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Biomedical subjects

G Beretta

Publications and source records attributed to G Beretta.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

A randomized trial comparing adjuvant fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and mitomycin with no treatment in operable gastric cancer. International Collaborative Cancer Group.

Three hundred fifteen patients with operable gastric cancer were randomized to receive fluorouracil, Adriamycin (doxorubicin; Adria Laboratories, Columbus, OH), and mitomycin (FAM) or no adjuvant treatment between September 1981 and July 1984. After excluding ineligible patients, 281 patients are included in this analysis. Treatment was moderately well tolerated by the majority of patients, the common side effects being nausea and vomiting (58%) and alopecia (57%). Three possible treatment-related deaths were seen, all due to cardiac failure. At median follow-up of 68 months, 164 patients have died, 73 in the treated arm and 91 in the control arm. There was no significant difference in disease-free or overall survival between the two arms of the study (P = 0.21). There is some evidence that patients with more advanced carcinoma (T3-T4) derived some benefit from treatment (P = 0.04). The interpretation of this finding must take into account that all subgroups were defined retrospectively, and this could, therefore, be a chance finding. We conclude that adjuvant chemotherapy as given in this trial is not indicated as routine treatment in operable gastric cancer, but that further evaluation in stage T3-T4 patients is warranted.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Antibiotic SB22484: a novel complex of the aurodox group. I. Taxonomy of the producing organism, isolation of the antibiotics and chemical and biological characterization.

Antibiotic SB22484 is a novel member of the aurodox type antibiotic group produced in submerged-fermentation cultures of Streptomyces sp. NRRL 15496. The antibiotic complex is composed of two pairs of isomers with MW's of 752 and 766. The individual isomers, which were separated by preparative HPLC, equilibrate to a mixture of the isomer pair when left in aqueous solution. In vitro, SB22484 antibiotics strongly inhibited neisseriae and were also active against Streptococci, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Haemophilus influenzae.

Animals↗

[Prosthetic implants for penile induration].

From 1982 to 1988 we have evaluated 283 patients affected by Peyronie's disease. 81 of these complained erectile disfunction. Semirigid penile prosthesis were inserted in 38 patients with severe induratio penis plastica. Following surgery the patients were given a sexual questionnaire in order to determine whether they had realised their expectations as well as partner acceptance. Our results appear to be favourable and prosthesis insertion in selected patients with Peronie's disease seems to be the safest, most economical and best accepted choice.

Adult↗

Reproductive aspects in spinal cord injured males.

Infertility in paraplegic males is determined by two major factors: (1) most patients with spinal cord lesions cannot ejaculate, and (2) if ejaculation is possible, then the features of the semen are constantly abnormal. Various methods have been proposed to stimulate the ejaculatory reflex in paraplegics. From 1983 we have used for this purpose a simple vibrator applied to the penis and with this method the ejaculatory response was obtained in 72 of 102 patients treated. Fifteen patients who desired a child, received instruction in self-using the vibrator at home weekly. Sperm characteristics were evaluated (mean of two samples) before and after 3 months of self-use of the vibrator. Statistical evaluation of the results was performed with Student t-test. At the end of the treatment an improvement of sperm concentration and progressive motility was evident, but the result of highest statistical significance was the decrease of abnormal sperm morphology. Three couples obtained a pregnancy with AIH.

Adult↗

[Intranasal gonadorelin in the treatment of cryptorchism].

In 94 outpatients medium aged 4.16 years the LHRH analogues Gonadorelin had been administered for 4 weeks. 74 had monolateral cryptorchidism whereas 18 had bilateral cryptorchidism. The results indicate that Gonadorelin has a role in treating cryptorchidism. The Authors suggest, on its experience, that the Gonadorelin should be the first choice of treatment of cryptorchidism.

Administration, Intranasal↗

A40926 aglycone and pseudoaglycones: preparation and biological activity.

A40926 antibiotics are new glycopeptides which are much more active than other members of this class against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Their activity against Gram-positive bacteria, including coagulase-negative Staphylococci, is similar to that of other glycopeptides. An A40926 preparation containing factors A and B ("A40926 A + B complex") was hydrolyzed to the aglycone and to the mannosyl and N-acylaminoglucuronyl aglycones. The mannosyl aglycone and the aglycone were less active than A40926 A + B complex against Streptococci and Gram-positive anaerobes and lost the anti-gonorrheal activity. In contrast, the N-acylaminoglucuronyl aglycones were as active as the parent complex against these Gram-positive bacteria and were moderately active against N. gonorrhoeae. The aglycone and, even more so, the N-acylaminoglucuronyl aglycones, had better activity than the parent complex against coagulase-negative Staphylococci. In experimental septicemia in the mouse, A40926 A + B complex and its derivatives had activity proportional to their MIC for the test organism.

Animals↗

Epirubicin treatment of advanced breast carcinoma with the weekly low-dose regimen.

Authors describe the results obtained with weekly low-dose (20 or 30 mg/total) of intravenous bolus epirubicin, used as second line chemotherapy, after CMF, in 29 advanced breast carcinoma patients. 29% objective response rate (1 complete + 6 partial responses) has been observed in 24 evaluable patients, with median response duration of 4 months (range 1-7+). The discrete response rate and the minimal incidence of side effects call for further studies and more extensive evaluation of epirubicin given alone or in combination through this new treatment schedule.

