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Biomedical subjects

H Rainer

Publications and source records attributed to H Rainer.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Effect of adjuvant chemo- or immunotherapy on the prognosis of colorectal cancer operated for cure.

After radical surgery for colorectal cancer, 178 patients with a Dukes' B or C tumour were randomly assigned to one of three groups: A, controls (n = 62); B, chemotherapy (n = 59); C, immunotherapy (n = 57). Randomization criteria (age, sex, Dukes' stage, localization of tumour, operative procedure) were evenly distributed throughout the groups. After a median observation time of 30 months, statistical analyses were performed: survival and probability to be free of recurrence was described by Kaplan-Meier estimates of the survival function; for comparison of these survival functions, Breslow's test was used. Overall analyses show no benefit in the treatment group compared to controls. Separate analyses by Dukes' stages showed that in patients with Dukes' C tumours the probability of survival 40 months after surgery was 72 per cent in group C, 51 per cent in group B, and 33 per cent in group A. The differences between groups C and A, and B and A were statistically significant (P less than 0.02 and P less than 0.03 respectively). For a Dukes' C tumour the probability to be free of distant metastases at 30 months after surgery was 80 per cent in group B, 68 per cent in group C and 52 per cent in group A. Also for a Dukes' C tumour the probability to be free of liver metastases at 21 months after surgery was 83 per cent in group B, 81 per cent in group C, and 54 per cent in group A (significant differences: B-A and C-A P less than 0.04 for both). There was no influence on the estimated incidence of local recurrences for stage Dukes' C. Patients with a Dukes' B tumour did not benefit from either of the adjuvant therapy schemes.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1985

Mitoxantrone as first-line chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer: results of a collaborative European study.

Mitoxantrone (Novantrone; dihydroxyanthracenedione) is a substituted anthraquinone with a spectrum of activity similar to doxorubicin in experimental tumors. One hundred and seventy three patients with advanced breast cancer and no prior cytotoxic therapy for advanced disease entered a phase II study of mitoxantrone, 14 mg/m2 i.v. repeated every 3 weeks. At the time of this analysis 116 patients were evaluable. Eight patients achieved a complete response and 27 a partial response, the overall response rate being 30% (95% confidence limits: 22-39%). The median time until response was recorded was 15 weeks. The median duration of response was 74+ weeks and the median time to progression or death for all 116 patients was 22+ weeks. Mitoxantrone was well tolerated with myelosuppression as the dose-limiting toxicity. The most frequent non-haematological toxicities were nausea and vomiting (65%) but they were rarely severe. Total alopecia occurred in only 6% of the patients. Four patients developed clinically significant evidence of cardiotoxicity after cumulative mitoxantrone doses of 174-256 mg/m2. Thus, mitoxantrone offers comparable efficacy and less acute toxicity than the most active single agents currently available in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

[Results of the first Austrian multicenter ovarian cancer study: prospective randomized comparison of sequential chemotherapy (adriamycin/cisplatin--vincristine/cyclophosphamide--methotrexate) with 2 standard protocols (adriamycin/cyclophosphamide or adriamycin/cisplatin) in stage III and IV patients].

From June 1980 to December 1982 164 patients with ovarian cancer stage III and IV were randomized into the three-legged Austrian Ovarian Cancer Study. A new polychemotherapy, known as the "changing-scheme" (adriamycin/cisplatinum--vincristine/cyclophosphamide--high dose methotrexate), developed in Vienna, was compared with adriamycin/cyclophosphamide and adriamycin/cisplatinum. The risk factors were stratified by means of special computer-assisted randomization. The first study evaluation in 1982 showed a significant advantage for the changing-scheme with regard to recurrence-free interval and survival (Mantel test: p less than 0.01, Breslow test: p less than 0.03). No difference was found between the combinations of adriamycin/cyclophosphamide and adriamycin/cisplatinum. At the second study evaluation in June 1984 the differences previously observed were no longe present to the same significant extent. The changing-scheme continued to be superior for the subgroups of patients with highly differentiated tumors, without ascites, with larger postoperative tumor burden and with liver metastases. The use of this therapy is be recommended for women with advanced ovarian cancer, especially in consideration of the much lower toxicity caused by the less frequent cisplatinum administrations as compared to the adriamycin/cisplatinum combination.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1985

Simultaneous and sequential determinations of steroid hormone receptors in human breast cancer. Influence of intervening therapy.

