Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Pein

Publications and source records attributed to F Pein.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Maintenance of the dose-intensity of chemotherapy combining carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, etoposide in women with ovarian cancer aged 70 and over].

Elderly patients are often considered as subjects at risk for bad tolerance to chemotherapy. They are therefore treated in a less aggressive way compared with younger women. In a retrospective study, we evaluated the dose-intensity of a chemotherapy for 15 patients older than 70 years of age, presenting an ovarian carcinoma. Median age was 73 years. All but one were classified in stage III-IV and only four were presented with a complete surgery or with a pathological residue < 2 cm. Six patients were considered as non operable. Performance status (PS) was in 11 cases equal to 0 or 1. The treatment associated from D1 to D4: carboplatine 75 mg/sqm/day, cyclophosphamide 250 mg/sqm/day, etoposide 50 mg/sqm/day for six cycles each over four weeks. We compared for each drug the delivered dose-intensity (DID) all along the six cycles to the forecast dose-intensity (FID). Except for the patients with a PS > or = 2, treated in first intention by a 2/3 dose, the DID/FID ratio was > 90%. It decreased between the 1st and 3rd cycles, then remained unchanged. Treatment was well tolerated by patients with a PS < 2 whose 4/11 have presented a grade III-IV hematologic toxicity. In return, despite the initial dose reduction, 3/4 patients with a PS > or = 2 had severe complications. There were no toxic deaths. Three patients only had a delay for reinduction. Three out of six non operables at first had a surgical second-look with possibility of residual masses cutting of (3 PRh). Four patients were alive in first CR at 18, 22, 23 and 28 months. Women older than 70 years with a good performance status presenting an ovarian carcinoma can be treated as younger women are. A chemotherapy using efficient drugs can be delivered with an acceptable toxicity and a high dose-intensity.

Age Factors↗

[Research on bone marrow involvement in the diagnosis of solid tumors in children. Methods, results and interpretation].

The assessment of bone marrow involvement by tumor cells remains an essential problem at diagnosis in pediatric solid tumors. Besides the conventional cytological and histological methods, some modern cell density separation techniques have been described in order to improve the detection of minimal or scattered bone marrow involvement. Immunological or genetical (molecular biology) tools can be used for the recognition of separated cells. In terms of investigations, MRI and MIBG radionucleide scan, although giving no definite proof, have the ability to macroscopically study the scattering of bone marrow invasion in the particular case of neuroblastoma. In some pediatric tumors, especially neuroblastomas and non Hodgkin lymphomas, an extensive bone marrow investigation is mandatory at diagnosis. Such an investigation is only necessary in case of particular criteria at diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease, Ewing' sarcomas, rhabdomyosarcomas and retinoblastomas. All other pediatric solid tumors do not need to be investigated in terms of bone marrow involvement at diagnosis, with the exceptions of advanced disseminated disease or if an autologous bone marrow transplantation is planned.

Bone Marrow Diseases↗

[Pediatric aspects of anthracycline cardiotoxicity and practical implications for prevention].

Discovered during the sixties, anthracycline antibiotics are today widely used anti-cancer drugs. Their potentially fatal cardiac toxicity, which is related in part to the total cumulative dose, has been described since 1967. The aim of this paper is to describe their biological and clinical toxic effects on the heart, especially of children, and to propose prevention guidelines. The mechanisms of cardiac toxicity, with their destructive consequences on functional myocytes reserve, are shortly recalled. Acute, sub-acute and chronic clinical aspects of anthracycline's cardiomyopathy are the subject of a literature review. In Pediatric Oncology, the prolonged survival usually observed allows delayed congestive heart failure to occur by myocardial reserve insufficiency, as hemodynamic needs are quickly increasing, especially at the end of the somatic growth. Furthermore, the frequency of cardiac abnormalities is increasing with time after therapy, reaching about half of the explored patients after 15 years. The main known methods to prevent such a toxicity are reviewed. The parcimonious use of anthracyclines is already seen in children. Every method to decrease the maximal plasma concentration of the drug (weekly schedule or prolonged infusion) has to be considered. The active cardioprotectant agent such as ICRF-187, is in clinical development. Detection, prevention, and therapy of cardiac abnormalities, which are likely to precede delayed heart failure, still remains a difficult problem in these more and more numerous children to be cured of cancer.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic↗

A phase III study of recombinant interleukin-2, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin versus 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in patients with unresectable or metastatic colorectal carcinoma.

