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From 1983 to 1988 there were 396 registrations of death certified as caused by immunodeficiencies including the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Detailed examination of other death registration data yields an estimate of 692 deaths in this period from AIDS and its sequelae. Over the same period, 617 notified AIDS patients are known to have died. The data sources can be reasonably closely reconciled for the years 1983 to 1987, but there is an unexplained shortfall in reporting of deaths of notified AIDS patients in 1988. A study which matches notifications and death registrations for the same individuals is needed to explain these findings, which have implications for statistics of survival times in AIDS and for estimates of the size of the epidemic.

Records of Australian women of menstrual age whose deaths were registered in 1978 and 1979 were examined. Unrecognized toxic shock syndrome could not be excluded as the cause of one of these deaths.

During investigation of toxic shock syndrome in New South Wales, record keepers were requested not to disclose the identities of subjects. Nevertheless, many record keepers disclosed these identities to the investigator. Covering letters giving extra stress to privacy protection had no special effect. The extent of disclosure appeared to be greater for record keepers who either are infrequently approached for research data or lack the facilities to prepare non-identified abstracts of personal information. These record keepers may benefit from education about their responsibilities.

A 10-year period of treatment at the Department of Radiotherapy of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital was analysed retrospectively to assess the efficacy of "radical" irradiation in patients with early glottic cancer (Stages I and II). From June, 1964, to June, 1974, 120 patients were treated primarily with radiotherapy, which was followed by salvage laryngectomy for those with locally recurrent disease. Patient follow-up ranged from 0.5 to 12 years (mean, 6.2 years). The incidence of disease recurrence after radiotherapy was 13.7% for patients with Stage-I disease and 13.6% for patients with Stage-II disease. The five-year actuarial probability of local tumour control was 85% for patients with Stage-I disease. Ninety-one patients (77.8%) remain alive and well without disease recurrence, with an actuarial five-year survival probability for patients with stage-I disease of 93.8%. "Radical" irradiation for early glottic cancer can result in excellent survival rates with a small probability of local recurrence and few complications.

The five-year survival rate of patients with locally invasive bladder cancer (stages T3-T4, Nx, Mo) is less than 50% whatever treatment is given. In an effort to improve the prognosis of patients with this disease, we have incorporated into a management protocol two cycles of intravenous administration of cis-platinum before surgery or radiotherapy (which function as the "definitive" treatment). In 10 of the first 12 patients treated, tumour necrosis has been demonstrated histologically, and definite clinical responses have been observed in eight patients after two cycles of cis-platinum treatment. The toxicity has been acceptable, and subsequent management has not been compromised.

Infants with anomalies diagnosed at, or shortly after, birth were individually matched to control infants born without an anomaly, in the same hospital, to a mother of similar age, and at about the same date. The fathers in 8517 such case-control pairs were identified, and compared with a list of men who served in the Australian Army between 1962 and 1972 - the period of Australian involvement in Vietnam. Fathers identified as having served in the Army during this period were then classified according to whether or not they had served in Vietnam. One hundred and twenty-seven fathers of infants who were born with anomalies and 123 fathers of control infants were Vietnam veterans. The risk of a Vietnam veteran fathering a child with an anomaly, compared with that of a non-veteran, was estimated at 1.02, with 95% confidence limits of 0.78 to 1.32. There was no evidence that Army service in Vietnam increases the risk of fathering children with anomalies diagnosed at birth.