High-dose radiotherapy or concurrent chemo-radiation in lung cancer patients only induces a temporary, reversible decline in QoL.

Background And Purpose: Aggressive radiotherapy or concurrent chemo-radiation therapy for lung cancer leads to a high incidence of severe, mostly esophageal, toxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the evolution of quality of life (QoL) in patients with lung cancer, selected for curative radiotherapy (RT) or chemo-RT.

Methods: Seventy-five lung cancer patients completed a longitudinal the EORTC QLQ-C30 and LC13.

Low birth weight and risk of hypertension in African school children.

Background: In accordance with Baker's programming hypothesis, many studies have demonstrated a relationship between low birth weight (LBW) and high risk of hypertension in adulthood. The present study examines a possible association between LBW and the risk of a child having hypertension later in life.

Methods: The study was a cross-sectional, semi-urban survey.

Heart involvement and HIV infection in African patients: determinants of survival.

In Africa, recent studies have reported that HIV may exhibit a cardiac tropism. The purpose of this study was to determine if clinical features, sex, age at onset, biological or echocardiographic variables have any influence on survival of African HIV-infected patients and AIDS progression. One hundred and fifty seven consecutive HIV-seropositive patients without cardiac lesions and no other AIDS-defining illnesses underwent physical, electrocardiographic and Doppler echocardiographic examinations at the Heart of Africa Cardiovascular Centre, Lomo Medical, Kinshasa, Congo, between July 1987 and July 1994.

Survey of rheumatic heart disease in school children of Kinshasa town.

Study Objective: To determine the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease and study the association of this disease to factor such as personal host and environment.

Design: A cross sectional survey was carried out by a specially trained medical team.

Setting: The study involved high risk school children aged 5-16 years from Binza-Kinshasa urban area and adjoining slums in semi-urban area of Kinshasa town.

[HIV infection and pericardial disease invasion in Africa].

The number of cases with pericardial disease has been increasing in Africa and particularly in Zäire, after AIDS was defined. To investigate a possible link between HIV infection and risen incidence of pericardial effusions, 64 patients randomly selected (32 HIV carriers and 32 HIV-seronegative as controls), with suspected pericardial disease were studied in a longitudinal trial from January 1991 to December 1994. Central and accessory cells of immune system were measured in conjunction with blood screening, electrocardiogram (ECG), chest X-ray and cardiac ultrasound.