High insulin levels have been associated with increased risk of breast cancer and poorer survival after a breast cancer diagnosis. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a marker for insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. In this study, the authors tested the hypothesis that elevated WHR is directly related to breast cancer mortality. For identification of modifiable factors affecting survival, data were collected on 603 patients with incident breast cancer who visited the Vancouver Cancer Centre of the British Columbia Cancer Agency (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) in 1991-1992, including body measurements and information on demographic, medical, reproductive, and dietary factors. These patients were followed for up to 10 years. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to relate the variables to breast cancer mortality (n = 112). After adjustment for age, body mass index, family history, estrogen receptor (ER) status, tumor stage at diagnosis, and systemic treatment (chemotherapy or tamoxifen), WHR was directly related to breast cancer mortality in postmenopausal women (for highest quartile vs. lowest, relative risk = 3.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 10.4) but not in premenopausal women (relative risk = 1.2, 95% confidence interval: 0.4, 3.4). Stratification according to ER status showed that the increased mortality was restricted to ER-positive postmenopausal women. Elevated WHR was confirmed as a predictor of breast cancer mortality, with menopausal status and ER status at diagnosis found to be important modifiers of that relation.

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Sol-gel procedures can be used to encapsulate biomolecules with retention of activity in optically transparent silicate glass.1-16 These new materials are of interest for their applications as optically based biosensors. The porosity of sol-gel glasses allows small analyte molecules to diffuse into the matrix while the large enzymes or other proteins remain physically trapped in the pores of the glass. The transparency of the matrix makes it feasible to monitor spectroscopically the reactions that occur in the pores of the glass.

Fresh and processed commercial seafoods were analyzed for the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene using a thin-layer chromatographic separation technique and quantitation by fluorescence. Commercial samples of vertebrate fish did not contain detectable levels, except where fish were packed with vegetable oil, an exogenous source of carcinogens. Levels in most shellfish samples were generally less than 10 ng/g wet weight, but occasional samples contained up to 36 ng/g. Crab and shrimp samples contained little or no benzo(a)pyrene (ND to 0.5 ng/g). Commercial lobsters contained 0.8 to 7.9 ng/g. The source of contamination of lobsters was further investigated, utilizing high pressure liquid chromatography to measure 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon isomers. Freshly caught lobsters had less than 1 ng/g benzo(a)pyrene. Lobsters which had been kept in a commercial tidal pound constructed of creosoted timber contained highly elevated levels of benzo(a)pyrene and other carcinogenic hydrocarbons, including chrysene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, dibenz(a,h)anthracene, and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene The maximum level of benzo(a)pyrene was 2300 ng/g wet weight in digestive gland, and 281 ng/g in edible tail meat. These levels are substantially higher than previously reported for any foodstuff, and are most probably attributable to creosote contamination during impoundment. Key words: benzo(a)pyrene, polycyclic (polynuclear) aromatic hydrocarbon, carcinogen, seafood, lobster, shellfish, creosote