135 patients with locally advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer were entered into a phase III trial evaluating the efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy [recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL2)/5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV)] versus chemotherapy alone (5-FU/LV). A cycle of chemoimmunotherapy comprised a constant intravenous infusion of rIL2 at a dose of 18 x 10(6) U/m2/24 h for 120 h, followed by three bolus injections of 5-FU (600 mg/m2) and LV (25 mg/m2) at weekly intervals. Patients receiving chemotherapy alone received 5-FU/LV at the same dose at weekly intervals for 6 weeks followed by a rest period of 2 weeks, constituting one cycle of therapy. A maximum of 6 months therapy was given in both arms of the study. The response rates (complete and partial responses) were 17% in patients receiving rIL2/5-FU/LV versus 16% in those in the 5-FU/LV arm of the study. Median survival and progression-free survival were comparable for the two groups of patients, although there was a trend for a prolongation of survival in patients receiving chemoimmunotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone, beyond 12 months. Retrospective subgroup analyses revealed a significantly increased survival in poor prognosis patients (ECOG 1) treated with rIL2/5-FU/LV when compared to those receiving chemotherapy alone. Therefore, further studies evaluating the dose and duration of chemoimmunotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer seem warranted.

Adult↗

Childhood anaplastic large cell lymphoma Ki-1/CD30: clinicopathologic features of 19 cases.

The authors report their cumulative experience of 19 children with what was previously called malignant histiocytosis (MH) but is now considered a true lymphoma and termed anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). The median age at diagnosis was 10 years and 6 months (range 2 y, 11 m, to 15 y). There were 13 males and 6 females. Most cases presented with fever, wasting and enlarged, often tender, lymph nodes. Other features were: fleeting cutaneous rashes in 7 cases; spontaneous regression of lymph nodes and skin lesions were seen in 5 patients. Bone marrow involvement was present in 3 cases, pulmonary infiltrate in 5, kidneys in 2, and central nervous system in none. The morphology of lymph node involvement was consistent with so-called MH, a description originally applied to sinusoïdal infiltration by large "histiocytic" cells. The coexpression of lymphoid activation antigens Ki-1/CD 30 (18/19), epithelial membrane antigen EMA (18/19) and interleukin-2 receptor/CD 25 (10/10) was the unifying immunopathologic feature of the neoplasm. Lineage antigens were not identifiable in 8/19 instances (null phenotype), while 10/19 expressed a T-cell phenotype. None of the tumors expressed histiocytic markers. After variable, but intensive, combination chemotherapy, 15 children out of 18 evaluable achieved complete remission (CR). Among all patients, thirteen are still alive in CR (ten in first CR) with a median follow-up of 5 years. This evaluation in the pediatric age group reinforces that so-called MH is a lymphoid neoplasm, a conceptual change that could lead to improved understanding and therapy.

Adolescent↗

Etoposide and carboplatin: a highly effective combination in relapsed or refractory Wilms' tumor--a phase II study by the French Society of Pediatric Oncology.

