Limited Radiation Therapy for Selected Patients With Pathological Stages IA and IIA Hodgkin's Disease

The first definitive reports that early stages Hodgkin's disease (HD) could be cured by radiotherapy were published by Vera Peters in 1950 and by Easson and Russell in 1963. Since then, advances in understanding the natural history, refining the histopathologic classification, and development of a staging system have improved the management of HD. Several studies of early stage HD show greater than 80% actuarial 10- to 15-year freedom from relapse, and less than a 10% mortality from HD after treatment with radiation therapy alone. Radiotherapy has become so successful in the treatment of early stage HD (with combination chemotherapy reserved for relapse) that the risk of dying from other causes approaches the risk of dying from HD itself at 15 to 20 years following treatment. This article outlines the principles of treatment for favorable prognosis clinical stages IA and IIA HD, with emphasis on identifying patients with favorable features who may be treated effectively with mantle irradiation only.     

Decision making in quasi-markets: a pedagogic analysis

The objective of the 1991 NHS reforms was to reduce "excessive" vertical integration by constructing a quasi-market in which incentive structures and increased availability of information would enable decision makers make better use of resources. There is, however, no overall framework in which to consider the welfare gains which result from the introduction of a quasi-market or the welfare losses which arise from distortions in a quasi-market. This paper offers an analysis which can be applied to illustrate the difficulty of estimating the welfare loss from cream skimming and also to consider the impact of local monopoly.     

Primary care night services. Getting it together

Jointly funding salaried night doctor posts allowed a GP co-operative to cover unpopular shifts and a trust to deal with increasing demand for primary care. Melvyn Jones explains.     

Oral contraceptives: exploring the benefits,dispelling the myths

Oral contraceptives (OC) were first introduced in the US in the early 1960s as an efficient, convenient, and reversible method of contraception. The pill has since undergone many changes. Most OCs prescribed today contain 35 mcg of estrogen and 0.5-1 mg of progestin, approximately one-third the estrogen and one-tenth the progestin in the original OCs. Considerable scientific research, economic analysis, and social marketing have yielded invaluable data on how OCs, the most popular form of birth control in the US, have affected the lives of women, men, and society overall. Researchers have also investigated the health risks and benefits of OC use. Both truths and myths exist about the effects of OC use. A 1993 Gallup poll conducted for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that 65% of patients believe oral pill use to be at least as dangerous as pregnancy. 58%, however, were unable to name one non-contraceptive benefit of the pill. A 1995 Harris poll conducted for the American Medical Association found that although 96% of reproductive-age women considered themselves to be knowledgeable or very knowledgeable about contraception, 56% incorrectly believed a woman periodically needs to give her body a rest from OC use. The authors discuss the benefits and risks of using OC.     

Cuff bulk of tracheal tubes in adolescence

Purpose

To investigate cuff types for potential use in late childhood and early adolescence for appropriate fit.

Method

Formulae suggest the use of a tracheal tube having a 6.5 mm internal diameter at ages 8 to 10 years, so a model system was used to test the passage of cuffed and uncuffed tracheal tubes of 6.5 mm internal diameter through calibrated holes 8.1–16.6 mm diameter, in plastic plates.

Results

Uncuffed tracheal tubes passed through 9.0 mm diameter holes. “High pressure” cuffed tubes passed through 10.5 to 11.3 mm holes. “Low pressure” cuffed tubes passed through 12.3 to16.4 mm.

Conclusion

Patients aged 8 to 10 yr have a limiting internal diameter at the cricoid of 8 to 10 mm. Their unstretched tracheal diameter below the cricoid is only about 11 mm. The actual outside diameters of “low pressure” cuffs chosen by commonly used formulae considerably exceed the limiting diameters of eight to ten year old patients, even considering recommended compensation factors. Analysis of background data indicates that these problems are especially aggravated at this age by non-linear growth of the cricoid.     

Effects of mood manipulation on subjective and behavioural measures of cigarette craving

Cigarette cravings were evaluated in a sample of moderately heavy smokers, using the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges (QSU), and a progressive-ratio (PR) operant procedure in which responding on a computer keyboard was reinforced by puffs on a cigarette, under a progressively increasing work requirement. Subjects were also exposed to musical mood-induction procedures: the induction and maintenance of depressed and elated mood states was confirmed by visual analogue scales and a mood questionnaire. Smoking did not alter mood state. However, relative to the elated condition, induction of a depressed mood caused increases in both QSU scores and measures of PR performance. The results provide the first experimental confirmation of a causal relationship between depressed mood and cigarette craving.     

The treatment of primary recurrence following laryngectomy for laryngeal carcinoma

Of the 397 patients undergoing total laryngectomy for squamous cell carcinoma by Professor P. M. Stell between 1963 and 1991, 73 are known to have suffered a local recurrence. Of these, 17 were treated by radiotherapy and/or further surgery. Secondary surgery was reserved for selected cases of peristomal and pharyngeal recurrence: of the 35 peristomal recurrences, eight were treated surgically. Previous reports of recurrence after total laryngectomy have focused on the problem of peristomal recurrence. Patients with pharyngeal recurrences can also be treated satisfactorily with microvascular surgical reconstruction techniques. Though rarely curative, secondary total pharyngectomy can be highly palliative and results in little additional morbidity.     

Expression of mRNA for interleukin 6 by cells infiltrating epiretinal membranes in proliferative vitreoretinopathy

We have investigated the expression of mRNA for interleukin 6 (IL-6) in cells infiltrating 12 epiretinal membranes, and the presence of biologically active IL-6 in vitreous humour available from five corresponding eyes. The results showed that nine of the 12 membranes (75%) contained cells expressing mRNA for this cytokine. Although in two of the specimens pigmented cells were identified as some of the cells expressing mRNA for IL-6, we did not identify the nature of IL-6 mRNA-producing cells infiltrating the membranes. Interestingly, two vitreous samples from eyes whose membranes did not contain cells with mRNA for IL-6 exhibited significant concentrations of IL-6 (315 and 28 g/ml). Parallel study of mRNA for IL-6 in PVR biopsies and of IL-6 levels in corresponding vitreous may indicate how cytokine-mediated pathways of inflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of epiretinal membrane formation.     

Need for treatment of gonorrhea to be effective against Chlamydia trachomatis

Men and women with gonorrhea or contact to gonorrhea are frequently co-infected with Chlamydia trachomatis. To assess the importance of using treatment regimens active against both Neisseria gonorrhoeae and C trachomatis, tetracycline 500 mg orally four times daily for five days, with activity against both organisms, was compared with ceftriaxone, 250 mg once intramuscularly, with activity against only N gonorrhoeae. N gonorrhoeae microbiological failure occurred in six of 148 patients (4%) on tetracycline and zero of 85 on ceftriaxone. Microbiological failure for C trachomatis occurred in zero of 27 on tetracycline and 10 of 12 (83%) on ceftriaxone (P<0.001). In addition, 14 others on ceftriaxone had C trachomatis first isolated after treatment. When all types of microbiologialc and clinical failures are included, outcome was significantly better on tetracycline (P<0.001). Optimal treatment of patients with gonorrhea must include regimens with activity against both C trachomatis and N gonorrhoeae.