Adult↗

In vitro activity of A-16686, a potential antiplaque agent.

A-16686, a new glycoproteide antibiotic from Actinoplanes sp., was evaluated as a potential antiplaque agent in comparison with chlorhexidine, benzalkonium chloride, and cetylpyridinium chloride. A-16686 had good activity against gram-positive organisms associated with dental plaque (various streptococci, Streptococcus mutans in particular, lactobacilli, Actinomyces viscosus, and Actinomyces naeslundii); most of the strains tested were clinical isolates. It was bactericidal for streptococci (MBC/MIC ratio of less than or equal to 8 for 92% of the strains) and for growing cells of S. mutans briefly exposed to antibiotic (99.9% killing within 5 min of contact with 200 micrograms of A-16686 per ml). It also inhibited the in vitro plaque formation by S. mutans and had good activity against preformed plaques. For most cases, its activity was comparable to those of chlorhexidine, benzalkonium chloride, and cetylpyridinium chloride. A-16686 appears to be a promising antiplaque agent because of the following attributes: narrow spectrum of activity, rapid bactericidal action, lack of selection of resistant mutants, absence of cross-resistance with clinically used antibiotics, nonabsorption by oral route, good tolerability by the oral mucosa (rats and dogs), and physical characteristics (white powder, soluble in water).

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Intralesional chemotherapy for Kaposi's sarcoma.

Over a period of 36 months we treated 12 patients with skin localizations of Kaposi's sarcoma with intralesional chemotherapy. Local administration of vincristine (usual dose 0.1 mg per site) or bleomycin appeared to be very effective: in 93 injected nodules we obtained 74 complete and 19 partial regressions. No significant local or systemic toxicity has so far been observed.

Aged↗

Confirmed activity of FAM polychemotherapy in advanced gastric carcinoma.

During a 3-year period at our hospital, 54 consecutively observed patients with parametric, locally advanced, metastatic gastric carcinoma were treated with fluorouracil + adriamycin + mitomycin C. Of 47 evaluable patients, 44.6% had an objective response (complete + partial response) and 29.7% had stabilized disease. The median duration of response was 7.5 months. The median survival was 8.9 months for all patients. In particular, the survival of responders (greater than 12 months) and of patients with stabilized disease (8.6 months) was significantly longer than that of patients with progressive disease (4.5 months). Toxicity was limited and reversible, which allowed treatment also of patients in poor general condition (PS 3-4 of the Zubrod scale).

Adult↗

Cardiac toxicity of 5-fluorouracil: a study on 1083 patients.

The possible onset of cardiotoxic manifestations during chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was evaluated in 1083 patients treated with the drug for various kinds of neoplasm. We recognized 17 cases of 5-FU cardiopathy (usually anginous crises but also myocardial infarction). The comprehensive incidence was 1.6%, with a significantly greater risk (4.5% vs 1.1%) for patients with a positive anamnesis of previous cardiopathy. On the contrary, age and combination with other antiblastic drugs had no affect on the appearance of cardiopathy. We conclude that 5-FU cardiopathy, although rare, has to be taken into account in oncologic practice, chiefly in those patients already affected with cardiac diseases.

Aged↗

A randomized trial of adjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy in cutaneous melanoma.

In a randomized trial of adjuvant chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or immunochemotherapy, 761 evaluable patients with pathological Stage II cutaneous melanoma anywhere on the body or with pathological Stage I melanoma of the trunk (Clark's level 3 to 5) were studied by the World Health Organization International Melanoma Group. Wide local excision and excisional regional lymphadenectomy alone were performed in 185 patients and the results were compared with those of surgery plus chemotherapy with dacarbazine (in 192 patients), surgery plus immunotherapy with bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine (in 203), and surgery plus chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy (in 181). The rates of disease-free survival and overall survival at 36 months were 30.4 +/- 8.3 per cent (mean +/- S.E.) and 41.6 +/- 10.0 per cent, respectively, after surgical treatment alone; 37.2 +/- 7.9 per cent and 46.5 +/- 8.3 per cent after surgery plus chemotherapy; 34.8 +/- 7.9 per cent and 48.7 +/- 8.7 per cent after surgery plus immunotherapy; and 33.6 +/- 7.9 per cent and 50.0 +/- 8.8 per cent after surgery plus a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. None of the differences between groups was significant, and thus no effect of adjuvant therapy could be demonstrated in this study.

BCG Vaccine↗

[Dipropylacetamide and hypnosis in drug dependence].

Ten drug addicted women, inpatient in a judicial psychiatric hospital, after detoxification were treated by means of valproic acid amide (1200 mg/daily for the first 14 days, then reduced to 600 mg/daily) and hypnosis, for a period ranging between 46 and 180 days. According to lowering of the intensity of 6 target symptoms, positive results on habit loosing were checked in 7 out of 10 Ss. To these results, right importance is attributed even to the forcibly removal from addicts' environment.

Adult↗