Use of videoconferencing in Wales to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, travel costs and time.

In September 2005 a telemedicine service was started to assist multidisciplinary teams in Wales to improve cancer services. In October 2006 and October 2007 users of videoconferencing equipment at one site completed questionnaires. During October 2006 a total of 18,000 km of car travel were avoided, equivalent to 1696 kg of CO(2) emission.

Plasma purine nucleoside phosphorylase in cancer patients.

Background: Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) is the purine salvage enzyme that converts guanosine to guanine and inosine to hypoxanthine.

Methods: 279 samples from patients with differing cancers were collected during treatment at both pre- and post-dose stages for plasma PNP activity and compared with a normal population.

Results: Normal plasma PNP activity was found to be 3.