Wu Baozhen (1929-1992) was a native of She county, Anhui province. He graduated from Peking Union Medical College Hospital in 1955. He had worked as a visiting scientist in U.S. National Cancer Institute at Maryland State for two years. He had been working as physician and professor in Department of Gynecology of Peking Union Medical College Hospital since graduation. He mainly researched on treatment of gynecological tumor. He was one of the key members of research team on treatment of Choriocarcinoma with a large dose of chemical substance. In treatment to ovary cancer, Wu was the first one to apply extensive resection to tumor metastasis and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. Together with medical scientists from USA, Austria, and Italy, he proved for the first time that lymphatic metastasis was an important way in proliferation of ovarian cancer and put forward that retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy be part of radical operation. He publicized over 100 pieces of theses. He was one of the writers of treatises: Diagnosis and Treatment of Choriocarcinoma and Gynecological Tumor and Gynecological Tumor.
CURATIVE TREATMENT OF CHORIOCARCINOMA
Song Hongzhao
(Department of OB/GYN, Peking Union Medical College Hospital)
Abstract
Choriocarcinoma is a highly malignant cancer of women. It is characterized by early and widespread metastasis. Once it is diagnosed, patients usually die within one year. For a long time, there was no satisfactory treatment.
Since 1949, a comprehensive study of this disease has been carried out. Through an effort of nearly 40 years, several chemotherapeutic agents were proved to be very effective for this disease. Up to the end of 1985, a total of 1400 cases were treated. The mortality rate has been reduced from more than 90% to less than 15%. All survivors were followed up periodically for more than 5 years. Repeated examinations with modern techniques revealed no sign of residual disease, indicating that they are cured. Among them about one sixth belonged to very late cases with generalized metastases all over the body, including brain, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, and intestine. All have returned to work. About one fifth of the patients who were young and desirous of child-birth were treated with chemotherapy alone without removal of uterus. 86.7%of them became pregnant after recovery with a total of 387 live births. All babies are growing up normally. Twenty married and 15 gave birth to normal third generation. Cytogenetic study of the peripheral lymphocytes of one third of the second generation and half of the third generation randomizedly selected revealed no deviation from normal in chromosomal number and aberrations. The eldest grand-children was now 8 years old. There was no increase of incidence of obstetric problem of mother and incidence of recurrence.
Besides, some other studies were also conducted. The outstanding achievements are as follows.