PURPOSE: Since we had previously demonstrated encouraging efficacy of etoposide in patients with relapsed or refractory Wilms' tumor (WT), the likely synergism between etoposide and platinum compounds prompted us to conduct a phase II study of a combination with carboplatin. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-six relapsed or refractory WT patients were included in a phase II study of two courses of combination etoposide 100 mg/m2/d for 5 days and carboplatin 160 mg/m2/d for 5 days, with a 21-day interval between the two courses. Initial stages were I (n = 2), II (n = 8), III (n = 6), IV (n = 6), V (n = 3), and unknown (n = 1). Sites of diseases were lung(s) (11 patients), abdomen-pelvis or liver or primary tumor (six patients), and multiple (eight patients). Histology was unfavorable in three of 26 patients. RESULTS: Complete response (CR) was documented in eight patients and partial remission (PR) in 11 (overall response rate, 73%). Stable disease (SD) was observed in five patients and progressive disease (PD) in two. Thrombocytopenia (grade IV) was the major toxicity, and platelet transfusions were required in all but two patients. Grade III anemia and grade III to IV neutropenia were seen in 19 and 23, respectively, of 25 assessable first courses. Venoocclusive disease of the liver was fatal in one child who had undergone irradiation to the whole abdomen, 8 weeks before study. CONCLUSION: Combination etoposide and carboplatin has impressive activity in refractory or relapsed WT at the cost of high-grade hematologic toxicity, especially thrombocytopenia. It is of great interest in second-line therapy, since eight of 26 patients are still alive in continuous CR (median follow-up duration, 40 months; range, 24 to 56). This combination deserves further investigation as first-line or consolidation treatment.

Adolescent↗

Phase II study of ifosfamide in childhood brain tumors: a report by the French Society of Pediatric Oncology (SFOP).

Forty-two evaluable pediatric patients with a variety of recurrent primary brain tumors participated in a phase II ifosfamide trial. Their mean age was 10 years. All patients were treated with ifosfamide, 3 g/m2/day for 2 days every 2 weeks. Response was assessed on clinical and radiological criteria after at least 2 courses of therapy. The overall response rate was 12% (5/42). One complete and 2 partial responses were documented in 21 patients with medulloblastoma. A partial response was demonstrated in 1 patient with primitive neurectodermal tumor (PNET) and in 1 patient with ependymoma. No activity was observed in astrocytic tumors. Toxicity was primarily neurologic (16 out of 54 patients, 30%). Hematological toxicity, without severe morbidity, was encountered in 9% of courses (16/179). Ifosfamide, administered at this dose regimen has modest efficacy in the treatment of recurrent childhood medulloblastoma and ependymoma and appears inactive for gliomas. Further trials with other dose schedules are necessary to assess the activity of this drug. However, according to the neurotoxicity observed in our trial, we would not recommend building a protocol using ifosfamide for highly progressive brain tumors.

Adolescent↗

Translocation t(11;19) (q23;p13) in a child with myelomonocytic leukemia following 2 years after chemotherapy for pneumoblastoma.

A child, who received successful chemotherapy for pneumoblastoma, developed a myelomonocytic leukemia with translocation t(11;19)(q23;p13) 2 years later. Although this leukemia did not present with features generally associated with therapy-related leukemias, we think this hematologic disease to be secondary to previous chemotherapy. Involvement of chromosome 11q23 is common in acute leukemia and seems to be more significantly related to ANLL in young children (M4 and M5 FAB classification). However, our observation and previous reports suggest that this chromosomal abnormality might be more frequent in therapy-related leukemias. The responsibility of etoposide and cisplatin may be discussed in such secondary malignancies.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

[Bone metastases of colorectal cancers: apropos of 8 cases].

Having found, in the same medical centre, an abnormally high (15%) frequency of bone metastases from colorectal carcinoma, the authors report a series of 8 cases and review what is now known of this reputed rare (4%) metastases. Their clinical and imaging features are not very different from secondary bone lesions of other origins. They usually appear approximately 5 years after the primary tumour has been diagnosed; and they are rarely isolated, being part of a diffuse metastatic disease; their prognosis is in fact conditioned by visceral metastases (liver, lung, peritoneum). Concerning treatment, pain relieving radiotherapy is crucial, as witnesses by the authors. Chemotherapy must always be prescribed for its proven effectiveness against visceral lesions. The other medicinal treatments (e.g. analgesics, bisphosphonates) are very useful. Surgery must be reserved to emergency situations (spinal cord compression) and to patients in good general condition. To our 8 patients these treatments brought comfort and increased survival. Survivals of at least 6 to 9 months were obtained, and one patient is still alive 14 months after the diagnosis of bone metastasis. These results compare favourably with the 4 months median survival observed in other series.

