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Biomedical subjects

F Cavalli

Publications and source records attributed to F Cavalli.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

VP-16 in the treatment of malignant lymphomas: a report from the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK).

In a pilot study, researchers at The Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK) treated advanced lymphoma patients with a combination of DDP/VP-16/prednisone. Overall response rate was 34%. Currently, the new platinum derivatives are being studied. Meanwhile, various pilot studies are being conducted in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients to evaluate the combination, VP-16/bleomycin/procarbazine/ARA-C. Preliminary results are encouraging. It is hoped that this will be an effective salvage regimen for NHL patients and also for use in an alternating regimen along with a well-established first-line treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, methotrexate, bleomycin, and vincristine (CABO) in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

A combination of cisplatin, methotrexate, bleomycin, and vincristine (CABO) was assessed in advanced epidermoid head and neck cancer. Among 72 patients with recurrent or metastatic disease and measurable lesions, there were 9 complete and 27 partial responses for an overall response rate of 50%. These results were adversely affected by prior surgery plus prior radiotherapy. The median response duration was 28 weeks (16-100+) in complete responders and 16 weeks (6-84) in partial responders. CABO was also administered to 56 patients with measurable, previously untreated, locoregional disease. In these patients, complete and partial response rates were 18% and 46%, respectively. Toxic effects were generally mild to moderate. In spite of its encouraging therapeutic efficacy, CABO is unlikely to be clearly superior to single-agent chemotherapy, at least in recurrent or disseminated disease. Increased effectiveness of CABO given as initial treatment suggests that chemotherapy might play an effective adjuvant role in carefully selected patients.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1984

Acute myelogenous leukaemia: maintenance chemotherapy after early consolidation treatment does not prolong survival.

To investigate the value of maintenance chemotherapy after early consolidation treatment, an attempt was made to induce remission in 162 previously untreated patients, age-range 7-65 years (median 43). The 74 patients who were still in remission after early consolidation treatment (given for 3-5 months) were assigned to either maintenance chemotherapy every 8 weeks for 2 years or to observation only. After a median observation period of 44 months there was no difference between the groups in duration of remission or survival. Surprisingly, patients above 40 survived longer after early consolidation (median 4 years) than did patients aged 40 and below (median 1.6 years, p = 0.0002).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

[Extrapulmonary small-cell carcinoma - a rarity with important therapeutic consequences].

A report is presented on 12 patients with extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma. In 9 patients the primary tumor could be localized (cervix in 3, esophagus in 3, prostate in 2, pancreas in 1) whereas no primary was found in 3. Seven of 12 patients presented with distant metastases and four developed metastases later. Five of 12 had CNS metastases (brain metastases in 4, spinal cord compression in 1). Six patients were initially treated by surgery or radiotherapy (2 and 4 respectively). All six developed distant metastases during or shortly after local treatment. Five of 6 patients initially treated with chemotherapy responded to the treatment. Three of 12 patients are surviving 18+, 80+ and 81+ months after the initial diagnosis without evidence of disease. The biology and clinical course of extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma are similar to those of its pulmonary counterpart. In planning therapy for extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma, particular importance should be attached to systemic treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Phase I trial of 4'-deoxydoxorubicin given weekly.

Twenty-six patients with various solid tumors entered a Phase I trial with 4'-Deoxydoxorubicin (Esorubicin, IMI-58), a new doxorubicin analogue. The drug was administered weekly i.v. for 3-4 weeks. Leukopenia proved to be dose limiting. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was reached at 20 mg/m2 weekly for 3 weeks. For Phase II trials, a weekly dose of 15 and 17.5 mg/m2 can be proposed for poor and good risk patients respectively. Non-hematologic toxicity was minimal. Phase II trials with this new anthracycline are warranted.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Phase I trial of 4-demethoxydaunorubicin (idarubicin) with single oral doses.

Twenty-four patients with a variety of solid tumors entered a Phase I trial with 4-demethoxydaunorubicin, a new analogue of daunorubicin. The drug was given as a single oral dose of 10-60 mg/m2 repeated every 3-4 weeks. Leukopenia was the dose-limiting toxicity. Other toxic effects included mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. Sixty mg/m2 was found to be the maximum tolerated dose in patients with fair tolerance to chemotherapy and normal liver function. Similar hematologic toxicity was reported in patients with very extensive prior chemotherapy or diffuse bone and/or liver metastases receiving 50 mg/m2. However, the wide range of the WBC nadirs reported with the same dose in 'good risk' cases, suggest that 40 mg/m2, increased up to 50 mg/m2 in the absence of significant myelotoxicity, could be more safely proposed as starting dose for Phase II trials. Pharmacokinetic studies were performed in five patients given a single dose of 40-60 mg/m2. IMI-30 (NSC 256439) appears to be rapidly absorbed and rapidly eliminated from plasma by means of a rapid and extensive biotransformation to 13-OH-idarubicin. The 13-dihydroderivative was present at higher and more prolonged levels than the parent compound, with an elimination half-life of about 40 hours.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1984

A phase I trial of cis-diammine-1,1-cyclobutane dicarboxylate platinum II (Carboplatin, CBDCA, JM-8) with a single dose every five week-schedule.

