present the results of both cohort and case-control analytical studies performed in Italy, and provide suggestions for further research.

Several measures were adopted by European countries in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident. In this paper these measures are reviewed and the European Communities initiatives for food marketing and exports are analyzed, together with the reference levels for radioactive concentration in the main food matrices chosen in different European countries in the very few days after the accident. A particular attention has been devoted to the emergency management in Italy, outlining exhaustively the laws enforced at the time of the accident and explaining how the reference levels for food contamination were chosen. Finally, a tentative balance about emergency management in Italy is struck and some questions are raised about the commitments undertaken or to be undertaken by international institutions.

This paper is an up-to-date review of the scientific evidence on mechanisms of pollutant generation and health effects for a number of urban air pollutants. The review focuses on main sources and health effect of ozone and photochemical smog, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. These agents are "priority pollutants", generated by vehicle traffic, and their regulation is currently being examined by the European Council and the European Commission. The aim is to reach, by the year 2010, values lower than 180 micrograms/m3 for ozone as maximum hourly concentration, 2.5 micrograms/m3 for benzene as an annual average, 93 micrograms/m3 for nitrogen dioxide as 98 degrees percentile of hourly concentrations, 50 micrograms/m3 for particulate as a daily average. The goal can be achieved only by means of immediate interventions on emissions.

Legislation for the control of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in Europe dates back several centuries, with laws specifying criteria for STD notification, diagnosis, and therapy, as well as guaranteeing treatment and medical visits at no cost. However, there still exist gross differences among European countries in terms of the geographical distribution of facilities and resources and in patients' access to services. This paper describes the STD legislation of the past 10 years for 14 European countries and compares this legislation with that in Italy.

Moving from the most recent progresses in some address international acts on bioethics of the research, the Convention of human rights and biomedicine and La declaration universelle sur le génome humain e les droits de l'homme, this paper describes the legislative acts which regard many aspects of theoretical and practical scientific research, both in the Italian national and supra-national fields. This legislation concerns mainly the following topics: rights of the human subjects of research, informed consent, privacy on the personal data, activity on organ transplantation, research in genetics, activity in the field of treatment of human gametes and embrios. The author here quotes these legislative acts referring briefly to national and international laws.

The data related to abuse and seizures of the main classes of controlled drugs in Europe and Italy are presented. The system of keeping up-to-date the tables of controlled drugs in Italy is briefly discussed. In the end, a list of the main new drugs in the clandestine market of synthetic drugs in Italy is presented, by taking into account the street names, doses and pharmacological effects. The paper ends with a brief description of the new trend of purchasing controlled drugs on internet sites.

Target of this paper is to draw the relationship between environmental factors and some impacts due to human activity, in order to outline environmental quality restoring strategies for water bodies, which include among result indicators also biological parameters expected for Italian regulation and European directives. Morphologic equilibrium and correct knowledge of processes regulating fluvial dynamic, as basic factor of ecosystem functionality condition, are highlighted. Statistic evaluation processes of water quality data and implementation and validation of mathematical models are described.