Adult↗

Etoposide in relapsed or refractory Wilms' tumor: a phase II study by the French Society of Pediatric Oncology and the United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group.

PURPOSE: Despite a high cure rate of approximately 85% in Wilms' tumor by multimodality therapy, to date only four drugs are known to be active against such tumors. There is a clear need for new active drugs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-one patients with relapsed or refractory Wilms' tumor from three British and 14 French centers were treated with intravenous (IV) etoposide 200 mg/m2 daily for 5 days. Original stage was I (n = 3), II (n = 7), III (n = 9), IV (n = 10), and V (n = 2). Prior chemotherapy, administered initially or at relapse, included vincristine and dactinomycin in all cases, doxorubicin or epirubicin in 30, and ifosfamide in 20. Sites of relapse or resistant disease were lung in 13, abdomen or pelvis in six, liver in one, and multiple in 11. When entered onto the study, 12 patients were in first relapse, 10 in second relapse, and four in third or more relapse. Five had never obtained a complete remission. All but two (progressing) patients received two courses of etoposide, the second course being administered at day 21. RESULTS: A complete response (CR) was documented in two patients, partial response (PR) in 11, stable disease in 10, and progressive disease (PD) in eight. The duration of response could not be evaluated, because all responding patients were subsequently treated with multimodality therapy. The major toxicities observed were neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, but most patients had been heavily pretreated. No toxic death clearly associated with etoposide was noted. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that etoposide in this schedule is an active agent in Wilms' tumor and should be considered for inclusion in regimens for high-risk patients, such as those with metastatic disease at diagnosis and those who relapse after multiagent chemotherapy.

Adolescent↗

High survival rate in advanced-stage B-cell lymphomas and leukemias without CNS involvement with a short intensive polychemotherapy: results from the French Pediatric Oncology Society of a randomized trial of 216 children.

From April 1984 to December 1987, the French Pediatric Oncology Society (SFOP) organized a randomized trial for advanced-stage B-cell lymphoma without CNS involvement to study the possibility of reducing the length of treatment to 4 months. After receiving the same three intensive six-drug induction courses based on high-dose fractionated cyclophosphamide, high-dose methotrexate (HD MTX), and cytarabine in continuous infusion, patients were evaluated for remission. Those who achieved complete remission (CR) were randomized between a long arm (five additional courses with two additional drugs; 16 weeks of treatment) and a short arm (two additional courses; 5 weeks). For patients in partial remission (PR), intensification of treatment was indicated. Two hundred sixteen patients were registered: 15 stage II nasopharyngeal and extensive facial tumors, 167 stage III, and 34 stage IV, 20 of the latter having more than 25% blast cells in bone marrow. The primary sites of involvement were abdomen in 172, head and neck in 30, thorax in two, and other sites in 12. One hundred sixty-seven patients are alive in first CR with a minimum follow-up of 18 months; four are lost to follow-up. Eight patients died from initial treatment failure, 14 died from toxicity or deaths unrelated to tumor or treatment, and 27 relapsed. The event-free survival (EFS), with a median follow-up of 38 months, is 78% (SE 3) for all the patients, 73% (SE 11) for the stage II patients, 80% (SE 3) for the stage III patients, and 68% (SE 8) for the stage IV and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. One hundred sixty-six patients were randomized: 82 in the short arm and 84 in the long arm. EFS is, respectively, 89% and 87%. Statistical analysis confirms equivalence of both treatment arms with regard to EFS. Moreover, morbidity was lower in the short arm. This study confirms the high survival rate obtained in the previous LMB 0281 study without radiotherapy or debulking surgery and demonstrates the effectiveness of short treatment.

