No abstract

were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. RESULTSThe median age of patients was 68 years with a mean (median) follow-up time of 35 (29) months. The 30, 60 and 90-day postoperative mortality rates were 1.3%, 2.6% and 3.2%, respectively. The 5-year overall, recurrencefree and cancer-specific survival was 57%, 48% and 67%, respectively, with a local recurrence rate of 6%. Pathological stage distribution was < pT2N0, n = 498 (23%); pT2N0, n = 365 (17%); pT3N0, n = 463 (21%); pT4N0, n = 170 (8%); and pTxN + , n = 507 (23%). Only 3.1% of patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 19.4% received adjuvant chemotherapy. On multivariate analysis, lower pathological stage, negative surgical margins, receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy, performance of pelvic lymphadenectomy and an absence of smoking were associated with prolonged disease-specific and overall survival.

No difference in outcome was observed in patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma who were treated with interferon gamma-1b as compared with placebo. These results emphasize the necessity of testing the efficacy of immunomodulators in randomized studies.

A high-frequency percussive ventilation-based strategy resulted in similar clinical outcomes when compared with a low-tidal volume ventilation-based strategy in burn patients with respiratory failure. However, the low-tidal volume ventilation strategy failed to achieve ventilation and oxygenation goals in a higher percentage necessitating rescue ventilation.