General grant: His physicians and his cancer

Steckler, Robert M.; Shedd, Donald P.

doi:10.1016/0002-9610(76)90329-9

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…If ultimate local control is not achieved, then the patient likely will suffer a miserable death, with intractable pain, bleeding, infection, malodor, trismus, inability to handle secretions, suffocation, and wasting—a scenario not appreciably different than when President Ulysses S. Grant died of tonsillar carcinoma 115 years ago. 14 For this reason, if it can be proven clearly that S, RT, or combined‐modality treatment is the superior local treatment, then the finding would be of considerable significance.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx

Parsons

Mendenhall

Stringer

et al. 2002

Cancer

404

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BACKGROUND The treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oropharynx remains controversial. No randomized trial has addressed adequately the question of whether surgery (S), radiation therapy (RT), or combined treatment is most effective. METHODS Treatment results from North American academic institutions that used S with or without adjuvant RT (S ± RT) or used RT alone or followed by neck dissection (RT ± ND) for patients with SCC of the tonsillar region or the base of tongue were compiled through a MEDLINE search (from 1970 to August, 2000) and from the references cited in each report. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they contained direct, actuarial (life‐table), or Kaplan–Meier calculations for the following end points: local control, local‐regional control, 5‐year absolute survival, 5‐year cause specific survival, or severe or fatal treatment complications. Weighted average results, which took into account series size, were calculated for each end point for the purposes of treatment comparison. Results and conclusions were based on data from 51 reported series, representing the treatment of approximately 6400 patients from the United States and Canada. RESULTS The results for patients with SCC of the base of tongue who underwent S ± RT versus RT ± ND, respectively, were as follows: local control, 79% versus 76% (P = 0.087); local‐regional control, 60% versus 69% (P = 0.009); 5‐year survival, 49% versus 52% (P = 0.2); 5‐year cause specific survival, 62% versus 63% (P = 0.4); severe complications, 32% versus 3.8% (P < 0.001); and fatal complications, 3.5% versus 0.4% (P < 0.001). The results for patients with SCC in the tonsillar region who underwent S ± RT versus RT ± ND, respectively, were as follows: local control, 70% versus 68% (P = 0.2); local‐regional control, 65% versus 69% (P = 0.1); 5‐year survival, 47% versus 43% (P = 0.2); 5‐year cause specific survival, 57% versus 59% (P = 0.3); severe complications, 23% versus 6% (P < 0.001); and fatal complications, 3.2% versus 0.8% (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The information in this article provides a useful benchmark for evidence‐based counseling of patients with SCC of the oropharynx. The rates of local control, local‐regional control, 5‐year survival, and 5‐year cause specific survival were similar for patients who underwent S ± RT or RT ± ND, whereas the rates of severe or fatal complications were significantly greater for the S ± RT group. Furthermore, available data on the functional consequences of treatment suggest the superiority of RT ± ND. The authors conclude that RT ± ND is preferable for the majority of patients with SCC of the oropharynx. Cancer 2002;94:2967–80. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10567

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx

Parsons

Mendenhall

Stringer

et al. 2002

Cancer

404

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Because of poor financial judgment on the part of the former President, at this point in the General's life, he found himself broke and facing his death without an inheritance to pass on to his family. A good friend of the President's, Mark Twain, persuaded the General to write his memoirs in the hope of securing financial security for his family after his death 13 . After each local palliative application, the President was able to feverishly write and dictate his memoirs without the obstacle of pain.…”

Section: Dedication To Patient Carementioning

confidence: 99%

“…A good friend of the President's, Mark Twain, persuaded the General to write his memoirs in the hope of securing financial security for his family after his death. 13 After each local palliative application, the President was able to feverishly write and dictate his memoirs without the obstacle of pain. By the spring of 1885, Douglas had made himself permanently available for the ongoing needs of relief of Grant's unabated suffering by moving into the Grant household and sleeping at night in a room adjoining the General's.…”

Section: Dedication To Patient Carementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite what at times must have seemed a futile effort, “considering what was available at the time, Douglas' therapeutic faithfulness to his dying patient as well as his dogged determination to keep Grant alive as long as possible” is a testament to his dedication as a physician 11 . The sale of the former President's memoirs was a huge financial success, with the Grant family estate receiving over $450,000 in royalties 13 while creating a lasting and important contribution to American literature 8 …”

Section: Dedication To Patient Carementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Magnanimous Professional Life and Tragic Demise of J. H. Douglas, MD

et al. 2005

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Grant, a recalcitrant man, refused to seek a medical opinion, until his symptoms began to deteriorate over subsequent months. In October 1884, Grant was reviewed by 'throat specialist' Dr. John Hancock Douglas [5] . Douglas described a lesion on the right tonsillar fossa 'of serious epithelial trouble' together with a right-sided neck node.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Otolaryngology and the American Presidency: A Medical Legacy

Cashman

Timon

2011

ORL

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The various medical histories of eminent members of state have been well documented and explored. Such accounts provide interesting insights into advances in treatment and management of disease. Moreover, historical cases serve as a timely reminder of how the central tenets of good medical practice do not change with time. Two American presidents, Ulysses S. Grant and Grover Cleveland, were afflicted with diseases of the head and neck, and one would subsequently die from his illness. Here we examine their diagnosis, treatment and their disease in the context of modern management.

show abstract

General grant: His physicians and his cancer

Cited by 13 publications

References 4 publications

Squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx

Squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx

The Magnanimous Professional Life and Tragic Demise of J. H. Douglas, MD

Otolaryngology and the American Presidency: A Medical Legacy

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About