Impact of age, performance and athletic event on injury rates in master athletics - first results from an ongoing prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have identified rates of injuries in young elite athletes during major athletic events. However, no such data exist on master athletes. The aim of this study was to assess incidence and types of injuries during the 2012 European Veteran Athletics Championships as a function of age, performance and athletic discipline. METHODS: Report forms were used to identify injured athletes and injury types. Analysis included age (grouped in five-year bands beginning at age 35 years), athletic event, and age-graded performance. RESULTS: Of the 3154 athletes (53.2 years (SD 12.3)) that participated in the championships (1004 (31.8%) women, 2150 (68.2%) men), 76 were registered as injured; 2.8% of the female (29), 2.2% of the male (47) athletes. There were no fractures. One injury required operative treatment (Achilles tendon rupture). Injury rates were significantly higher in the sprint/middle distance/jumps than the throws, long distance and decathlon/heptathlon groups (X(2) (3)=16.187, P=0.001). There was no significant interrelationship with age (X(2) (12)=6.495, P=0.889) or age-graded performance (X(2) (3)=3.563, P=0.313). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that healthy master athletes have a low risk of injury that does not increase with age or performance.

Cisplatin, methotrexate and bleomycin for treating advanced penile carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy with cisplatinum, methotrexate and bleomycin (CMB) in the adjuvant and palliative setting, and its effect on survival in patients with locally advanced or metastatic penile carcinoma, which carries a very poor prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients (mean age 54 years) with radically resected local and nodal disease (eight), metastatic disease (two) or metastatic recurrence (three) had chemotherapy with CMB between February 1996 and July 2003. In all, 45 treatment courses were given, with a mean (range) of 3.5 (2-6) courses per patient. RESULTS: Three of the eight patients with adjuvant treatment showed no evidence of disease after a mean (range) of 54 (41-76) months, while four in this group died from disease progression after a mean of 11 (5-20) months, and one died from treatment-related toxicity. All five patients with metastatic disease died from disease progression after three had shown temporary signs of regression. CONCLUSIONS: Chemotherapy with CMB had little effect on metastatic penile cancer and responses were transient. However, patients with minimal disease after radical local and lymphatic resection seemed to benefit from adjuvant therapy, but the toxicity was high and carried a risk of death.