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PubMed1992

Lessons from 20 years of curative therapy of childhood acute leukaemia.

The past 20 years of curative therapeutics of childhood acute leukaemia has been largely a period of consolidation of gains, refinement of techniques and dissemination of expertise and technology. However, certain lessons have been learned. First, cure can be permanent but the complexity and cost of curative treatment currently restricts its accessibility; prevention or simple curative treatment is needed. Secondly, cure of the child demands that the risk of adverse sequelae of treatments be carefully balanced with known therapeutic benefits. Thirdly, preventive meningeal irradiation is no longer required. Fourth, treatment intensification is self-limiting. Adverse reactions can cancel out or exceed therapeutic benefits, resulting in a lower cure rate or a similar cure rate with lower quality of cure. Finally, morphology, immunophenotype and genotype of acute leukaemia are important criteria for selecting and scheduling drug therapy. Genotype may be the most important since leukaemia is a genetic disorder for which morphology and immunophenotype are mere reflections. However, none of these features, individually or together, are sufficient to explain all the difference in outcome among children on a given treatment plan or to completely fulfill the need of criteria for selection of treatment. Acute leukaemia remains an unsolved problem demanding considerably more basic and clinical research to meet the need for prevention and simple dependable curative treatment.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2006

The presence of a systemic inflammatory response predicts poorer survival in patients receiving adjuvant 5-FU chemotherapy following potentially curative resection for colorectal cancer.

There is increasing evidence that the presence of a systemic inflammatory response plays an important role in survival following curative resection for colorectal cancer. The present study evaluated the relationship between C-reactive protein concentrations and survival in a cohort of patients receiving adjuvant 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy following potentially curative resection for colorectal cancer. In all, 222 patients undergoing potentially curative resection for colorectal cancer were studied. Of these, 50 patients received adjuvant 5-FU-based chemotherapy. Circulating concentrations of C-reactive protein were measured prior to surgery. The minimum follow-up was 15 months; the median follow-up of the survivors was 38 months. During this period 61 patients died, 32 patients of their cancer and 29 of intercurrent disease. In those patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy, age (P < 0.001), Dukes stage (P < 0.05) and an elevated C-reactive protein (P < 0.01) were significantly associated with survival. In those patients who did receive adjuvant chemotherapy, an elevated C-reactive protein concentration (P < 0.01) was significantly associated with survival. The presence of a systemic inflammatory response is an independent predictor of poor outcome in patients receiving adjuvant 5-FU-based chemotherapy following potentially curative resection for colorectal cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2000

Pre-operative serum vascular endothelial growth factor can select patients for adjuvant treatment after curative resection in colorectal cancer.

We aim to determine the clinical usefulness of pre-operative serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a predictor of outcome in patients undergoing curative resection for colorectal cancer. Serum VEGF was assayed by quantitative ELISA in 81 patients prior to curative resection for node-negative (n = 53) and node-positive (n = 28) disease. Median follow-up for patients without cancer death was 27 months (range 21-37). Pre-operative serum VEGF was significantly higher in patients who went on to develop metastases than those who did not (median, 713 pg ml-1 vs. 314 pg ml-1, P < 0.0001). Using multivariate Cox regression analysis, pre-operative serum VEGF was the most important prognostic factor independent of nodal status and adjuvant chemotherapy, and was superior to nodal status in predicting outcome (P < 0.00001). At 575 pg ml-1, pre-operative serum VEGF was 64% sensitive and 89% specific in predicting the development of metastases in curative resections, with a positive predictive value of 73% and a negative predictive value of 85%. Pre-operative serum VEGF is a powerful predictor of outcome following curative surgery for colorectal cancer. These data support the measurement of pre-operative serum VEGF as a method for selecting patients who require adjuvant therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Adenocarcinoma of the lung: a contribution on prognosis after potentially curative resection.

