Mastectomy, extent of axillary dissection, radiation therapy, and presence of positive nodes increased risk of developing arm lymphedema after breast cancer. These factors likely reflected lymph node removal, which most surgeons consider to be the largest risk factor for lymphedema. Future studies should consider examining sentinel node biopsy versus no dissection with a long follow-up time post surgery to see if there is a benefit of decreased lymphedema compared with no dissection.

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Purpose Sunburns are an important risk factor for melanoma and those occurring in childhood are often cited as posing the greatest risk. We conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the magnitude of association for melanoma and sunburns during childhood, adolescence, adulthood and over a lifetime. Methods After reviewing over 1300 article titles and evaluating 270 articles in detail, we pooled ORs from 51 independent study populations for “ever” sunburned and risk of cutaneous melanoma. Among these, 26 studies reported results from dose-response analyses. Dose-response analyses were examined using both fixed-effects models and Bayesian random-effects models. Results An increased risk of melanoma was seen with increasing number of sunburns for all time-periods (childhood, adolescence, adulthood and lifetime). In an attempt to understand how risk between life-periods compares, we also report these same linear models on a scale of 5 sunburns per decade for each life-period. The magnitude of risk for 5 sunburns per decade is highest for adult and lifetime sunburns. Conclusions Overall, these results show an increased risk of melanoma with increasing number of sunburns during all life-periods, not just childhood. Prevention efforts should focus on reducing sunburns during all life-periods.

We conducted a meta-analysis of the association between prostate cancer and aspects of sexual activity. The data suggest an elevated relative risk (RR) of prostate cancer among men with a history of sexually transmitted infections. This was observed with both random- and fixed-effects models (RR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.2-1.7; N = 17 studies; heterogeneity P = 0.14), especially for syphilis (RR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.3-3.9; N = 6; heterogeneity P = 0.47). Risk of prostate cancer is also associated with increasing frequency of sexual activity (RR = 1.2 for an increase of three times per week; 95% CI = 1.1-1.3; N = 12). However, these studies are heterogeneous (P < 0.001). Increasing number of sexual partners is also associated with prostate cancer (RR = 1.2 for an increase of 20 partners; 95% CI = 1.1-1.3; N = 16; heterogeneity P = 0.11). The data do not support associations with multiple marriages, age at first intercourse, or age at first marriage. These results indicate an association between prostate cancer and sexually transmitted infections, suggesting that infections may represent one mechanism through which prostate cancer develops. The mechanism through which frequency of sexual activity may be related to prostate cancer is unclear.

Intracranial meningiomas arise from the meninges and typically have benign histologic findings. They constitute approximately 20% of all intracranial tumors. Their incidence increases with age, and they affect women more commonly than men. The annual incidence per 100,000 people ranges from two to seven for women and from one to five for men. Since the first study was published in 1970, only eight major epidemiologic studies have been done that attempted to identify risk factors for meningioma. Ionizing radiation and head trauma have emerged as the most promising etiologic risk factors. In these studies, radiation doses as low as 1–2 Gy have been associated with increased risk. The role of dental radiographs has been suggested in some studies but not supported in others. An explanation for the apparent excess of meningiomas in women remains obscure. The potential effects of endogenous or exogenous sex hormones on tumor induction or growth remain unexplored in epidemiologic studies. More should be learned about the risk factors for meningioma in search of opportunities for prevention.

No association was seen between melanoma and sunscreen use. Failure to control for confounding factors may explain previous reports of positive associations linking melanoma to sunscreen use. In addition, it may take decades to detect a protective association between melanoma and use of the newer formulations of sunscreens.

Medicare claims provide reasonably high sensitivity for the detection of cancer in the elderly, especially if inpatient and Part B claims are combined. Because the study did not measure other dimensions of accuracy, such as specificity and predictive value, the potential costs of including false positive cases need to be assessed.

This study assessed mothers' intentions to vaccinate their daughters against human papillomavirus (HPV) using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Experience with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), beliefs about the vaccine encouraging sexual activity, and perception of daughters' risk for HPV were also examined for a relationship with intention. A random sample of mothers in a rural, Midwestern state were mailed a survey with questions pertaining to the intention to vaccinate. Attitudes were the strongest predictor of mothers' intentions to vaccinate, but intentions were not high. Subjective norms also influence intention. Mothers' risk perceptions, experience with STIs, and beliefs about the vaccine encouraging sexual activity were not related to intention. Mothers' perceptions of the daughters' risks for HPV were surprisingly low. This research provides a foundation for designing interventions to increase HPV vaccination rates. Further research should explore ways to influence mothers' attitudes and to uncover the referent groups mothers refer to for vaccination behavior.