Submit to IJERPH Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Environmental Factors and Gastrointestinal Cancers

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 11875

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Maryam Hashemian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Biology Department, Utica College, Utica, New York, NY, USA
Interests: relationship between nutrition and chronic disease; poor diet; cardiovascular diseases; diabetes; fatty liver disease; cancer

Special Issue Information

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers include 26% of the cancer incidence and 35% of all cancer mortality worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that about 20% of cancer mortality is due to environmental factors. Therefore, we could prevent these types of cancer by controlling these factors. Many environmental factors have been proposed in cancer development including habits (tobacco use, alcohol drinking); dietary factors (Western diet); food contamination with toxins; chemical carcinogens (workplace exposure, pollutants); medications; and geographic factors; However, GI cancers are still a challenge to public health. Cancer prevention requires an understanding of the role of environmental factors in carcinogenesis and cancer progression.

In this special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) we accept manuscripts evaluating the association between environmental factors and GI cancers. Original papers, review papers and meta-analyses, case reports, and case series are welcome.

We will accept manuscripts about different types of GI cancers including cancers of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, small intestine, appendix, colon, rectum, and anus.

Dr. Maryam Hashemian
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

14 pages, 724 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dietary Advanced Glycation End Products and Risk of Overall and Cause-Specific Mortality: Results from the Golestan Cohort Study

by Elham Hosseini, Zeinab Mokhtari, Hossein Poustchi, Masoud Khoshnia, Sanford M. Dawsey, Paolo Boffetta, Christian C. Abnet, Farin Kamangar, Arash Etemadi, Akram Pourshams, Maryam Sharafkhah, Paul Brennan, Reza Malekzadeh and Azita Hekmatdoost

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 3788; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20053788 - 21 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1333

Abstract

Controversy exists regarding the association of dietary advanced glycation end products (dAGEs) with the risk of disease outcomes and mortality. We aimed to examine, prospectively, the association between dAGEs intake and the risk of overall and cause-specific mortality in the Golestan Cohort Study. The cohort was conducted between 2004 and 2008 in Golestan Province (Iran) recruiting 50,045 participants aged 40–75 years. Assessment of dietary intake over the last year was performed at baseline using a 116-item food frequency questionnaire. The dAGEs values for each individual were calculated based on published databases of AGE values of various food items. The main outcome was overall mortality at the time of follow-up (13.5 years). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall and cause-specific mortality were estimated according to the dAGEs quintiles. During 656, 532 person-years of follow-up, 5406 deaths in men and 4722 deaths in women were reported. Participants at the highest quintile of dAGE had a lower risk of overall mortality (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.95), CVD mortality (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.95), and death from other causes (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.84, 0.95) compared to those in the first quintile after adjusting for confounders. We found no association of dAGEs with risk of mortality from cancer (all), respiratory and infectious diseases, and injuries. Our findings do not confirm a positive association between dAGEs and the risk of mortality in Iranian adults. There is still no agreement among studies investigating dAGEs and their health-related aspects. So, further high-quality studies are required to clarify this association. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Factors and Gastrointestinal Cancers)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1909 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Colorectal Cancer—The Worst Enemy Is the One We Do Not Know

by Marzena Furtak-Niczyporuk, Witold Zardzewiały, Dawid Balicki, Radosław Bernacki, Gabriela Jaworska, Marta Kozłowska and Bartłomiej Drop

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 1866; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph20031866 - 19 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1568

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in humans. It is the third most frequently diagnosed malignant neoplasm and is the second highest cause of cancer mortality in the world. Every year, more and more people die of colorectal cancer because the diagnosis is conducted too late. This shows how important a role screening tests and the awareness of the population about the symptoms play in this aspect. This article aimed to determine the knowledge of the Polish population about morbidity, symptoms, prevention, and subjective feelings about the level of availability of knowledge about colorectal cancer. Methods: In 2020, a study was conducted using an online questionnaire assessing the awareness of the Polish population about colorectal cancer. A self-authored questionnaire including questions about socio-demographic characteristics, and 18 questions related to substantive issues, was used. A research group was selected (n = 633). The substantive part of the questionnaire included questions examining the respondents’ knowledge about morbidity, symptoms, prevention, and subjective feelings about the level of availability of knowledge about colorectal cancer. Results: The respondents’ awareness level was influenced by demographic factors, such as gender: (p < 0.05) and age (p < 0.05) and social factors, such as: level of education (p < 0.05) or professional situation (p < 0.05). Compared to thematic articles from other countries, the research group was divided into smaller subgroups due to the abovementioned factors, due to which it was possible to stratify and analyze the significance of differences between them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Factors and Gastrointestinal Cancers)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

