Biomedical subjects

J Ritter

Publications and source records attributed to J Ritter.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

[Large cell anaplastic lymphoma in children--clinical experiences with a newly defined histologic entity].

The clinical characteristics of 31 patients (pts.) (17 boys, 14 girls, median age 12 11/12 years) with large cell anaplastic lymphoma (LCAL) have been evaluated. 17 of these pts. had originally been diagnosed as suffering from "malignant histiocytosis" ("MH") and were therefore included in the DAL-Histiocytosis X 83 study. Another 14 pts. with Ki-1 lymphomas were enrolled in the BFM-NHL therapy studies. According to Murphyclassification 24 pts. (77%) had stage III or IV disease and in general presented in a severe condition. The lymphatic system was involved in 28 pts., 8 pts. (26%) had skin infiltration. With regard to lymphoma involvement of lung, bones and bone-marrow were unexpectedly frequent. CNS involvement was seen in just one pt. Despite rather heterogeneous therapy approaches (ALL-schedules, DAL-HX 83 protocol for treatment of "MH", combination of B-NHL-BFM and AML-BFM schedules, CHOP, BFM protocols for B-NHL) 30 out of 31 pts. achieved clinical remission (CR). The only nonresponder died during bone marrow transplantation of septicemia. 4 pts. relapsed during therapy. 3 of them died, 1 during a BMT. 1 pt. achieved 2nd CR with a BFM-B-NHL protocol. 3 pts. experienced a late relapse, 1 died, 1 2nd CR was achieved, the third pt. is still alive after 2 further relapses disease-free for 3 years. 23 pts. (74%, 13 out of 14 of BFM-NHL therapy study, 10 out of 17 of DAL-HX 83 study, 1 pt. after BMT) are in 1st CR with a median observation time of 2 9/12 years (range 5/12 to 17 9/12 years).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

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[Preoperative chemotherapy of nephroblastoma. Preliminary results of the SIOP-9/GPO therapy study].

The therapeutic strategy of the SIOP-9 study includes pre-operative chemotherapy for all patients with nephroblastoma diagnosed by imaging methods aged between 0.5 and 16 years. By pre-operative chemotherapy the rate of radical resectable tumors should be increased and thereby the intensity of postoperative therapy, in particular of radiotherapy, diminished. Patients with nephroblastoma stage I-III were in case of tumorresponse randomised in either a 4 weeks or 8 weeks arm of pre-operative treatment with ACT D and VCR. The question was, if a prolongation of pre-operative chemotherapy could increase the relative part of stage I. Between 1/1/89 and 6/30/91 from 49 oncologic centres of former western Germany 188 patients were registered in the SIOP-9/GPO. From the stage I-III patients between 0.5 and 16 years 80.1% were pretreated with cytostatic agents. Only 53.9% of the patients with tumorresponse were randomised. The relative frequency of intraoperative ruptures was with 3% lower in the group of pretreated patients than in the primary operated (15.3%). The stage distribution for all Wilms' tumor patients showed a prevalence of stage I with 43.3% (after pre-operative treatment 59%; after primary operation 28%). Abdominal radiotherapy was performed in 22.4%. The event-free survival rate of all nephroblastoma lay at 85% 3 years after diagnosis (stage I standard 96%; unfavorable histology all stages 45%). 7.3% of the patients developed a hepatopathy under treatment and 7.8% even a VOD according to the criteria of McDonald.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

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[Effect of cranial irradiation on rate of recurrence in children with acute myeloid leukemia. Initial results of the AML-BFM-87 study. The AML-BFM Study Group].

Study AML-BFM-87 compared prospectively if cranial irradiation could be abandoned by adding two blocks of intensification with high dose ARA-C and VP-16 after consolidation and furthermore, improve prognosis compared to study -83. 210 children were enrolled in study AML-BFM-87 until March 31, 1991. 164 (78%) achieved complete remission. Probabilities for event-free survival (EFS) and event-free interval (EFI) of 5 years were: .45 (SD .04) and .57 (SD .05). In the first 2.5 years of the study irradiation was randomized (n = 31), selected or refused (n = 24). However, during this period irradiation was mandatory in patients with leukocyte count greater than 70,000/mm3, and also in children with initial CNS involvement. Since July 1989 prophylactic cranial irradiation was abandoned. Patients of the group with mandatory irradiation (n = 39) presented with more unfavourable risk parameters than the group of non-irradiated children, who were enrolled in the study after randomisation had been stopped. Nevertheless, results showed in randomized and selected patient groups as well as in the total cohort a longer relapse-free interval (RFI) in irradiated (n = 66) compared to non-irradiated (n = 94) patients (RFI of 5 years: .70, SD .04 vs. .51, SD .07, p less than .05). Relapses in non-irradiated children occurred mainly in the bone marrow and less often in the CNS. The increase in relapse rate was seen especially in non-irradiated patients of the low risk group as defined in study AML-BFM-83 (RFI: .40, SD .14 vs. .79, SD .09 with irradiation, p less than .01). In the high risk group, however, the differences were not significant. Our results suggest that cranial irradiation is an important part of therapy in childhood AML, and that the good prognosis of the low risk group in study AML-BFM-83 was probably based on the combination of intensive chemotherapy and cranial irradiation.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

