International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Aug 2004
A population-based study of the prevalence and influence of gifts to radiation oncologists from pharmaceutical companies and medical equipment manufacturers.
Hospital-based physicians are responsible for the purchase of expensive equipment. Little is known about the influence of gift giving on their behavior. We wanted to ascertain the prevalence of gift giving from the pharmaceutical industry and medical equipment manufacturers to radiation oncologists and determine whether or not the size of accepted gifts influences their opinions regarding gifts. ⋯ To our knowledge, this study represents the first large-scale population based study of a hospital-based specialty and gift giving. This study demonstrates that: (1) Gift giving in radiation oncology is endemic. (2) Although each physician is likely to consider himself or herself immune from being influenced by gift giving, he or she is suspicious that the "next person" is influenced. (3) There is a correlation between the willingness of individual physician to accept gifts of high value and their sympathy toward this practice.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Aug 2004
Clinical TrialCombined modality treatment in the management of high-risk prostate cancer.
The efficacy of a multimodality protocol using neoadjuvant and concomitant hormonal therapy, brachytherapy, and three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy (RT) in high-risk prostate cancer was evaluated using biochemical outcomes and posttreatment biopsy results. ⋯ Trimodality therapy with androgen suppression, brachytherapy, and external beam RT for high-risk prostate cancer results in excellent biochemical and pathologically confirmed local control.