From 1976 to 1989, 166 patients were operated on for primary adenocarcinoma of the lung. For better comparison, all the tumors were categorized retrospectively according to the TNM system of the UICC 4th edition of 1987. One hundred and thirty-eight patients could be potentially curatively operated. The average survival time following incomplete resection was 5 months and after potentially curative resection it was 65 months for stage I, 22 months for stage II and 6.5 months for stage IIIa. The 5-year survival rate was 53.7% for stage I, 18.5% for II and 0% for IIIa. The differences between the tumor stages are statistically significant. At the time of writing a large number of the patients have already died due to either recurrence of the tumor or, as in most cases, secondary metastases distant from the primary growth CI: 32%, II: 66%, IIIa: 79%). Comparison of the results of potentially curative operations in patients with adenocarcinoma and those with squamous cell carcinoma show a better prognosis in the equivalent stages for cases of squamous cell carcinoma. In seven cases there was the situation of ipsilateral pulmonary metastasis which could be subjected to potentially curative resection together with the primary tumor (5 bronchioloalveolar, 2 other adenocarcinomas). The prognosis of these patients was just as good, following resection, as for cases of T2N0 tumors without such metastases.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1984

The uptake of preventive and curative child health services in Maputo, Mozambique.

This study seeks to analyse the uptake of preventive and curative child health services in three health centres in Maputo, Mozambique. Within the context of overall social and economic change, Mozambique has given priority to Primary Health Care as the driving force of its newly developed National Health Service, with a principal focus on maternal and child health. Three health centres were selected from areas of contrasting environmental quality. Data were collected from over 6000 women attending the curative and preventive child health services at these centres. It was found that the women using curative services had significantly higher child mortality rates, had lived less time in Maputo City and had children of lower weight status than their counterparts attending for preventive care. Additionally, levels of child mortality were found to increase as environmental quality decreased. It is argued that the lower users of preventive care are, as in the U.K., precisely those who appear to have an increased risk of mortality and morbidity. It is concluded that integration between the curative and preventive health services must be increased in order to overcome the user inertia which militates against the poorer population using the facilities for prevention to the best advantage. This would fit in both with national strategies (1) and WHO recommendations (2-4) in the field of primary health care.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1999

Adjuvant (cisplatin, etoposide, and 5-fluorouracil) chemotherapy after curative resection of gastric adenocarcinomas involving the esophagogastric junction.

Gastric adenocarcinomas involving the esophagogastric junction represent a particular therapeutic problem because they lie in the border area between two body cavities: the thorax and the abdomen. The prognosis of gastric adenocarcinomas involving esophagogastric junction is poor because there is widespread lymphatic metastasis, making curative resection difficult. Even in patients with localized disease who are potentially curable, the 5-year survival rate is approximately 20% with curative resection only, somewhat lower than for those with cancer elsewhere in the stomach. The authors conducted a pilot study to evaluate the safety and possible efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin, etoposide, and 5-fluorouracil (PEF) after curative resection of gastric adenocarcinoma involving esophagogastric junction. Three cycles of adjuvant PEF chemotherapy with cisplatin (20 mg/m2/day intravenously on days 1-5), etoposide (100 mg/m2/day intravenously on days 1, 3, and 5), and 5-fluorouracil (800 mg/m2/day continuous intravenous infusion on days 1-5) were given every 3 weeks after curative resection of gastric adenocarcinoma involving the esophagogastric junction. Between November 1989 and June 1995, a total of 50 patients with postoperative stage II, IIIA, or IIIB disease entered this trial. In 14 of 50 patients (28%), the disease recurred during the follow-up of 4-83 months (median 26 months). Disease-free survival was 4-83+ months (median 48 months), and the actuarial 5-year disease-free survival rate was 48% (95% CI: 41% to 55%). Overall survival was 4-83+ months (median 62 months), and the actuarial 5-year survival rate was 54% (95% CI: 40% to 68%). The prognostic factor analysis showed that the postoperative N stage and the interval between surgery and chemotherapy affected disease-free survival and overall survival. The toxicities of PEF adjuvant chemotherapy were leukopenia, nausea/vomiting, and alopecia, but they were mostly mild and reversible except in one patient who died because of treatment-related sepsis. Adjuvant chemotherapy with three cycles of PEF regimen was well tolerated and seems to be a promising treatment for gastric adenocarcinoma involving the esophagopstric junction, in comparison with previous treatments. To define the efficacy of adjuvant PEF chemotherapy for gastric adenocarcinoma involving esophagogastric junction, prospective randomized trials are warranted.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2004

Timing of death from tumor recurrence after curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

