Inhibition of nitric oxide production is detrimental in this murine model of endotoxemia.

The HPI predicts a poor outcome in patients with colorectal cancer and may be useful in patient selection for adjuvant chemotherapy.

No abstract

No abstract

Summary Forty patients with unresectable colorectal metastases confined to the liver were evaluated in a phase 11 study. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) was delivered via a surgically placed hepatic artery catheter. Patients received folinic acid (200 mg m-2) intravenously over 2 h followed by a loading dose of intra-arterial 5-FU (400 mg m-2) over 15 min, then 5-FU (1600 mg m-2) by intra-arterial infusion over the following 22 h. This was repeated on day 2 and the whole schedule was repeated every 2 weeks. Response was assessed after six treatments. The median follow-up was 17 months. Overall response rate was 46% with 8% complete response. Estimated median survival is 19 months. Site of progression was the liver alone in 55%, liver and lung in another 16% and 29% in other sites. Eight patients experienced grade 3 or 4 toxicity. The response rate of this regimen compares favourably with reported trials of intra-arterial FUDR, and our schedule is currently being compared with a similar schedule of intravenous 5-FU and folinic acid in a randomized Medical Research Council trial (CR05).Keywords: colorectal cancer; liver metastases; chemotherapy; infusion intra-arterial Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the UK. Approximately half of the patients undergoing apparently curative resection will die within 5 years because of recurrent disease, mostly with liver metastases; in 30% of these patients the liver will be the only site affected. Few patients are suitable for surgical treatment, most having multiple metastases affecting both lobes. Unfortunately, the results of conventional systemic chemotherapy have been disappointing. For example, single-agent 5-flourouracil (5-FU) has a response rate of approximately 10% (Blijham et al, 1996). Furthermore, although the addition of folinic acid (FA) to 5-FU has resulted in higher response rates, there remains doubt as to whether this translates into a survival benefit (Advanced Colorectal Cancer Meta-analysis Project, 1992).As most cytotoxic drugs have a steep dose-response curve, it is a basic pharmacokinetic principle that if one can increase drug delivery to a tumour then increased response rates can be achieved (Gamelin et al, 1995). An alternative approach to the therapy of liver metastases is therefore to deliver the drug intra-arterially. In the case of patients with liver metastases the arterial route of delivery is particularly appropriate as it has been shown that established liver metastases over 1 cm in diameter are mainly supplied by the hepatic artery (Breedis, 1954).We report our experience of an intra-arterial 5-FU-based regimen in patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases. In this study, we combined three factors that, on the basis of pharmacological studies, have been shown to offer a therapeutic advantage, namely intra-arterial administration, infusional rather Received 17 February 1997 Revised 9 April 1997 Accepted 29April 1997 Correspondence to: JD Howell than bolus 5-FU therapy and modulation of 5-FU by high-dose ...

German visceral surgeons are less engaged and less active on social media than previously examined cohorts. Loco-regional, cultural, demographic and regulatory matters may have a significant influence on uptake. If this surgical cohort wishes to have a wider international presence then education on the potential benefits of these tools may be needed.

Objective To compare innate spatial awareness skills, using the MIST-VR system (Ethicon Ltd, Edinburgh, a computer-based virtual reality system that objectively tests spatial awareness) among three groups of people (consultant urologists, urological trainees and controls who were not surgeons), because urological surgeons require spatial awareness for endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery, but trainees are selected by academic prowess rather than surgical aptitude. Subjects and methods The MIST-VR system was used to test 122 volunteers in three groups, i.e. 39 consultant urologists, 46 urological trainees and 37 controls (not surgeons). The demographic data recorded for each group included age, sex, eyesight, handedness, and endoscopic and laparoscopic experience. Volunteers performed a repetitive series of three tasks using the system. Their performance was measured in terms of time, errors and economy of movement, as well as the duration and accuracy of diathermy in Task 3. Results The consultants were signi®cantly older than the trainees and controls (both P<0.001) and had more endoscopic experience (P=0.005). In Task 1, the trainees made signi®cantly fewer errors (P=0.045) and had a greater economy of movement (P=0.03) than the controls. In Task 2 the trainees performed the task more rapidly than the consultants (P=0.04) and controls (P=0.02). Trainees were more economical in movement than were consultants (P=0.031) and controls (P=0.046). In the more complex Task 3, trainees outperformed consultants in terms of errors (P=0.03), economy of movement (P=0.046), total diathermy time (P=0.005) and diathermy error (P=0.03). Controls performed similarly to the consultants. Although there was a trend towards better performance by trainees over controls, this was only signi®cant for time (P=0.04) and total diathermy time (P=0.011). A few participants had results that were >2SD above the mean and several people could not complete Task 3. Conclusions Urologists do not differ from the general population in terms of innate spatial ability in this setting. There are several people who may have a defect in spatial awareness but the incidence was the same in each group. Urological trainees outperformed consultants in these tasks; the reasons for this are unclear. The MIST-VR system is of no help in aptitude testing for urological trainees, although it may have a role in teaching laparoscopic surgery. Testing other psychometric components may be more important for acquiring surgical skills than innate spatial-awareness skills. Further studies are required to investigate this possibility.

The intravenous urogram (IVU) remains a useful investigation in the assessment of upper urinary tract calculi. Helical computed tomography scanning appears to have superseded the IVU in the diagnosis of acute flank pain due to a higher sensitivity in diagnosis. Results of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) for lower calyceal stones are generally disappointing. Recent studies using the intravenous urogram have demonstrated that an acute infundibulopelvic angle may be a significant indicator of the likelihood of failure of ESWL. A prospective evaluation of the role of spatial anatomy in the clearance of lower calyceal stones by ESWL is needed. In future this parameter may be used to determine treatment protocols for lower calyceal stones. Future imaging methods may make the IVU redundant, but for the time being it remains an essential part of the urologist's armamentarium.