A phase II study of gemcitabine and immunotherapy in renal cancer: preliminary results and review of the literature.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
D Pastorelli
Publications and source records attributed to D Pastorelli.
Gemcitabine and liposomal doxorubicin in biliary and hepatic carcinoma (HCC) chemotherapy: preliminary results and review of the literature.
BACKGROUND: Advanced biliary tract cancers have a poor prognosis. Gemcitabine (G) as a single agent or in combination represents an active treatment option. Systemic chemotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma represents a palliative treatment. Gemcitabine in combination with Liposomal Doxorubicin (LD) may represent an active treatment option. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical trials for biliary and hepatic carcinoma have been reviewed. RESULTS: We obtained RC (1 pt), RP (4 pts), SD (8 pts) and seven pts had PD (RR 25% and SD 40%). Our chemotherapy regimen was Gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2) d 1 and 8, Liposomal Doxorubicin 30 mg d 1, q 28. Patients were 21 (17 M), aged 44 to 78 (median 63 yrs). Only in 8 pts we observed G 3-4 haematological toxicity, thrombocytopenia and neutropenia (7 G3, 1 G4).
Adenocarcinoma↗
Dose finding of ifosfamide administered with a chronic two-week continuous infusion.
PURPOSE: Ifosfamide (IFO) is an active drug in several malignancies. A short-term 3- to 7-day (A) continuous infusion (c.i.) has been used in different tumor types. The 14-day c.i. (B) has been investigated in advanced breast cancer and in soft tissue sarcoma patients at a fixed daily dose. The tolerance and response rate (RR) of therapies A and B has been considered encouraging. AIM: To study the 14-day c.i. IFO schedule, every 28 days, with a dose-finding approach. METHODS: From January 1998 to December 2001, 34 pretreated patients with advanced malignancy and disease progression were treated with c.i. IFO (and the same dose of mesna) from 400 to 1,000 mg/m(2)/24 h for 2 consecutive weeks every 28 days. An elastomeric pumping device via an Infuse-a-Port((R)) or a Groshong((R)) catheter was used. RESULTS: A total of 159 cycles were evaluable for toxicity and results. No toxic deaths occurred. Three patients (8.8%) had a severe acute allergic cutaneous reaction with various grade 3-4 toxicities requiring hospitalization and therapy was stopped at day 6 of the first cycle, 7 and 12 of the second cycle respectively. In the other 31 patients, grade 4 neutropenia occurred in 6 (19.3%) and it represented the main toxicity. There was a positive relationship between the IFO dose step and neutropenia (p = 0.001). A positive relationship was observed between the RR and the received total IFO dose (g) (p < 0.004). Twelve patients out of 31 had progressive disease (PD) (38.7%), 8 had partial remission (PR) (25.8%), and 11 maintained a steady state (35.5%). Six of the 12 patients (50%) with PD and 2 of the 8 PRs (25%) had bone metastases. CONCLUSIONS: IFO c.i. is generally well tolerated, but acute untoward allergic reactions can occur. In chemotherapy-pretreated patients the recommended daily dose of continuously infused IFO for 14 days every 4 weeks is 900 mg/m(2)/day, together with mesna at the same dose schedule.
Adolescent↗
Folate status in Italian blood donors: relation to gender and smoking.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Folate deficiency in the general population is associated with a risk of cardiovascular disease and various cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate folate status in Italian blood donors and its relationship with gender and smoking habit. DESIGN AND METHODS: A prospective study of 201 first visit donors (99 males and 102 females) was undertaken to evaluate folate status by measuring serum folate (SF) and red blood cell folate (RCF) levels and relating those with gender and smoking habit (100 smokers and 101 non-smokers). RESULTS: The rates of SF level less than 6.8 nmol/L and RCF less than 340 nmol/L were 9.9% and 25.3%, respectively in Italian blood donors. Mean RCF level was significantly lower (p<0.05) in females than in males and in smokers compared to non-smokers (p<0.001). The risk of reduced RCF levels in smokers was related to the number of cigarettes smoked per day, more than nine cigarettes increased the relative risk (RR) of low RCF level to 2.93 (95% C.I.: 1.34-6.41). INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that folate deficiency, evaluated by RCF and SF levels, is widespread in Italian blood donors. Moreover, RCF values seem related to gender in non-smokers and modified by smoking habit, according to the cigarettes number smoked per day.
Adult↗
Lyme disease seroprevalence in a region of central Italy.
The present study reports the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to B. burgdorferi by testing sera from volunteer blood donors in Latium, a region of Central Italy. All samples were tested by ELISA and the positive samples were assayed by Western blotting as a confirmatory test. A positivity rate of 4.3% was recorded by ELISA, while after the confirmatory test by Western blotting the positivity rate decreased to 1.5%. The presence of significant antibody titers to B. burgdorferi in the sera of healthy subjects shows that further investigations are necessary to clarify the real prevalence of Lyme disease in our region.
Adult↗
Prognostic value of autoantibodies against erythrocytes and platelets in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
Antiglobulin test (AT) and Dixon tests were performed in 100 patients with CLL. Thirty-five of them had Rai stages 0 or 1, 19 stage 2, 13 stage 3, and 33 stage 4. Twelve patients showed red blood cells autoantibodies (RBCAb) positivity; positivity at Dixon test (direct, indirect, or both) was observed in 74%. The presence of autoantibodies against erythrocytes and platelets did not influence survival curves, but anemia and thrombocytopenia are considered risk factors, independently of the presence of an autoimmune disorder. Nine RBCAb positive patients with positive Dixon test had the worst survival curves, 5 of these were anemic and 1 thrombocytopenic and anemic.
Aged↗
[Autologous transfusion technique application table].
The authors make a survey on the reasons leading to the application of different methods of autologous transfusion. They underline, incidentally, the important role played by the issues encountered in dealing with Jehovah's Witnesses as well as the discovery and spread of new transfusion transmitted diseases like AIDS and hepatitis C. They explain their experience, from which they have produced a Best Autologous Transfusion Technique Application Table (Scheda di Applicazione Ottimale delle Metodiche di Autotrasfusione, SAOMA), specific for every type, of operation, through the analysis of many parameters (surgeon, anaesthetist, transfusionist, general conditions of the patients, type of surgical operation). Moreover the authors evaluate advantages and disadvantages of the different autologous transfusion methods, including their cost efficiency aspects, and how they can be combined depending on the type of surgical operation. As a conclusion they attribute great importance to SAOMA to minimize homologous blood transfusion risks, even though at times the clinical aspect is made to prevail over the economic one.
Blood Transfusion, Autologous↗