Summary.-In a case-control study, we investigated 169 women aged 15-49 years with malignant melanoma notified to the Oxford and South Western cancer registries during the years 1971-76, together with 507 matched controls. Data about medical, reproductive, drug and smoking histories were obtained both by reviewing general practitioner (GP) records and from the women themselves by postal questionnaires. There was no significant evidence of any overall increase in the risk of melanoma in oral contraceptive (OC) users (data from GP records-ever use vs never use, relative risk (RR) 1.34, 9500 confidence limits 0.92-1 96; corresponding data from postal questionnaires-RR 1-13, limits 0.73-1-75). However, although not significant, the risk estimated from data in the postal questionnaires was higher in women who had used OCs for 5 years or more (use ;5 yrs vs never use, RR 1.57, limits 0-83-3.03).Previously demonstrated risk factors for melanoma, such as fair skin, blonde or red hair and Celtic origin were found to be commoner in the cases than in the controls.Data from the Oxford/Family Planning Association contraceptive study were also examined. Unexpectedly there was a strong suggestion of a negative association between OC use and melanoma risk, but the analysis was based on only 12 women with the disease.

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor and patients usually succumb to their disease within 2 years. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1) has been suggested as a marker for cancer stem cells that is associated with poor prognosis in human gliomas. However, little is known about the expression and the function of ALDH1A1 in early stages of brain development. We analyzed ALDH1A1 expression in developing and mature central nervous system (CNS) as well as in 93 cases of primary glioblastomas. Surprisingly, ALDH1A1 was absent in the stem cell niches at varying stages of CNS development, but strong ALDH1A1 expression was observed in mature astrocytes coexpressing GFAP and S100. There were 92 out of 93 glioblastomas (99%) that showed ALDH1A1 protein expression in up to 49% of tumor cells. The majority of these cells co-expressed GFAP, but not established stem cell markers such as Nestin, OLIG2 or SOX2. Finally, strong expression of ALDH1A1 correlated with a significantly better survival of the patients and proved to be an independent prognostic marker in our series (P < 0.01). In contrast to other published data, we therefore provide evidence for ALDH1A1 as a marker of astrocytic differentiation during brain development and of better prognosis in patients suffering from primary glioblastoma.

BackgroundDue to an improving prognosis, and increased knowledge of intervention effects over time, long-term well-being among prostate cancer (PC) survivors has gained increasing attention. Yet, despite a variety of available PC interventions, experts currently disagree on optimal intervention course based on survival rates.MethodsIn January 2017, we searched multiple databases to identify relevant articles. Studies were required to assess at least two different dimensions of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in PC survivors ≥5 years past diagnosis with validated measures.ResultsIdentified studies (n = 13) were mainly observational cohort studies (n = 10), conducted in developed countries with a sample size below 100 per study arm (n = 6). External-beam radiation therapy was the most common intervention (n = 12), whereas only three studies included patients on active surveillance or on watchful waiting.Studies were largely heterogeneous in cancer stage at diagnosis, intervention groups and instruments. All identified studies either used the EORTC QLQ-C30 (n = 5) or the SF-36 (n = 7) to assess generic HRQoL, yet 11 different instruments were employed to assess PC specific urinary, bowel and sexual symptoms. Overall, no consistent pattern between intervention and HRQoL was observed. Results from two randomized-controlled-trials (RCTs) and one observational study, comparing HRQoL by primary intervention in localized PC survivors suggest that long-term HRQoL does not differ by intervention. However, observational studies that included a combination of localized and locally advanced stage PC survivors identified HRQoL differences for various scales including physical well-being, social and role function, vitality, and role emotional.ConclusionThis review reveals the number of publications comparing HRQoL by primary intervention in long-term PC survivors is currently limited. Robust data from two RCTs and one observational study suggest that HRQoL does not seem to differ by intervention. However, the heterogeneity of studies’ methodologies and results hindered our ability to draw a clear conclusion. Therefore, in order to answer the question of which primary intervention is superior with respect to long-term HRQoL in PC patients, more high-quality, large-scale prospective cohort studies, or RCTs with repeated HRQoL assessments, are urgently needed.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12955-017-0836-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.