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Biomedical subjects

A Morabito

Publications and source records attributed to A Morabito.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Inefficacy of immediate node dissection in stage 1 melanoma of the limbs.

From September, 1967, to January, 1974, a clinical trial was carried out by the WHO Melanoma Group to evaluate the efficacy of elective lymph-node dissection in the treatment of malignant melanoma of the extremities with clinically uninvolved regional lymph nodes. Treatment was prospectively randomized: 267 patients to excision of primary melanoma and immediate regional-lymph-node dissection and 286 to excision of primary melanoma and regional-lymph-node dissection at the time of appearance of metastases. The statistical analysis showed no difference in survival between the two groups of patients, regardless of how the data were analyzed (according to sex, site of origin, maximum diameter of primary tumor or Clark's level or Breslow's thickness). Elective lymph-node dissection in malignant malanoma of the limbs does not improve the prognosis and is not recommended when patients can be followed at intervals of three months.

Aged↗
PubMed1976

A computer program suitable for fitting linear models when the dependent variable is dichotomous, polichotomous or censored survival and non-linear models when the dependent variable is quantitative.

Given a set of measurements of s explanatory variables corresponding to each experimental unit, a computer program, whose methodological background can be found in [2] has been written in FORTRAN IV language in order to perform regression analyses when the dependent variable is: (i) dichotomous; (ii) polichotomous; (iii) censored survival. In the two former the Cox's [6] linear logistic models are used while in the third one it has been resorted to the models suggested by Feigl and Zelen [8]. The statistical estimation procedure is maximum likelihood and among the different algorithms developed to reach this goal, the one published by Van der Voort and Dorpema [3], has been utilized. Furthermore, when the dependent variable is quantitative, the program is suitable to fit any function non-linear in the parameters; the pertinent function and its first and second derivatives must be provided by the user. In the present version, implemented on a Univac 1106 machine, the program fits directly the Gompertz function.

Computers↗
PubMed1976

Comparative evaluation of three combination regimens for advanced malignant melanoma: results of an international cooperative study.

The therapeutic results of a controlled study with three multiple-drug regimens (regimen A: DTIC, vincristine, BCNU; regimen B: DTIC, vincristine, hydroxyurea; and regimen C: DTIC, actinomycin D, BCNU) in a total of 274 evaluable patients with advanced malignant melanoma are reported. CRs were significantly more frequent (P less than 0.01) in regimens A (9.3%) and C (16.4%) compared with regimen B (1.1%). No significant difference in terms of CR plus PR was detected among the three regimens. In all regimens a higher number of CRs plus PRs was seen in patients with soft tissue metastases only, compared with those who had visceral involvement. In all three regimens patients achieving CR showed a longer duration of response and survival in comparison with patients achieving PR. The incidence of brain metastases was neither lowered nor delayed by the presence of BCNU in regimens A and C.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Adriamycin plus vincristine compared to and combined with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil for advanced breast cancer.

The preliminary results of a controlled study with two independent combinations in metastatic breast cancer are reported. The first combination (Therapy A: 41 patients) consisted of Adriamycin (ADM) and vincristine (VCR), while the second combination (Therapy B: 41 patients) included cyclophosphamide (CTX), methotrexate (MTX), and 5-fluorouracil (FU), designated "CMF." Both treatments were administered as intermittent cycles in patients previously untreated with chemotherapy. After eight cycles, responsive patients on Therapy A were crossed over to Therapy B to avoid the risk of cardiomyopathy. In both groups, crossover was carried out at the time of progression or relapse. In the group given ADM plus VCR, the dominant site of disease was in soft tissues in 56%, in viscera in 22%, and in bones in 22%. These findings were present in 51%, 24%, and 24%, respectively in the group started on CMF. The comparison of response after primary treatment in patients receiving a minimum of two cycles failed to show a significant difference between Therapy A and Therapy B (overall response 58% vs. 65%). When the response rate was calculated only in patients who had completed the first eight cycles of therapy, these findings were 87% and 93%, respectively. Three patients receiving treatment A (8%) AND 4 patients given Treatment B (10%) achieved complete remission. The highest incidence of response was observed for soft tissue lesions (70% vs. 76%). However, complete or partial bone recalcification was seen in 33% and 24%, respectively. The duration of response was found to be longer in patients who crossed over to CMF after eight cycles of ADM plus VCR, as compared to those started and continued on CMF. No cross-resistance was observed after crossover for progressive disease. Both incidence and degree of side effects were found acceptable, and no drug-related death was seen. Virtually all patients were treated on an outpatient basis.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic factors and risk groups: some results given by using an algorithm suitable for censored survival data.

The problem of identifying the role of various prognostic factors when the response variable is the patient's survival time is discussed. Morgan and Sonquist's approach of constructing groups at similar risk is useful and an algorithm which implements the method for survival time data with censored observations is described. Examples of its application to two sets of medical data are given, arising from studies of prognosis following renal transplantation and treatment for stage I malignant melanoma of the skin.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic factors for stage I melanoma of the skin: a review.

The prognosis of melanoma of the skin has been investigated in many studies. In this report papers on the prognosis of stage I melanoma published since 1975 in the leading oncology journals have been reviewed. Further the data collected by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Evaluation of Methods of Diagnosis and Treatment of Melanoma are analysed, and the results compared with those of other series. Three factors emerge as clearly influencing prognosis: sex, maximum tumour thickness and ulceration. The role of other factors and particularly that of an interaction between tumour thickness and ulceration conjectured by some authors remains questionable.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Vectorcardiographic evaluation of diabetic cardiomyopathy and of its contributing factors.

In order to investigate the prevalence of vectorcardiographic bites, expression of small areas of fibrosis, atrophy or degeneration of the myocardium, we studied, using the vectorcardiograms (VCG) of 101 diabetic patients (35 with insulin-dependent and 66 with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, aged from 25 to 60 years, without hypertension, coronary artery disease, or intraventricular conduction defects) and 228 normal control subjects, matched for age and sex. The prevalence of bites was 38.6% in diabetic patients and 10.0% in the control group (p less than 0.001). Diabetic patients were also subdivided into groups according to age, sex, metabolic control, risk factors for coronary heart disease, type of diabetes, duration of diabetes and diabetic microangiopathy. No correlation was found between any of the variables investigated nor of a combination of these, and the presence of bites. We conclude that VCG is a sensitive test for cardiac involvement in diabetic patients but that it cannot be used to identify any specific factor able to influence the onset and evolution of this involvement.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Factors affecting the distribution of age at onset in patients with affective disorders.

We analyzed the age-at-onset distributions in a group of 285 patients diagnosed as having major affective disorder, recurrent, either unipolar or bipolar, in order to detect the possible existence of genetic and epidemiological factors affecting their age-at-onset distribution. In fact, since it is known that affective disorders are genetically heterogeneous with respect to the liability systems involved, methodological considerations support the hypothesis of the existence of different ages at onset also. We thus investigated several variables and the significant findings of our study were that bipolarity, at least one affected parent and a low position in the sibship are each associated with earlier age at onset of affective disease.

Adolescent↗