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Biomedical subjects

A Brandon

Publications and source records attributed to A Brandon.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

The importance of postoperative radiation therapy in multimodality management of locally advanced breast cancer: a phase II trial of neoadjuvant MVAC, surgery, and radiation.

PURPOSE: To determine the impact of postoperative radiation on locoregional relapse and overall survival rate in a multimodality protocol for locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Of the patients entered in the protocol, 55 were evaluable. Treatment consisted of: neoadjuvant MVAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin, and cisplatin) until a maximum response had been achieved; modified radical mastectomy; 6 courses of postoperative adjuvant MVAC chemotherapy, and chest wall irradiation (CWXRT). Multivariate analysis of locoregional response and overall survival was done. RESULTS: Of the total, 42 patients received chest wall radiation; 28 of these also received radiation to regional lymph nodes. Chest wall doses ranged from 45 Gy to 50.4 Gy to the whole chest wall, with 31 patients receiving an additional chest-wall boost. The incidence of locoregional relapse with and without radiation was 7% vs. 31%, respectively (p = 0.026). An overall survival benefit was seen in those receiving radiation, with a mean overall survival of 50 months vs. 20 months, and a 3-year overall survival of 88% vs. 46% with and without radiation, respectively (p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis showed that overall survival was affected by the presence of pathological CR (p = .047), the number of pre-operative chemotherapy cycles (p = .036) and whether or not they received radiation (p = 0.003). Neither the interval between surgery and radiation, technique of radiation, nor radiation modality significantly affected local control. CONCLUSION: The significant improvement in local regional control and overall survival with the addition of radiation suggests that radiation should be an integral part of multimodality management of locally advanced breast cancer.

Adult↗

Gender differences in teenage smoking.

This study analyzes the patterns and correlates of gender differences in cigarette smoking in a national sample of white high school seniors in 1985. More females than males were smokers, because females had higher rates for the early stages of smoking adoption. Specifically, females were more likely to have tried smoking at least once and, among those who had tried smoking, females were more likely to have smoked more than once or twice. Gender differences in smoking varied, depending on the students' characteristics. For example, the female excess in the early stages of smoking adoption was small or absent among rural students or very religious students, apparently because traditional values inhibit smoking adoption more among females than among males. We estimated the contributions of gender differences in students' characteristics to gender differences in smoking adoption. For example, males were more involved in sports, and this appears to be one reason why males had lower rates of smoking adoption than females. On the other hand, males had more deviant behavior and attitudes, and this would be expected to contribute to greater smoking adoption by males. The findings of this study indicate important gender differences in the determinants of smoking adoption.

Adolescent↗

Effects of test anxiety and sex of subject on neuropsychological test performance: Finger Tapping, Trail Making, Digit Span and Digit Symbol tests.

To determine the effects of anxiety and sex on various neuropsychological tests, 28 male and 28 female non-impaired, high and low test-anxious subjects were given the Finger Tapping, Trail Making (Forms A and B), Digit Span, and Digit Symbol tests. Sex significantly affected only the Finger Tapping Test; females made significantly fewer taps. High test-anxious subjects reported an increase in posttest state anxiety. However, test anxiety did not significantly affect performance.

Adolescent↗