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J J Grau

Publications and source records attributed to J J Grau.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Chronic oral etoposide in non-small cell lung carcinoma.

25 consecutive inoperable or extended non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (19 non-chemotherapy pretreated, 6 non-heavily pretreated) were given oral etoposide, 50 mg/m2/day for 21 successive days, every 4 weeks. 5 partial responses (PR), 9 disease stabilizations were achieved; the overall response rate of 20% (95% confidence interval, 4% to 36%) or 26% in non-pretreated patients. Median survival and PR duration probabilities were 6.7 months and 6.3 months, respectively. Alopecia excepted (96% of patients), non-haematological toxicity was mild. Haematological toxicity WHO grade II+III mainly consisted of leukopenia (28%).

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1992

Cancer diagnosis disclosure in a Spanish hospital.

At the Clinic Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, 167 cancer patients and 380 hospital health care workers were interviewed about cancer diagnosis disclosure. Only 25 patients (15%) were correctly informed of their diagnoses. Breast cancer patients were significantly more often informed than patients with other malignancies (p less than 0.05). Two hundred seventy-two of 380 hospital health workers interviewed (71%, p = 0.00) would want to know their own diagnoses should they suffer from cancer in the future, but only 19% (p = 0.00) would want such a diagnosis revealed to their similarly afflicted relatives. This information model, based on cancer taboo, is largely preferred by these healthy people and is followed by doctors, patients and family members. To inform our patients better, the mandatory uniform disclosure of the true diagnosis is not likely to be constructive at present. In our opinion a pragmatic approach is more realistic and humane. Nevertheless, we must hope that more modern cancer education will lead to the gradual elimination of this taboo in our society.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Phase II trial of carboplatin and etoposide activity in pretreated breast cancer patients.

Twenty-seven metastatic breast adenocarcinoma patients, pretreated with standard hormonotherapy or chemotherapy, received carboplatin 100 mg/m2/day x 3 intravenously (i.v.) plus etoposide 100 mg/m2/d x 3 i.v. repeated at 4-week intervals. There were five partial responses (18.5%), two minor responses, and 12 disease stabilizations. The dominant metastatic disease sites were soft tissue in three partially responding patients and visceral metastases in the two remaining responders. The median duration of response and time to progression were, respectively, 10 and 26 weeks. Major toxicity was myelosuppression with 85% of patients developing leukopenia; 48%, anemia; and 30%, thrombocytopenia. Carboplatin plus etoposide has shown antitumor activity in our group of pretreated patients. Based on the same schedule, a first-line carboplatin plus etoposide Phase II trial has been started.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1992

Prognostic value of CA 19.9 levels in colorectal cancer.

Pretreatment serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 19.9 (CA 19.9) and carcinoembryonic antigen were measured in 293 patients with colorectal cancer. Carbohydrate antigen 19.9 was above the cut-off limit of 37 U/mL in 35% of patients. Carbohydrate antigen 19.9 sensitivity was related to tumor stage. Carcinoembryonic antigen was above the cut-off level of 3.5 ng/mL in 61% of patients, and the simultaneous use of two markers increased sensitivity to 66%. The main use of pretreatment levels of CA 19.9 in locoregional cancer is in prognosis. Carbohydrate antigen 19.9 provided more prognostic information than that obtained by conventional staging methods. In patients with Dukes' C tumors, additional information was obtained for allocation of these patients into groups at low or high risk of recurrence. Prognostic significance of carcinoembryonic antigen was not independent of Dukes' classification.

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate↗
PubMed1992

Intracavitary oxytetracycline in malignant pericardial tamponade.

We started a treatment trial for malignant pericardial tamponade with intracavitary oxytetracycline, 500-1,000 mg/day, administered via an indwelling pericardial cannula after extraction of as much pericardial fluid as possible. This procedure was repeated every 24 h for 6 consecutive days or until no more fluid could be drained. Eleven consecutive patients were entered in the study. The responses were obtained by clinical examination, chest roentgenogram and echocardiogram, prior to and after treatment. The primary cancer was located in the breast in 7 patients, in the stomach in 2 patients, and in the lung in 2 patients. In all cases, systemic chemotherapy or hormonal therapy was started after the pericardial tamponade was cured. The mean tetracycline dose per patient was 3,000 mg (range 1,500-6,000). All patients responded to the treatment with rapidly improving symptoms. Response persisted during a median of 9 months coinciding roughly with the median survival because all patients died because of progression of the neoplasm at sites other than the pericardium with no evidence of pericardial relapse. The main concomitant effects were mild local pain during tetracycline instillation in 4 patients, and transient fever (less than 39 degrees C) in 3. These data suggest that intracavitary oxytetracycline is perhaps less toxic and similar by successful as tetracycline hydrochloride in malignant pericardial tamponade.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Mitomycin C as an adjuvant treatment to resected gastric cancer. A 10-year follow-up.