In Western literature, there are few studies investigating the predictors of early versus late recurrence after curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer. The current study analyzed (1) patients who died of recurrent gastric cancer and (2) prognostic factors, which can be applied to timing of death from tumor recurrence. Of 492 patients who underwent curative resection (R0) for gastric cancer in the Department of Surgery, Medical Faculty of Istanbul between 1994 and 2000, 142 patients who died of recurrence were included into study. None of the patients had received postoperative adjuvant treatment. The patients were divided into 2 groups: an early recurrence group that included 102 patients who recurred and died within 2 years after surgery, and a late recurrence group, which included 40 patients who died of recurrence more than 2 years after surgery. Clinicopathologic findings were compared between the early and late recurrence groups. Multivariate analysis was performed to investigate the independent factors, which are predictive for early versus late recurrence, and prognostic factors independently associated with the survival period. In multivariate analysis, the early recurrence group, when compared with the late recurrence group, was characterized by lymph node metastasis (N1-3 versus N0; P = 0.002). Overall survival was influenced by nodal status (N1-3 versus N0; P = 0.003), type of operation performed (radical total versus radical subtotal gastrectomy; P = 0.003), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS 3-4 versus PS 1-2; P = 0.004), and tumor localization (cardia versus corpus and antrum; P = 0.046). In contrast, T stage of the disease was not prognostic for survival, although it was close to statistical significance (P = 0.066). Multivariate analysis showed that poorer performance status at initial presentation (P = 0.001) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.032) independently correlated with overall survival (P = 0.002). Lymph node status was the most important factor predictive for early versus late recurrence and patients with lymph node metastases were at more risk of death within 2 years after curative operation for gastric cancer. Postoperative chemoradiotherapy should be especially recommended for patients at high risk of recurrence of adenocarcinoma of the stomach or who have undergone curative resection.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2004

Carcinoembryonic antigen messenger RNA expression using nested reverse transcription-PCR in the peripheral blood during follow-up period of patients who underwent curative surgery for biliary-pancreatic cancer: longitudinal analyses.

PURPOSE: Outcome for patients with biliary-pancreatic cancer is still poor, despite curative operation. We investigated the clinical significance of molecular detection of circulating cancer cells in the blood as an early indicator of relapse during follow-up of patients who underwent a curative operation for biliary-pancreatic cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We followed 53 patients who underwent a curative operation for biliary-pancreatic cancer between 1996 and 2001. We used reverse transcription-PCR in the peripheral blood to evaluate carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA expression for molecular detection of circulating cancer cells. Follow-up examinations every 3 months after surgery included CEA mRNA expression in the blood, serum CEA, serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: Sixteen of 53 patients (30.2%) were diagnosed with a recurrence by imaging studies. The CEA mRNA detection rate in the peripheral blood of these 16 patients was 75% compared with 5.4% in the 37 patients without relapse (P < 0.001). Sensitivity of CEA mRNA, CEA, and CA19-9 serum levels was 75.0%, 50.0%, and 68.8%, respectively. Similarly, specificity was 94.6%, 64.9%, and 81.1%, respectively. CEA mRNA was expressed in the blood, even though tumor markers CEA and CA19-9 were within the normal range in patients with relapse. CEA mRNA expression in the blood, as well as the serum level of CA19-9, tended to be detected a few months earlier than detection by imaging modalities. CONCLUSIONS: During the follow-up of patients who undergo a curative operation for biliary-pancreatic cancer, CEA mRNA expression in the peripheral blood might be a useful and early indicator of relapse.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Manifestation, latency and management of late urological complications after curative radiotherapy for cervical carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy alone or in combination with radical hysterectomy remains a potentially curative treatment for cervical carcinoma. Late urological complications after curative radiotreatment are rare but often present difficult problems of management due to the progressive nature of radiogenic tissue damage. We reviewed all cases of radiogenic urologic complications after radiotherapy for cervical carcinoma treated at our institution over the past 10 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a retrospective analysis, out of all female patients treated for hydronephrosis (n = 543), 93 patients with hydronephrosis occurring after curative treatment for gynecological malignancies were identified. The most frequent cause was progressive disease (n = 55); 30 patients without recurrence had severe radiogenic urological complications (study population). RESULTS: Out of 30 patients with a mean age of 44.9 years at the time of treatment for cervical cancer, 6 had undergone primary radiotherapy and 24 had received adjuvant radiotreatment after radical hysterectomy. The observed late urological complications were: distal ureteral stenoses (bilateral in 4 cases, unilateral in 15 cases), distal ureteral necrosis (n = 1), bilateral ureteral reflux (n = 3), vesico-vaginal fistulae (n = 5), vesico-intestinal fistula (n = 1), severe fibrotic bladder shrinkage (n = 6) and urethral stenosis (n = 2). Marked signs of radiogenic cystitis were observed in almost all patients. The mean latency time between radiotherapy and manifestation of severe radiogenic urological sequelae was 19.4 years (range 0.5-41.5). Primary treatment of urological complications consisted in temporary urinary diversion by percutaneous nephrostomies or insertion of internal ureteral stents. Permanent treatment for radiogenic ureteral stenosis in all patients with sufficient general health consisted of surgical or endourological urinary diversion or reconstruction. However, the majority of patients were managed by permanent endourological measures. Lower tract fistulae were treated by distal ureteral occlusion and diversion. CONCLUSIONS: Although severe late urological sequelae of curative radiotherapy for cervical carcinoma are rare they represent major complications, result in considerable distress for the patient, and often present difficult therapeutic problems for the urologist. As these urological complications can have extremely long latency times, focussed follow-up for early detection may be advisable.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Regular follow-up after curative resection of nonsmall cell lung cancer: a real benefit for patients?

