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Cutaneous metastases in colorectal cancer are rare, occurring in less than 6% of cases. They usually present after diagnosis of a primary tumour and are typically associated with disseminated disease and a poor prognosis. We present an unusual case of a 71-year-old female in whom cutaneous metastases were the initial feature of an underlying colorectal cancer.

Background and aimsPhase III trials have shown that the addition of a taxane to cisplatin/5FU-based induction chemotherapy (TPF) improves response rates and overall survival in unresectable stage III/IV head and neck cancer. We sought to assess the tolerability, compliance and clinical outcomes of this treatment regime.MethodsA retrospective study of patients treated within a single centre between September 2007 and November 2010. Toxicities were graded according to CTCAE version 3.0. Survival, distant metastasis and local control rates are expressed as percentages at two years using the Kaplan–Meier method.ResultsA total of 100 patients were identified (11% stage III, 86% stage IV) and 32% of patients were admitted as an emergency after TPF. The rate of neutropenic fever was 31%, this number fell to 9% when prophylactic G-CSF was used. In addition, 89% of patients underwent radical chemoradiation. Of these, 96% completed the full radiotherapy course. However, only 64% of patients received a minimum of two cycles of concurrent platinum chemotherapy. The two-year overall survival, metastasis free survival and local control rates were 62.6%, 88.5% and 73.3%, respectively.ConclusionsTPF chemotherapy can be delivered safely in a non-trial cohort of patients. There is, however, a significant reduction in concurrent chemotherapy dose intensity. The long-term impact of this remains unclear.

Abstract: The effect of coherency strain on elevated temperature tensile strength was examined in a model, two-phase y’-strengthened Ni-15Cr-Al-Ti-Mo alloy series. The temperature dependence of coherency strain as represented by the γ-γ’ mismatch was determined over the temperature range 25 to 800 C. The flow stress incrementAσ γ, due to precipitation of γ’, was found to correlate well to the magnitude of the γ-γ’ mismatch over the same temperature interval. The correlation was strongest for high misfit alloys regardless of the Antiphase Boundary Energy (APBE). The predominance of by-pass type dislocation-particle interactions in high coherency alloys confirms that strengthening is primarily due to coherency strains. Conversely, alloys with low misfit exhibit two distinct particle shear mechanisms believed to be dependent upon the relative APBE and matrix stacking fault energy of the alloy.

The first concern of any responsible consumer must be for the nonconsumers of the world. In the development of new food products, the food industry seeks to maximize profits. This is inevitable, but it means that many of the research resources, and efforts may be directed toward the fabrication of analogs and highly sophisticated processing. What the world really needs is an increased availability of cheap basic foods. Consumers have their own ideas of what is “real food:” their personal experiences since childhood tell them what is safe and acceptable to eat. These instinctive rather than informed criteria are not irrational since for thousands of years these were the only ways of judging wholesomeness. If consumers are to judge in other ways, they must be given information. They must be certain that someone is ensuring that their diet is not being changed to their detriment. They must be sure that everything possible has been done to check that there is nothing in a new food product that will harm in the years to come. They must be sure they are not being conned, deceived and defrauded. This is vital wherever food is sold. Countries and societies may produce differing answers as to the degree of control needed. Internationally, there should be some agreement on the basic safeguards, but labeling requirements must take into account the connotation of particular descriptions in different countries.

Abstract: The first concern of any responsible consumer must be for the nonconsumers of the world. In the development of new food products, the food industry seeks to maximize profits. This is inevitable, but it means that many of the research resources, and efforts may be directed toward the fabrication of analogs and highly sophisticated processing. What the world really needs is an increased availability of cheap basic foods. Consumers have their own ideas of what is “real food:” their personal experiences since childhood tell them what is safe and acceptable to eat. These instinctive rather than informed criteria are not irrational since for thousands of years these were the only ways of judging wholesomeness. If consumers are to judge in other ways, they must be given information. They must be certain that someone is ensuring that their diet is not being changed to their detriment. They must be sure that everything possible has been done to check that there is nothing in a new food product that will harm in the years to come. They must be sure they are not being conned, deceived and defrauded. This is vital wherever food is sold. Countries and societies may produce differing answers as to the degree of control needed. Internationally, there should be some agreement on the basic safeguards, but labeling requirements must take into account the connotation of particular descriptions in different countries.