8 pages, 866 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Postoperative Lifestyle of Patients with Liver Cancer: An Exploratory Study in a Single Center in Taiwan

by Sheng-Lei Yan, Chia-Jung Hu, Li-Yun Tsai and Chen-Yuan Hsu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 9883; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19169883 - 11 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1190

Abstract

Various treatments are available for patients with liver cancer; however, complications after treatment affect their quality of life (QOL). To improve the QOL of patients with liver cancer, this study investigated the postoperative lifestyle of sixty patients at the Liouying District Hospital, Taiwan. A self-reported structured questionnaire and a modified Chinese version of the Health Enhancement Lifestyle Profile (HELP-C) were used to collect the demographic data and to assess patients’ overall postoperative lifestyle, respectively. Significant differences were observed between the overall postoperative lifestyle and the demographic variables of age, ethnicity, education level, marital status, chronic diseases, and postoperative complications (p < 0.05). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in the HELP-C domains of diet, leisure, and activities of daily living (ADL) between the sexes. The scores for diet (9.66 ± 4.21) and leisure (4.33 ± 2.03) in women were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than those in men (13.13 ± 4.98 and 6.17 ± 2.37, respectively), indicating that women with liver cancer should be more concerned about diet and leisure after surgery. However, the score for ADL was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in women (17.90 ± 5.15) than in men (13.48 ± 2.56), indicating that men should focus on improving ADL. This research provides reference clinical data on the postoperative lifestyle of patients with liver cancer to improve their QOL. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Factors and Gastrointestinal Cancers)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1494 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Candidiasis in Upper-Aerodigestive Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients—A Clinico-Mycological Aspect

by Priyanka Debta, Santosh Kumar Swain, Mahesh Chandra Sahu, Abdulwahab A. Abuderman, Khalid J. Alzahrani, Hamsa Jameel Banjer, Ahtesham Ahmad Qureshi, Mohammed Mousa H. Bakri, Gargi S. Sarode, Sangram Patro, Saswati Siddhartha and Shankargouda Patil

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8510; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19148510 - 12 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1707

Abstract

Candida is a commensal yeast. It can be infective when the host’s defense mechanism is weakened, as in the case of squamous cell carcinoma patients. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical mycological manifestation of candidiasis in 150 cancer cases comprised of preoperative and post-operative (with or without radiotherapy) upper aerodigestive squamous cell carcinoma. A total of 150 patients suffering from squamous cell carcinoma of the Upper Aero-Digestive Tract (UADT) were divided into preoperative (n = 48), post-operative without radiotherapy (n = 29) and post-operative with radiotherapy (n = 73). Samples were collected using cotton swabs and cultured. Candida species were identified according to color pigmentation on Candida Differential Agar (CDA) plate. The clinico-mycological association of patients was evaluated by the chi-square test, and 98 out of 150 patients showed the presence of various Candida species. The major species isolated was Candida albicans (53%), followed by Candida tropicalis (16%). There was a significant statistical difference between patients who showed mycological associations and patients who did not have any such association (p = 0.0008). The prevalence of oral candidiasis was found to be 65.33% among total cases of upper aero-digestive squamous cell carcinoma. Chronic erythematous cases of candidiasis were mainly seen in preoperative squamous cell carcinoma cases, whereas the acute erythematous type of candidiasis was mainly seen in post-operative cases who received radiotherapy. The clinicomycological assessment can help to correlate the signs and symptoms with the presence of candidiasis in upper aerodigestive squamous cell carcinoma patients. Meticulous testing and examination can help in the early detection of candidiasis. Future studies are needed to develop advance scientific preventive strategies for high-risk cases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Factors and Gastrointestinal Cancers)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 739 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Associated with Polyp Detection Rate in European Colonoscopy Practice: Findings of The European Colonoscopy Quality Investigation (ECQI) Group

