Revue médicale de Liège
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Revue médicale de Liège · Aug 1998
Biography Historical Article[History of medicine. It's been 150 years since Horace Wells disappeared].
On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Horace Wells's death, the author makes a historical note about the discovery of the general anesthesia by inhalation.
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Revue médicale de Liège · Jun 1998
Review Comparative Study[Drug clinics. How I treat. II. Therapeutic approaches to metastatic colorectal cancer].
Since its introduction in 1953, 5-fluorouracil based chemotherapy remained the standard treatment in advanced colorectal cancer. Continuous infusion or biochemical modulation by folinic acid enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of this agent. ⋯ New chemotherapeutic agents are currently in development for the treatment of patients refractory to 5-fluorouracil. Irinotecan and oxaliplatin demonstrate promising activity.
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Revue médicale de Liège · May 1998
Comparative Study[Risks, benefits and costs of hormone replacement therapy in menopause].
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) acts both as an effective treatment of menopausal symptoms and genital atrophy, and as an effective prevention of osteoporosis. It is also probably cardioprotective and potentially preventing cerebrovascular disease. The risk of oestrogen-induced endometrial cancer is eliminated by the addition of a progestin. ⋯ In terms of mortality and morbidity, a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk and, to a smaller extent, in osteoporosis has a strikingly greater impact than the small increase in breast cancer risk related to HRT use. A significant increase in life expectancy seems associated with long-term use and the quality-adjusted life years gain, is particularly impressive, as quality of life appears distinctly improved by HRT utilization. In the future, this beneficial cost-effectiveness equation will probably be optimized thanks to the introduction of alternative and innovative replacement therapies allowing longer treatment periods without increasing the risk of breast cancer.
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Skin melanoma is one of the rare cancers whose prevalence has increased over the past decades. Its treatment is based on a classification into four anatomoclinical stages. Surgical excision is the mainstay of therapy. However, several protocols of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy also have specific indications in the therapeutic or palliative approach to the disease.