Adolescent↗

Phase II study of cytarabine and etoposide in children with refractory or relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a study of the French Society of Pediatric Oncology.

Twenty-five children or adolescents with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) were included in this phase II study of the combination of cytarabine (ARA-C) 50 mg/m2/d by 12 hours continuous infusion day 1 to day 5, ARA-C 3 g/m2/d in 3 hours day 1 to day 4, and etoposide (VP 16) 200 mg/m2 daily from day 1 to day 4. Twelve patients had B-cell, 12 T-cell, and one non-T, non-B-cell lymphoma; according to Murphy's staging system, 15 had stage III and nine stage IV disease with bone marrow involvement at diagnosis. All had previously received ARA-C by push or continuous infusion. Two patients had received epipodophyllotoxins. At the time of the study, three children had initial refractory disease, 18 were in first relapse (14 on therapy), two in first refractory relapse, and two in second relapse (on therapy). The overall response rate (RR) was 60%: eight complete responses (CRs), seven partial responses (PRs) (two became CRs after a second course). The RR was 66% (four CRs plus four PRs) in B-cell and 54% (four CRs, three PRs) in non-B-cell NHL. It was 20% (one PR per five patients) in initial or relapsed refractory disease. In four patients with measurable CNS disease, there were three CRs. Duration of response was nonassessable since all the responding patients received high-dose polychemotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) (five are alive with long follow-up [FU]). Toxicity was marked mostly by pancytopenia for 2 weeks, and half the patients encountered a grade-3 infection. One severe diarrhea was observed. In conclusion, high-dose ARA-C (HD-ARA-C) and VP 16 are an effective regimen in relapsed NHL, especially with CNS disease, and its toxicity is acceptable with regards to the prognosis of the disease.

Adolescent↗

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↗

[Nephroblastoma with symptomatic neuronal differentiation].

We report the anatomoclinical analysis of a child with a renal tumor: the preoperative diagnosis was neuroblastoma, because of elevated dopamine urinary excretion and positive MIBG scintigraphy. The histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis revealed a prominent neural differentiation in a multicystic nephroblastoma. This observation recalls the Masson's proposed neuroectodermal histogenesis of Wilms tumor; however the currently accepted metanephrogenic blastematous origin is not reconsidered. This is the first case of nephroblastoma with a neural differentiation detectable otherwise from by pathological analysis.

Cell Differentiation↗

[Treatment of extensive B-cell lymphoma in children: studies of the French Pediatric Oncology Society].

Since 1981 in the French Pediatric Oncology Society, a multidrug intensive-pulsed chemotherapy was proposed for bad prognosis B-cell lymphomas (stage II ORL, III and IV) and for B acute lymphocytic leukemias (B-ALL). Between 1981 and 1984, the nine-drug regimen was based on high-dose cyclophosphamide, high-dose methotrexate and cytosine arabinoside in continuous infusion (regimen LMB-81). No irradiation was performed. CNS prophylaxis was made by high-dose methotrexate and by intrathecal injections. No debulking surgery was recommended. Since 1984, considering the high rate of continuous remission, some modifications were made for reducing the duration and toxicity of the treatment of most B-cell lymphomas without CNS involvement (regimen LMB-84). For B-cell lymphomas with CNS involvement and B-ALL, an intensive high-dose multidrug combination was proposed (regimen LMB-86). Between 1981 and 1984, 153 children (stage II ORL: 6%, III: 63%, IV: 31%) were treated with the LMB-81 regimen. The overall disease-free survival rate is 69%. No relapse occurred after 12 months. Only two CNS relapses were observed. Among stage IV, a worse prognosis was associated with initial CNS involvement (disease free survival: 19%). On the contrary, bone marrow involvement was not an adverse prognostic factor. With the LMB-84, the overall disease free survival rate is 74%. A noteworthy reduction of toxicity is observed.

Actuarial Analysis↗