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[Treatment of recurrence of acute myeloid leukemia in childhood. A retrospective analysis of recurrence in the AML-BFM-83 study].

Complete remission (CR) rates of 80% are achieved with the AML-BFM protocols but one third of patients relapse within the first three years. There are few reports of treatment of relapsed childhood AML, and these deal with the evaluation of new drugs for frontline therapy. We performed a retrospective analysis to investigate how patients previously treated with the AML-BFM-83 protocol were treated after relapse and how many long term remissions were achieved. 48 of 139 patients relapsed after having achieved complete remission with the AML-BFM-83 protocol which consists of continous infusion of ARA-C 100 mg/m2 day 1-2, ARA-C 200 mg/m2 day 3-8, Daunorubicin 60 mg/m2 day 3, 4, and 5, and VP-16 150 mg/m2 day 6, 7, and 8, and an 8 week consolidation therapy consisting of Prednisolone, Thioguanine, Vincristine, ADR, ARA-C, Cyclophosphamide, intrathecal ARA-C and cranial irradiation followed by maintenance therapy. Duration of first remission ranged from 1.5 months to 66.3 months. Excluding 5 children with either isolated or combined extramedullary relapses and another 4 patients for missing data, 39 children were evaluable. 20 children received no therapy or palliative therapy while 16 patients received chemotherapy and another 3 children were transplanted in relapse. Although 9 different intensive chemotherapy regimens were used for reinduction, a high number (12 of 16 = 75%) of second complete remissions was achieved. Several therapeutic options were used to maintain a second remission: regular maintenance therapy (7 patients), allogeneous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) (2 patients), autologous BMT (3 patients).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

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[Ifosfamide and the metabolites of side chain oxidation--excretion in urine in various pediatric therapeutic protocols].

The precondition for the antineoplastic effect of ifosfamide (Ifo) is the oxydation of the oxazaphosphorine ring system. The 'ring oxidation' by several steps leads to the formation of alkylating mustard. A second metabolic pathway results in the cytostatically inactive metabolites 2- and 3-deschlorethyl-ifosfamide (2-, and 3-d-Ifo). This 'side chain oxidation' plays a quantitatively more important role with ifosfamide than with cyclophosphamide. The urinary excretion of unmetabolized Ifo and of 2- and 3-d-Ifo, which represents the amount of Ifo not activated, has been investigated by capillary gaschromatography in 18 treatment cycles of 14 children with various therapeutic schedules (800, 2000 and 3000 mg/m2 given as bolus, over 1 h or as continuous infusion for 2 respectively 5 days). The total cumulative excretion during 12 completely sampled cycles ranged from 27 to 50% of the given Ifo. Between 14 and 34% could be detected as IFO, 9 to 29% as 3-d-Ifo and 2 to 8% as 2-d-Ifo. In 4 children the amount of 'side chain oxidized' IFO exceeded the amount of unmetabolized Ifo. 24 hours after the end of therapy excretion is nearly complete. No relationship between the excreted amount of unmetabolized Ifo, 2-d-Ifo and 3-d-Ifo and the dose schedule could be determined. There was no clearcut dependency between cumulative dose, the children got in the past, and formation of 2- and 3-d-metabolites.

Adolescent↗

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[Treatment of soft tissue sarcomas in childhood and adolescence: results of the CWS-81 multicenter therapy study].

