Radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer: eleven year experience at the JCRT

Radiation therapy (XRT) for 41 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer resulted in a median survival of 7.0 months. There was no difference in median survival for patients receiving external beam alone (3500 to 5600 cGy) (n = 28), intraoperative (IORT) boost plus external beam (5040 to 6750 cGy) (n = 9), or a gold-198 implant +/- external beam radiation (n = 4). A pilot study using orthovoltage IORT boost indicates no acute toxicity with doses of 1250 to 1750 cGy. Serious late damage has not been observed in any patients followed to 2 years. Local recurrence in patients treated post-operatively after "radical" surgery occurred in one of 10 (10%). This adjuvant treatment is safe and appears to improve local control rates compared to historical data, but survival is still poor. The median survival for the post-operative group is 10 months; three patients are alive without disease 8 months to 8.3 years after treatment.     

Overall results in 304 consecutive patients with acute spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage

The results obtained in 304 consecutive patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage are described, the majority of whom (86%) were admitted while in acute condition. Only 46% of the patients in this series were in good condition at admission. The initial management was standardized for all patients, but the protocol of "delayed surgery" was applied to patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage from aneurysmal rupture. Two hundred and twenty-two patients (73%) had intracranial aneurysms. Of these, 20 (9%) were moribund and died shortly after admission; nine (4%) underwent emergency surgery due to the coexistence of a life-threatening cerebral hematoma; seven (3%) were operated upon within 3 days of admission; 78 (35%) died after rebleeding or after steady deterioration of the patient's condition due to vasospasm while awaiting surgery. Of the remaining 108 patients ready for delayed surgery, 12 (11%) (operation refused, elderly patients in poor general condition, spontaneous thrombosis of the aneurysm) were treated conservatively, and 96 (89%), who were in various clinical conditions, were actually operated on. Of these 96 patients, 79 (82%) exhibited excellent or good results, 5 (5%) were disabled, and 12 (12%) died. In the authors' experience, the overall management of intracranial aneurysms in unselected patients according to the protocol of delayed surgery results in significant loss of patients awaiting surgery, and good surgical results in the survivors.     

Intravenous and intracoronary fibrinolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction: Overview of results on mortality, reinfarction and side-effects from 33 randomized controlled trials

During the past 25 years, 24 randomized trials of intravenous(IV) fibrinolytic treatment have been reported, involving atotal of some 6000 patients in the acute phase of myocardialinfarction. Most tested IV streptokinase (SK), but a few testedIV urokinase (UK). In the past 2 or 3 years numerous small randomizedtrials of intracoronary (IC) SK have been started, 9 of which,involving a total of about 1000 such patients have been reported.Because all of these IV and IC trials were small (the largestincluding only 747 patients), their separate results appearcontradictory and unreliable. But, an overview of the data fromthese trials indicates that IV treatment produces a highly significant(22%±5%, (P<0.001) reduction in the odds of death,an even larger reduction in the odds of reinfarction, and anabsolute frequency of serious adverse effects to set againstthis that is much smaller than the absolute mortality reduction.The apparent size of the mortality reduction in the IV trialswas similar whether anticoagulants were compulsory or optional,whether treatment was in a coronary cure unit or an ordinaryward and, surprisingly, whether treatment began early ( <6h from onset of symptoms) or late (generally 12–24 h).In addition, there was no evidence that UK was more effectivethan the less expensive SK, or that, despite their technicalcomplexity, the new IC regimes were more effective than theold IV regimes. Even the IV schedules that have been studied in randomized trialswere, however, quite complex, and the IC schedules were farmore so. Perhaps partly because of this, none of them is widelyused. If so, then some much simpler, and hence more widely practicable,IV SK regimes should be developed and tested. For example, asimple one hour high-dose IV SK infusion, without anticoagulation,will successfully convert virtually all of the available plasminogeninto plasmin. But, it may be several years before the net effectson mortality of any more widely practicable IV SK regimes canbe agreed unless many of the hospitals that do not wish routinelyto use IC regimes or the complex previous IV regimes will collaboratein multicentre randomized trials that can, if necessary, continuerapid intake until some tens of thousands of patients have beenrandomized, and some thousands of deaths have been observedamong the control and treated patients. The same, of course,may be true for any other fibrinolytic regimes (e.g. infusionof tissue plasminogen activator) if their net effects on mortalityare comparable to those of IV SK.     

Clinical significance of the ST-segment response and other early exercise test variables in uncomplicated vs complicated myocardial infarction

An exercise test was performed in 455 patients in the thirdweek after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). One hundred andseventeen (26%) of them were considered as having a complicatedAMI. During a follow-up of 4.5 years their mortality was 49%vs 23% in the remaining patients with uncomplicated AMI. Thesurvival of the patients was assessed in each clinical groupin relation to various exercise variables. Exercise-inducedST-segment depression, irrespective of its degree, did not discriminatesignificantly between dead and living patients in any of theclinical groups. A high value of the rise of the pressure-rateproduct (PRP) from rest to maximal exercise (dPRP) and absenceof significant exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias identifiedin both clinical groups patients with a very low risk of dying.A low dPRP and/or occurrence of significant ventricular arrhythmiasidentified a relatively high risk in uncomplicated AMI patientsand a very high risk of dying in complicated A MI subjects.The difference in the probability of survival between low-riskand high-risk patients was highly significant in each clinicalgroup (P<0.0001 in uncomplicated, and <0.005 in complicatedAMI, respectively).     