Estrogen (ER), progesterone (PgR), and androgen (AR) receptors were measured in two simultaneous or subsequent specimens taken each from 259 patients with breast cancer. We studied in 182 patients results from receptor assays, either from one tumor or from the primary tumor, and a lymph node metastasis, and in 77 sequential biopsies with or without intervening therapy. All assays were performed in a single laboratory, considering 10 fmol/mg cytosol protein bound ligand as receptor positive. The concordance rate in simultaneous ER assays was 85%; however, we found a considerable high discordance rate for PgR in primary tumor and lymph node metastasis (25%). The overall discordance rate in sequential biopsies for ER was 38% and for PgR 25%. This discordance rate was primarily dependent on the receptor quality of the first assay (ER+: 50%, ER-: 24%, PgR+: 68%, PgR-: 9%). Considering only the ER+ and PgR+ cases, we found the greatest discordance rate in the patients having endocrine treatment following the first biopsy (55% and 84%, respectively). We conclude that the receptor status of one tumor biopsy is highly representative for other tumor or lymph node biopsies. Because of the high discordance rate of primarily receptor + cases in subsequent recurrences, the receptor quality of these lesions should be analyzed whenever possible.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1984

[Surgical therapy of breast cancer: to operate radically or to preserve the breast?].

Surgical treatment, i.e. partial resection (R) versus modified radical mastectomy (M) in lymph node negative T1/2 patients and M versus the classical Halsted procedure (RM) in lymph node positive cases, as well as adjuvant treatment forms, namely chemotherapy (B) and chemoimmunotherapy (C) versus a control group treated by surgery only (A) have been evaluated in 241 patients with breast cancer follow up over a median observation time of 48 months. Whereas M showed significantly better results than R, no difference was detected between M and RM. The incidence of recurrence in the R group did not appear to be markedly reduced by cytotoxic treatment. In the same way, the data from a retrospective study on non-randomized patients treated by breast resection, showed a relatively high local recurrence rate (23.6%) at a median observation level of 10 years. Considering the various forms of surgical treatment for operable breast cancer by analysing the data from retrospective studies and prospective randomized trials from the literature as well as our own results, the only recommendation for the standard treatment of patients with primary operable breast cancer should be nothing less than modified radical mastectomy. Breast-conserving treatment forms should be tested only within the framework of controlled clinical trials.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1984

[Cytostatic therapy in metastatic breast cancer].

Although no breast cancer patient can be cured after metastases have been found, the fact that survival is prolonged and the symptoms and signs of advanced disease can be relieved, often impressively, by the administration of cytostatic chemotherapy justifies their implementation. Chemotherapy is only one aspect of a comprehensive treatment modality in this controversial field and has to be strictly reviewed in the light of indications and contraindications in every single patient. Step-by-step development over the past twenty years has proven the clear-cut advantages of polychemotherapy over a single-drug regimen. Adriamycin, the parent drug of the large group of anthracyclines has proved to be a highly efficacious substance in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Chronic administration of this compound is associated with the development of dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. This side effect is the most important limiting factor for the unrestricted use of this drug. Over the past years several anthracycline analogues have been developed which appear to be as effective against metastatic breast cancer as the parent compound. Moreover, there is some slight evidence that these drugs show less cardiotoxic activity than adriamycin. However, on objective review of the common treatment schedules in current use or under trial at present, it must be concluded that not one fully satisfies the ideal criteria of a safe and practicable procedure which does not stress the patient and is universally effective.

