Hellenic Cancer Society

Smoking remains a major global public health challenge. As smoking often begins in early adolescence, early preventive programs are essential, yet research focusing exclusively on elementary school students is limited. This study measured smoking prevalence, smoking-related knowledge and attitudes, and the impact of a school-based intervention on these outcomes among 12-13-year-old students in Larissa, Greece. A total of 769 students participated (response rate: 75%). Knowledge, attitudes, and smoking prevalence were assessed at baseline. The intervention group (n = 316) was exposed to audiovisual and printed materials, and both groups were followed up at three- and twelve months post-intervention. Multivariable linear mixed-effects models and generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate intervention effects. Baseline characteristics were balanced between groups. A statistically significant stage × group interaction was observed, indicating improvements in smoking-related knowledge and attitudes (p < 0.001) and a reduced likelihood of smoking initiation (p = 0.011) in the intervention group. This school-based intervention demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge and attitudes toward smoking and reduced the likelihood of smoking initiation. These findings support integrating early prevention programs into school curricula as a potentially effective approach to improving smoking-related outcomes.

Abstract Background: HER2-low breast cancers are a mixture of luminal and triple negative tumors. Precise molecular characterization can help refine treatment strategies with novel antibody-drug conjugates and improve outcomes in this patient subgroup. Methods: We used central ER/PgR (HR) and HER2/ERBB2 IHC/FISH assessment to define HER2-low (IHC 1+ or 2+/FISH non-amplified), HER2-zero (IHC 0) and Luminal A/ Luminal B/ TNBC subtypes across 7 prospective adjuvant studies in which eBC patients were treated with dose dense sequential chemotherapy. Retrospective analysis of clinico-pathological data and IHC markers from tissue microarray cores was performed on N=2,751 cases, whereas DNA next generation sequencing (NGS) data were available in a subset of N=1,120 tumors. Heterogeneity was investigated by comparing HER2-low concordant (HER2-low_c) cases, when all cores were scored consistently as HER2-low (&amp;gt;0) and HER2-low discordant (HER2-low_d) cases, when at least one core was scored “0”. Results: First, HER2-low tumors were more likely to be HR + (p&amp;lt;0.001). Second, within HR + disease only, the proportion of Luminal B was higher in HER2-low (51%) than HER2-zero (41.6%), whereas Luminal A showed the opposite pattern (p&amp;lt; 0.001); PIK3CA mutations on the other hand were more common in HER2-zero (33.6% vs. 24.7%, p=0.0036). Third, a statistically significant progressive increase in ERBB2 average copies was observed from HER2-zero to HER2-low_d and HER2-low_c irrespective of HR status (p&amp;lt;0.001). Finally, HER2 low was not associated with survival in either HR + or HR - disease. Conclusion: Our data suggests that HR + HER2-low and HER2-zero eBC differ with respect to the status of the estrogen receptor pathway. When accounting for inter-core variability, differences in HER2 IHC levels correlate with the underlying ERBB2 copy number; however, standard HER2 IHC scoring thresholds did not influence prognosis in this cohort. Citation Format: S. Lakis, E. Tsolaki, N. Korfiatis, A. Goussia, H. P. Kourea, A. Batistatou, M. Bobos, K. Papadopoulou, A. Charchanti, M. Bai, O. Tzaida, K. Petraki, P. Arapantoni, T. Koletsa, D. Pectasides, A. Koutras, D. Kalapanida, F. Dimitrakopoulos, E. Aravantinou-Fatorou, N. Spathas, A. Psyrri, H. Gogas, F. Zagouri, G. Fountzilas. Clinico-pathological and genomic features of HER2-low early Breast Cancer (eBC). Results of retrospective analysis of seven adjuvant trials by the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2025; 2025 Dec 9-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2026;32(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS4-01-20.

