The unfolding of therapeutic radiology

Article Abstract:

A retired physician and professor of radiology recalls the early days of therapeutic radiology, the use of X-rays to treat disease, and discusses his own involvement in this area since the beginning of this century. Following medical school in Havana, Cuba in the 1920s, the author studied in Paris and worked with Henri Coutard, an early clinical radiotherapist, as well as other pioneers of radiation therapy. The experimental treatment of cancers with radiotherapy had begun but the science and its technological and diagnostic potential were just starting to emerge. When the author first arrived in the United States in 1939, he was one of only 38 radiotherapists nationwide. Research continued, especially in the area of cancer treatment, and results published by the author and many others began to accumulate. However, even after World War II, there were only 60 practicing radiotherapists in this country and comprehensive training programs were slow in developing. In 1951, a grant from the National Cancer Institute was obtained and the first formal training program for radiotherapists was created. The author occupied many research posts and teaching positions and became an advocate for the concept of community cancer centers, which began to take hold in the 1960s. After a lengthy struggle for recognition, radiotherapy has at last become a flourishing field. Numerous professional societies have been created and affiliations with existing organizations have developed. This science has become an integral part of the treatment of malignant tumors as well as other types of cancers. The author has been a witness to and has been personally involved in the birth, growth, and continued burgeoning of this specialty.

History, Biography, Radiotherapy, Radiologists, Radiology, Medical, Radiology, Coutard, Henri

---

Therapeutic endoscopy and bleeding ulcers

Article Abstract:

Each year four million individuals are affected by peptic ulcer disease which is a leading health problem in the U.S. Peptic ulcer disease is often complicated by bleeding, especially in the upper gastrointestinal tract, which leads to emergency hospitalization. Current estimates indicate that over 100,000 patients with peptic ulcer disease bleed each year; the mortality rate from bleeding ulcers has averaged between 6 and 10 percent during the past 30 years despite advances in treatment and diagnosis. During the past ten years, endoscopy, which permits viewing the internal cavities of the body, has been transformed from a purely diagnostic tool to a therapeutic modality. Endoscopy is now being considered as a means of managing bleeding in patients suffering from bleeding ulcers, although it is known that bleeding from peptic ulcers will stop spontaneously in 70 to 80 percent of patients. Hemostatic (anti-bleeding) therapy results in few complications in cases when endoscopy is performed by qualified personnel to treat patients with a history of bleeding peptic ulcers. Endoscopic hemostatic therapy should only be used, however, when patients are at high risk for persistent or recurrent bleeding and death. It is recommended that large-scale trials of endoscopic hemostatic therapy be conducted as a means of assessing the safety and effectiveness of this technique.

Health aspects, Care and treatment, Complications and side effects, Gastrointestinal bleeding, Gastrointestinal hemorrhage, Hemorrhage, Endoscopes, Peptic ulcer

---

Comparison of different metronidazole therapeutic regimens for bacterial vaginosis: a meta-analysis

Article Abstract:

A single two-gram dose of the antibiotic metronidazole (Flagyl) may cure bacterial vaginosis in most women. Bacterial vaginosis, sometimes called nonspecific vaginitis, is a common infection in women, and metronidazole is the most effective treatment. However, the duration of treatment is controversial. Meta-analysis was used to group the results of 10 studies on the use of metronidazole in bacterial vaginosis. A total of 1,203 women were treated in the studies. In some studies, the women were treated with a single dose, in others with two doses and in others with several doses over a period of five to seven days. However, the cure rates in each group were essentially identical. Four weeks after treatment, the recurrence rates were also similar. A single dose of metronidazole could eliminate problems with compliance and also minimize side effects.

Drug therapy, Dosage and administration, Vaginosis, Metronidazole

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Incremental value of the leukocyte differential and the rapid creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme for the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction
• Abstracts: Olsalazine for ulcerative colitis. An oral preparation of mesalamine as long-term maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial
• Abstracts: The frequency of uniparental disomy in Prader-Willi syndrome: implications for molecular diagnosis
• Abstracts: Initial results and subsequent outcome of laser thermal-assisted balloon angioplasty of 56 consecutive femoropopliteal lesions
• Abstracts: Imaging evaluation of children after falls from a height: review of 45 cases

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.