Prospective study of smoking and the risk of breast cancer

In 1976, 117,557 women in the United States aged 30-55 years and without a history of cancer provided detailed information on current smoking habits. By 1986, 1,788 cases of breast cancer had been documented during 1,133,682 person-years. There was no association between current smoking and risk of breast cancer (multivariate-adjusted relative risk for smokers of greater than or equal to 25 cigarettes/day compared to nonsmokers: 1.02, 95% confidence interval, 0.96-1.22). Past smoking also was unrelated to breast cancer risk (relative risk, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 0.96-1.20). The results did not differ by menopausal status. Tumor size and the presence of nodal metastases were unrelated to smoking. Smoking was weakly associated with estrogen receptor-positive tumors (relative risk for smokers of greater than or equal to 25 cigarettes/day compared with never smokers, 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.84), but there was no dose-response relationship across categories of current smoking. These results suggest that smoking and breast cancer are not materially related.

Oral zinc therapy of acne. Absorption and clinical effect

In a double-blind controlled comparison that lasted eight weeks, tablets of zinc sulfate monohydrate, 411 mg total daily dosage, and a lactose placebo were administered orally to 22 male subjects with moderate acne. At the same time, levels of zinc were determined in serum and urine. There were no statistically significant differences in the lesion counts (papules, pustules, open comedones, and closed comedones) in the zinc-treated and lactose-treated cases, despite evidence in serum and urine of absorption of zinc. The data from this study indicate that oral zinc therapy has no early clinical effect on male patients with moderate acne.

A system of rhinomanometry in the clinical evaluation of nasal decongestants

The utility of an anterior rhinomanometric method for the assessment of decongestant drug activity is illustrated with representative clinical data. Controlled studies employing topical nasal spray, nasal inhaler, and oral syrup formulations were conducted under single- or double-blind conditions in patients with allergic or coryzal rhinitis. The method provided an objective means to distinguish active from placebo (vehicle) treatments and to discriminate differences in decongestant activity between two active formulations. Furthermore, objectively determined increases in nasal patency paralleled the patients' subject-ve perception of improved airflow. In conclusion, this rhinomanometric methodology provided objective confirmation of drug activity with orally-administered, inhaled, and topically-applied decongestant drug formulations.