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Biomedical subjects

G Tekuzman

Publications and source records attributed to G Tekuzman.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

High-dose ifosfamide by infusion with Mesna in advanced refractory sarcomas.

Twenty patients with advanced sarcomas entered a pilot study with ifosfamide (IF) and mercaptoethane sulfonate sodium (Mesna) as a second-line treatment for six planned cycles. All patients had received prior doxorubicin- and cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapies. IF was administered at a dose of 3 g/m2 given as continuous intravenous infusion for 24 hr on day 1-5 with Mesna. In the absence of disease progression, chemotherapy was planned to be repeated every 4 weeks for six consecutive cycles. Following chemotherapy, only 2 patients (11%) achieved partial response with response durations of 6 and 9 months. There was no complete response. When considered for only high-grade tumors, the response rate reached up to 22%. Toxicity was reported for 48 cycles and the dose-limiting toxicities were myelosuppression (22%) and encephalopathy (17%). Chemotherapy protocol was changed after two or three courses in 16 patients with stable or progressive disease. IF/Mesna chemotherapy at this dose and schedule was not found to be very promising in refractory sarcomas as a second-line chemotherapy.

Adult↗

Acute tumor lysis syndrome following intrathecal methotrexate.

We report a 17-year-old boy with meningeal involvement of lymphoblastic lymphoma who experienced acute tumor lysis syndrome following intrathecal administration of methotrexate. Intrathecally injected methotrexate provides a slow- release reservoir of methotrexate into the bloodstream with prolonged cytotoxic levels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second case of tumor lysis syndrome to be described after intrathecal methotrexate injection. The pathogenesis of this unusual complication of intrathecal chemotherapy is discussed.

Adolescent↗

Efficacy of fluconazole in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal candidiasis in neutropenic patients with cancer: factors influencing the outcome.

Fluconazole has proved to be effective in treating oropharyngeal and esophageal candidiasis in immunocompromised patients. However, sufficient data are lacking regarding the efficacy of this agent in neutropenic hosts. The aim of the present study was to determine the clinical and mycological efficacy of fluconazole and to define the factor(s) affecting the outcome of fluconazole therapy in severely neutropenic patients (peripheral neutrophil count, < 500/microL) with cancer who have oropharyngeal and/or esophageal candidiasis. One hundred eleven patients with 129 episodes of candidal infections were treated with intravenous and consequently oral fluconazole (200 mg/d and 100 mg/d, respectively). Overall clinical cure and mycological eradication rates were 82% and 56%, respectively. Persistent neutropenia (P < .01), infection with a non-albicans strain of Candida (P = .012), and administration of antifungal therapy during the second or a later neutropenic episode (P < .002) were independently associated with a worse outcome. We conclude that fluconazole is effective in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal candidiasis in neutropenic patients with cancer. Effective treatment of the underlying malignancy, with the resultant recovery from neutropenia, and the determination of the species of infecting Candida isolates are required for the prediction of the outcome of antifungal therapy.

Adult↗

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in Turkey: eighteen years' experience at the Hacettepe University.

In this retrospective study, 470 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) who had been followed in the Hacettepe University Medical Oncology Department between 1973 and 1990, were evaluated to establish their epidemiologic, clinical and therapeutic characteristics. Out of 470 patients, 302 (62.2%) were male and 168 (37.8%) were female. The ages ranged from 16 to 85, with a median of 44 years. Constitutional symptoms were present in 46.4% of the patients. According to the Working Formulation, low, intermediate, and high-grade lymphomas comprised 33.4%, 54.9%, and 12.7%, respectively. The most common extranodal presentation was gastrointestinal. The chemotherapy regimens most commonly used were CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone), BCNOP (bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, mitoxantrone, vincristine, prednisone), CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) and CHOP-Bleo (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, bleomycin). The response rates and the survival figures attained with these regimens were not statistically significantly different (P > 0.05). In the Cox multivariate model, pathologic grade, leukopenia, responsiveness to chemotherapy, bone marrow involvement and age were the important factors influencing the disease-free survival, while responsiveness to chemotherapy, age, presence of constitutional symptoms, pathologic grade, extranodal presentation and stage were the important factors influencing the overall survival. The distribution of NHL according to grade and stage was similar to that in western societies, while constitutional symptoms and lymphomas of the small intestine including immunoproliferative small intestinal disease were more common in Turkey.