344 previously untreated patients, under 19 years of age, with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) entered the first German STS Study, CWS-81. 218 of them with chemosensitive STS (Group A: rhabdomyosarcoma [RMS], synovial sarcoma, extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma, undifferentiated sarcoma and malignant peripheral neuroectodermal tumor) were evaluable for this analysis after a minimum potential follow-up of 6 years. A staging system based on the extent of disease, defined post-surgically, was used. The chemotherapy for stages I-III (VACA cycle) consisted of vincristine, dactinomycin, cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin. Patients with metastatic disease as well as stage III patients who failed to respond to VACA, were given ifosfamide instead of cyclophosphamide. The definitive local tumor control procedure for patients in stages II-III depended upon the tumor status at second-look surgery after 16 weeks of chemotherapy (no irradiation, 40Gy or 50Gy). The DFS rate after 5 years for group A was 57 +/- 4% and for patients with non-metastatic tumors (Stages I-III), 69 +/- 4%. There was no difference in prognosis between stages I and II (DFS rate 88 +/- 5% and 88 +/- 6% respectively). The DFS rate for stage III was 54 +/- 5% and for stage IV, 11 +/- 5%. Lack of local tumor control was the main cause of therapy failure: 10% of patients with localized disease never achieved CR, 18% relapsed locally. The most important prognostic factors were tumor size (p = .0002) and the degree of tumor regression after primary chemotherapy (p = .02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Incidence, clinical markers and prognostic significance of immunologic subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children: experiences of the ALL-BFM 83 and 86 studies].

In the therapy studies ALL-BFM 83 and 86, immunophenotyping of ALL by monoclonal antibodies was performed in a total of 1162 protocol patients (ALL-BFM 83 n = 578; ALL-BFM 86 n = 584). Both studies yielded similar results with respect to the incidence of immunological subtypes: CD10-negative pre-pre-B ALL (ALL-BFM 83: 3.6%; ALL-BFM 86: 5.3%), common ALL (80.1%; 77.9%), B-ALL (1.9%; 2.8%), pre-T/T-ALL (13.9%; 13.5%). Leukemic cells of 3 patients in the ALL-BFM 83 study lacked lymphoid and myeloid antigens (acute unclassifiable leukemia, 0.5%), and 3 patients in the ALL-BFM 86 study exhibited different blast populations with expression of either myeloid or lymphoid features (acute mixed-lineage leukemia, 0.5%). Coexpression of myeloid antigens (CD13 and/or CD33 and/or CDw65) on lymphoblasts (My-positive ALL) was identified in 35 of the 570 (6.1%) protocol patients prospectively analyzed in the ALL-BFM 86 study. The following associations were observed between the immunological subtype and the clinical risk factors: median age (years)-pre-pre-B 3.0, common 4.3, B- 7.9, pre-T/T-ALL 8.5 (pre-pre-B, common vs. pre-T/T-ALL p = 0.05); median leukocyte counts (x 10(9)/l)-pre-pre-B 80, common 9.1, B- 12.3, pre-T/T-ALL 68.1 (common, B- vs. pre-pre-B, pre-T/T-ALL p less than 0.05). The prognostic relevance of the immunophenotype was evaluated on the basis of the therapeutic results obtained in the ALL-BFM 83 study. A significant difference in the remission rate was only recognizable between patients with common ALL (99.1%) and those with pre-T/T-ALL (93.7%, p less than 0.001). After a median follow-up of 54 months, the probability of event-free survival is 71% for pre-pre-B ALL, 67% for common ALL, 56% for pre-T/T-ALL and 27% for B-ALL (common vs. B-, pre-T/T-ALL p less than 0.001), the prognosis in patients with pre-pre-B and common ALL being markedly influenced by the initial leukocyte counts and the age.

Antigens, CD↗

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[Transient myeloproliferation and acute myeloid leukemia in infants with Down's syndrome].

Transient neonatal myeloproliferative disorders (TMD's) indistinguishable from acute leukaemia by clinical and morphological criteria have been described in neonates with Down's syndrome. To analyse its clinical significance, 10 infants under 1 year of age presenting with Down's syndrome and the morphological picture of acute myelogenous leukaemia were reviewed. 3 of these children had true AML leading to death after 2, 8 and 11 months. In the other 7 children the diagnosis TMD was suggested as spontaneous or in one case interferon-induced remission occurred within 4 to 25 weeks after diagnosis. The interferon-treated patient died of SIDS at the age of 11 months. Another one of the TMD children developed fatal erythroleukaemia at the age of 2 years. Regarding initial clinical and haematological parameters, TMD was indistinguishable from true congenital leukaemie. In all patients classification according to the FAB criteria was difficult, as mainly undifferentiated or poorly differentiated myeloid blasts were seen, sometimes with erythro- or megakaryocytic features. Because of the difficulties in the differential diagnosis of TMD and true AML it is recommended to delay specific cytostatic therapy in neonates with Down's syndrome, until definite progression of the leukaemic process is observed or cytogenetic analyses suggesting true AML are available.

