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Biomedical subjects

T B Brewin

Publications and source records attributed to T B Brewin.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Glioma of the optic chiasm and its management.

The clinical features, radiological investigation and pathology of 9 cases of glioma of the optic chiasm are described and the place of radiotherapy in their management considered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Appetite perversions and taste changes triggered or abolished by radiotherapy.

Special questioning of 819 oncology patients whose treatment included radiotherapy has revealed 147 instances where local tumour radiation--apparently regardless of tumour type, site, or volume radiated-has either triggered (97 cases) or abolished (50 cases) an isolated appetite perversion. Both effects typically occur when a dose of about 500-1500 cGy has been reached and at a stage when little, if any, tumour regression is evident. No correlation can be seen with anorexia or with the usually recognised side effects of radiotherapy. Spontaneous return to normal is quite common in cases triggered by tumour treatment, but rare in cases starting before diagnosis. The latter may cease when the tumour is treated. The explanation for these highly selective and rapidly reversible aversions or cravings is totally obscure, but questioning large numbers of patients has provided certain clues, including frequent descriptions of an underlying change in taste or odour and also close links with two other equally unexplained phenomena--(1) alcohol intolerance in tumour patients and (2) the cravings and aversions of pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Optic nerve glioma.

A series of 10 patients with optic nerve glioma involving the chiasm is presented, all treated by radiotherapy. In a follow-up period varying from six months to 17 years, none has died of the tumour and four have shown improvement of vision. In an attempt to determine whether or not treatment with radiotherapy is beneficial the results of six other series, where the necessary information is availabe, have been pooled. This tumour often behaves in a benign fashion, especially in patients under 20. Neither surgery nor radiotherapy show any obvious effect on survival. Any attempt at surgical removal, even just biopsy, may well make vision worse. Spontaneous improvement of vision can occur, but improvement appears to be more likely after radiotherapy, which is probably the management of choice in most cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

When and how should we teach the basic concepts of radiation beam dosage?

The difficulty that many trainees, including those medically qualified, have in achieving a sound working grasp of certain basic principles of radiation beam dosage is often underestimated. Since any failure of understanding may seriously impair the efficiency of the team treating the patient, the discussion of these problems (and especially the monitoring of the results of such discussion by means of oral and written tests) deserves a high priority. Contrary to traditional practice, there would seem to be no good reason why teaching of radiation beam dosage, and the effect on dose-rate of changes in the treatment distance or in the amount of scattered radiation, should not begin in the very first week of training and be immediately integrated with discussion of the dose-rate information available at every radiotherapy unit when the patient is treated. A preliminary course of physics lectures does not usually make the understanding of these principles any easier and can be done either concurrently or later. For many radiotherapy trainees and for many doctors in other fields, comparison with drug dosage and with the brightness and scatter of ordinary light beams, avoiding technical terms so far as possible, may achieve a better initial understanding of basic principles than is achieved by mathematical equations and theoretical physics.

Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation↗
PubMed1972

Early clinical experience with bleomycin in the United Kingdom in series of 105 patients.

The results of treating a series of 105 patients (79 with advanced squamous cell carcinoma, 21 with advanced lymphoma, and 5 with miscellaneous tumours) with bleomycin are described. The drug was usually given as a single agent. Four patients with squamous cell carcinoma showed complete regression and there was partial regression in 25. Side effects were frequent, particularly skin changes and stomatitis; death from pneumonitis occurred in one patient.

Adult↗
PubMed1971

Hodgkin's disease.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Alcohol Drinking↗