Adolescent↗

Does gastric adenocarcinoma develop after the treatment of gastric lymphoma?

Two adult patients with the diagnosis of gastric lymphoma who developed adenocarcinoma of the stomach 8 years after the treatment are presented. Both patients were treated by subtotal gastrectomy followed by irradiation of 4,000-4,500 cGy to the epigastric region and six courses of chemotherapy (vincristine, cyclophosphamide, prednisolone). In our review of the literature, 16 cases of gastric adenocarcinoma following the treatment of gastric lymphoma were found and listed with details. The factors influencing the development of this secondary carcinoma, mainly those treatment related are discussed. The possible role of both radiotherapy and chemotherapy in shortening the latent period for the development of stump carcinoma is emphasized.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Ceruloplasmin level in women with breast disease. Preliminary results.

The average ceruloplasmin levels of 29 patients with active breast cancer and 22 patients in remission were 824 +/- 61 mg/l and 630 +/- 18 mg/l respectively. The average ceruloplasmin level of 17 patients with benign breast diseases was 555 +/- 29 mg/l and of 18 healthy women in a control group 584 +/- 17 mg/l. Breast cancer patients not in remission had ceruloplasmin levels which were significantly increased when compared to the other 3 groups. The CA 15-3 levels and ceruloplasmin levels were positively correlated. We propose that ceruloplasmin may be used as a tumour marker in the follow-up of patients with breast cancer.

Adult↗

Lactate dehydrogenase and its isoenzymes in serum from patients with multiple myeloma.

Concentrations of total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; EC 1.1.1.27) and LDH isoenzyme patterns were studied in serum of 19 patients with multiple myeloma and in 19 healthy controls. Patients were divided into three groups (pretreatment, nonresponders, and responders to treatment), based on their clinical status at the time of blood sampling for LDH. The LDH values were found to be significantly higher (P less than 0.05) in the pretreatment group and in the nonresponders than in the responders and the control group, the mean +/- SE values being 445 +/- 35 and 532 +/- 75 units/mL vs 349 +/- 75 and 190 +/- 7.1 units/mL, respectively. Compared with responders and healthy controls, newly diagnosed patients and nonresponders had slight diminutions in LDH-1 and LDH-2, but increased LDH-3. We conclude that determination of LDH and its isoenzymes in serum can be of value as prognostic factors in patients with multiple myeloma.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Tumor lysis syndrome following single-dose mitoxantrone.

We report here a 16-year-old boy with pre-B-type acute lymphoblastic leukemia who developed acute tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) following 12 h mitoxantrone infusion. TLS is a distinct clinical entity which has been recognized most frequently with aggressive combination chemotherapy of rapidly proliferating hematologic neoplasms. There have been a few reports of single-agent-induced tumor lysis, but to our knowledge, this is the first case reported with mitoxantrone alone.

Adolescent↗

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas of the tonsil: a retrospective analysis of twenty-eight patients with primary tonsillary lymphoma.

