Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række
-
Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. · Dec 2007
Biography Historical Article[La donna é mobile--the hysteria diagnosis in Norway in the 19th century].
The last half of the 19 th century has been described as "the golden age of hysteria". Hysteria was a frequently used diagnosis in this period and received increasing attention from a number of prominent medical researchers, such as Jean-Martin Charcot and Sigmund Freud in Europe and for example Edvard Bull, Paul Winge and Ragnar Vogt in Norway. ⋯ The symptoms are described as comprehensive, and several different etiological models can be traced. Even though hysteria is not exclusively associated with the female body and psyche, it is constructed at the interface of scientific opinion and notions of femininity.
-
Radical resection is the main treatment for adenocarcinoma of the colon. Adjuvant chemotherapy may reduce the recurrence rate of the disease. It is therefore important that those who may benefit from such therapy are offered the optimal regimens in due time. The background for adjuvant chemotherapy of colon cancer is presented. ⋯ Cure rates after curative resections of colon cancer (stage III) are improved by about 12% if patients are treated with adjuvant chemotherapy with oxaliplatin combined with 5-fluoruracil and folinat (or capecitabine) for 6 months. Certain subgroups of stage II (Dukes' stage B) are also likely to benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.
-
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in Norway. An increasing incidence is observed. CRC develops from benign adenomas in the colon over a long time. This paper reviews the evidence for drug prevention and screening for CRC. ⋯ Acetylsalicylic-acid, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and COX-2 inhibitors are shown to reduce adenoma growth, but it remains uncertain whether these drugs reduce the incidence of CRC. The drugs are associated with serious side-effects. Drug-prevention of CRC can therefore not be recommended. Faecal occult blood testing (FOBT) is the only CRC screening method where randomised trials have shown to effectively reduce CRC mortality. FOBT has no effect on CRC incidence and reduced compliance and effect have been observed over time. Endoscopic screening has a potentially larger effect, and can theoretically prevent CRC, but high quality studies are needed. Data from randomised trials are awaited for sigmoidoscopy screening. Colonoscopy screening has not been subjected to randomised trials and can thus not be recommended for population-based screening.