Carboplatin, a new platinum analogue, was administered intravenously on a schedule of a single dose every five weeks to 23 patients with advanced malignant solid tumors. Patients were treated at six dosage levels ranging from 200-550 mg/m2 every five weeks. Thrombocytopenia was dose-limiting. At 550 mg/m2 Carboplatin, the median platelet nadir was 65 000/mm3. Leukopenia was common, but usually of mild to moderate degree. Gastrointestinal upset was commonly seen at all dose levels, but 35% of the patients experienced no vomiting. No significant increase of the serum creatinine following Carboplatin was seen. In 16 patients serial determinations of the creatinine clearance were performed. The median base line creatinine clearance was 87 (50-155) ml/min and dropped to a median lowest creatinine clearance of 69 (23-171) ml/min on day four (p less than 0.05). The median creatinine clearance before the next Carboplatin treatment was 89 (42-155) ml/min. No significant proteinuria or electrolyte disturbances were noted. Carboplatin exhibited antitumor activity in ovarian, endometrial, thyroid and gastric carcinomas. The maximally tolerated dose appears to be 550 mg/m2 every five weeks. A starting dose of 450 mg/m2 seems to be appropriate for Phase II studies. In patients with impaired renal function and/or prior cis-Platin chemotherapy, Carboplatin at doses of 200-500 mg/m2 induced renal and severe hematological toxicity.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Phase-II study of vindesine and hexamethylmelamine in patients with relapsing small cell carcinoma of the lung.

Twenty-five patients with measurable small cell lung cancer relapsing after first-line chemotherapy were treated with vindesine 3 mg/m2 IV on days 1 and 8 and hexamethylmelamine 100 mg/m2 PO on days 1-14, repeated every 3 weeks. Among 18 fully evaluable patients there was 1 partial remission lasting for 111 days. Two patients had disease stabilization for 127 and 152 days, respectively. Fifteen patients had disease progression. The treatment was well tolerated, myelosuppression being the major side-effect.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Phase II study of doxifluridine in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

We conducted a phase II trial with 5'-deoxy-5-fluoridine (doxifluridine) in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The drug was given at the dose of 4 g/m2 daily X 5 every 3 weeks. Twenty eligible patients entered this trial, 12 being evaluable for response to doxifluridine. The majority of these patients received previous treatment for cancer. One complete and two partial remissions were observed (25%). Drug-induced toxicity consisted mainly of myelosuppression, mild nausea and vomiting, stomatitis and central nervous system side-effects. Other dosages or schedules for doxifluridine administration might be explored in poor-risk patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Phase II trial of mitomycin-C in patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung after failure on combination chemotherapy.

Mitomycin-C was evaluated in a disease-oriented phase II trial in patients with small cell lung cancer who had failed prior conventional chemotherapy. The drug was given as a direct i.v. injection of 15 mg/m2 repeated every 6 weeks. No objective tumor response was observed among 15 evaluable patients. This precludes a 20% level of activity with 95% confidence. Leukopenia (60% of patients) and thrombocytopenia (20% of patients) were common-effects observed. One patient developed a microangiopathic hemolytic anemia after a total mitomycin-C dose of 42 mg. We conclude that mitomycin-C in this dose and schedule is an inactive agent in previously treated patients with small cell lung cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Phase II study of 9-hydroxy-2N-methylellipticinium acetate.

A broad phase II trial of elliptinium was conducted in 105 evaluable patients with advanced solid tumors. The drug was given as a 60-90-min i.v. infusion at a weekly dose of 100 mg/m2. Of 36 breast cancer patients, one achieved complete and six achieved partial response for an overall response rate of 19%. Responses lasted for 12-56 weeks from initiation of therapy. There was also one partial response among 21 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. No response could be obtained in 17 patients with colon cancer, 13 patients with head and neck cancer and 18 patients with a wide variety of other malignancies. Myelosuppression was minimal. Nausea and vomiting were the most frequent toxic effects. The drug also produced serious xerostomia and acute intravascular hemolysis. Asthenia was common. Other adverse reactions included fever and chills, transient neurologic and cardiovascular manifestations and renal function impairment. Additional work is needed to define optimal modes of drug administration.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Randomized phase II trial of carminomycin versus 4'-epidoxorubicin in advanced breast cancer.

Sixty-three evaluable patients with advanced breast cancer were randomly allocated to receive three-week intravenous courses of carminomycin (18 mg/m2) or 4'-epidoxorubicin (90 mg/m2). The former yielded one (3%) partial response for nine weeks among 29 patients whereas, in the other arm, nine (27%) of 34 patients achieved partial response for a median of 28 weeks (range, nine to 36 weeks; p less than 0.02). The major toxic effect of these anthracyclines was leukopenia with median white blood cell nadirs of 1,600/microL (range, 300-4,000/microL) versus 1,800/microL (range, 500-4,300/microL), respectively. Acute nonhematologic toxic effects were qualitatively similar but carminomycin produced significantly less gastrointestinal intolerance and alopecia. Patients whose disease failed to respond to first-line anthracycline received doxorubicin (60 mg/m2) every three weeks. Four partial responses were obtained among 19 patients previously treated with carminomycin. Following 4'-epidoxorubicin therapy, one of 12 evaluable patients also attained partial response. Survival curves were not affected by the initial treatment option. Carminomycin has marginal activity against breast cancer whereas 4'-epidoxorubicin deserves further evaluation of its therapeutic index relative to doxorubicin. The design used in this trial appears attractive for prompt phase II evaluation of anthracycline analogs.

Adult↗