Chemotherapy versus support cancer treatment in advanced gastric cancer: a meta-analysis

The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of chemotherapy and support treatment in patients with advanced non-resectable gastric cancer in a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials that included a comparison of chemotherapy and support care treatment in patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma, regardless of their age, gender or place of treatment. The search strategy was based on the criteria of the Cochrane Base, using the following key words: 1) randomized clinical trials and antineoplastic combined therapy or gastrointestinal neoplasm, 2) stomach neoplasm and drug therapy, 3) clinical trial and multi-modality therapy, 4) stomach neoplasm and drug therapy or quality of life, 5) double-blind method or clinical trial. The search was carried out using the Cochrane, Medline and Lilacs databases. Five studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria, for a total of 390 participants, 208 (53 percent) receiving chemotherapy, 182 (47 percent) receiving support care treatment and 6 losses (1.6 percent). The 1-year survival rate was 8 percent for support care and 20 percent for chemotherapy (RR = 2.14, 95 percent CI = 1.00-4.57, P = 0.05); 30 percent of the patients in the chemotherapy group and 12 percent in the support care group attained a 6-month symptom-free period (RR = 2.33, 95 percent CI = 1.41-3.87, P < 0.01). Quality of life evaluated after 4 months was significantly better for the chemotherapy patients (34 percent; RR = 2.07, 95 percent CI = 1.31-3.28, P < 0.01) with tumor mass reduction (RR = 3.32, 95 percent CI = 0.77-14.24, P = 0.1). Chemotherapy increased the 1-year survival rate of the patients and provided a longer symptom-free period of 6 months and an improvement in quality of life.

Magnetocardiography in normal subjects and in patients with right bundle branch block

The initial results of a rnagnetocardiographic study comparing normal subjects to patients with right bundle branch block due to Chagas' and other diseases is presented. A quantitative criterion to discriminate normal healthy individuals from patients was proposed based on the amplitude of R and S waves detected by the magnetocardiograrn.

Fetal heart rate monitoring by magnetocardiograms

The magnetic field produced by the fetal heart magnetocardiogram (FMCG) was measured by a single channel SQUID biogradiometer in an unshielded environment. FMCG amplitude ranged from 1 to 4 pT. Instantaneous fetal heart rate and averaged FMCG waveforms were computed. Spectral analysis was used to quantify fetal heart rate variability, and revealed peaks from 0.5 to 1.0 Hz, consistent with respiratory sinus arrhythmia. The duration of the QRS complex was approximately 50 msec, and its amplitude and shape showed strong spatial variation. Signal-to-noise ratio was inadequate for the study of P and T waves. These data show that this relatively simple and inexpensive instrument can be used for noninvasive in utero investigation of fetal heart activity without requiring a special environment.