Even though complete resection is regarded as the only curative treatment for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), >50% of resected patients die from a recurrence or a second primary tumour of the lung within 5 yrs. It remains unclear, whether follow-up in these patients is cost-effective and whether it can improve the outcome due to early detection of recurrent tumour. The benefit of regular follow-up in a consecutive series of 563 patients, who had undergone potentially curative resection for NSCLC at the University Hospital, was analysed. The follow-up consisted of clinical visits and chest radiography according to a standard protocol for up to 10 yrs. Survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier analysis method and the cost-effectiveness of the follow-up programme was assessed. A total of 23 patients (6.4% of the group with lobectomy) underwent further operation with curative intent for a second pulmonary malignancy. The regular follow-up over a 10-yr period provided the chance for a second curative treatment to 3.8% of all patients. The calculated costs per life-yr gained were 90,000 Swiss Francs. The cost-effectiveness of the follow-up protocol was far above those of comparable large-scale surveillance programmes. Based on these data, the intensity and duration of the follow-up was reduced.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Patterns and predictors of failure after curative resections of carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater.

BACKGROUND: Curative resection does not always equate with long-term survival. The aim was to identify patterns and predictors of failure and independent factors of prognosis after curative resection. METHODS: Sixty-six patients with ampullary carcinoma who underwent surgical intervention were reviewed. Fifty-nine patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. Cox regression analysis, log-rank test, Fisher exact test, or chi(2) test was used. RESULTS: No patient died as a result of surgery; major complications occurred in three, and the 5-year survival rate after curative resection (n = 55) was 52.6%. Significant survival predictors were preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen level; gross tumor appearance; tumor, node, and tumor node metastasis stage; and microscopic lymphatic vessel and venous invasion in the primary tumor. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that lymphatic vessel invasion, tumor, and tumor node metastasis stage were significant independent prognostic factors. No patient experienced locoregional failure alone; all 24 relapsed patients had distant failure, and six of them had both. The liver was the most frequent metastatic organ, followed by nodes, peritoneum, lung, and bone. The carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen levels and lymphatic vessel and venous invasion were significant predictors of distant failure, and the mean time to relapse was 13 (range, 0.7-33) months. CONCLUSIONS: Curative resection is associated with significant survival; however, effective systemic adjuvant therapy is needed to prevent distant failure for patients with elevated carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen levels or positive lymphatic vessel or venous invasion. A 3-year follow-up period would be necessary to document relapses.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1989

Reflections on curative health care in Nicaragua.

Improved health care in Nicaragua is a major priority of the Sandinista revolution; it has been pursued by major reforms of the national health care system, something few developing countries have attempted. In addition to its internationally recognized advances in public health, considerable progress has been made in health care delivery by expanding curative medical services through training more personnel and building more facilities to fulfill a commitment to free universal health coverage. The very uneven quality of medical care is the leading problem facing curative medicine now. Underlying factors include the difficulty of adequately training the greatly increased number of new physicians. Misdiagnosis and mismanagement continue to be major problems. The curative medical system is not well coordinated with the preventive sector. Recent innovations include initiation of a "medicina integral" residency, similar to family practice. Despite its inadequacies and the handicaps of war and poverty, the Nicaraguan curative medical system has made important progress.

