Mapping the European cancer prevention research landscape: A case for more prevention research funding.

Despite the strong evidence of prevention as a prime defence against the disease, the majority of cancer research investment continues to be made in basic science and clinical translational research. Little quantitative data is available to guide decisions on the choice of research priorities or the allocation of research resources. The primary aim of the mapping of the European cancer prevention research landscape presented in this paper is to provide the evidence-base to inform future investments in cancer research.

Application of Rupantaran software to Sri Lankan hospitals: an innovative tool developed to merge population-based cancer registry data into CanReg5.

The purpose of a population-based cancer registry is to provide information on the disease burden for cancer control planning and is essential in studies on assessing the effectiveness of prevention, early detection, screening and cancer care interventions, where implemented. Sri Lanka is one of the Member States of the World Health Organisation's South-East Asia Region and receives technical support for cancer registration from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the IARC Regional Hub based at the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai, India. For data management of cancer registry records, Sri Lanka National Cancer Registry (SLNCR) uses the open-source registry software tool, CanReg5, as developed by IARC.

Mapping the Global Cancer Research Funding Landscape.

Background: Global investment in research on noncommunicable diseases is on the rise. Cancer as primus inter pares draws particular interest from a wide spectrum of research funders. Next to the private, governmental, and academic sectors, philanthropy has carved out a sizeable area in the funding landscape over the last 25 years.

Essential TNM: a registry tool to reduce gaps in cancer staging information.

Accurate information on the extent of disease around the time of diagnosis is an important component of cancer care, in defining disease prognosis, and evaluating national and international cancer control policies. However, the collection of stage data by population-based cancer registries remains a challenge in both high-income and low and middle-income countries. We emphasise the lack of availability and comparability of staging information in many population-based cancer registries and propose Essential TNM, a simplified staging system for cancer registries when information on full Tumour, Node, Metastasis (TNM) is absent.

Interference from a glucuronide metabolite in the determination of ramipril and ramiprilat in human plasma and urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

In the course of development and validation of a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for ramipril and its biologically active metabolite ramiprilat, evidence was found for an unknown interfering metabolite. Sample treatment included isolation from plasma or urine by solid-phase extraction, methylation with trimethylsilyldiazomethane and acylation with trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA). When liquid chromatography was used to fractionate plasma extracts prior to derivatization, the alkyl, acyl-derivative of ramipril was obtained from two separate LC fractions.

Determination of low levels of poly(ethylene glycol) 400 in plasma and urine by capillary gas chromatography-selected ion-monitoring mass spectrometry after solid-phase extraction.

A convenient and sensitive method for the quantitative determination of poly(ethylene glycol) 400 in plasma and urine with capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry has been developed. The sample preparation involves solid-phase extraction with subsequent derivatization with heptafluorobutyric anhydride, which proved to give the most stable derivative. The derivatization procedure was optimized using experimental design, and different solid-phase extraction columns were evaluated.

Central nervous and systemic kinetics of ramipril and ramiprilat in the conscious dog.

The central nervous and systemic kinetics of ramipril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor prodrug, and its active metabolite ramiprilat were studied in conscious beagle dogs after sampling of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood during chronic drug administration. The cardiovascular effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have been suggested to be mediated partly by central action. Ramiprilat and ramipril were determined in CSF and plasma by a gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric assay method.

Pronounced accumulation of metoprolol in ischemic myocardium after coronary venous retroinfusion.

The myocardial availability of the beta 1-selective blocker metoprolol was compared following standard intravenous (i.v.) administration and after coronary venous retroinfusion.

Comparison between methylphenidate and placebo as adjuvant in care and rehabilitation of geriatric patients.

The aim of the present study was to establish to what extent a short-term treatment with methylphenidate would have such practical clinical effects that possibilities for medical rehabilitation would be improved. Other purposes of the investigation were to certify therapeutically acceptable plasma concentrations in the elderly, and to study possible mental and physical effects of the suddenly improved and greatly extended daily attention given to the patient during the course of the study. 24 fatigued, elderly patients (70-93 years) were treated with methylphenidate/placebo for 9 days.

Comparison of high-selectivity gas chromatographic methods, including column switching, for the determination of felodipine in plasma.