AIMS: To analyze the clinical and therapeutic aspects of patients with primary tonsillary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with primary tonsillary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who had been followed in the Hacettepe Oncology Institute between 1974 and 1992 were retrospectively analyzed. Fifteen patients were male, 13 were female. Median age was 55 years. RESULTS: Constitutional symptoms were present in 10 patients (35.7%). Stages according to the Ann Arbor classification were I and II in 12 and 16 patients, respectively. According to the Rappaport classification, poorly differentiated lymphocytic was the most common pathologic subgroup (42.9%). Grades according to the Working Formulation were low, intermediate and high in 3, 22 and 3 patients, respectively. Twenty-two patients had received chemotherapy. Cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone (CVP), and cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP) were the regimens most commonly employed. Eighteen patients received radiotherapy to Waldeyer's ring and neck. Eight patients achieved remission with chemotherapy plus radio-therapy, 7 patients with chemotherapy alone, and 5 patients with radiotherapy alone. In addition to the 20 patients who achieved complete remission, 3 patients achieved partial remission; the overall response rate was 82.1%. The response rates and survival attained with the combined modality, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy alone were not statistically different (P > 0.05). The median follow-up was 14 months. Overall and disease-free survival at 5 years were 62.6% and 77.6%, respectively. Pathologic grade was the most important prognostic factor influencing overall survival in the Cox multivariate model. CONCLUSIONS: Poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphomas were the most common pathologic subtype, and pathologic grade was the most important prognostic factor to influence survival in the present study. Although combined modality treatment did not appear to be superior to chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone, a larger number of patients is needed to draw definite conclusions.

Adult↗

Ifosfamide and etoposide in previously treated patients with advanced breast cancer.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Ifosfamide is an active alkylating agent in the treatment of breast cancer, as a first-line therapy and in advanced disease. Since the combination of etoposide with an alkylating agent produces a synergistic and tolerable activity in various malignancies, in the present study, ifosfamide and etoposide were administered to patients with advanced breast cancer to evaluate the response characteristics and the toxicity profile. STUDY DESIGN: The combination of ifosfamide, mesna and etoposide was prospectively administered to 41 previously treated patients with stage IV breast carcinoma. The treatment schedule consisted of ifosfamide, 1500 mg/m2, infused over 24 hrs with 1500 mg/m2 mesna on days 1 to 5 and 120 mg/m2 etoposide, infused over 1 hr on days 1 to 3, to be repeated every 4th week. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 10 months, an objective response rate of 23% (overall 2.5% complete remission and 20.5% partial remission) and a median response duration of 5.3 months were obtained in 39 assessable patients. The non-responder group consisted of 28.3% stable disease and 48.7% progressive disease. The prior status of chemotherapy was the only significant prognostic factor with an impact on the response rate. The overall toxicity was generally mild, with grade 3 myelotoxicity encountered in 25.7% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The tolerable side effect profile of the ifosfamide and etoposide combination might be advantageous as regards the quality of life. To improve the rate and/or the duration of response and to clarify the precise role of the ifosfamide-etoposide combination in previously treated advanced breast cancer, further trials are warranted.

Adult↗

Haemostatic changes; plasma levels of alpha2-antiplasmin-plasmin complex and thrombin-antithrombin III complex in female breast cancer.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Disorders of hemostasis in patients with malignancies are based on several mechanisms, such as ability of the tumor to alter the coagulation system by producing blood clotting factors or decreasing their inhibitors by increasing fibrinolysis, and by inducing an alteration of blood vessels in relation to the state of local invasion. We investigated the fibrinolytic system marker alpha2-antiplasmin-plasmin complex (APP) and clotting system marker thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) in patients with breast cancer and compare them with CA 15-3, the most well-known breast cancer antigen. METHODS: Plasma levels of APP and TAT and serum level of CA 15-3 were determined in 57 patients with breast cancer (28 in remission and 29 with active breast cancer) and 13 healthy women. RESULTS: In patients with active breast cancer, plasma APP levels were significantly elevated compared to those of other groups (P<0.05). In addition, we observed a poor but positive correlation between plasma levels of APP and those of CA 15-3 (r=0.24; P=0.038). Plasma TAT levels, which reflect the activation of thrombin, were also significantly elevated in patients with active breast cancer (P<0.01), and there was a significant correlation between CA 15-3 and TAT (r=0.24; P=0.041). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that increased APP and TAT levels might reflect enhanced activation of coagulation and the fibrinolytic system in patients with active breast cancer.

Adult↗