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Biomedical subjects

W Daley

Publications and source records attributed to W Daley.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Changes in tumor proliferation of rectal cancer induced by preoperative 5-fluorouracil and irradiation.

PURPOSE: This study examines the effect of 5-fluorouracil administration during preoperative irradiation on rectal cancer tumor proliferation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and fifty-three patients with locally advanced rectal cancer received 45 to 50 Gy of preoperative irradiation with (103 patients) and without (50 patients) concurrent 5-fluorouracil, followed by surgery. Pretreatment tumor biopsies and postirradiation surgical specimens were scored for proliferative activity by assaying the extent of Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunostaining and the number of mitoses per ten high-powered fields. Postirradiation specimens were also assessed for downstaging. RESULTS: Although 5-fluorouracil did not improve downstaging rates, marked decreases in the activity of all three markers of proliferation (mitotic counts, Ki-67, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunostaining) were seen in rectal cancers of patients receiving the drug. No significant decreases were noted in patients undergoing irradiation only. CONCLUSION: The addition of 5-fluorouracil to preoperative irradiation resulted in a more complete inactivation of the proliferating population. Frequency of downstaging, however, was unaffected. Thus, the quiescent cell population appears to represent a substantial barrier to further downstaging. New treatment strategies should be aimed at controlled recruitment of quiescent tumor cells at the time of irradiation.

Adult↗

Appendiceal carcinoma: patterns of failure following surgery and implications for adjuvant therapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Primary adenocarcinoma of the appendix is rare, which makes an understanding of its natural history difficult. To date, it is treated predominantly with surgery alone. This review aims to elucidate the patterns of failure and treatment outcomes when adjuvant treatment is given after primary surgical resection. METHODS: Twenty-three patients were treated with either surgery alone, or with surgery and adjuvant radiation +/- chemotherapy. A review of the clinical course of these patients was undertaken with an analysis of the local control, distant failure, disease-free survival, and overall survival. RESULTS: Most patients presented with local invasion or metastatic disease often involving the peritoneum. Overall survival was 32%, similar to the results of other studies. Analysis of patients with locally advanced disease showed improvement in overall survival and local control with postoperative radiation therapy compared to surgery alone. CONCLUSIONS: Adenocarcinoma of the appendix is a rare disease that presents most often in an advanced stage. It has been shown by others that a right hemicolectomy provides the best outcome with respect to surgical procedure. Postoperative irradiation appears to provide a benefit for both local control and overall survival.

Adenocarcinoma↗

The incentive plan: an approach for modification of physician behavior.

Blue Shield of Massachusetts undertook a one-year study in 1981 to determine if a group of obstetrician/gynecologists could be motivated to reduce average length of stay (ALOS) for normal deliveries, cesarean sections, and hysterectomies. The group decreased ALOS for all three procedures. Additional studies are required to determine what portion of the decrease in ALOS can be attributed to change in physician behavior.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Plans↗

The Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: pharmacologic effects of procaine amide.

The effect of procaine amide, 10 mg. per kilogram via intravenous infusion, was studied in 13 patients with the WPW syndrome. The delta wave was eliminated by procaine amide in 10 and modified in three patients. This effect lasted between 30 minutes and 8 1/2 hours and was unrelated to the total dose administered. Anterograde A-V conduction was assessed by atrial pacing with increasing rates. More rapid atrial pacing rates with 1:1 A-V conduction were observed in patients who maintained rather than lost their delta wave during pacing. Ventriculoatrial conduction was assessed with ventricular pacing at increasing rates; ventricular conduction time was fixed regardless on the pacing rate. Procaine amide significantly prolonged V-A conduction time in six and blocked V-A conduction in one patient. In addition, A-V and V-A refractory periods were measured by the extrastimulus technique. Two types of responses were observed: (1) Type I or (2) line of identity. A-V nodal refractoriness was observed to be within the normal range. Procaine amide converted anterograde line of identity responses to Type I responses in all patients who had their delta waves eliminated. In this patient group, bypass refractoriness was shorter than A-V nodal refractoriness. Procaine amide was not observed to alter significantly normal A-V conduction as assessed by atrial pacing or A-V refractory period measurements. Furthermore, a significant disparity between the effects of procaine amide on anterograde and retrograde bypass refractoriness was observed. Tachycardias could be induced in nine of the 13 patients with a mean rate of 167.2 +/- 7.9 beats per minute; delta waves were abent during all episodes of tachycardia. Procaine amide prevented tachycardia induction in six of the none patients. Procaine amide therefore demonstrates electrophysiologic effects which would be beneficial for prevention or treatment of reciprocating tachycardias in the WPW syndrome. Moreover, procaine amide would be an ideal agent for the prevention of rapid ventricular rates in patients with the WPW syndrome and atrial fibrillation.

Adolescent↗

Development of a pediatric burn pain and anxiety management program.

To facilitate effective management of pain and anxiety, and to permit more objective assessment of changes in this management, a pain and anxiety guideline was developed and has been followed uniformly for 3 years. The guideline describes four patient care categories: (1) ventilated acute, (2) nonventilated acute, (3) chronic acute, and (4) reconstructive. A small and consistent formulary was emphasized. A specific guideline for background, procedural, and transition pain and anxiety management was developed for each patient care category. All pain and anxiety medications given to all acutely burned children admitted to the Institute for 12 consecutive months were recorded, and daily pain and anxiety discomfort scores were noted using a 5-level action-based bedside scoring system. Doses of individual pain and anxiety medications were calculated as mg per kg per patient-day in each category, and all doses were found to be within guideline specifications. The efficacy of the guideline was judged by four discomfort scores: (1) background pain, (2) procedural pain, (3) background anxiety, and (4) procedural anxiety, and were adequate in all patient categories. There were no complications related to overmedication experienced during the interval. Our objective was to develop a guideline for pain and anxiety management that: (1) was safe and effective over a broad range of ages and injury acuities seen in the unit, (2) was explicit in its recommendations, (3) had a limited formulary to optimize staff familiarity with agents used, and (4) took advantage of the presence of a bedside nurse to continuously evaluate efficacy and intervene when needed through dose-ranging. Although many drugs are appropriate, our choices were based on institutional familiarity and simplicity. This process of developing a clear and consistent guideline can be duplicated in any unit.

Analgesics↗