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Biomedical subjects

R Schwarz

Publications and source records attributed to R Schwarz.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

[Changes in surgical treatment of cystic teratoma--620 cases].

Among 3492 patients with ovarian tumors subjected to operation between 1/1957 and 3/1994 at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Rostock 620 (17.8%) cases of teratomas were found. Histology findings, age, tumor size, bilaterality and malignity of these 620 cases were analyzed. The histologic differentiation yielded 604 (17.3%) mature teratomas (dermoid cysts), 15 monodermale and 1 immature teratoma. Division of total period in the time before and after 1990-since then we have got the possibility of laparoscopic operation-reveals that presumably by increasing use of ultrasound a decrease in mean age at time of diagnosis from 40.2 +/- 20 to 30.7 +/- 12 as well as in tumor size (9 +/- 4 resp. 4 +/- 2 cm) has been achieved. A secondary malignant transformation of epithelial component has been found in 0.5% (3/604) and bilaterality in 11% of the cases. With regard to general rules of laparoscopic operations the intact dermoid cyst enucleation is recommended in premenopausal and extirpation in postmenopausal women. For opening, reduction of volume, and removal of the dermoid cyst from the abdominal cavity, an endo-bag or endo-catch respectively should be used.

Adolescent↗

[Bile duct carcinoma after abdominal irradiation for urologic malignancies].

Malignancies of the biliary tract are rare diseases. Tumor inductions after radiotherapy are reported in several papers. We report about 3 cases with consecutive biliary tract carcinoma 18-32 years after manifestation of an urogenital carcinoma. All 3 patients (52-63 years) were treated with additive radiotherapy after surgical-urological therapy. Icterus was the top-ranging symptom of this secondary carcinoma. In 2 of the 3 cases surgical tumor resection was performed (biliary duct resection with central liver resection; pancreatico-duodenectomy). Because of the bad general condition of health the third patient got only a biopsy of the tumor. All patients died within 2 years after diagnosis. The accidental accumulation of the rare biliary tract carcinoma after urogenital malignancies in our collection of clinical cases (2 seminoma; 1 bladder tumor) give rise the question about the causal association between primary carcinoma, additive therapy and the development of secondary carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Microscopic studies of the skin of Turkish angora goats. III. Cyclic annual growth of the sebaceous glands and hypodermis].

The study describes circannual variations of growth in sebaceous glands and hypodermis. The results have been obtained by light microscopical and lipid histochemical methods. The sebaceous glands showed high secretory activities during the summer months, obviously as related to increasing fibre lengths. The hypodermis was thickest by fat accumulation during summer, as probably connected with high growth rates of the hair follicles. The findings are discussed with regard to the general, seasonally varying feeding conditions of goats in Central Anatolia. A direct relation between diet quantity and quality, and fleece quality is postulated.

Animals↗

High CO2 concentration alleviates the block in photosynthetic electron transport in an ndhB-inactivated mutant of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942.

The high-concentration CO2-requiring mutant N5 of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 was obtained by the insertion of a kanamycin-resistant gene at the EcoRI site, 12.4 kb upstream of rbc. The mutant is unable to accumulate inorganic carbon internally and exhibits very low apparent photosynthetic affinity for inorganic carbon but a photosynthetic Vmax similar to that of the wild type. Sequence and northern analyses showed that the insertion inactivated a gene highly homologous to ndhB, encoding subunit II of NADH dehydrogenase in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (T. Ogawa [1991] Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88: 4275-4279). When the mutant and the wild-type cells were exposed to 5% CO2 in air, their photosynthetic electron transfer capabilities, as revealed by fluorescence and thermoluminescence measurements, were similar. On the other hand, a significant decrease in variable fluorescence was observed when the mutant (but not the wild-type) cells were exposed to low CO2 under continuous light. The same treatment also resulted in a shift (from 38-27 degrees C) in the temperature at which the maximal thermoluminescence emission signal was obtained in the mutant but not in the wild type. These results may indicate that subunit II of NADH dehydrogenase is essential for the functional operation of the photosynthetic electron transport in Synechococcus under low but not high levels of CO2. We suggest that the inability to accumulate inorganic carbon under air conditions stems from disrupture of electron transport in this mutant.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[Results of radiotherapy of cervix cancer].

A total of 1,830 women with cervical carcinoma has been irradiated from 1959 to 1986 with three different methods. 5 years survival rate was overall 44 per cent, in FIGO stage I 74 per cent, in stage II 55 per cent and in stage III 27 per cent. The better quality of life using high voltage technique is underlined. Including the paraaortic region into the radiation target volume may improve the results.

Brachytherapy↗

Carbohydrate histochemistry of skin glands in the Turkish Angora goat.

The skin glands of the general body surface of the Turkish Angora goat were studied by means of selected carbohydrate histochemical methods, in particular several PO-lectin procedures. Both gland types exhibited intensive secretion production, irrespective of season and body region. The different histochemical staining procedures demonstrated that glycoconjugates, especially neutral glycoproteins are present in the secretory cells and secretion products of the apocrine glands. The peroxidase (PO)-lectin-procedures indicated the following saccharide residues: alpha-D-mannose, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosamine, alpha-D-glucose, N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, beta-D-galactose, alpha-D-galactose, and alpha-fucose, including small amounts of N-acetylneuraminic acid and N-glycolylneuraminic acid. Relatively large amounts of glycoconjugates, probably also glycolipids, were found in the peripheral cells and the sebum of the sebaceous glands, exhibiting the following saccharide residues: N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, alpha-fucose, N-acetylneuraminic acid and N-glycolylneuraminic acid. The results obtained are discussed as related to findings from corresponding studies in other mammalian species. The secretory substances present obviously create a clearly alkaline pH milieu within the fleece of the Angora goat. Such conditions are also known to exist, for example, in the Merino sheep fleece.

