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Biomedical subjects

F Chauvin

Publications and source records attributed to F Chauvin.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

[Small cell lung carcinoma. Value of the evaluation of extension for the therapeutic strategy].

Small-cell lung carcinoma can be distinguished from other histological types of lung cancer because of its high metastatic potential. Initial staging procedures divide the patients into two main prognostic groups: the so-called "limited" (to the thorax) and the extensive disease patients. Based on the results of a prospective pilot study involving 182 patients and on a review of the literature, the authors discuss the usefulness of initial staging in increasing the number of detectable metastases, assessing tumour burden, evaluating treatment results and identifying prognostic factors. Complete tumour staging at the time of diagnosis appears to be very helpful for a better knowledge of the disease and better therapeutic decisions.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Hyperfractionated radiotherapy alternating with multidrug chemotherapy in the treatment of limited small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Groupe Lyonnais d'Oncologie Thoracique.

From January 1986 through December 1988, 227 patients were included in a multi-institutional pilot study for small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Out of the 211 patients who fully completed the staging procedures, 77 (35%) appeared to have SCLC limited to the thorax. All patients received combination therapy consisting of AVI (Adriamycin, VP-16 and Ifosfamide), except during radiotherapy when the Adriamycin was omitted, plus twice daily fractionated 18 MV radiotherapy. Treatment protocol consisted of 4 initial courses of AVI, followed by 3 courses of radiotherapy alternating with modified chemotherapy (VP-16 and Ifosfamide), completed by 2 courses of initial chemotherapy (AVI). Radiotherapy consisted of 1.5 Gy/fraction, 2 fractions/day, 5 days/week in the first course, and 1.8 Gy/fraction, 2 fractions/day, 5 days/week, in the second and third courses, for a total tumor dose of 51 Gy, felt to be equivalent to 60 Gy at normal fractionation. CT treatment planning was employed to design a treatment consisting of multiport radiotherapy, using AP-PA and laterals or obliques beams. During the first course, the homolateral hemithorax received 9 Gy total dose on days 1, 3, 5. During the third course, 360 degrees arctherapy was generally used to boost the reduced tumor volume to a 51 Gy. Besides chest X ray and CT scan, staging and restaging procedures included fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Response rate after irradiation is 61%, with 46% complete responders and 51% local control. The median survival is 14 months, and disease-free survival 42% at 1 year. Complications consisted of cardiac toxicity in 2 patients, 1 death of acute pulmonary toxicity, and 4 instances of moderate chronic radiation pneumonitis. Thus, high doses of radiation can be delivered combined with chemotherapy using this protocol, with an acceptable toxicity and encouraging results in response rate and local control. A longer follow-up is needed to evaluate the impact of these results on survival.

Adult↗

[Neuroblastoma in the Rhone-Alpes area: epidemiologic data].

An epidemiological study of neuroblastoma in the Rhône-Alpes area was carried out over a 5 year period. The aim was to set up a background for a screening program in order to increase the number of neuroblastoma diagnosed in children before age 1, and decrease or eliminate advanced stage neuroblastomas.

Adolescent↗

[Incidence of nosocomial infections in an cancer center: clinical and bacteriologic data].

Over a 5 month period, a study of the incidence of nosocomial infections (NI) was carried out in the Léon Bérard Oncology Center (Lyons). It comprised 1,551 patients classified in groups according to the site of origin of the underlying malignancy. The respective frequency of the different types of nosocomial infections and the responsible agents was evaluated in each group and the incidence was calculated per day of hospitalization. The overall incidence of NI was 11.29 per 1,000 patient-days, with a maximal value of 20.04 for patients suffering from lymphomas. The most frequently encountered infections were bacteremias (22.7%), followed by urinary tract infections (20.8%) and wound infections (20.5%). The most frequent causative agents of NI were Escherichia coli (25.8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.9%), Staphylococcus aureus (9.8%) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (9.8%). The latter micro-organism together with Escherichia coli were the most frequent causative agents of bacteremias. Even though cancer patients are particularly prone to developing infections, the incidence of NI could be reduced thanks to a program of control and surveillance of infectious episodes during hospitalization.

Bacterial Infections↗

[Prognostic factors in the response of a first line chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer].

