Results obtained during the first 5 years of a randomized study of postoperative radiotherapy (50 Gy) are presented. Criteria for randomization were fulfilled in 494 of 861 patients with Dukes' B and C tumors, when the trial was closed. Severe complications from radiotherapy approximated 10%. Probability of survival without local failure within 24 months was significantly higher after radiotherapy in patients with Dukes' C tumors, and the time of local failure was delayed 1 year. Patients with Dukes' B tumors had no benefit from radiotherapy. Risks of distant metastases and death were not influenced by radiotherapy in the main groups. Plasma-CEA measurements were evaluated blindly, and radiotherapy changed the critical levels of CEA for detection of recurrent cancer. It was concluded that patients with Dukes' C tumors may benefit from radiotherapy and plasma-CEA levels are influenced by radiotherapy, which may be important, when these are used in screening for recurrent cancer.

Reliable and accurate assessment of liver histopathology in patients with chronic hepatitis C is important for decision regarding treatment and for evaluation of therapy. However, little data on interobserver variation have been published. In this study, five specialist histopathologists evaluated 46 liver biopsies from 20 patients treated with interferon-alpha. Knodell's and Ishak's scoring systems, De Groote's classification and a four level general necro-inflammatory activity score (GNAS) were applied. Besides kappa statistics, slide by slide analysis was performed. We defined an acceptable slide by slide agreement as eight of ten observer pairs agreed on 80% of the slides. The best agreement was seen for Knodell's and Ishak's fibrosis score, De Groote's classification and GNAS (mean weighted kappa (kappa(w)) = 0.49, 0.51, 0.50 and 0.44, respectively). By condensing data from Knodell's and Ishak's scores to presence or absence of cirrhosis and piecemeal necrosis respectively, concordance was substantial concerning cirrhosis (mean kappa = 0.69 and 0.72, respectively) but only moderate concerning piecemeal necrosis (mean kappa = 0.40 and 0.39, respectively). Slide by slide analysis showed the highest agreement on Knodell's fibrosis score and GNAS; only one point of difference in score was to be accepted to obtain 'eight of ten' agreement. In contrast, five points of difference were necessary to accept in order to reach the same agreement for Knodell's total activity score. Moreover, in serial biopsies the GNAS was sufficient to detect changes in disease activity following treatment. Thus, a simple scoring system with four category scales was reproducible and sufficient for detection of therapy induced changes.

Twenty-five patients with systemic sclerosis and severe gastrooesophageal reflux disease were treated with 20-80 mg omeprazole daily for up to 5 years. Efficacy of treatment was assessed by symptom score, by endoscopic and histopathological surveillance of the oesophageal and gastric mucosa, and by laboratory screening including serum gastrin concentration.confirmed the efficacy of this treatment. However, complete healing of oesophagitis was not achieved in half of the patients due to residual gastro-oesophageal acid reflux. Repeated adjustments of the maintenance dose of omeprazole may be needed for this group of patients. From the safety point-of-view, nothing was observed to discourage the long-term use of omeprazole in this group of patients. Statistically significant relief of symptoms and healing of oesophagitis I N T R O D U C T I O NThe severity of reflux oesophagitis is determined by several different factors. In

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134 duodenal biopsies from 14 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis were evaluated by light microscopy for the presence of adenoma. Staining reactions for endocrine cells were applied. 90 biopsies contained adenoma, almost all of the tubular type (98%) with dysplasia, ranging from mild to moderate. Accompanying hyperplasia of argyrophil and argentaffin endocrine cells was found in 91% and 64% of the adenomas, respectively. Based on histological criteria it is concluded that the risk of carcinoma development in the duodenum could equal that in colon and rectum. The observation of endocrine hyperplasia is new, and further investigations are needed before the significance of this finding can be evaluated.

This study investigates the possible gain and limitation by performing colonoscopy and double-contrast enema immediately after, and every six months after, radical surgery for colorectal cancer. It was possible to perform a complete colonoscopy within three months of surgery in 80 per cent of the 239 patients and at the follow-up time in 90 per cent. Incompleteness was related to insufficient bowel preparation, narrow anastomosis, and long transverse colon. Five patients had synchronous cancers, and 64 had adenomas at the time of surgery. The risk of recurrent adenomas in the latter was higher (17/64) than in those without adenomas (15/175). The adenomas were located above the rectum in 57 of 80 patients who had polypectomy. Four patients with metachronous cancer and one of five patients with local recurrence had another radical operation, while this was possible in none of 40 patients with recurrence diagnosed by other means than colonoscopy and enema. Radical colorectal surgery should be followed by colonoscopy and double-contrast enema, but how often and for how long remains to be established.

The morphological and histochemical characteristics of endocrine-like cells of the pulmonary epithelium of the right lower lobe of 12 human adult lungs were studied. Few cells were reactive to the argyrophil silver method of Grimelius and of Sevier and Munger and cells with a similar morphology and distribution emitted a green or yellow fluorescence after treatment of the lung epithelium with the amine presursors L-DOPA or L-HTP, respectively. A greater number of cells seems to be demonstrated by electron microscopy. The cells were characterized by small, round secretory granules showing a central dense core and a very thin clear halo between the core and the surrounding membrane. The cells are thought to be related to the endocrine-like cells of the pulmonary epithelium of the human foetal lung and to cells of carcinoids of larger bronchi.