Animals↗

[Psychosocial factors in carcinogenesis: on the problem of the so-called cancer-prone personality].

Without distinguishing between the heterogeneous types of the disease which are implied in the term "cancer" a stereotype--the cancer-prone personality--is regarded as the essential cause of the disease. Their striking characteristics are quoted as follows: depressive mood, social conformity, restrained expression of needs and emotions, reduced perception of physical symptoms, etc. In a prebioptical prospective study, basing on semi-structured interviews carried out at two different points of time, with 230 women with breast tumours and 95 patients with a suspected lung cancer, the theory of a psychosocial cancer ethiology was examined with regard to the following aspects: do the psychological phenomena observed reflect a premorbide personality structure or do they represent reactions to the disease? Is it possible to register personality related phenomena in the preventive behaviour and are there specific differences in the perception of the symptoms? Through this quasi-experimental approach it was possible to distinguish between the influence of the personal expectancy concerning the diagnosis and the effect of the actual disease. This way it was proven that psychological phenomena of cancer patients are to be understood as the result and not as the cause of the disease.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

[The importance of psychosocial oncology in the treatment of cancer patients].

Better medical care leads to an increased life expectancy but also to a growing psychosocial burden on the patients and their relatives. This development has led to the establishment of a new discipline: "Psychosocial Oncology". The psychosocial support of patients and their relatives as well as of nurses and physicians is described using the psychosocial aftercare unit attached to the department of surgery of the Heidelberg University Clinic as an example. Generally speaking two types of co-operation are possible-the consultation model and the integrated liaison model. Of these the latter seems to be the most appropriate but also the one most vulnerable to dysfunctions caused by professional and personal rivalries. In this paper the conditions necessary for a patient centered co-operation are discussed. If these requirements are met the patient centered approach, described by the three aspects of support, counseling and psychotherapy can be successful.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Treatment results obtained in metastatic soft-tissue sarcoma with a combination of doxorubicin and dacarbazine or doxorubicin and ifosfamide.

Between 1982 and 1986, 38 patients with soft-tissue sarcomas were treated with the combination doxorubicin/dacarbazine (group A); between 1986 and 1990, another 46 patients received doxorubicin/ifosfamide (group B); and between 1990 and 1991, 11 patients received an alternating regimen of doxorubicin and ifosfamide (group C). The patients' characteristics were comparable among the three groups. Overall remission rates were 34% in group A, 44% in group B, and 18% in group C. The duration of remission was 10 months and the median survival was 13 months in groups A and B. Toxicity, especially myelotoxicity, was severe, with no marked differences being noted between the groups. We conclude that both doxorubicin/dacarbazine and doxorubicin/ifosfamide are active regimens in metastatic soft-tissue sarcomas; nevertheless, the overall prognosis for these patients remains poor.

Adolescent↗

[Adjuvant radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy--results, acute and late toxicity].

Between 1975 and 1987, 53 patients with radical retropubic prostatectomy for adenocarcinoma of the prostate (pathological stage C or D1) underwent adjuvant radiotherapy. 26 of these patients additionally underwent subcapsular orchiectomy. Radiation therapy was given to 45 patients as 40 to 50 Gy to the pelvic lymph nodes followed by a boost to the tumor bed to a total of 64 to 70 Gy. Only five of the 45 patients received treatment to prostate and pelvis developed progression, whereas four out of eight patients who were irradiated to the prostate alone showed progression (p < 0.01). The five- and ten-year disease-free survival rates of 33 patients with stage C tumors were 91% and 83%, the local control rate 97% and 94%. 20 patients with stage D1 carcinoma showed a five-year disease-free survival of 79% and a local control rate of 95%. 25/26 patients with subcapsular orchiectomy are living disease-free, 8/27 patients without hormonal manipulation had a progression of disease (p < 0.05). All 13 patients with well or moderate differentiated tumor are alive without evidence of disease, 9/40 patients with poor differentiated carcinoma have shown tumor progression (p < 0.05). Compared to published results, our data suggest, that adjuvant radiotherapy can decrease local recurrence and probably increase disease-free survival in stage C and D1 carcinoma of the prostate.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities and trunk in the adult. Report of 124 cases.

Between 1970 and 1988 surgery was performed on 124 patients with soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities and trunk in the University Clinics of Hamburg. Liposarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, fibrosarcoma and malignant schwannoma were the most common histological types. High-grade sarcomas (G3) predominated, with 41%, while 26% were graded G2 and 33% G1. Resection with wide margins all round was achieved in only 54% of the patients. The quality of the operation proved to be only therapy-related prognostic factor. In addition, tumour grade, size, regional lymph node and distant metastasis and histological type proved to be relevant to the prognosis. With multivariate analysis, distant metastasis, grade, resectability and histological type retained prognostic significance. The efficacy of adjuvant chemo- and radiotherapy was related to the quality of the preceding tumour resection. In case of gross tumour the rate of either partial or complete response was 28% for chemotherapy and 22% for radiotherapy. The mean survival time was 102 months; the 5- and 10-year survival rates were 48% and 37%, respectively.

Adolescent↗