Seventy consecutive patients were entered in a two-arm randomized trial after surgical resection for locally advanced gastric cancer. In the first arm, 37 patients were included as a control group, receiving no further treatment after surgery. In the second arm, 33 patients were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of mitomycin C (MMC), 20 mg/m2 administered intravenously once every 6 weeks for four consecutive cycles. All patients in both arms were followed in the same way for 5 years. At 5 years 23 of 37 patients in the control arm and 7 of 33 patients in the treatment arm were dead because of relapse. Actuarial survival curve was statistically significant in favor of patients given adjuvant MMC (p less than 0.001). After 10 years follow-up, 31 of 37 patients in the control arm and 16 out of 33 patients in the treatment arm were dead because of relapse, the statistical differences continuing in the actuarial survival curve in favor of treated patients (p less than 0.01). The best advantages of adjuvant treatment were observed in the T3N0M0 stage. The most frequent relapse site was the peritoneal cavity and the relapse pattern shows special decrease in liver metastases in treated patients. Toxicity was acute and mild. No delayed toxicity or second malignancies were observed. These data suggest that adjuvant MMC after resected surgery of gastric cancer is a successful treatment and its effects are still evident after 10 years of follow-up.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Adjuvant treatment in stage I and II malignant melanoma: a randomized trial between chemoimmunotherapy and immunotherapy.

A randomized trial comparing chemoimmunotherapy (bacillus Calmette-Guérin + chemotherapy) and immunotherapy (bacillus Calmette-Guérin alone) was carried out in high-risk stage I and II malignant melanoma patients. Eight-two evaluable patients were included. The follow-up median duration was 11 years. Recurrent melanoma developed in 28 patients (34%). The overall survival rate was 76% at 5 years and 65% at 10 years. There were no statistical differences in survival probability or disease-free survival (DFS) probability between the two treatment groups. Survival and DFS were also analyzed in relation to various prognostic factors. Statistically significant differences were only seen in a subset of 33 patients with lower limb malignant melanoma, the prognosis being better for the chemoimmunotherapy group in this location. Because of the small number of patients in each group, a week positive effect of either of these two treatments cannot be ruled out. Chemoimmunotherapy only seems to improve the prognosis of stage I or II malignant melanoma of the legs.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Combination chemotherapy with oral etoposide plus intravenous cyclophosphamide in liver metastases of breast cancer.

Sixteen patients with hepatic metastases of histologically documented breast cancer were treated with etoposide (VP 16-213) and cyclophosphamide. Previously, 6 had shown relapse in the liver after adjuvant chemotherapy, 2 had failed to respond to another chemotherapy combination, and 8 had never undergone chemotherapy. Fifty percent responded to treatment, including 1 complete remission and 7 partial responses. Median survival was 16 months and median duration of response was 13 months. All patients showed alopecia and moderate leukopenia; 13 experienced moderate gastrointestinal toxicity; there was 1 mild case of anemia and 1 case of moderate hemorrhagic cystitis. This study suggests that the combination of VP 16-213 and cyclophosphamide is a well-tolerated and effective treatment in advanced breast cancer patients with liver metastases.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1983

[Cisplatin].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Follow-up study in head and neck cancer: cure rate according to tumor location and stage.

The purpose of this clinical study was to analyze a long-term follow-up of all the patients with head and neck cancer in our institution. Between 1973 and 1993, 1,355 consecutive cases of head and neck cancerwere diagnosed, treated and followed up regularly. All were subjected to a multidisciplinary approach, and followed up until death or for 10 years with no event of disease. The local relapse rate was 20% and the node-regional relapse rate 15%. Distant metastases were observed in 6% of the patients mainly arising from the nasopharynx (23%) followed by the hypopharynx (11%). The main organ involved was the lung (50%). Median follow-up of the group was 10 years (range 4 months to 15 years). Cancer cure was observed after 5 years in glottic and supraglottic laryngeal carcinoma, oral and nasopharyngeal cancer and after 2.5 years in patients with cancer of the oropharynx and hypopharynx. The highest cure rate was 80% in the glottis, followed by 70% in the supraglottic area, 45% in the mouth, 30% in the nasopharynx, 25% in the oropharynx, and 20% in the hypopharynx. A second primary tumor was observed in 7% of the patients and a third primary in 0.6% of the patients. Only in 7 patients, the second or third primary was seen after 5 years of follow-up. Curability should be observed after 5 years from definitive therapy of glottic, supraglottic, oral and nasopharyngeal and earlier in oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer. Further follow-up should be discontinued. Second and third neoplasias are the main problems after 5 years of follow-up but their incidence is low.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mucin-like carcinoma-associated antigen (MCA) in tissue and serum of patients with breast cancer: clinical applications in prognosis and disease monitoring.

