Prevalence of high risk genital papillomaviruses in the Belgian female population determined by fast multiplex polymerase chain reaction.

Because in situ/filter hybridisation is not sensitive enough and because classical polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocols are generally not sufficiently reproducible and specific, there is little accurate information on the prevalence of human papillomaviruses (HPV) 16, 18, and 33 infections in women without dyskaryotic changes of the cervix. In our hands, our Fast Multiplex PCR protocol has always been the most sensitive, specific, and reproducible DNA detection assay in all the microbiological and haematological applications we attempted (Vandenvelde C, Verstraete M, Van Beers D [1990]: Journal of Virological Methods 30:215-228; Vandenvelde C, Scheen R, Corazza F, Van Beers D [1991a]: Journal of Experimental and Clinical Hematology 33:293-297; Vandenvelde C, Scheen R, Van Beers D, Fondu P [1991b]: Journal of Experimental and Clinical Hematology 30:25-29). Using this new technique, cervical scrapes from 336 Belgian women attending the cervical cancer screening clinic were examined for the presence of these three high-risk genital papillomaviruses.

Six-year results of a multimodality treatment strategy for locally advanced breast cancer.

Between 1976 and 1982, 59 patients with locally advanced breast cancer were treated with preoperative supervoltage radiotherapy, adjuvant preoperative and postoperative hormonochemotherapy, and modified radical mastectomy. Systemic treatment, which was started simultaneously with radiotherapy, consisted of a combination of daily oral tamoxifen and a monthly alternation of Doxorubicin + vincristine and cyclophosphamide + methotrexate + 5-fluorouracil (CMF). One of each cycle was given preoperatively at half dosage and five of each were repeated postoperatively at full dosage.