Antigens, CD↗

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The role of chemotherapy in the treatment of children with neuroblastoma stage IV: the GPO (German Pediatric Oncology Society) experience.

340 consecutive patients with neuroblastoma stage IV were analyzed for the possible impact of chemotherapy on general condition, remission status, event free survival and survival. The children entered the trials NB 79, NB 82 and NB 85 of the German Pediatric Oncology Society (GPO). The patients did benefit from chemotherapy by considerable improvement of the general condition, by achievement of 30-40% complete and 60-70% partial remissions. The event free survival (EFS) rate 5-8 years after diagnosis was 13% for all 299 protocol patients, the survival (S) rate 10%. The median/mean EFS time were 11.6/23.8 months, the median/mean S time 17.0/29.4 months. The use of response rates as early predictors for long term survival is challenged. Addition of PCVm (cisplatinum, cyclophosphamide, Vm 26) to ACVD (adriamycine, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, dacarbazine) in trial NB 82 resulted in an improvement of the long term EFS rate from 5% to 18% (S rates 7----21%). The introduction of IVp (ifosfamide, VP16) and increase of doses (cisplatinum, Vm 26) did not further improve the results. Maintenance therapy (NB 82) revealed a positive influence on the outcome. Shorter intervals for realization of chemotherapy were associated with a trend for better EFS (NB 85). Although the group of children with bone marrow transplantation showed better EFS and S data compared to the unselected chemotherapy group, the advantage was less clear if matched pairs (remission status at the time of BMT) were compared.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

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[Acute myelogenous leukemia in children under 2 years of age: studies and treatment results in 23 children in the AML therapy study BFM-78].

23 out of 151 patients of the childhood AML study BFM-78 were less than two years of age at the time of diagnosis, 10 of them being less than one year old. The incidence of M5-subtype was high in infants with 12/23 (52%) compared with 20/128 (16%) in those 2 to 17 years of age. The percentage of boys was 44% in the young children compared with 56% in the older ones. Initial skin infiltrations were seen in five infants with monoblastic subtypes (M4, M5) and in only three patients more than two years of age. The incidence of liver and spleen enlargement greater than or equal to 5 cm below the costal margin was significantly higher in young children. Due to infectious complications frequent therapy-free intervals and/or reduced drug dosages were necessary in the 8-week induction treatment regimen. The prophylactic cranial irradiation with 12 Gy in the first year of life and 15 Gy in the second year has so far not caused any long-term sequelae. The results were similar to those in older children: 18/23 (78%) of the infants achieved complete remission compared with 101/128 (79%) of those 2 to 17 years old. With a follow-up period of 16 to 49 months the probability of continuous complete remission (disease-free interval) was 52% in children under the age of 2 and 54% in those more than 2 years of age. We conclude that with the improved prognosis an intensive chemotherapy is justified in infants with acute myelogenous leukemia.

Adolescent↗

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[Intensive combined drug therapy and beta-interferon in the treatment of children with metastasizing neuroblastoma: GPO-NB 79/82 study].

From June 1979 to June 1982 72 children with metastatic neuroblastoma older than 1 year of age at diagnosis were treated according to the protocol NB 79 of the German Society for Paediatric Oncology. The chemotherapy included three cycles of adriamycine, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, dacarbazine and five cycles of adriamycine and cyclophosphamide. 34 patients were randomized for additional beta-Interferon (Fiblaferon) treatment (10(5) U/kg daily for 3 weeks followed by 3 times a week for 21 weeks). 38 patients were not treated with Fiblaferon. The response rate was 96% including 35% complete and 61% partial remissions. Preoperative chemotherapy improved remarkably the resectability of the primary tumor without enhancing complication rates. The cumulative proportion surviving was 21% for the interferon group and 6% for the patients not treated with interferon. The cumulative recurrence free survival rate, however, was 5% for both groups. The median survival time was 19 months and the median recurrence free survival time 10 months. A serious side effect of chemotherapy was bone marrow depression (73%) resulting in 1 week delay of drug administration per cycle. The median of administered drug dosages was 87-100% of the recommended dosages. Side effects of beta-Interferon commonly decreased with time and were fever reactions (55%), shaking chills (29%), cardiovascular reactions (16%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age Factors↗

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[Spinal cord tumors in childhood--experience with 31 patients].