Anthracyclines containing regimen are widely used in advanced breast cancer. The response to first line chemotherapy varies according to many individual factors and the theoretical response to a given protocol cannot predict the response of a patient. A randomized clinical trial (ERASME) was initiated in order to evaluate the more appropriate first line chemotherapy scheme in advanced breast cancer. Prognostic factors were included in a multiple logistic regression to explain the response after the first 3 chemotherapy courses (monthly FEC). Three factors were found to be statistically significant: adjuvant hormonotherapy, loco-regional metastases, adjuvant adriamycin containing regimen (pejorative prognostic factor). By combining these factors, this statistical model enables us to predict a response rate to a first line chemotherapy from 27 to 87%. Such a model can be taken into account in a decision-making procedure of first line chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer.

Aged↗

Resonance electroconformational coupling: a proposed mechanism for energy and signal transductions by membrane proteins.

Recent experiments show that membrane ATPases are capable of absorbing free energy from an applied oscillating electric field and converting it to chemical bond energy of ATP or chemical potential energy of concentration gradients. Presumably these enzymes would also respond to endogenous transmembrane electric fields of similar intensity and waveform. A mechanism is proposed in which energy coupling is achieved via Coulombic interaction of an electric field and the conformational equilibria of an ATPase. Analysis indicates that only an oscillating or fluctuating electric field can be used by an enzyme to drive a chemical reaction away from equilibrium. In vivo, the stationary transmembrane potential of a cell must be modulated to become "locally" oscillatory if it is to derive energy and signal transduction processes.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Clinical value of N-myc oncogene amplification in 52 patients with neuroblastoma included in recent therapeutic protocols.

Southern blot analysis of neuroblastoma (NB) cell DNA from 52 patients (58 samples) allowed the detection of an N-myc amplification on three of the 13 BM samples and three of 13 tumor samples at diagnosis, on two of 17 tumor samples taken after induction therapy, on three of seven BM samples and two of the five local tumor samples taken after relapse. N-myc was amplified in two of the 15 patients with stage I to III NB and in 10 of the 36 patients with stage IV neuroblastoma over 1 year of age. Conclusions from the analysis are as follows: first tumor samples obtained on previously treated patients are histologically modified and detection of N-myc amplification is not accurate; consequently N-myc amplification must be defined at diagnosis. Surgical biopsies of the primary tumors can, however, be delayed and malignant cells obtained by ultrasound-guided punctures or analyzed on bone marrow samples if they represent more than 50% of the total population. Second, any attempt to define the prognostic value must be performed on a group of patients treated with a new aggressive protocol of chemotherapy; it will require a multiparametric analysis including, in particular, results of an extensive clinical staging at diagnosis and histological criteria.

Child↗

Immunological detection of neuroblastoma cells in bone marrow harvested for autologous transplantation.

In about 50% of patients with stage IV neuroblastoma, micrometastases are present in the bone marrow when it is harvested for an autograft to follow induction therapy, and the risk of graft contamination by neuroblastoma cells has been the rationale for the use of a purging procedure. However, bone marrow metastases are detected with trephine biopsies which only explore the sites biopsied and do not reflect potential contamination of the pooled marrow harvested for autograft. A two-colour fluorochrome labelling method is described which permits as few as 1 neuroblastoma cell in 100,000 normal bone marrow cells from the autograft to be detected. Three monoclonal antibodies (UJ13A, H11 and 11.14) which react with neuroblastoma cells are used as single reagent in combination with a fourth anti-panleucocyte antibody. This method requires only 2 h for the analysis of three million marrow cells from the autograft, and is more effective than alkaline phosphatase staining with the same monoclonal antibodies. Results were compared with conventional techniques (four biopsies and four aspirates) carried out at the same time in 34 consecutive patients. Of 18 cases with negative aspirates and biopsies, neuroblastoma cells were detected in two autografts by the immunological method. Of 16 cases with positive aspirates and/or biopsies, 10 autografts were positive by the immunological method and six were negative. Thus, marrow micrometastases were detected in 16 of the 34 patients, but the autograft contained malignant cells in only 12 of these patients and the immunological analysis demonstrated that the use of a purging procedure allowed the elimination of neuroblastoma cells from the autograft before its reinjection to the patients.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Immunomagnetic depletion of malignant cells from autologous bone marrow graft: from experimental models to clinical trials.

