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Biomedical subjects

D V Razis

Publications and source records attributed to D V Razis.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Medical confidentiality.

The Hippocratic definition of Confidentiality, i.e. the absolute and without any exceptions observation of secrecy by the physicians, expresses the Hippocratic philosophy in Medicine. Hippocratic Medicine is completely individualized--the physician's sole responsibility is the patient's well being. Confidentiality undoubtedly strengthens the trust in the patient-physician relationship and mutual trust is indispensable for both diagnostic work-up and therapeutic applications. Exceptions to confidentiality might be required in order to protect the society from infectious communicable disease, from dangerous patients and for the scientific progress. However, it is not easy at all to decide for exceptions to confidentiality. The profound changes of the human societies in the end of the 20th century, the fantastic progress in Medicine and Science and the completely different approach to the delivery of medical services in modern times, make necessary the re-evaluation of medical deontology and medical confidentiality.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗
PubMed1990

Ethics and the universality of morality.

Ethics is one of the forces shaping the life of human societies and the ethical system contributes to the group's survival and to keep peace and order to satisfy social needs. The definitions of ethics, of what is good and what makes an action right or wrong, varies widely at different times and at different places. However, some basic moral elements are acceptable to most advanced societies. Furthermore, many modern scholastic writers defend the absolute universality of at least some ethical laws. The limitations of universality survives in war, in race discrimination, etc. In modern times, it might be appropriate to search for principles for the universality of morality in ecological considerations. Progress in ethics is lagging far behind and we must understand now, when the complete annihilation of human species is a real possibility, that ethics and philosophy are at least as important as science.

Ethics↗
PubMed1988

How progress has been achieved in medicine.

Modern medicine is the result of a long historical development. It evolved from instinct and experience in prehistoric times to observation and reasoning in the Hippocratic period, to the formulation of a scientific system in Galen's period and experimentation in the 19th century. Philosophically, Aristotelian rationalism was challenged by Bacon's scientific empiricism, and C. Bernard's scientific determinism by today's indeterminism. Developments in medicine have always depended on the stage of the development of human societies, socioeconomically, scientifically, technologically and culturally.

Greece↗
PubMed1986

Modern trends in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma.

No treatment of proven validity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has yet been found, with the exception of surgery in a small subset of patients. Furthermore, there is a paucity of phase I and II trials and of phase III prospective randomized trials. Radiation therapy is not considered very effective, even as a palliative procedure, but there has been renewed interest in this modality, with several ongoing trials attempting to establish optimal doses, fractionation and effectiveness. Chemotherapy, single or combination, has not increased the survival of patients with HCC, although there have been unquestionable, even spectacular, responses to chemotherapy. Adriamycin seems the most effective agent with approximately 25% objective responses. The regional administration of drugs and/or interruption of arterial supply, in this malignancy with a pattern of local confinement, yields quite high response rates but no increase in survival. Several trials with combined therapeutic modalities are now in progress. Furthermore, there have been important advances in nuclear medicine, in the totally implantable pump, in the understanding of pharmacokinetics and in microspheres, monoclonal antibodies, etc. It is remarkable that there have been so few randomized trials in such a common malignancy. To obtain valuable results any future studies should randomize patients into "treatment" and "no treatment" groups and stratify patients according to prognostic factors. It seems, however, that the combination of local and systemic treatment is the most promising answer to this virulent and fatal disease.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1978

Chemotherapy of ovarian cancer.

Chemotherapy using a modified Cooper's regimen was applied during the past few years on 41 cases of advanced cancer of the ovary. We believe this scheme has not been attempted elsewhere. Twenty-five cases (60%) responded positively to this regimen. Two patients with generalized ovarian cancer may be cured. The combination of palliative surgery and polychemotherapy in cancer of the ovary may prove to be one of the most effective multidisciplinary approaches to generalized cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1976

A new classification of generalized carcinoma of the breast based on response to therapy.

Classifications of generalized carcinoma of the breast were based up to now on factors of definitely proven prognostic significance. These classifications are very useful in defining prognosis, but they help only to a limited extent in selecting treatment. We are proposing a new classification of three groups for generalized carcinoma of the breast according to objective response to therapy: to (a) responders, (b) nonresponders, and (c) patients with static disease. It is pointed out that in some cases there is discrepancy between prognosis and response to therapy, as some patients with "poor prognosis" respond dramatically to treatment while others with "good prognosis" do not respond to any type of treatment and treatment is actually harmful. It is also pointed out that our classification has a dynamic meaning, as a patient can switch from one group to another. The proposed classification might be of more help in deciding the therapeutic management.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Diuretics in malignant effusions and edemas of generalized cancer.

Forty patients with generalized cancer complicated by water and electrolyte retention were treated with "medium" and "large" doses of furosemide and bumetanide with 35% and 40% objective positive response, respectively. A smaller percentage of patients benefited from these diuretics, mainly in the quality of their lives. Peaks" of diuresis lasting a few days were observed in positive diuretic response. It is therefore concluded that diuretics may be more effective in malignant conditions if administered in a "high-dose pulse" therapeutic schedule.

Ascites↗