The effect of isosorbide-5-mononitrate (5-ISMN) Durules(R) on exercise tolerance in patients with exertional angina pectoris. A placebo controlled study

Twenty-four patients with stable exercise-induced angina pectorisentered a double-blind cross-over study. Isosorbide-5-mononitrate(5-ISMN) 60 mg in a controlled release formulation (Durules^®)given once daily was compared with identical placebo. The exercisetolerance was determined by bicycle ergometry before and 3 hafter a single dose of 5-ISMN and following one week's treatmentwith 5-ISMN and placebo. Nineteen patients completed the study.Exercise tolerance until the onset of chest pain and until 1mm ST segment depression increased significantly 3 h after dose.The same increase was seen both after a single dose and thesame dose under steady-state conditions. No increase was seenwith placebo. The heart rate and systolic blood pressure reactionsin the standing position were less pronounced 3 h after dosein steady-state than after a single dose of 5-ISMN. Headachewas the only bothersome side-effect reported. The study demonstratesthat 60 mg 5-ISMN in a Durules^® formulation given once dailyhas a significant anti-anginal effect and that tolerance doesnot develop.     

Computed tomographic scans in ECT-patients

Although the safety and efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is acknowledged by most, concern has repeatedly been expressed that the treatment may have some lasting effects on the brain. To study potential morphological changes, 22 patients with a history of ECT were submitted to a detailed clinical evaluation and a brain CT scan examination. Age- and sex-matched control subjects comprised a group of comparable patients, none of whom had received ECT, and a second control group of healthy volunteers. Patients had larger ventricle/brain ratios and cortical "atrophy" scores than normal controls, but no association was found between these radiological measures and a previous history of ECT. Hence, the present data are consistent with recent reports that affective disorders may be associated with enlarged brain ventricles, although the clinical significance of such findings remains unclear. In line with previous investigations age correlated significantly with cortical "atrophy" scores and ventricle/brain ratios for all subjects. Statistical tests of correlations between duration of illness, previous psychotropic drug exposure and CT scan appearances were mainly inconclusive.     

Tumor nuclear grade,estrogen receptor,and progesterone receptor: Their value alone or in combination as indicators of outcome following adjuvant therapy for breast cancer

Summary Previous reports by us have shown that the outcome of breast cancer patients who have received systemic adjuvant therapy is influenced by tumor estrogen or progesterone receptor (ER or PR) content or by nuclear grade. This publication provides information regarding the relative merit of those three markers. Findings from patients receiving L-PAM plus 5-FU (PF) or PF plus tamoxifen (PFT) indicate that the disease-free survival and survival within each regimen was almost identical when related to either ER, PR, or nuclear grade. Those having tumors with either of the receptors 10 fmol or a good nuclear grade had a better outcome through five postoperative years than did those with ER or PR 0–9 fmol or poor nuclear grade. The magnitude of the difference was similar for each of the three discriminants. Since they were found to be of equal predictive value, one marker might well serve as a substitute for another. Cox regression analyses, however, clearly indicate that ER, PR, and nuclear grade have an independent influence on outcome and that a more accurate assessment of outcome is obtained when more than one marker is employed. Thus, information should be obtained on as many markers as possible. This conclusion is supported by observations presented which indicate that nuclear grade in combination with either or both of the receptors is a better predictor than either marker alone and that, as indicated by life table probability values and relative odds ratios, an increasing number of favorable tumor prognostic indicators results in a better patient outcome particularly in PFT-treated patients. A possible explanation is considered for why the separation of receptor/nuclear grade categories is more orderly and pronounced in PF-treated patients receiving tamoxifen than in those given PF alone. See Appendix I     

Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) for premenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer

Summary Clinical results of tamoxifen (Nolvadex-ICI) monotherapy in 44 premenopausal women with advanced breast cancer have been reviewed. Objective tumor regression was achieved in 12 (27%) patients and a further 10 (22%) were classified as stabilized. Median duration of response was 12.7 months at the time of analysis. Greatest benefits occurred in soft tissue dominant and receptor-positive tumors, but there was no correlation between tumor response and other clinical manifestations of estrogen deprivation (e.g. menstrual disturbance, hot flushes).The benefits of conventional doses of tamoxifen do not therefore appear to be influenced by menopausal status and compare favorably to achievements reported after surgical oophorectomy.     

The influence of radiation therapy on T-lymphocyte subpopulations defined by monoclonal antibodies

We studied the influence of radiation therapy on lymphocyte subpopulations in 17 patients undergoing adjuvant radiation therapy for primary breast cancer, and eight patients receiving brachytherapy and external beam irradiation for primary cancer of the uterus. Radiation therapy reduced B- and T-lymphocytes in proportion to the total lymphocyte population so that their percentages remained unchanged. Determination of helper and suppressor T-lymphocytes before, during and 6 months after completion of radiotherapy revealed that in both groups of patients suppressor T-lymphocytes were more resistant to and recovered faster after radiotherapy. This resulted in a decline of the "immunoregulatory balance" (helper/suppressor ratio). Although this ratio had been higher in both groups of patients than in healthy age- and sex-matched controls before therapy, it became normal and subnormal during and after radiotherapy. The clinical significance of the differential influence of radiotherapy on T-lymphocyte subpopulations remains to be determined.     

患者知情同意权代为行使的案例分析及启示

以医疗典型纠纷案例为例,通过厘清相关法律对患者知情同意权行使及代为行使的相关规定,探讨知情同意权代为行使行为的界定。启示如下:知情同意权代为行使应设前置条件进行限制和约束;代为行使主体包括近亲属或关系人、委托代理人;患者本人意见具有首要优先性,委托代理人意见应优先于近亲属意见。