Anthraquinones↗
PubMed1984

[Mitoxantrone in the primary treatment of metastasizing breast cancer].

25 females (57.7 +/- 11.1 years) and 1 male (71 years) with histologically verified metastasizing breast cancer were submitted to mitoxantrone therapy. Secondary tumours were found in following organ systems: bone: 19 cases; lung: 13 cases; liver: 6 cases; skin: 5 cases; locoregional and nodal: 5 cases; brain: 1 case. All patients showed normal bone marrow and heart function before commencement of treatment. Mitoxantrone was given in form of a 30-minute infusion at a dosage of 14 mg/m2. In 4 patients dosage was increased to 20 mg/m2. Treatment cycles were repeated every 3 weeks according to peripheral blood counts. All patients were cardiologically monitored throughout the study by means of electrocardiogram, systolic time interval measurement and radionuclide angiography. The mean observation period was 169 +/- 98 days. The response of the patients was as follows: 1 complete remission, 5 partial remissions, 4 unchanged disease and 16 progressive disease. Side effects were normally mild; only nausea, leucopenia and moderate hair loss were of clinical relevance. Cardiac decompensation was not observed. No significant electrocardiographic alterations were found throughout the study. Results of systolic time interval measurements (PEPI, PEP:LVET) and radionuclide angiography (LVEF) gave evidence of moderate depression of heart function. In view of the optimal benefit/risk ratio of mitoxantrone this drug could be used in combined modality treatment schedules in metastasizing breast cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Mitoxantrone for the treatment of advanced breast cancer: single-agent therapy in previously untreated patients.

Mitoxantrone (dihydroxyanthracenedione) is a substituted anthraquinone with a similar spectrum of activity to adriamycin in experimental tumours. One hundred and thirty-four patients with advanced breast cancer and no prior chemotherapy for advanced disease were treated with mitoxantrone (14 mg/m2 i.v. q 3 weeks), of whom 99 are presently evaluable for response and all for toxicity. Six patients achieved a complete response and 29 a partial response, the overall response rate being 35% (95% confidence limits, 25-45%). Median time to treatment failure was greater than 46 weeks. Mitoxantrone was well tolerated, myelosuppression being the dose-limiting toxicity. The most frequent nonhaematological toxicities were nausea and vomiting (40%), but these were rarely severe. Total alopecia occurred in only 6 patients. Four patients developed clinically significant evidence of cardiotoxicity after cumulative mitoxantrone doses of 174-256 mg/m2. Mitoxantrone offers comparable efficacy and less acute toxicity than the most active currently available single agents in advanced breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

[Chemotherapy of small cell bronchial carcinoma].

Many cytotoxic agents exhibit response in oat cell lung cancer. According to response rates those substances my be divided into 3 subgroups. Combination of chemotherapeutic drugs is considerable more active as compared to single agent therapy. Actuarial survival was significantly improved by chemotherapy and is related to dosages and the absolute number of cytotoxics used. Sequential chemotherapy with sequential administration of non-cross resistant schemes seems to be the optimal therapeutic strategy at present time. A ten-fold increase of survival has been shown including a small percentage of long term survivors. It seems likely to assume that those therapies combined in an optimal manner without dose-reductions during induction therapy will further improve survival and percentage of long term survivors.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1984

A prospective study of relationships between benign gastric ulcer, Candida, and medical treatment.

Results of a multicenter prospective study on the relationships between benign gastric ulcer, Candida, and medical treatment is reported. In a group of 66 patients, mycetes were seen in six cases (9.1%). Candida-contaminated ulcers were diagnosed solely by histological examination, with periodic acid-Schiff staining being more effective than hematoxylin and eosin staining. All contaminated ulcers were healed by treatment either with cimetidine alone, or combined cimetidine-carbenoxolone, without antimycotics. No cases of Candida-contaminated ulcers were seen after 6 wk of treatment. The finding of contamination was more common in older patients. Under the conditions of our study, Candida-contamination of benign gastric ulcers does not affect the rate of healing, does not need specific treatment, and has no particular endoscopic features. Cimetidine or carbenoxolone treatment was not associated with persistence of the fungus.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1984

Mitoxantrone as first-line chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer: results of a European collaborative study.

