Volume 96, Issue 12

The use of radioactive colloidal phosphorus 32 (3ZP) in the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer continues to be controversial. One institution's experience with the use of 32P in 30 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer was reviewed retrospectively. One hundred percent of attempts at placement of 3ZP intra-abdominally were ultimately successful. The complication rate was 11%. Mean clinical (asymptomatic) disease-free survival in patients with stage ill ovarian cancer was as follows: 26 months based on absence of disease at reassessment surgery; 26 months based on microscopic residuum; and 30 months based on minimal «5 mm) residuum. Mean disease-free survival in patients with early-stage (stages IC through IIC) ovarian cancer was 66 months.

Educational guidelines are offered to help clinicians explain the fundamental characteristics of chronic injury to companies and workers. The temporal profile of development is used to distinguish chronic injuries from accidents, relate them to conditioning, explain symptom expression behaviorally, and suggest new methods of case management and clinic and worksite collaboration. Adopting this model helps physicians study chronic injury patterns across patients and diagnoses. Designing outcomes measures is contingent on insurance companies modifying their claims questions and forms to accommodate chronic injury.

This study examines the differences between osteopathic and allopathic physicians regarding those factors influencing their career choice of family practice. A total of 256 osteopathic physicians and 717 allopathic family physicians were surveyed. The surveyed physicians graduated in 1983 and 1984. Comparisons were made on 19 variables that influenced the physicians' decisions to enter family practice as well as on the six factor scores derived from these 19 variables. Osteopathic physicians' decisions to choose family practice was more influenced by financial obligations, medical school experiences, and family values, whereas the allopathic physicians were more influenced by personal social value. Overall, medical school experience and personal social value were two important factors that explained the largest variances of the 19 predictors influencing physicians' decisions to enter family practice. Those allopathic medical schools whose mission emphasizes the production of generalist physicians may be able to model some approaches already in place at osteopathic medical schools. Because of the influence of the personal social value factor in medical students' choosing family practice medicine, this factor warrants further study.