Serum Glycolytic Enzymes and Acid Phosphatases in Mammary Carcinomatosis

available for all the other lipid fractions to yield results of a degree of significance identical to that which would have obtained if groups of 20 test and 20 control subjects had been conventionally analysed.Furthermore, some significant results, albeit negative, were obtained for 12 months of treatment.Similarly, although only 12 pairs of subjects who were treated soon after acute myocardial necrosis survived three months during the same period and 11 pairs for six months, a majority of the t-tests were completed, with the same probability.In short the sequential method has, as well as giving interim data and determining the trial, nearly doubled the amount of information obtained and therefore approximately halved the cost.Since there are no objective responses the differences between the replies of treated and untreated patients to questions on their well-being are probably explained by non-specific stimulating effects perhaps due to the pyridoxine content (Cdlice et al., 1958) of the test capsules.Further, survival rates in both groups are comparable.The period of the trial is, however, as clearly shown by McMichael and Parry (1960), too short for significant conclusions on mortality to be drawn.In view of the large amount of negative data here presented the trial has been stopped.Summary A total of 114 patients in three clinical groups, all of whom were suffering from results of atherosclerotic arterial occlusion, have been treated with a phospholipid preparation (lipostabil) for periods up to two years.Ten fractions of the serum lipids were unaffected by it.The lipostabil was kindly supplied by Aspro-Nicholas of Slough, Bucks, who also made a grant towards the cost of the investigation.Many of the members of the staff of the East Ham Memorial Hospital, as well as local general medical practitioners, bave co-operated willingly, and without their help the trial would not have been possible.