Oncology services: the Department of Defense perspective.

The Department of Defense (DoD) military health system has responsibility for providing medical care for more than 8 million beneficiaries. This article discusses initiatives related to both the providing and purchasing of oncology services. A description of health care coverage under TRICARE, the Department's managed care program, which utilizes military treatment facilities and civilian health care providers, is provided.

Long-term results of radiologic placement of a central vein access device.

Objective: We describe our long-term experience with radiologic implantation of the Peripheral Access System (PAS) Port venous access device. Technical efficacy and complications are documented and compared with surgical and radiologic series involving other long-term venous access devices.

Subjects And Methods: Fifty-two PAS-Port catheters were implanted in 51 patients during a 30-month period.

Neurotoxicity in a phase I trial of continuous infusion cisplatin with hyperfractionated radiotherapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Background: Both twice daily fractionated radiotherapy and concurrent cisplatin with once-daily radiotherapy have been shown to improve local disease control in patients with head and neck cancer. The objective of this phase I trial was to determine the maximum tolerated dose of cisplatin which could be given as a continuous infusion concurrent with twice-daily radiotherapy to patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Methods: Patients were treated with radiotherapy at doses of 110 cGy twice daily for 5 days per week to a total dose of 7040-7590 cGy.