The selectivity required for the determination of low concentrations of felodipine in plasma was achieved by either mass-selective detection, optimization of stationary phase selectivity or column-switching gas chromatography (GC) with a dual-oven chromatograph, the latter two with electron-capture detection. The three approaches were evaluated in terms of selectivity, detectability, precision and suitability for routine applications with automated injection. Using mass-selective detection, the detectability in plasma samples was limited by the performance of the mass spectrometer.

Cardiac anti-ischemic effect of metoprolol: role of beta-blockade within the ischemic region.

The distribution of metoprolol and atenolol into ischemic and nonischemic myocardium was studied in anesthetized dogs, pigs, and cats. The beta-blockers were administered intravenously after coronary artery occlusion. Metoprolol was found to be significantly more efficiently distributed to the ischemic myocardium than atenolol in all three species.

Drug level monitoring: cardiovascular drugs.

Methods for the determination of cardiovascular drugs in blood and plasma are critically reviewed with emphasis on gas and liquid chromatographic techniques. The importance of the various procedures is discussed, in particular sample work-up where the conditions for isolation and derivatization of the compounds are decisive for the accuracy and precision of the methods. Compared with other assay techniques chromatographic methods are generally to be preferred owing to their better selectivity.

Assay of prenalterol in plasma and urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A sensitive and selective method for the quantitative analysis of prenalterol in plasma and urine is described. Prenalterol and the internal standard, deuterated prenalterol, are extracted with diethyl ether at pH 9.9 under salting-out conditions.

Pharmacokinetics of metoprolol in patients with hepatic cirrhosis.

The selective beta 1-adrenoceptor antagonist metoprolol is eliminated primarily by hepatic metabolism and usually less than 5% of an oral dose is excreted unchanged in the urine. The effects of impaired liver function on the pharmacokinetics of metoprolol were studied in 10 patients with hepatic cirrhosis. All subjects were given single doses of 20mg intravenously and 50mg orally on separate days.

Selected ion monitoring of metoprolol and two metabolites in plasma and urine using deuterated internal standards.

A highly sensitive and specific quantitative assay for metoprolol and two of its metabolites, containing an unchanged 2-hydroxy-4-isopropylaminopropoxy sidechain, has been developed. The compounds are isolated from the alkalized sample (plasma or urine) by extraction with dichloromethane, and converted to trifluoroacetyl derivatives by reaction with methyl-bis-(trifluoroacetamide). The reaction mixture is gas chromatographed on an OV-17 column and each substance is assayed by electron impact mass spectrometry using selected ion monitoring, and quantified by comparing the intensity of fragment ion m/z 266 with the intensities of corresponding fragment ions from the deuterated internal standards (m/z 270 and 271).

Determination of prenalterol in plasma and in urine by gas-liquid chromatography.

A description is given of a gas-liquid chromatographic method for the quantitative determination of unchanged prenalterol in plasma and for the total (free and conjugated) prenalterol in urine. After addition of an adequate internal standard, prenalterol together with the internal standard, is extracted with diethyl ether and derivatized with heptafluorobutyric anhydride-pyridine to form a tri-heptafluorobutyric derivative. This derivative has favourable properties for its estimation by gas-liquid chromatography using electron-capture detection.

Electron-capture-gas chromatographic determination of atenolol in plasma and urine, using a simplified procedure with improved selectivity.

A sensitive gas chromatographic method for the quantitative analysis of atenolol in human plasma and urine is described. Atenolol is extracted with dichloromethane containing heptafluorobutanol to improve the extraction ability. Derivatization with trifluoroacetic anhydride in diethyl ether gives a bistrifluoroacetyl derivative which is more selectively detected by an electron-capture detector than is the corresponding heptafluorobutyryl derivative.

The effect of impaired renal function on the plasma concentration and urinary excretion of metoprolol metabolites.

Plasma concentration and urinary excretion of total and 2 active metabolites of metoprolol have been studied in patients with varying degrees of renal impairment and in healthy subjects after intravenous and oral administration of 20 and 50 mg of 3H-metoprolol tartrate respectively. Renal clearance of total metabolites correlated directly with 51Cr-EDTA clearance (r = 0.95, p less than 0.