Impact of MRI on decision-making in ICU patients with disorders of consciousness.

Background: Recovery of consciousness is the most important survival factor in patients with acute brain injury and disorders of consciousness (DoC). Since most deaths in the intensive care unit (ICU) occur after withdrawal of life-support, medical decision-making is crucial for acute DoC patients. Neuroimaging informs decision-making, yet the precise effects of MRI on decision-making in the ICU are poorly understood.

Cancer of the anal region.

Cancer of the anal region represents 3-3.5% of all anorectal tumours. The peak incidence is between 58 and 64 years.

[The radiotherapy satellite in Kristiansand--a model for Norwegian regional hospitals?].

Background: During the first decade of 2000, significant increase of radiotherapy capacity in Norway will take place, as the number of linear accelerators will increase from 24 to 36. In Norway, radiotherapy departments are traditionally located only in university hospitals. However, six of the new accelerators will not be installed in existing radiotherapy centres, but in small, new radiotherapy units, set up in selected county hospitals and organized as satellites of the university hospitals, in order to secure the treatment quality.

Reduced expression of p21WAF1 is an indicator of malignant behaviour in anal carcinomas.

Aims: p21 and p27 protein expression were examined in a comparatively large series of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal and compared with clinical and histopathological data (tumour stage, nodal status and differentiation).

Methods And Results: We analysed the expression of p21 and p27 protein in 94 anal carcinomas by immunohistochemistry. Nuclear p21 and p27 staining were detected in 71% (67/94) and 75% (71/94) of the cases, respectively.