Spinal tumors are rare diseases of childhood. The initial symptoms are often very uncharacteristic and the diagnosis is delayed for a long time. From 1970-1983 31 children with intraspinal tumors were seen. The location of these tumors was 7 times intramedullar, 13 times extramedullar-intradural and 11 times extradural. History, findings and treatment of these patients are reported and compared with the available literature. Despite the well known diagnostic problems, early diagnosis and treatment are of the greatest importance for the prognosis.

Adolescent↗

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[Hemostasis and fibrinolysis in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in childhood--analysis of life-threatening bleeding].

66 children with ALL, who were admitted to the University Children's Hospital at Münster for treatment according to the BFM protocol 79/81, presented initially with the following abnormal hemostatic parameters: Prolongation of bleeding time (89%), thrombocytopenia (83%), pathological prothrombin time (69%), increased FDP (32%, reduced F XIII (33%), abnormal short PTT (34%). There was a significant discrepancy between immunologically and functionally measured fibrinogen, which is only partially explained by the presence of FDP. Patients with T-cell leukemia (n = 11) had significantly higher WBC, longer prothrombin times, and lower fibrinogen levels than patients with Non-T/non-B ALL. The initial coagulation parameters did not discriminate the 6 patients who presented life threatening bleeding episodes. The two patients with high blast count (350 000 and 548 000/mm3) and T-ALL had intracranial bleeding before therapy started; in one of them vascular infiltration of blast cells was demonstrated at autopsy. Two other patients had bacterial infections, which in one case led to local bleeding into the lungs and in the other case to DIC. Two further children presented intracranial bleeding episodes which could be associated with asparaginase therapy. 5 of the 6 patients with life threatening episodes had a platelet count of more than 35 000/mm3.

Adolescent↗

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[Hypersensitivity to VM-26].

Life-threatening anaphylactic reactions to VM-26 are rare. In this report two patients with anaphylactic reactions after the first VM-26 applications in the German neuroblastoma therapy protocol GPO-NB-82 are described. After combination of VM-26 with dexamethasone, repetition of these reactions did not occur any more.

Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms↗

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[Corticosteroid-dependent reduction of leukocyte count in blood as a prognostic factor in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood (therapy study ALL-BFM 83)].

In therapy study ALL-BFM 83 a total of 630 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have prospectively been evaluated for initial response on therapy with corticosteroids. It was the aim to qualify the in vivo cytoreduction as a new predictor for therapy failure. All patients were exposed for 7 days to prednisone before combination chemotherapy at day 8 has been started. At day 0 one additional dose of Methotrexate was given intrathecally. Therapy for all patients with non-B-ALL has been stratified according to initial tumor burden (risk factor) providing four therapy branches: standard risk low (SR-L), standard risk high (SR-H), medium risk (MR), high risk (HR). After a median duration of study of 21 months, event-free survival (EFS) is for all 630 patients 73%, 81% for SR-L, 76% for SR-H, 69% for MR, and 35% for HR patients (date of evaluation Jan. 1, 1987). In this prospective study, a small subgroup of patients (n = 48; 7.6% of total group) is characterized by greater than 1000 leukemic blasts/mm3 peripheral blood at day 8 after exposure to prednisone. In this subgroup the EFS is only 43% in contrast to 76% in the complementary group of 582 patients with less than 1000 leukemic blasts/mm3 peripheral blood at day 8. Patients of that risk group are derived from therapy branches SR-H, M and HR, the latter contributing relatively most patients. In this negatively selected group all patients with an initial high white blood count, CNS disease at diagnosis, immune subtypes as prae-T-ALL (n = 6), T-ALL (n = 18), null-ALL (n = 5), and males clearly dominate. Of 48 patients with greater than 1000 blasts/mm3 at day 8 4 subsequently failed to enter remission and 8 were qualified as lateresponders. 18 patients relapsed, most of them earlier compared to those of the complementary group. The initial in vivo response on corticosteroid therapy is considered a supplementary prognostic predictor for early failure. It will be utilized in trial ALL/NHL-BFM 86 to qualify patients at the highest risk for relapse. This group of patients is supplemented in addition by non- and lateresponders and children with acute undifferentiated leukemia (AUL). The in vivo corticosteroid test is simple, generates early and reliable results and can be obtained almost always. Thus it may be recommended for use in a multicenter trial.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

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[Langerhans cell histiocytosis in childhood--results of the DAL-HX 83 study].

