1121 patients were treated for breast cancer over a period of 10 years in the Department of Radiotherapy - Radio-Oncology - of the University of Munster. 959 of these patients were regulary cared for in the tumor outpatient department after the treatment. Of these, 354 patients had, or developed later, distant metastases. Metastases were distributed frequently in the skeleton in 167 cases (47.2%). Radiation therapy was carried out under high-voltage conditions. As a rule, pain-free condition was achieved after 15 to 30 Gy (86.3% of all cases). After 30 to 40 Gy, in cases of extreme osteolyses also after higher focal doses, recalcification was evident in most cases. The average survival time after diagnosis of bone metastases was 11.8 months and 11.2 months without therapy.

1121 patients were treated for breast cancer over a period of 10 years in the Department of Radiotherapy-Radio-Oncology-of the University of Münster. 959 of these patients were regularly cared for in the tumor outpatient department after the treatment. Of these, 354 patients had, or developed later, distant metastases. Metastases were distributed frequently in the skeleton in 167 cases (47.2%). Radiation therapy was carried out under high-voltage conditions. As a rule, pain-free condition was achieved after 15 to 30 Gy (86.3% of all cases). After 30 to 40 Gy, in cases of extreme osteolyses also after higher focal doses, recalcification was evident in most cases. The average survival time after diagnosis of bone metastases was 11.8 months and 11.2 months without therapy.

Fifteen xenograft tumour lines (4 osteosarcomas and 11 squamous carcinomas) were established on nude mice in numerous passages. Over a period of 4 years, samples were taken and studied systematically in more than 4000 histological slides. Of the tumour lines, 12 (4 osteosarcomas and 8 squamous carcinomas) showed remarkable dedifferentiation, but also redifferentiation towards a higher grade. There was a correlation between the rate of tumour takes in mice and poor prognosis in patients, but none between tumour doubling time and the phases of the cell cycle. Altogether, the results showed a great heterogeneity of human xenotransplants in terms of biological behaviour and morphological changes.

Cell-kinetic changes of xenograft tumors have been investigated after radiation therapy at different times. The growth-locking lasted clearly longer compared with the one of cell cultures. Against this was there were no cell-kinetic changes between centrum and borders of the xenograft tumors. Adding hypoxic sensitizers a further prolongation of the G2M block could be attained. Fractionated irradiation did not adduce qualitative or quantitative changes of the cell kinetics. There was also no difference between low LET and high LET radiation.

Eight patients with histologically verified thymoma were treated between 1962 and 1985 at the Radiologic Hospital of the University of Münster. All patients were submitted to thoracotomy and subsequent irradiation. A primary irradiation was performed in four cases. The average survival time of the only irradiated patients was 8.5 months. A considerably better average survival time, i.e. 46 months, was reached by surgical procedure with postoperative irradiation. The therapy of choice in the treatment of malignant thymomas is radical operation and subsequent radiotherapy; in case of benign thymomas a postirradiation is not necessary. 25% of our patients showed early recurrences, parathymic syndromes, and hematogenous metastases. Lymphogenic metastases were not observed. Chemotherapy exerted no demonstrable influence on the tumors.

We present a case of a 3 8/12 years old boy with histologically proved medulloblastoma. Preoperatively a tumor of the parotid gland was diagnosed, exstirpated and interpretated as a metastasis of medulloblastoma. Therefore the opinion seems to be questionable, that extracranial metastases of medulloblastomas only occur after injury of the dura mater (operation, shunt).

Die Computer-Tomographie vermag bei der Diagnostik der Meningitiden keinen wesentlichen Beitrag zu leisten. Hier bilden klinische Untersuchungen und Liquorpunktion weiterhin den Schwerpunkt. Nach Fortschreiten der Entzündung über eine lokal begrenzte Encephalitis und folgender Einschmelzung gelingt der computertomographische Abszeßnachweis in fast allen Fällen. Da hier auch die typische Ringstruktur der Abszeßkapsel nachgewiesen werden kann, ersetzt die Computer-Tomographie auch die Hirnszintigraphie, die in fast jedem Fall den Nachweis einer Aktivitätsanreicherung bringt, wobei die Membranbildung zur differentialdiagnostischen Abklärung jedoch häufig nicht nachgewiesen werden kann. Außerdem ermöglicht die Computer-Tomographie den direkten Bezug zu den umgebenden anatomischen Strukturen und klärt z.B. die Frage nach Verdrängung und drohendem Einbruch in das innere Ventrikelsystem. Auch die epi- und subduralen Abszesse sind computertomographisch sicher zu diagnostizieren und gestatten ein gezieltes therapeutisches Vorgehen, während die Szintigraphie hier nur eine unspezifische Aktivitätsanreicherung zeigt, die oftmals die Unterscheidung in epi- oder subdurale Lage des Entzündungsherdes nicht zuläßt.

Between 1962 and 1981, 37 patients with histologically proved medulloblastomas have been treated at the hospitals of the University of Münster. 17 patients died immediately after operation or were, when admitted, in such a bad condition that any therapy was impossible. Since about 1972, the therapy of choice is the operation and post-irradiation of the neurocranium with saturating irradiation of the posterior cranial fossa as well as irradiation of the complete cerebrospinal system down to the second sacral vertebra, because the tumor tends to spinal formation of metastases. Among our patients, twelve were treated in this manner. Before this time, patients were only operated and submitted to an irradiation of the posterior cranial fossa. Eight patients were treated according to this incomplete therapy scheme, five of whom were younger than twelve and three older than fourty years. The tumor was situated in one side of the cerebellum in the three adult patients. The children had a shorter survival time than the adults, except one four years old child who survives already 228 months after the treatment and has to be considered as cured. Our medical records showed at the same time that the course of this disease is considerably worse in infants up to three years than in older patients.