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Biomedical subjects

K W Beckman

Publications and source records attributed to K W Beckman.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

Clinical evaluation with long-term follow-up of flutamide and estramustine as initial treatment of metastatic carcinoma of the prostate.

Thirty patients with metastatic cancers but with no serious cardiovascular (CV) conditions were randomly assigned to receive treatment either with flutamide (250 mg x 3) (F) or with estramustine (280 mg x 2) (E). Clinical examination, bone scan, laboratory measurements were performed before randomization and at regular intervals thereafter. During an observation period of between 1 and 2.5 years, F was discontinued in one case (7%) because of icterus, and E in three cases (20%) because of CV complications. Of the remaining 14 F-treated patients, 13 responded initially. Eleven of them relapsed, and five died of cancer. In the corresponding group of 12 E-treated patients, there were 11 primary responders. Of these, only two relapsed and died, as did the only nonresponder. The difference between the two groups with regard to relapse is significant (p less than 0.01), but not with regard to mortality. In the present material, there was an initial favorable response to F without signs of CV complications and with maintained libido in most cases. However, due to the significantly increased risk for relapse compared with E, F cannot be recommended as single therapy except in cases where estrogens are contraindicated or when interference with libido and potency is unacceptable.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1987

Clinical evaluation of flutamide and estramustine as initial treatment of metastatic carcinoma of prostate.

The efficacy and side effects of flutamide were compared with estramustine in patients with advanced prostatic carcinoma. Thirty patients with metastatic cancers but with no serious cardiovascular (CV) conditions were randomly assigned to receive treatment either with flutamide (250 mg X 3) or with estramustine (280 mg X 2). Clinical examination, bone scan, laboratory measurements, including coagulation studies were performed prior to randomization, every three months during year one, and at six-month intervals thereafter. The two groups were comparable with respect to age and tumor characteristics. However, more patients presented with skeletal pain among those later treated with flutamide. During an observation period of between one and two and one-half years, flutamide was discontinued in 1 case (7%) because of icterus, and estramustine in 3 cases (20%) because of CV complications. Of the remaining 14 flutamide-treated patients, 13 responded initially. Eleven of them relapsed, and 5 died of cancer. In the corresponding group of 12 estramustine-treated patients, there were 11 primary responders. Of these, only 2 relapsed and died as did the only nonresponder. The difference between the two groups with regard to relapse is significant (P less than 0.01), but not with regard to mortality. All estramustine-treated patients lost their libido, whereas only 20 per cent of the patients treated with flutamide did so. In the present limited material there was an initial favorable response to flutamide without signs of CV complications and with maintained libido in most cases. However, due to significantly increased risk for relapse compared with estramustine, flutamide cannot be recommended as single therapy except in cases where estrogens are contraindicated or when interference with libido and potency is unacceptable.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1987

Gastric emptying rate after gastric bypass and gastroplasty.

Fifty-seven morbidly obese patients were randomized into two surgical treatment groups, gastric bypass (n = 29) and gastroplasty (n = 28). Studies of the gastric emptying with radionuclide-labelled food were performed preoperatively (12 patients) and postoperatively at 2 months (28 patients) and 12 months (49 patients). Pouch emptying after gastric bypass was slower at 2 months than at 12 months. After gastroplasty the emptying rate was the same at 2 and 12 months and the same as that of gastric bypass at 12 months. A statistically significant correlation between stoma diameter and emptying rate was seen 1 year after gastroplasty but not after gastric bypass. No correlation between emptying rate and weight loss was shown in either group. Differences in the mechanisms of action between these two methods are apparent and are discussed.

Body Weight↗
PubMed1980

Serial bone scanning in the evaluation of stage and clinical course in carcinoma of the prostate.

Bone scanning with 99mTc-EHDP or 99mTc-MDP was compared with skeletal X-ray survey, determination of acid phosphatase levels and clinical symptoms in a consecutive series of 176 patients with prostatic carcinoma. Skeletal metastases were present in 24%. In these metastatic cases 27% had negative radiographics at the time of initial diagnosis, 29% had normal serum acid phosphatase values and 74% had symptoms other than skeletal, which dominated the clinical picture. When bone scanning was negative for metastases such lesions were never detected in the radiographs. Hence, bone scanning was sufficient for the initial diagnosis of skeletal metastases in 55% of cases. When scans were judged as equivocal or positive an X-ray survey should be done. The variations in count density in metastatic disease were followed by visual assessment of serial bone scans. A densitometric method for quantification of the variations was developed as an aid in the evaluation. Serial bone scanning using a quantitative method appears to offer a readily available objective index of early therapeutic response for use in general clinical practice as well as in controlled therapeutic trails.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1979

The value of whole body bone scan in the pre-operative assessment in carcinoma of the breast.

In 126 patients with primary breast cancer a patient moving whole body bone scan was performed when they first presented. None of the patients in stage I had an evidence of skeletal metastases. Two patients (3%) of 62 in stage II and 4 patients (17%) in stage III had evidence of skeletal metastases. It appears that whole body scanning is the most accurate, sensitive and convenient method of detecting osseous metastases and of staging breast cancer. This investigation should be carried out pre-operatively. Detection of early asymptomatic bony metastases will provide a better planning of treatment with rational approach.

Bone Neoplasms↗