The Medical journal of Australia
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An analysis of the Register of Medical Practitioners and specialists of South Australia for 1976 shows that South Australia has a more favourable doctor-population ratio than other parts of Australia, although some specialities and rural areas are undersupplied. With the planned increase in the output of doctors, the State may soon be saturated and some adjustments may have to be made in the numbers of students accepted and/or the distribution of graduates.
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A case of the yellow nail syndrome with associated bronchiectasis, arterial insufficiency and Raynaud's disease is presented. A brief review of some of the literature on the yellow nail syndrome is made. A relationship between these problems is postulated.
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Breast cancer mortality can be reduced by early detection and treatment, but the cost of diagnosis of early tumours from amongst the larger number of non-malignant disorders found as a result of public education and population screening is likely to be prohibitive, both economically and emotionally, as long as admission to hospital for biopsy and possible immediate mastectomy remains the major diagnostic policy. An alternative policy is proposed for the management of women with breast symptoms, which avoids operation on most patients without cancer and detects the smallest tumours, by means of mammography, fine-needle aspiration biopsy, large-needle biopsy and outpatient open biopsy. ⋯ Such a policy is likely to be economical of health resources so that all women with breast symptoms and other risk factors could be encouraged to undergo annual examination, and any suspicious findings could be adequately investigated. In this way many more cancers could be detected while still small and curable, and a fall in breast cancer mortality in the community might be expected.