Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist triptorelin in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma. A prospective double blind randomized trial. Decapeptyl Ovarian Cancer Study Group.

Background: Several lines of evidence suggest that the proliferation of ovarian carcinoma might be stimulated by gonadotrophins. A number of Phase I/Phase II clinical trials have reported that the suppression of endogenous luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone secretion by luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs induced objective remissions and/or disease stabilization in 10-30% of patients with advanced refractory ovarian carcinoma. The current study was performed to evaluate whether the addition of LHRH agonist treatment to standard platinum-based chemotherapy could prolong survival of patients with surgically treated Stage III or IV epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

Epidemiology and out-patient care in Parkinson's disease--results from a pilot-study in northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein).

An attempt was made to estimate prevalence on Parkinsonism using consultation rates in physicians' practices in a two-step, one-phasic pilot study in a rural-urban area of Northern Germany. Though participation of physicians was low, reported rates for Parkinsonian patients (183/100,000) were in the range yielded in comparable areas, but by different methodology. Only 64% of a large subsample of patients used L-Dopa preparations for therapy.

[Biochemical aspects of the evaluation of fixed drug combinations].

Various disciplines have to contribute to the general problem of the evaluation of fixed dose combination drugs, as for instance (clinical) pharmacology, biometry, scientific drug regulations and public health officials. The EC guideline 75/318/EWG and its eludications as well as the German "Arzneimittelprüfrichtlinien" of Dec. 14, 1989 (as referred to in the "Arzneimittelgesetz" of 1986) required that such issues concerning fixed dosage combination drugs must be considered and taken into account.

[The prevalence of Parkinson disease in West Germany--are general practice data a suitable survey instrument?].

Investigations on prevalence rates in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) have raised fairly different results due to variations in methodology. Door-to-door studies in circumscribed geographical areas revealed lower prevalence rates in China and Japan compared to countries of the Western hemisphere. Due to the health system organization and present legislation on personal data referral such systematic door-to-door epidemiological surveys seem nearly impossible in the Federal Republic of Germany.

[Effect of demographic changes on the case rate and days of care for hospitalized internal medicine patients].

Using case categories at the Center for Internal Medicine of the Medical University at Lübeck and predictions of future population trends by the German Federal Statistical Office, likely future numbers of inpatients and days of hospital stay were calculated. Assuming other conditions remaining constant, an annual rise of 0.9% of medical cases is to be expected until the year 2005.