A total of 134 patients with advanced breast cancer and no prior chemotherapy for advanced disease were treated with mitoxantrone, 14 mg/m2 intravenously every 3 weeks. Of these, 99 could be evaluated for response and all for toxicity. Six patients achieved a complete response and 29 a partial response, the overall response rate being 35% (95% confidence limits 25% to 45%). The median time to treatment failure was greater than 46 weeks. Mitoxantrone was well tolerated. Nausea and vomiting occurred in 40% of patients, but these were seldom severe. Total alopecia occurred in only six patients. Four patients developed clinically significant evidence of cardiotoxicity after cumulative doses of 174 to 256 mg/m2. Mitoxantrone offers comparable efficacy and less acute toxicity than the most active single agents currently used in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

[Transfer factor as adjuvant immunotherapy in invasive cervix cancer. Report of a double-blind study].

From 1977 to 1982 a prospective randomized double-blind study comparing transfer-factor (TF) versus placebo was conducted in invasive cervical cancer patients after radical surgery and irradiation. The husbands of the cancer patients were selected as leukocyte donors for TF preparations. 60 patients entered the study; 28 patients received placebo and 32 patients received TF. The comparability of both collectives was excellent concerning age and tumor stage. One patient treated with TF died intercurrently. The rate of recurrence of cancer was 5 in the 31 TF-treated patients and 11 in the 28 patients receiving placebo, which was significantly different (p less than 0,05). This difference was even greater when only patients treated for at least 3 months were compared (3 recurrences in the TF-group and 11 recurrences in the placebo-group). Further aspects of this clear clinical results are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Prekallikrein, HMW-kininogen and factor XII in various disease states.

The behaviour of prekallikrein (PKK), factor XII, high molecular weight kininogen (HMWK) and kallikrein-inhibitor (KK-I) in 367 patients with various diseases is described. Malignancies lead to elevation of factor XII and KK-I, and reduction of PKK. The effect is more pronounced in patients with metastases. In renal diseases also one or more of the above mentioned parameters are abnormal. Defects requiring dialysis treatment significantly impair the contact factors. In this group low levels of PKK, Factor XII and HMWK and increased KK-I are common. In chronic renal disease patients, only F XII and KK-I are elevated, whereas PKK and HMWK are normal. Kidney transplantation leads to a rise in KK-I and reduction of PKK and HMWK. The values almost normalize few days after the operation. Factor XII, slightly increased immediately after transplantation, remains high in long term transplant recipients, whereas HMWK falls below normal. In liver disease patients, acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver and coma, PKK is reduced. In cases with acute hepatitis PKK raises with recovery. Cirrhosis and coma lead to low HMWK and factor XII concentrations. KK-I is mostly affected during acute hepatitis, and is then highly increased. Our results clearly demonstrate that the biologic activity of one or more of contact factors is affected in many diseases.

Factor XII↗
PubMed1983

[Pilot studies with aclacinomycin in patients with breast cancer or gastrointestinal tumors].

Aclacinomycin (ACM), a new anthracycline antibiotic compound, was given intravenously q x 3 to 6 weeks in a dosage of 4 x 60 mg/4 days to 10 patients with metastasizing breast cancer and 5 patients with gastric carcinoma. Breast cancer patients, prior to ACM had extensive cytotoxic and hormonal treatments, gastric cancer patients received ACM as a first chemotherapeutic tumor treatment. No life-threatening hematologic toxicities could be noticed. All patients experienced moderate to severe gastrointestinal toxicities. No patient had considerable hair loss. 4 patients showed clinical signs of cardiac dysfunction: 1 ECG changes, 4 developed edema of lower extremities, 2 developed pericardial effusion. Moreover, 1 patient developed significant elevation of the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCW) and prolongation of the systolic time intervals indicating pulmonary congestion grade I to II (Braunwald). No significant increase in heart volume was registered. Clear signs of cardiotoxicity could be demonstrated in patients pretreated with adriamycin exclusively. In animal experience, ACM had been reported as less cardiotoxic as compared to adriamycin. Present studies seem to indicate ACM being considerably cardiotoxic at relatively low cumulative dosages. Among the 15 patients there was one with metastatic breast cancer pretreated with adriamycin and resistant to that drug in whom partial remission was achieved. The other patients did not objectively respond to ACM therapy. 3 out of 5 patients with gastric cancer had stabilisation of the disease but no objective response.

