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Biomedical subjects

F G Ward

Publications and source records attributed to F G Ward.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1983

Evidence for longer survival of patients with pleural mesothelioma without asbestos exposure.

In a group of 23 patients with histologically confirmed malignant mesothelioma of the pleura who could not recall exposure to asbestos dust, survival was significantly longer than in a group of 83 patients with known exposure. Asbestos bodies were found by a quantitative method significantly less frequently in the unexposed than in the exposed group. The longer survival of patients without known exposure could not be correlated with any significant difference in the histological cell types of the tumours from those of exposed patients. In the 83 patients with known exposure survival did not relate to duration of exposure. Consequently, although the tumours of patients unable to recall exposure may be caused by unrecognised environmental contamination with asbestos dust, the longer survival of these patients would suggest a different aetiology.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Carcinoma of the lung in Lancashire coalminers.

The prevalence at death of carcinoma of the lung in miners and ex-miners has been compared in those with and without pneumoconiosis at necropsy. The prevalence of 11.4% in the group as a whole is no greater than that in the male population in North-west England. Carcinoma of the lung was present in 62 (13.1%) of those without pneumoconiosis and in 52 (9.8%) of those with pneumoconiosis. The mean age at death of those with pneumoconiosis was 71.3 years so that they cannot be said to have died before the age at which they would have developed carcinoma. Those with progressive massive fibrosis whose mean age at death was 72 years had the lowest prevalence of carcinoma of the lung at all ages--8.4%. For reasons stated in the text this is inevitably a biased sample. The number of those without pneumoconiosis is probably lower than the true figure because the deaths of miners and ex-miners in whom there is no suspicion of lung disease may not have been reported to the coroner or to the pneumoconiosis medical panel. There appears to be no positive link between carcinoma of the lung and pneumoconiosis. There is a surprisingly high number of smokers and ex-smokers among these miners, and this appears to have more relevance to the prevalence of carcinoma of the lung than does pneumoconiosis.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1969

Five-year winter chemoprophylaxis for chronic bronchitis.

Seventy-nine patients with chronic bronchitis were randomly allotted to four treatment regimens-placebo throughout the winter months for five years; tetracycline for the first two winters and placebo for the next three; placebo for the first two winters and tetracycline for the next three; and tetracycline for five winters. In addition all groups recevied a five-day course of tetracycline for any acute exacerbation. There was a significant reduction in the number of exacerbations among the more susceptible patients-that is, those who suffered more than one exacerbation each winter. Though the average decline in F.E.V.(1) over the five-year period was less in the treated groups this was not statistically significant. There was no significant difference between the groups in respect of lung volumes, diffusing capacity, and blood gases.

Adult↗