by Cristiano Spada, Anastasios Koulaouzidis, Cesare Hassan, Pedro Amaro, Anurag Agrawal, Lene Brink, Wolfgang Fischbach, Matthias Hünger, Rodrigo Jover, Urpo Kinnunen, Akiko Ono, Árpád Patai, Silvia Pecere, Lucio Petruzziello, Jürgen Ferdinand Riemann, Harry Staines, Ann L. Stringer, Ervin Toth, Giulio Antonelli, Lorenzo Fuccio and on behalf of the ECQI Group Show full author list Hide full author list

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3388; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19063388 - 13 Mar 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2326

Abstract

Background: The European Colonoscopy Quality Investigation (ECQI) Group aims to raise awareness for improvement in colonoscopy standards across Europe. We analysed data collected on a sample of procedures conducted across Europe to evaluate the achievement of the polyp detection rate (PDR) target. We also investigated factors associated with PDR, in the hope of establishing areas that could lead to a quality improvement. Methods: 6445 form completions from 12 countries between 2 June 2016 and 30 April 2018 were considered for this analysis. We performed an exploratory analysis looking at PDR according to European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) definition. Stepwise multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the most influential associated factors after adjusting for the other pre-specified variables. Results: In our sample there were 3365 screening and diagnostic procedures performed in those over 50 years. The PDR was 40.5%, which is comparable with the ESGE minimum standard of 40%. The variables found to be associated with PDR were in descending order: use of high-definition equipment, body mass index (BMI), patient gender, age group, and the reason for the procedure. Use of HD equipment was associated with a significant increase in the reporting of flat lesions (14.3% vs. 5.7%, p < 0.0001) and protruded lesions (34.7% vs. 25.4%, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: On average, the sample of European practice captured by the ECQI survey meets the minimum PDR standard set by the ESGE. Our findings support the ESGE recommendation for routine use of HD colonoscopy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Factors and Gastrointestinal Cancers)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1302 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nomogram to Predict the Overall Survival of Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Multicenter National Study

by Nasrin Borumandnia, Hassan Doosti, Amirhossein Jalali, Soheila Khodakarim, Jamshid Yazdani Charati, Mohamad Amin Pourhoseingholi, Atefeh Talebi and Shahram Agah

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 7734; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18157734 - 21 Jul 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2571

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third foremost cause of cancer-related death and the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer globally. The study aimed to evaluate the survival predictors using the Cox Proportional Hazards (CPH) and established a novel nomogram to predict the Overall Survival (OS) of the CRC patients. Materials and methods: A historical cohort study, included 1868 patients with CRC, was performed using medical records gathered from Iran’s three tertiary colorectal referral centers from 2006 to 2019. Two datasets were considered as train set and one set as the test set. First, the most significant prognostic risk factors on survival were selected using univariable CPH. Then, independent prognostic factors were identified to construct a nomogram using the multivariable CPH regression model. The nomogram performance was assessed by the concordance index (C-index) and the time-dependent area under the ROC curve. Results: The age of patients, body mass index (BMI), family history, tumor grading, tumor stage, primary site, diabetes history, T stage, N stage, and type of treatment were considered as significant predictors of CRC patients in univariable CPH model (p < 0.2). The multivariable CPH model revealed that BMI, family history, grade and tumor stage were significant (p < 0.05). The C-index in the train data was 0.692 (95% CI, 0.650–0.734), as well as 0.627 (0.670, 0.686) in the test data. Conclusion: We improved a novel nomogram diagram according to factors for predicting OS in CRC patients, which could assist clinical decision-making and prognosis predictions in patients with CRC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Factors and Gastrointestinal Cancers)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Environmental Factors and Gastrointestinal Cancers

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Published Papers (6 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI