Trace elements and pancreatic cancer . . . and other stories

Cadmium and pancreatic cancer riskA case-control design, nested within a large longitudinal study of cancer screening, was used to explore associations between baseline levels of 12 trace elements in whole blood and the subsequent likelihood of developing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. It found that raised cadmium concentrations were associated with a small increase in risk. Higher molybdenum levels on the other hand were protective—although only in people who had smoked cigarettes. Levels of lead, arsenic, and other trace elements showed no association with pancreatic cancer (Am J Epidemiol doi:10.1093/aje/kwae165).Chronic subdural haematomaPostoperative drainage after surgical evacuation of chronic subdural haematoma reduces the chances that the haematoma will recur. But how long should the drain be left in place? A Danish trial randomised patients treated for symptomatic chronic subdural haematoma to six hours, 12 hours, or 24 hours of postoperative passive subdural drainage. An interim analysis found that recurrence rates were strikingly lower…
Read Original Article: Trace elements and pancreatic cancer . . . and other stories »