Owing to the unclear and mostly unknown etiology of Langerhans' cell Histiocytosis (LCH) and the unsatisfactory results in treating disseminated LCH a prospective multicentric study DAL-HX 83 was commenced, including 45 different clinics of West-Germany, Austria and Netherlands. From June 1st, 1983 to October 31st, 1986, 97 patients (pts) were involved in this study. 35 pts (9 females, 26 males, medium age 6 2/12 years, age range 0/12-14 2/12 years) suffering from localized disease (28x unifocal bone, 6x isolated skin, 1x isolated lymphnode involvement) were treated by surgery and/or radiation or were just kept in observation. 2 children (1 pt with primary localized bone lesion, 1 child with isolated skin rash) developed a new bone lesion after 1/2 year and 1 1/2 years respectively. 62 pts (33 females, 29 males, medium age 2 years, range 0/12-17 1/2 years) with previously untreated disseminated disease were assigned to 3 different risk groups (A, B and C) and were treated according to a standardized induction and risk adapted maintenance protocol. The whole treatment period was limited to 1 year. 19 pts with multifocal bone involvement (group A, medium age 6 1/2 years) were allocated to regimen A, 30 pts with bone and soft tissue involvement or soft tissue involvement alone (group B, medium age 1 8/12 years) to regimen B and 13 pts with dysfunction of the liver, lungs and/or haematopoietic system (group C, medium age 1 year) to regimen C. So far, 1 pt of group A (19 available pts) developed a new bone lesion after 10 months, another pt a suspicious bone involvement 16 months after diagnosis. A 4 months old girl of group B (27 available pts) died 11 months after diagnosis with progressive organ dysfunction, 2 pts are still alive with recurrent multifocal bone lesions and 1 pt achieved stable 2nd clinical remission after a local relapse (mediastinum). 4 pts of group C (11 available pts) died because of progressive disease between 5 days and 3 years after diagnosis, 3 pts are in partial remission after persistent and recurrent disease episodes. All the others are in clinical remission. The medium observation time of the whole group of pts with disseminated LCH is 1 9/12 years (range 0/12-3 5/12 years). The worst prognostic criteria were found to be the presence of organ dysfunction at diagnosis or its development during the course of disease and the age under two years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

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[Determination of methotrexate concentration in serum: comparison between capillary and venous blood].

The methotrexate serum concentrations of 15 patients were measured in capillary and veneous blood samples. All of the patients had received methotrexate infusions because of their underlying oncologic disorder. The drug levels of 42 pairs of capillary and veneous drawn serum samples were analysed with a homogeneous enzyme immunoassay technique on a semi-automatic instrument system. In 15 pairs of samples the drug levels were below the range of the assay, in 3 they were just above. Here the capillary samples were measurable, whereas the veneous ones were not. 24 pairs of samples which had drug levels within the range of the assay showed a good correlation of capillary and veneous serum levels. The correlation factor of 0.934 shows, that the methotrexate concentrations can also be measured in capillary blood samples.

Bone Neoplasms↗

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[Current results of cooperative AML therapy studies in children: BFM-78 and 83].

271 children with AML entered the cooperative studies BFM-78 (151 pat.) and BFM-83 (120 pat.) since Dec. 1, 1978. In the second study BFM-83 the 8-10 week intensive induction/consolidation therapy of study BFM-78 was preceded by an 8-day intensive therapy consisting of cytosine arabinoside, daunorubicin and VP-16. 10 children died prior to starting the protocol therapy from hemorrhage and/or leukostasis. 80% of the 261 protocol patients achieved a complete remission. 7% were early deaths by hemorrhage and/or leukostasis 3% died of other complications. 10% were partial or nonresponders. 54 relapses, 11 with CNS involvement have occurred in study BFM-78 after a follow up of 2.10-6.7 years (median 4.10 yrs.). The life table probabilities for event free survival (EFS) and event free interval (EFI) after 6.7 years are 37% (SD 4%) and 47% (SD 5%) respectively. The results of study BFM-83 after a follow up of 0.3-2.8 years (median 1.8 yrs.) are: 23 relapses, EFS 40% (SD 10%) and EFI 48% (SD 12%). So far, the overall results of both studies are nearly identical. The analyses of the prognostic factors show that initial hyperleukocytosis (greater than or equal to 100 X 10(3)/mm3) represents a high risk for early fatal hemorrhage and/or leukostasis, for nonresponse and for the incidence of relapses. Initial deaths caused by hemorrhage and/or leukostasis occur also significantly more often in patients with M5-subtype and extramedullary organ involvement. Additional strategies for achieving a better prognosis in high risk patients are necessary.

Adolescent↗