Lancet
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Radical nephrectomy plus interferon-alfa-based immunotherapy compared with interferon alfa alone in metastatic renal-cell carcinoma: a randomised trial.
Surgery is the main treatment for localised renal cell carcinoma, but use of radical nephrectomy for metastatic disease is highly controversial. We aimed to establish whether radical nephrectomy done before interferon-alfa-based immunotherapy improved time to progression and overall survival (primary endpoints) compared with interferon alfa alone. ⋯ Radical nephrectomy before interferon-based immunotherapy might substantially delay time to progression and improve survival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who present with good performance status.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin compared with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin for initial treatment of chronic hepatitis C: a randomised trial.
A sustained virological response (SVR) rate of 41% has been achieved with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin therapy of chronic hepatitis C. In this randomised trial, peginterferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin was compared with interferon alfa-2b plus ribavirin. ⋯ In patients with chronic hepatitis C, the most effective therapy is the combination of peginterferon alfa-2b 1.5 microg/kg per week plus ribavirin. The benefit is mostly achieved in patients with HCV genotype 1 infections.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effects of preoperative warming on the incidence of wound infection after clean surgery: a randomised controlled trial.
Wound infection after clean surgery is an expensive and often underestimated cause of patient morbidity, and the benefits of using prophylactic antibiotics have not been proven. Warming patients during colorectal surgery has been shown to reduce infection rates. We aimed to assess whether warming patients before short duration, clean surgery would have the same effect. ⋯ Warming patients before clean surgery seems to aid the prevention of postoperative wound infection. If applied according to the manufacturers guidelines these therapies have no known side-effects and might, with the support of further studies, provide an alternative to prophylactic antibiotics in this type of surgery.