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We examined whether secondhand smoke exposure during childhood was associated with cancer mortality in adulthood among never smokers. In the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk, we analyzed data from 45,722 Japanese lifetime nonsmokers aged 40–79 years with no history of cancer at baseline (1988–1990) who had completed a lifestyle questionnaire, including information on the number of family members who had smoked at home during their childhood (0, 1, 2, or ≥3 family members). A Cox proportional hazards model and competing-risks regression were used to calculate multivariable hazard ratios and subdistribution hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals for overall and site-specific cancer mortality according to the number of family members who smoked during the participant's childhood, after adjusting for potentially confounding factors. During a median follow-up period of 19.2 years, a total of 2,356 cancer deaths were documented. Secondhand smoke exposure was positively associated with the risk of mortality from pancreatic cancer in adulthood; the multivariable hazard ratio for having 3 or more family members who smoked (as compared with none) was 2.32 (95% confidence interval: 1.14, 4.72). Associations were not evident for total cancer risk or risk of other types of smoking-related cancer. In this study, secondhand smoke exposure during childhood was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer mortality in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of environmental cadmium (Cd) exposure indicated by urinary Cd (U-Cd) on cancer mortality in the general Japanese population. A 19-year cohort study was conducted in 1107 men and 1697 women who lived in three Cd non-polluted areas in Japan. Mortality risk ratio and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) for continuous U-Cd were estimated for all malignant neoplasms and specific cancers using a Fine and Gray competing risks regression model. The all-cause, including cancer and non-cancer mortality rates per 1000 person-years were 29.8 and 13.9 in men and women, respectively. By using Fine and Gray's method, continuous U-Cd adjusted for creatinine (+1 μg/g cre) was significantly related to mortalities for all malignant neoplasms (risk ratio = 1.06, 95%CI: 1.02-1.11) and pancreas (risk ratio = 1.13, 95%CI: 1.03-1.24) in women. In the present study, U-Cd was significantly associated with increased cancer mortality in the general Japanese population, indicating that environmental Cd exposure adversely affects the life prognosis in Cd non-polluted areas in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To evaluate the effect of postprandial hyperglycemia at clinic visits on all-cause and cancer mortality independent of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in a real-world setting in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. We also investigated age at death.Methods: This historical cohort study included 1582 patients with type 2 diabetes who first visited our clinic from 1995 to 1998 and continued visiting for at least 1 year. The patients were followed up through 2017. Blood glucose levels at 2 h ± 30 min post-breakfast (2h-PBBG) were measured in 926 patients during the first year. The first measurements of 2h-PBBG levels were used as a measure of postprandial hyperglycemia.Results: A total of 233 patients died. The average age at death (men/women) was 75.6/80.8 years. A total of 139 patients who had 2h-PBBG levels measured died, including 46 deaths from cancer. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that 2h-PBBG levels significantly predicted all-cause and cancer mortality independent of HbA1c levels.Conclusions: Postprandial hyperglycemia at clinic visits may be associated with all-cause and cancer mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes independent of HbA1c levels. As this is a small observational study, further studies are warranted to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary factors such as fruit and vegetables are thought to reduce the risk of cancer incidence and mortality. We investigated the effect of a diet rich in fruit and vegetables against the long-term effects of radiation exposure on the risk of cancer. A cohort of 36,228 atomic-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for whom radiation dose estimates were currently available, had their diet assessed in 1980. They were followed for a period of 20 years for cancer mortality. The joint-effect of fruit and vegetables intake and radiation exposure on risk of cancer death was examined, in additive (sum of effects of diet alone and radiation alone) and multiplicative (product of effects of diet alone and radiation alone) models. In the additive model, a daily intake of fruit and vegetables significantly reduced the risk of cancer deaths by 13%, compared to an intake of once or less per week. Radiation exposure of 1 Sievert (Sv) increased significantly the risk of cancer death by 48–49%. The additive joint-effects showed a lower risk of cancer among those exposed to 1 Sv who had a diet rich in vegetables (49%-13%=36%) or fruit (48%-13%=35%). The multiplicative model gave similar results. The cancer risk reduction by vegetables in exposed persons went from 52% (effect of radiation alone) to 32% (product of effect of vegetables and radiation), and cancer risk reduction by fruit was 52% (radiation alone) to 34% (product of effect of fruit and radiation). There was no significant evidence to reject either the additive or the multiplicative model. A daily intake of fruit and vegetables was beneficial to the persons exposed to radiation in reducing their risks of cancer death. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

PURPOSE: In southeast Okayama Prefecture, Japan, there have been reports of a high prevalence of silicosis among refractory brick production workers. Recently, a high mortality rate of lung cancer among the local residents has been observed. Therefore, a population based case-control study was conducted concerning the relationship between silica, silicosis, and lung cancer using multiple cancer controls.METHODS: Cases and controls were restricted to male subjects and information was obtained from death certificates from 1986 to 1993 in the area. Three categories of deceased control groups were selected: a series of deaths from liver cancer, colon cancer, and cancers of other organs, which was assumed not to be related to silica exposure. Age and smoking habits were adjusted by stratified analysis using the Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio estimates. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was also conducted to control potential confounding factors; such as age and smoking habits.RESULTS: The age-, smoking-adjusted odds ratios were 1.94 (0.94–4.43) for the colon cancer control group, 2.13 (1.19–3.85) for the other cancer control group related to silica exposure, and 2.94 (1.30–8.90) and 2.69 (1.43–5.37) related to silicosis, respectively. The direct weighted average using the estimates for colon and the other cancer controls was 2.06 (1.29–3.29) for silica exposure, and 2.77 (1.60–4.77) for silicosis. Histological or cytological types of lung cancer cases were obtained from 64.1% of the subjects (118/184). As for the histologic type of lung cancer, small cell carcinoma was higher among those who had been silica-exposed workers than the unexposed lung cancer cases and the data from the general Japanese population. On chest x-ray findings, elevated lung cancer mortality compared with cancers other than lung cancer was demonstrated among patients without large opacities.CONCLUSIONS: Silica exposure increased the lung cancer mortality in the area. A high lung cancer mortality rate in the area could be explained by silica exposure and silicosis prevalence in this area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]