Biomedical subjects

B Kambestad

Publications and source records attributed to B Kambestad.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Carcinoma of the pancreas and papilla of Vater: presenting symptoms, signs, and diagnosis related to stage and tumour site. A prospective multicentre trial in 472 patients. Norwegian Pancreatic Cancer Trial.

During the period 1984-87, 472 patients with histologically or cytologically verified carcinoma of the pancreas (n = 442) or the papilla of Vater (n = 30) were accrued. Diagnostic investigations were performed in accordance with the ordinary routines of 38 Norwegian hospitals. Jaundice at presentation, found in 47% of the patients, indicated a relatively low staging. Abdominal pain or weight loss, present in 72% and 58%, respectively, indicated higher staging. The sensitivities of the diagnostic investigations were 1) endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), 79%, and computed tomography (CT), 75%; 2) ultrasonography (US), 57%; angiography performed in 18% to assess unresectability, sensitivity, 43%; fine-needle aspiration cytology performed in 27%, sensitivity, 86%; and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) performed solely on papillar and head tumours in 16%, sensitivity, 85%. In stage I, PTC and ERCP had a sensitivity of 78%; CT, 52%; and US, 40%. Patient's, physician's, and diagnostic delay averaged 1.8, 2.4, and 4.0 months, respectively. The delays were shortest in stage I and papillar carcinomas.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1992

Carcinoma of the pancreas and papilla of Vater--assessment of resectability and factors influencing resectability in stage I carcinomas. A prospective multicentre trial in 472 patients.

Between 1984 and 1987, 472 patients with histologically or cytologically verified carcinomas of the pancreas or papilla of Vater, were accrued in the Norwegian Pancreatic Cancer Trial. Surgical assessment revealed resectability in 29% (94 of 330) of the pancreatic tumours and 89% (25 of 28) of the papillar tumours. Tumours of the pancreatic head were resectable in 32% (84 of 259). The sensitivities of the different diagnostic methods in patients with resectable tumours were: FNAC (fine needle aspiration cytology) 80%, ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography) 78%, PTC (percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography) 73%, ERCP with duct cytology 67%, CT (computed tomography) 58%, US (ultrasound) 42% and angiography 22%. The positive predictive values (PV+) in resectable disease were: US 29%, CT 35%, ERCP 43% and angiography 44%. Corresponding figures for unresectable disease were US 95%, CT 97%, ERCP 75% and angiography 88%. Resectable tumours of the pancreas and papilla of Vater had an average macroscopic diameter of 3.2 x 3.4 cm and 2.2 x 2.3 cm, respectively. Tumour size increased with stage. Increasing tumour size and abdominal pain combined with short diagnostic delay both decreased resectability rate, whereas a combination of long diagnostic delay and abdominal pain had a more favorable resectability rate. Radical pancreatic surgery, if effective in the treatment of carcinoma of the pancreas or papilla of Vater, should not be undertaken if any preoperative diagnostic test demonstrates signs of indisputable unresectability. Available methods for the evaluation of resectability in patients lacking such signs are insufficient. This necessitates exploratory laparotomy in many patients.

Ampulla of Vater↗

PubMed1990

Divers' lung function: small airways disease?

Pulmonary function was measured in 152 professional saturation divers and in a matched control group of 106 subjects. Static lung volumes, dynamic lung volumes and flows, transfer factor for carbon monoxide (T1CO), transfer volume per unit alveolar volume (KCO), delta-N2, and closing volume (CV) were measured and compared with reference values from recent Scandinavian studies, British submariners, and the European Community for Coal and Steel (ECCS) recommended reference values. Diving exposure was assessed as years of diving experience, total number of days in saturation and depth, and as the product of days in saturation and mean depth. Divers had significantly lower values for forced expired volume in one second (FEV1), FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio, FEF25-75%, FEF75-85%, FEF50%, FEF75%, T1CO, and KCO compared with the controls and a significantly higher CV. There was a positive correlation between diving exposure and CV, whereas the other variables had negative correlations with diving exposure. Values for the control group were not different from the predictive values of Scandinavian reference studies or British submariners, although the ECCS standard predicted significantly lower values for the lung function variables both in divers and the control group. The pattern of the differences in lung function variables between the divers and controls is consistent with small airways dysfunction and with the transient changes in lung function found immediately after a single saturation dive. The association between reduced pulmonary function and previous diving exposure further indicates the presence of cumulative long term effects of diving on pulmonary function.

Adult↗