1413 DIETARY IODINE AND RISK OF BREAST, OVARIAN CANCER

Having once been bitten by a snap-off top I have been shy of them ever since and have been inserting the top into the top of a plastic ballpoint pen to protect my thumb when opening any ampoule which did not snap off readily. Some time ago I was without a suitable pen, and realised that the top of most ampoules fits perfectly into the barrel of a used 2 ml syringe or into the hollow plunger of many plastic

syringes. Since making this discovery I have lost the trepidation with which I used to open glass ampoules and can recommend this trick to all ampoule snappers who value their thumbs. Department of Dermatology, General Hospital, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

RONALD CARRUTHERS

PLASMA-PROPRANOLOL LEVELS IN INFLAMMATORY DISEASE

SIR,-Propranolol is a widely described p-adrenoreceptor blocking agent used in the management of arterial hypertension, angina pectoris, and certain cardiac arrhythmias. We have measured plasma levels of this drug over a 6 h period after an oral dose of 40 mg using a modification’ of a spectrofluorimetric method.2 Patients with non-cardiovascular diseases were investigated and compared with normal subjects.

ENDOMETRIAL, AND !R,— i

ne

interesting nypolnesls

mat a low

olelary

intake

of iodine or even the ingestion of goitrogens may be associated with an increased risk of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer’ would not seem to fit the facts in sub-Saharan Africa. Foci of endemic goitre are common in West Africa including Nigeria where in areas a deficiency of iodine has been reported in water supplies.2 Simple goitre is common in the environs of Ibadan in the western forest belt of Nigeria3where iodinisation of salt has been advocated as a public-health measure. The condition is also common in Zaria in the northern savannah (personal observation), in parts of eastern Nigeria,5 in Uganda6(where iodine deficiency has also been reported8 9), and in many other areas of sub-Saharan Africa.1O The incidence and proportional frequencies of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer in sub-Saharan Africa" 12 are shown in the table. CRUDE INCIDENCES

(C.I.) AND PROPORTIONAL FREQUENCIES (P.F.) OF

BREAST, ENDOMETRIAL,

AND OVARIAN CANCER IN AREAS OF SUB-SAHARAN

AFRICA AND

ENGLAND"

12

ri7IT)/Y1j WITH (E.S.R.

Letter: Plasma-propranolol levels in inflammation disease.

1413 DIETARY IODINE AND RISK OF BREAST, OVARIAN CANCER Having once been bitten by a snap-off top I have been shy of them ever since and have been ins...
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