Lancet
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Eight patients with severe emphysema entered a pilot study of unilateral volume reduction by endobronchial valve insertion. Five patients had emphysema judged too severe for volume reduction surgery and three refused the operation. ⋯ Two patients developed a transient pneumothorax (one requiring drainage) but we recorded no other important adverse effects during follow-up. Lung-volume reduction can be achieved with unilateral bronchoscopically placed valve implants in patients with severe emphysema with acceptable short-term safety and worthwhile functional benefits.
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Because more and more men are being diagnosed with prostate cancer worldwide, knowledge about and prevention of this disease is important. Epidemiological studies have provided some insight about the cause of prostate cancer in terms of diet and genetic factors. However, compared with other common cancers such as breast and lung cancer, the causes remain poorly understood. Several important issues could help in our understanding of this disease-the variation in incidence of prostate cancer between ethnic populations and the factors leading to familial clustering of the diseases.