PMID: 6104138Jun 21, 1980Paper

Cancer chemotherapy--what have we achieved?

Lancet
R A MilstedR L Woods

Abstract

The outcome of referral to a medical oncology unit in a university teaching hospital has been determined for the first 500 patients seen in 1978. Their median age was 58 years, and half had been referred within 6 weeks of diagnosis. 316 had already received some form of treatment. Compared with the overall figures for New South Wales, there was an excess of lung cancer, breast cancer, head and neck cancer, ovarian carcinoma, and testicular cancer, but a smaller proportion of gastrointestinal cancers. No treatment was recommended for one-third. Of the 334 treated, 247 received cytotoxic drugs. By Aug. 1, 1979, 56% from the treated group and 52% of the untreated group had died, the median survival times for the two groups being 45 and 35 weeks, respectively. But, of the 50 who received "curative" or "adjuvant" chemotherapy, only 17 had died by Aug. 1, 1979. Serious complications of treatment occurred in 22 (8.8%) patients. The cytotoxic drugs used by the unit between January, 1978, and August, 1979, cost A$212 000 (9.3% of the hospital's total pharmacy budget for the period). The findings suggest that the widespread use of cancer chemotherapy is not justified outside well conducted clinical trials or specialist cancer centres.

References

Sep 2, 1978·Lancet·R J Berry, G Bryan

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Citations

Feb 15, 1984·Klinische Wochenschrift·G A Nagel
May 19, 2006·Supportive Care in Cancer : Official Journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer·Catherine A HauserMartin H N Tattersall
Jan 1, 1989·Journal of Psychosomatic Research·O Gilbar, A K De-Nour
Dec 18, 1980·The New England Journal of Medicine
Sep 27, 1980·British Medical Journal·K Sikora
Feb 26, 1983·British Medical Journal·D Brinkley
Mar 21, 2007·Bulletin of the History of Medicine·John V Pickstone
Feb 1, 1983·Clinical Otolaryngology and Allied Sciences·P M StellS D Singh
Feb 19, 2005·Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology·Rebecca G HagertyMartin H N Tattersall
May 1, 2004·Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology·Rebecca G HagertyMartin H N Tattersall
Feb 15, 1984·Klinische Wochenschrift·H Vorherr
Aug 4, 1984·The Medical Journal of Australia·L T MaldenF W Gunz
Jan 1, 1986·Medical Oncology and Tumor Pharmacotherapy·P Reizenstein

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