Culture↗
PubMed2003

Role of preoperative selective portal vein embolization in two-step curative hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: To determine the feasibility and role of ultrasound-guided preoperative selective portal vein embolization (POSPVE) in the two-step hepatectomy of patients with advanced primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Fifty patients with advanced HCC who were not suitable for curative hepatectomy were treated by ultrasound-guided percutaneous transhepatic POSPVE with fine needles. The successful rate, side effects and complications of POSPVE, changes of hepatic lobe volume and two-step curative hepatectomy rate after POSPVE were observed. RESULTS: POSPVE was successfully performed in 47 (94.0 %) patients. In patients whose right portal vein branches were embolized, their right hepatic volume decreased and left hepatic volume increased gradually. The ratio of right hepatic volume to total hepatic volume decreased from 62.4 % before POSPVE to 60.5 %, 57.2 % and 52.8 % after 1, 2 and 3 weeks respectively. The side effects included different degree of pain in liver area (38 cases), slight fever (27 cases), nausea and vomiting (9 cases). The level of aspartate alanine transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and total bilirubin (TBIL) increased after POSPVE, but returned to preoperative level in 1 week. After 2-4 weeks, two-step curative hepatectomy for HCC was successfully performed on 23 (52.3 %) patients. There were no such severe complications as ectopic embolization, local hemorrhage and bile leakage. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous transhepatic POSPVE with fine needles is feasible and safe. It can extend the indications of curative hepatectomy of HCC, and increase the safety of hepatectomy.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed2001

The curative potential of intraluminal bronchoscopic treatment for early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer.

Bronchoscopic treatment modalities such as lasers, electrocautery, cryotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and brachytherapy are potentially curative for patients with very-early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the central airways. Previously, studies had primarily focused on the effectiveness of surgery, surgical bronchoplasty, and photodynamic therapy. The cure rate of intraluminal bronchoscopic treatment is strongly related to the patient's functional status and tumor stage. Intraluminal tumors are curable bronchoscopically when they are accessible to the fiberoptic bronchoscope, strictly intraluminal, and superficial with visible proximal and distal tumor margins. Early-stage cancer infiltrating deeper into the bronchial wall may already harbor metastases to the regional lymph nodes; hence, curative intraluminal treatment is not feasible. The use of new diagnostic tools (eg, high-resolution computed tomography, autofluorescence bronchoscopy, and endobronchial ultrasound) may improve staging to select the category of patients in whom intraluminal bronchoscopic therapy with curative intent is appropriate. An accurate intraluminal tumor staging will improve our ability to exploit the curative potential of many bronchoscopic techniques for complete tumor eradication in patients with very-early-stage intraluminal NSCLC in their central airways. The use of bronchoscopic treatment as a less morbid alternative than surgical resection will benefit patients most when tumor is detected at the earliest stage possible.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Risk factors for ovarian metastasis following curative resection of gastric adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian metastases from gastric carcinoma usually present as large, symptomatic masses and sometimes represent the sole metastatic site. Accordingly, prophylactic oophorectomy may be useful in the overall management of gastric carcinoma. This retrospective study was undertaken to determine the risk factors for ovarian metastasis following curative resection of gastric adenocarcinoma. METHODS: The clinicopathologic profiles of 690 female patients who underwent curative gastrectomy at Seoul National University Hospital between July 1987 and June 1996 were reviewed, and their first relapse sites were identified. The prognostic factors at the time of gastrectomy influencing ovarian metastasis were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The overall 3-year ovarian relapse rate was estimated to be 6.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2-9.2%). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the number of lymph nodes with metastases and patient age were significant independent risk factors for ovarian metastasis after curative resection of gastric adenocarcinoma. The number of lymph nodes with metastases (>6) was associated with the highest risk of ovarian metastasis, with an adjusted relative risk (aRR) of 38.0 (95% CI, 3.0-480.6). The age of the patient (<50 years) also predicted the risk of ovarian metastasis, with an aRR of 3.1 (95% CI, 1.4-7.0). Lauren diffuse type tended to predict for ovarian metastasis with borderline significance (aRR, 5.9; 95% CI, 0.8-44.3). The 3-year ovarian relapse rate for patients younger than 50 years with more than 6 lymph nodes with metastases was estimated to be 39.5% (95% CI, 23.8-55.7%). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the risk of ovarian metastasis after curative gastrectomy is strongly associated with the number of metastatic lymph nodes (>6) and patient age (<50 years). Prospective studies are needed to evaluate further the role of prophylactic oophorectomy in young female gastric carcinoma patients who have multiple regional lymph nodes with metastases.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Surgical outcome of curative resection in patients with Borrmann type IV gastric carcinoma with particular reference to the extent of lymph node metastasis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prognosis after curative resection for Borrmann type IV carcinoma, according to the extent of lymph node metastasis, is poorly understood. METHODOLOGY: The surgical outcome of curative resection was examined in 78 patients with T2-T3 Borrmann type IV gastric carcinomas, with particular reference to the extent of lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rate was 35.7% for the n0 patients, 27.8% for the n1 patients, 18.2% for the n2 patients and 0% for the n3 or n4 patients. The survival curve for the n3 or n4 patients differed significantly from those of the n0 (P < 0.0001), n1 (P = 0.0009) and n2 (P = 0.0203) patients. However, no other statistically significant differences between the curves were found. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study indicate that patients with Borrmann type IV carcinoma of the stomach may indeed be cured by curative surgery, and that the surgical outcome of this disease does not depend on the extent of lymph node metastasis under curative resection if lymph node metastasis is restricted to the n2 lymph nodes.