Using experimental modes with normal allogeneic bone marrow (BM) contaminated with Burkitt or neuroblastoma cell lines, and a liquid culture assay, we demonstrated that, when used in optimal conditions, the immunomagnetic depletion technique permitted a reproducible elimination of 3-4 log malignant cells. Results were very similar to those obtained with the complement lysis procedure in Burkitt lymphoma. This immunomagnetic procedure was used in 123 cases of autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) in children with neuroblastoma. The analysis of the cases demonstrated, first, that the procedure induced a significant loss of mononuclear cells but was not toxic for BM precursors. Delays to engraftment observed in a few patients were probably due to the combination of pejorative factors, especially the damage caused to the micro-environment by previous heavy and prolonged chemotherapy or the double ABMT programme. Second, patients presented with profound T-cell defect with undetectable IL2 secretion up to 1 year post-graft but they all had normal NK functions from the first month post-graft, these functions exceeding normal values on the second and third months post-graft. Finally, in 20 cases, dual-immunofluorescence staining permitted the demonstration that the autograft contained malignant cells before purging that were eliminated by the immunomagnetic depletion.

Bone Marrow↗

[Chemotherapy of cancer of the breast in the metastatic phase].

Metastatic breast adenocarcinoma is a very chemosensitive tumor. Polychemotherapy (CT) is more active than mono-CT inducing a 50-60% response rate in naive chemotherapy patients. The response rate is increased by adding hormonotherapy (HT) to CT in hormone-receptors positive patients. Whether or not HT and CT should be concomitant or consecutive is still questionable. The overall survival remains poor (22-30 months) and no improvement happened during the last decades. A hope for the future is possible from 2 different concepts: high dose chemotherapy or intermittent CT with successive short inductions treatment and no maintenance therapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗

High-dose therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation in partial remission after first-line induction therapy for diffuse non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Seventeen patients received high-dose therapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) when in partial response after induction therapy. There were 11 children and six adults between 3 and 57 years old. Twelve patients were determined to have high-grade lymphoma (ten Burkitt's and two lymphoblastic), and five had intermediate-grade diffuse lymphoma. Ten patients had surgically proven active disease in the abdomen, two had active disease in the bone marrow, and five persistent neurological symptoms. The time interval between diagnosis and ABMT was 2-10 months (median 4 months). Two patients died of progressive disease and two others died while in complete remission (CR) because of toxicity. Thirteen of 17 are still alive and disease free with a median observation time of 2 years. Morbidity was high with 6/17 life threatening reversible complications but overall survival is 75% at 24 months in a group of patients clearly defined as having a very bad prognosis in previous studies.

Adolescent↗

[Radiotherapy of cerebral metastases. 196 cases treated from 1973 to 1981].

One hundred and ninety six patients underwent brain irradiation for metastases between 1973 and 1981. Complete follow-up was possible in 180 cases. CT appeared to be the best diagnostic tool. Whatever the type of the tumor, irradiation improved symptoms and signs in 65.3 p. 100 of cases and neurological status in 37 p. 100 of cases. The median survival was 4.2 months, the mean survival 6.6 months, the percent survival at 1 year 11 p. 100. It is necessary to irradiate the whole brain with doses of 40-45 Gy in 4.5 weeks. Shorter periods of irradiation allows a short inhospital stay but implies anti-oedematous treatment. Chemotherapy did not improve the results. Excision surgery had limited indications: isolated metastases, accessible site in zones with no functional importance, good performance status, local control obtained for primary tumor, no extra-cerebral metastases. Surgery must be followed by whole brain irradiation. Derivation is necessary when increased intracranial pressure and treatment resistance are present. Irradiation indications are large. The results were palliative but valuable: irradiation was always indicated except when disorders of consciousness were present. Tolerance was usually good.

Adult↗

[Intensive chemotherapy and bone marrow grafting during the consolidation phase of stage IV neuroblastoma].

Sixty-five patients more than one year of age at diagnosis with stage IV neuroblastoma were prospectively treated since january 1983. Seventeen per cent were not consolidated with massive therapy and ABMT (progression: 3 cases; died at induction: 4 cases; died at surgery: 1 case; parental refusal: 2 cases) and all died. Among 49 evaluable cases, 31 were grafted in PR and 18 in CR or VGPR. Actuarial progression free survival at 35 months is 33% for the grafted group and 24% for the whole group. These results are better than previous experience of this group (8% at 30 months).

Actuarial Analysis↗