A multicenter, randomized trial of flat dosing versus intrapatient dose escalation of single-agent carboplatin as first-line chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer: an SGCTG (SCOTROC 4) and ANZGOG study on behalf of GCIG.

Background: The aim of the study is to demonstrate that intrapatient dose escalation of carboplatin would improve the outcome in ovarian cancer compared with flat dosing.

Patients And Methods: Patients with untreated stage IC-IV ovarian cancer received six cycles of carboplatin area under the curve 6 (AUC 6) 3 weekly either with no dose modification except for toxicity (Arm A) or with dose escalations in cycles 2-6 based on nadir neutrophil and platelet counts (Arm B). The primary end-point was progression-free survival (PFS).

The age-18 redetermination and postredetermination participation in SSI.

Youth who initially become eligible for Supplemental Security Income under the definition of disability for children must have their eligibility redetermined upon attaining age 18, using the definition of disability for adults. Based on 8 years of administrative data from the Social Security Administration, this article provides statistics on the average age-18 redetermination outcomes over time by various individual characteristics. We find little change in the initial cessation rate for all groups over time, although there are large differences in initial cessation rates between disability type and other characteristics.

The initial release of cisplatin from poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres.

PLGA microspheres loaded with cisplatin were produced using a single emulsion method. A semi-empirical model, with bi-exponential terms, was found to give a better fit to the drug release profiles compared to a mono-exponential model. This model suggests that there are two separate fractions of drug present in the depot.

Meeting National Service Framework goals for patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: The National Service Framework for coronary heart disease established clear standards for the management of patients with acute myocardial infarction in March 2000. This study evaluates an emergency department's thrombolysis performance in light of these standards.

Setting: Inner city teaching hospital emergency department.