Recurrence, progression and survival in bladder cancer. A retrospective analysis of 232 patients with greater than or equal to 5-year follow-up

A retrospective study of 232 bladder tumours with minimum follow-up 5 years is presented. The carcinoma was superficial in 66%, muscle-invasive in 31% and could not be staged in 3%. Primary treatment was mainly transurethral resection for superficial tumour, but was cystectomy or radiotherapy in 22 of 29 T1 G3. Of the superficial tumours, 71% recurred. Progression to higher T stage occurred in 15% of Ta and 29% of T1 tumours, and half of these patients died of bladder cancer. The corrected 5-year survival rates in grades 1, 2A, 2B and 3-4 were 96, 84, 64 and 43%, and in stages Ta, T1, T2 and T3 they were 94, 69, 40 and 31%. All patients with T4 tumour died within 4 years. Among the 45 patients with 40 Gy irradiation + cystectomy, the corrected 5-year survival rate was 83% in superficial and 64% in muscle-invasive tumours, and among the 38 with radical radiotherapy the rates in T1-3 were 46, 36 and 13%. Transurethral resection was successful in most Ta cases. Most T1 tumours were, like T2-4, of higher grade than Ta. Prognosis was worse in T1 than in Ta. After progression to muscle-invasive disease, even during close follow-up the outlook was poor, as poor as for patients with primary muscle-invasive disease.     

(E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-desoxyuridine--a new nucleoside analog with selective inhibitory action against herpesviruses. Studies in cell culture and animal experiments

(E)-5-(2-Bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (1; BrVUdR) inhibits the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in vitro at concentrations of 0.01 to 0.23 mumol/l, whereas herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is influenced only at 5.5 to 27 mumol/l. In comparison to some classical and newly developed antiherpetics, i. e. 5-iodo-2'-desoxyuridine (2; idoxuridine, IDU), 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine (4; vidarabine Ara-A), 9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl) guanine (5; acyclovir, ACV) and 2'-fluoro-5-iodo-1-beta-D-aracytosine (6;FIAC) the following order of decreasing activity was found:1 greater than 6 greater than 5 greater than 2 greater than 4 (against HSV-1) and 6 greater than 2 greater than 5 greater than 1 greater than 4 (against HSV-2). The high selectivity of the antiviral effect of BrVUdR towards HSV-1 and TZV is based on the fact, that proliferation of different mammalian cell lines is inhibited by 50% only at concentrations as high as 90 to 170 mumol/l, resulting in a therapeutical index of 1000 to 10,000. Successful treatment of an HSV-1 encephalitis in mice as well as an HSV-1 keratitis of rabbits confirmed the efficiency of 1 in experimental animal infections. No toxic side effects in both local and systemic applications were observed. Promising data from cell culture and animal experiments recommend 1 as a potential candidate for the local and systemic treatment of HSV-1 and VZV infections in man.     

Suppression of rotavirus SA-11 reproduction by protease inhibitors in cell culture

The effect of proteases inhibitors, epsilon-amino-caproic acid and gordox, on reproduction of rotavirus SA-11 in MA-104 cells was studied by enzyme immunoassay. These inhibitors were shown to exert an inhibiting effect on rotavirus reproduction.     

Effect of intraoperative aprotinin administration on postoperative bleeding in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass operation.

To study the hemostyptic effect of aprotinin (Trasylol) in patients undergoing extracorporeal circulation for coronary artery bypass operations, we randomized 12 of 24 patients to receive aprotinin in high dosage (about 800 mg) during extracorporeal circulation. From the resulting two groups each, one patient was excluded from the study because of postoperative myocardial infarction (control group) and surgical hemorrhage (aprotinin group) leading to a second operation. Although heparin was used for anticoagulation in all 22 patients, all had a marked increase in plasma levels of thrombin-antithrombin III complexes during extracorporeal circulation, indicating an intravasal activation of coagulation. By monitoring the plasma levels of fibrin degradation products in patients without aprotinin therapy, we recorded a concomitant hyperfibrinolysis significantly less pronounced in patients receiving aprotinin (p less than 0.005). The mean total postoperative blood loss was lower in patients receiving aprotinin (620 ml) than in control patients (1000 ml; p less than 0.03). The results confirm previous reports of a hemostyptic effect of aprotinin in cardiac operations. This effect is probably due to a prevention of hyperfibrinolysis.     

Familial hemangioblastoma and von Hippel-Lindau's disease: case report.

Thirty-five members of a family affected with von Hippel-Lindau's disease (VHL) were examined and lesions were found in nine of them. Four of the lesions were located in the central nervous system; two cerebellar, one spinal, one cerebral. Eye lesions were present in eight of the nine patients and complications developed in seven; six unilateral and one bilateral blindness. Both mortality and morbidity were found to be higher than in other series. This is attributed to insufficient screening of the patients with familial VHL, the late diagnosis was established only after the onset of complications. The importance of screening tests in VHL risk patients is emphasized.     

Alcohol controls and Aboriginal society: The effects of the Northern Territory restricted areas legislation

The “restricted areas” provisions of the Northern Territory Liquor Act constitute a preventative policy aimed at reducing the effects of alcohol abuse, particularly on Aboriginal communities. Under the provisions, communities can apply to be declared “dry” or semi-restricted with respect to liquor. Since their inception in 1979, the provisions have given rise to continuing controversy. This paper addresses some of the issues associated with the controversy. Patterns of alcohol consumption on “dry”, semi-restricted and unrestricted communities are compared, and the incidence of apprehension for public drunkenness before and after restricted area declarations is examined. The paper also discusses the provisions under which vehicles implicated in acts of illicit “grog-running” are forfeited to the NT Government. It is concluded that the restricted area provisions are associated with reduced levels of alcohol consumption and apprehensions for drunkenness, and are therefore beneficial in outcome. However, it is also argued that at present the provisions are flawed in that, while some aspects serve to promote community control over alcohol consumption, other elements have the effect of undermining community control and responsibility.     

Behavior of acid secretion and clinical results following selective proximal vagotomy in uncomplicated duodenal ulcer

Reported in this paper are postoperative results recorded from 120 patients, 3 years after selective proximal vagotomy for uncomplicated duodenal ulcer. There was no intraoperative lethality and no recurrence in 96.7 per cent of all cases, while Visick grades I on II were recorded from 98.2 per cent. Radiologically and gastroscopically detected pathological processes receded soon. Average postoperative reduction in acid secretion was 66.2 per cent in BAO and 46.8 per cent in MAO. Acid values re-increased thereafter, and three years later reduction rates still amounted to 43.7 per cent in BAO and 28.6 per cent in MAO. Indications for proximal gastric vagotomy are discussed in some detail.