Aclarubicin↗
PubMed1983

Clinical and experimental aspects of hormone receptors in breast carcinoma patients.

Estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PgR) receptor contents were determined in 214 patients with primary mammary carcinoma. Premenopausal and postmenopausal females (43 and 48%, respectively) were found to be ER and PgR positive. ER levels between 100 and 500 fmol/mg protein were observed in 37% postmenopausal and 14% premenopausal patients, respectively. ER distribution between lymph node-positive and -negative patients did not differ significantly. Subjects without detectable ER had recurrences earlier than did subjects with ER. On the other hand, no differences in recurrence rates were noted when PgR-positive and -negative patients were compared. In addition, the determination of ER did not permit selection of patients for adjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy. Furthermore, the action of tamoxifen was investigated in the rat pituitary as a model system. Tamoxifen was found to act as antiestrogen at the level of transcription by inhibiting the accumulation of estrogen-stimulated preprolactin mRNA. Combined data suggest that patients with positive lymph nodes and positive receptors may benefit from combined endocrine plus cytotoxic adjuvant chemotherapy.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

The value of prognostic parameters for the stratification of advanced breast cancer patients.

One hundred seventy-five patients with metastatic breast cancer, treated with a combination chemotherapy (Cooper regimen), were analyzed retrospectively to identify the value of the traditional prognostic parameters (disease-free interval; menopausal status; dominant site of metastatic lesion) for the stratification of patients before randomization. Response rate and survival time were not significantly affected by the disease-free interval and menopausal status. A significant difference was detected among the three categories of dominant disease (locoregional; osseous; visceral). However, an estimate of total extent of disease (according to Swenerton) was found to be the most important factor for predicting response and survival time after combination cytotoxic treatment. The differences between the dominant size of metastatic disease are mainly influenced by different size of metastatic spread. Therefore, there is found a significant correlation between the different types of dominant lesions and total extent of disease. In conclusion, the particular sites of metastatic spread seem to be of less importance than overall extent of disease in predicting the outcome. A critical evaluation of the three traditional stratification parameters and introduction of a semiquantitative estimation of total tumor burden as a new stratification parameter seems to be necessary when planning and comparing future trials.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Plasmapheresis in patients with advanced malignant disease: a pilot study.

Plasmapheresis has been performed in 16 patients with advanced malignant disease (12 malignant melanoma, 2 breast cancer, 2 colon cancer). Up to 3,000 ml of plasma (range 1,650-3,000 ml) have been replaced by one single plasma exchange. Side effects observed in about 50% of the patients were mainly nausea and chills. Serum proteins including acute phase reactants were monitored before and 2, 4, and 7 days after plasma exchange. A transient change of these proteins was observed in the first days, but, later on, pretreatment values were always retained. Peripheral blood lymphocyte blastogenic response to mitogens was increased in 5 out of 9 patients 7 days after plasma exchange. In 7 out of 9 patients pretreatment serum was found inhibitory to autologous lymphocyte reactivity to mitogens. Furthermore, plasmapheresis was found to decrease significantly the blocking effect of patients' sera on normal donor lymphocyte reactivity. Plasmapheresis was found tolerable in all patients treated, but without any clinical efficacy. Further studies are warranted to establish the therapeutic value of plasma exchange in patients with advanced malignancies.

Blood Proteins↗