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The effects of fuzzy whole cottonseed (WCS) on the performance and health of sheep were examined. Thirty 2-year-old Merino wethers were divided into 3 equal groups and offered maintenance rations for 138 days, with whole wheat grain to WCS ratios of 100:O (diet A), 75:25 (B) and 50:50 (C). Liveweight changes for diets A, B and C were -0.3, +4.4 and +3.0 kg respectively, and were significantly (P<0.05) greater on WCS diets. Wool growth rates were also significantly (P< 0.01) improved by the addition of WCS, with treatment means being 0.65 (diet A), 0.82 (B) and 0.88 mg/cm2.day (C). Digestibility of DM in diet C (677 g/kg) was significantly (P< 0.001) lower than in diets A (782) and B (777 g/kg), perhaps because of increased fibre and oil in the ration. Subclinical anaemia and muscle damage were evident in animals given WCS by days 43 and 127 respectively. Post mortems and histological examination revealed renal haemosiderosis in sheep given WCS, with increased severity at 50% inclusion in the ration. Despite the reduction in digestibility and the subclinical effects on health, at least 25% WCS can be safely included in a wheat-based maintenance ration for wethers and this ration has production advantages over wheat alone. Caution is advised in feeding higher levels of WCS or feeding such a ration for more than 5 months.

The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of a regimen of combination chemotherapy known to be active in advanced breast cancer when given as an adjuvant treatment after mastectomy. A total of 569 patients with cancer of the breast and involvement of axillary lymph nodes were randomised, after simple mastectomy with axillary sampling, to receive either no adjuvant treatment or intravenous adriamycin 50 mg, vincristine 1 mg, cyclophosphamide 250 mg, methotrexate 150 mg and fluorouracil 250 mg (AVCMF) every 21 days for eight cycles. Randomisation was stratified according to menopausal status and tumour size. Treatment was started within 14 days of surgery in 94% of patients. Eighty-eight per cent of patients received at least seven cycles of chemotherapy with no dose reduction. The median relapse-free survival was prolonged by 14 months in patients treated with AVCMF (chi2 1 = 11.7; P = 0.0006). In the premenopausal group this period was 17 months (chi2 1 = 8.8; P = 0.003) compared with 8 months in the post-menopausal group (chi2 1 = 3.3; P = 0.07). Neither overall survival nor survival in these subgroups was significantly influenced by treatment.