Abstract PurposeThere remains a need for a standardized dataset for respiratory studies to accelerate data collection, improve research efficiency and aid the sharing, merging and comparison of datasets. This TORPEDO (Towards Optimum Reporting of Pulmonary Effectiveness Databases and Outcomes) project aimed to develop a checklist of optimum and minimum variables for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) research.MethodsA 3-phase modified Delphi survey was conducted: in phase 1, an expert panel generated a list of variables, in phase 2 a Delphi panel selected the minimum variables (&gt;66% agreement) for any design and in phase 3 they were asked to select a minimum set for specific study designs.ResultsIn phase 1 the expert panel (n=22) proposed 224 variables. In phase 2, voting by 64 participants resulted in consensus (&gt;66% agreement) for 18 variables and partial agreement (50-66%) for 44 variables, following this, 5 technical variables (e.g. date of test) were removed. In phase 3, 34 members of the Delphi panel completed voting; consensus was reached for 13 variables for retrospective asthma studies and 34 for prospective asthma studies. For COPD, there were 16 variables for retrospective studies and 37 for prospective studies. Gender, asthma/COPD exacerbations and patient-reported outcomes were the only variables with 100% agreement for both asthma and COPD studies.ConclusionThe proposed list of minimally required variables will allow the assessment of current data sources for their utility in asthma and COPD studies, facilitate the merging of datasets, aid standardization of data collection and improve research efficiency.

Secondhand electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) aerosol (SHA) might impair indoor air quality and expose bystanders. This study aims to investigate exposure to SHA in controlled conditions of enclosed settings simulating real-world scenario. An experiment was performed in a car and in a room, in which SHA was generated during a 30-minute ad libitum use of an e-cigarette. The experiment was replicated on five consecutive days in each setting. We measured PM2.5 , airborne nicotine concentrations, and biomarkers of exposure to SHA, such as nicotine metabolites, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, propylene glycol, and glycerol in bystanders' saliva samples before, during, and after the exposure period. Self-reported health symptoms related to exposure to SHA were also recorded. The results showed that the highest median PM2.5 concentration was recorded during the exposure period, being 21µg/m3 in the room setting and 16µg/m3 in the car setting-about twofold increase compared to the baseline. Most concentrations of the airborne nicotine and all biomarkers were below the limit of quantification in both settings. Bystanders in both settings experienced some short-term irritation symptoms, expressed as dry throat, nose, eyes, and phlegm. In conclusion, short-term use of an e-cigarette in confined spaces increased indoor PM2.5 level and caused some irritation symptoms in bystanders.

is an open access, peer-reviewed online journal that encompasses all aspects of tobacco use, prevention and cessation that can promote a tobacco free society. The aim of the journal is to foster, promote and disseminate research involving tobacco use, prevention, policy implementation at a regional, national or international level, disease development -progression related to tobacco use, tobacco use impact from the cellular to the international level and finally the treatment of tobacco attributable disease through smoking cessation.

is an open access, peer-reviewed online journal that encompasses all aspects of tobacco use, prevention and cessation that can promote a tobacco free society. The aim of the journal is to foster, promote and disseminate research involving tobacco use, prevention, policy implementation at a regional, national or international level, disease development -progression related to tobacco use, tobacco use impact from the cellular to the international level and finally the treatment of tobacco attributable disease through smoking cessation.

is an open access, peer-reviewed online journal that encompasses all aspects of tobacco use, prevention and cessation that can promote a tobacco free society. The aim of the journal is to foster, promote and disseminate research involving tobacco use, prevention, policy implementation at a regional, national or international level, disease development -progression related to tobacco use, tobacco use impact from the cellular to the international level and finally the treatment of tobacco attributable disease through smoking cessation.

is an open access, peer-reviewed online journal that encompasses all aspects of tobacco use, prevention and cessation that can promote a tobacco free society. The aim of the journal is to foster, promote and disseminate research involving tobacco use, prevention, policy implementation at a regional, national or international level, disease development -progression related to tobacco use, tobacco use impact from the cellular to the international level and finally the treatment of tobacco attributable disease through smoking cessation.

is an open access, peer-reviewed online journal that encompasses all aspects of tobacco use, prevention and cessation that can promote a tobacco free society. The aim of the journal is to foster, promote and disseminate research involving tobacco use, prevention, policy implementation at a regional, national or international level, disease development -progression related to tobacco use, tobacco use impact from the cellular to the international level and finally the treatment of tobacco attributable disease through smoking cessation.