Female↗
PubMed2001

Effect of removing user fees on attendance for curative and preventive primary health care services in rural South Africa.

User fees are used to recover costs and discourage unnecessary attendance at primary care clinics in many developing countries. In South Africa, user fees for children aged under 6 years and pregnant women were removed in 1994, and in 1997 all user fees at all primary health care clinics were abolished. The intention of these policy changes was to improve access to health services for previously disadvantaged communities. We investigated the impact of these changes on clinic attendance patterns in Hlabisa health district. Average quarterly new registrations and total attendances for preventive services (antenatal care, immunization, growth monitoring) and curative services (treatment of ailments) at a mobile primary health care unit were studied from 1992 to 1998. Regression analysis was undertaken to assess whether trends were statistically significant. There was a sustained increase in new registrations (P = 0.0001) and total attendances (P = 0.0001) for curative services, and a fall in new registrations (P = 0.01) and total attendances for immunization and growth monitoring (P = 0.0002) over the study period. The upturn in demand for curative services started at the time of the first policy change. The decreases in antenatal registrations (P = 0.07) and attendances (P = 0.09) were not statistically significant. The number of new registrations for immunization and growth monitoring increased following the first policy change but declined thereafter. We found no evidence that the second policy change influenced underlying trends. The removal of user fees improved access to curative services but this may have happened at the expense of some preventive services. Governments should remain vigilant about the effects of new health policies in order to ensure that objectives are being met.

Ambulatory Care Facilities↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Peritoneal recurrence of gastric adenocarcinoma after curative resection.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Death from gastric carcinoma after curative resection is mostly due to recurrence. The most common recurrence is peritoneal dissemination, which represents 33 to 50% of total recurrence after curative gastrectomy. Since survival after peritoneal dissemination is very poor, selection of high-risk patients for further management after resection may contribute to better survival. METHODOLOGY: Based on a prospective database, a total of 1,092 patients with gastric carcinoma who underwent curative resection were included in this study. The incidence of peritoneal recurrence, disease-free interval and survival after peritoneal recurrence were determined. The clinicopathological factors including sex, age, tumor location, size, gross appearance, histological findings, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node status, tumor cell infiltration pattern were analyzed to see if there is any relationship with peritoneal dissemination. RESULTS: The incidence of peritoneal recurrence after curative resection was 13.46%. The mean disease-free interval was 14.2 months and the survival after peritoneal recurrence was 4.9 months in average. Almost all the clinicopathological factors were related with peritoneal recurrence, but only depth of tumor invasion, gross appearance and tumor infiltration pattern are closely associated with peritoneal tumor dissemination after multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Since the prognosis after peritoneal recurrence is so poor, selection of high-risk patients for further management after gastrectomy may be based on these three factors.

Adenocarcinoma↗