Mucin-like Carcinoma-associated Antigen (MCA) has been associated with many breast cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate MCA in tumor tissue and serum as a potential tumor marker for prognosis and disease monitoring. MCA levels were determined in the tissue of 196 patients with primary breast cancer, 25 with metastatic disease and 25 patients with benign diseases, in pellet and/or cytosol. MCA levels were also determined in the serum of 50 patients with benign diseases, 148 with primary breast cancer (Mo), 150 with metastatic breast cancer (MT), and 200 with no clinical evidence of disease (NED). MCA tissue concentrations in pellet and cytosol were similar: 66.7 + 251 U/mg and 41.1 + 53 U/mg, respectively. No relationship between MCA levels and tumor size or nodal involvement was found. Higher MCA levels were observed in patients with ER+ or PgR+ tumors than in those with ER- or PgR- tumors (p < 0.01). Patients with MCA pellet concentrations lower than 10 U/mg of protein had shorter disease-free intervals (DFI) than those with higher values (p < 0.05). Abnormally high serum levels of MCA were found in 8% of patients with benign diseases, 4% of NED patients, 22% of Mo patients, and in 76% of MT cases. In primary breast cancer MCA values were related to tumor size and nodal involvement. A trend toward a lower DFI in patients with elevated presurgical MCA levels was observed but was of no statistical significance. These differences became statistically significant when patients were subdivided according to nodal status, with shorter DFI in those without nodal invasion (p < 0.05). In metastatic patients, changes in serum MCA were related to the tumor's response to treatment in 82% of cases. The highest MCA values were found in patients with liver or bone metastasis and the lowest values were found in those with locoregional recurrence. In conclusion, although MCA is not a specific tumor marker, it can be useful as a prognostic factor (tissue and serum) and in monitoring metastatic patients.

Adenofibroma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

CEA as a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer.

We have measured serum CEA levels in 207 patients with colorectal cancer. CEA sensitivity was related to tumor stage in tumors located in the right colon, but not in tumors located in the left colon or the rectum. CEA had prognostic value in patients with tumors located in the right colon (p < 0.001) but not in the left colon or the rectum. However, CEA did not have prognostic value independent of Dukes stage even in tumors in the right colon. Our results underline the different sensitivities and prognostic values for primary tumors in the left and right colorectal regions.

Carcinoembryonic Antigen↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Survival after chemotherapy with cisplatin and infusion of bleomycin prior to local-regional treatment in pyriform sinus cancer.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare different approaches including neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Ninety-six consecutive patients with pyriform sinus squamous cell carcinoma with no distant metastases were entered. The first 48 patients were treated with surgery plus postoperative radiation therapy (50-60 Gy) over cervical lymphatics. The next 48 patients were treated by induction chemotherapy with two courses of cisplatin, 120 mg/m2 i.v. day one, plus bleomycin, 20 mg/m2/day for 5 consecutive days in 24-hr i.v. perfusion followed by definitive surgery and postoperative radiation therapy as in the first therapeutic group. RESULTS: Definitive surgery was performed in 38 control vs 39 neoadjuvant patients. Complete response was observed in 9 (18.7%) and partial response in 32 (66.7%) of 48 chemotherapy-treated patients. Partial plus complete response was seen in 41 (85.4%) of the 48 patients. Comparison between controls versus chemotherapy-treated groups showed persistence of the disease in 10 vs 9 patients; local-regional relapses in 21 versus 14 patients; and distant metastases in 4 vs 2 patients. Median survival was 12 vs 40 months. Survival curves were statistically better in neoadjuvants than in controls (P < 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Multidisciplinary therapy slightly decreases the rate of local-regional relapses and distant metastases and should improve survival in this set of pyriform sinus cancer patients.

Adult↗