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Biomedical subjects

L Pavesi

Publications and source records attributed to L Pavesi.

67 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

[Oral high doses of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) in the treatment of advanced phases of breast and endometrial cancer].

The results of a pilot study on the use of oral medroxyprogesterone acetate (Provera-Upjohn) at high dose in a series of 50 consecutive women with advanced breast (30 cases) and endometrial carcinoma (20 cases) are reported. Patients with progressive disease, non liable to further conventional treatments, received MPA (500 mg/day orally) for 90 days. The evaluation of results have shown only partial responses: in 9/30 (30%) of women with disseminated breast carcinoma (median duration of response 10 months, median survival 15 months), and in 6/20 (30%) of patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma (median duration of response 15 months, median survival not reached at 28 months of follow-up). Even if with a lower response rate, as compared to the results obtained with parenteral formulation, the oral MPA maintains its therapeutic effectiveness in these hormonodependent tumors: easy to handle during the long term treatments, oral MPA could be a useful alternative also for maintenance therapy.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1980

Sequential evaluation of immunoreactivity in patients with melanoma undergoing surgery and adjuvant therapy.

The immunologic profile of 15 patients undergoing surgery and adjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for cutaneous melanoma was studied for a mean period of 18 months. In vivo cellular immunity was assayed by evaluation of delayed hypersensitivity response (DHR) to primary antigen and a panel of recall antigens. In vitro cellular immunity was evaluated to means of total and T-lymphocyte counts in peripheral blood and by the lymphocyte blastogenic response to phytohemagglutinin stimulation. Humoral immunity was assayed by determining the serum levels of IgG, IgA and IgM and of complement components C3c, C4 and Factor B. Phagocytic activity was studied by testing leukocyte chemotaxis, neutrophil phagocytosis and leukocyte random migration. The in vitro parameters were determined preoperatively at diagnosis, 6 times during the first 2 postoperative weeks, and then every month during adjuvant therapy. No correlation was found between DHR and clinico-pathologic stage of tumor, or with subsequent clinical course. Significant depression of total lymphocyte and T-lymphocyte count and blastogenic response of lymphocytes was found at diagnosis. The lymphocyte response to PHA decreased significantly in the early postoperative period but returned to preoperative levels one week after surgery. Periodic fluctuations of lymphocyte blastogenic response and progressive decrease of total lymphocyte counts and T-lymphocyte counts were observed during the 18-month follow-up. No significant alterations of immunoglobulin levels were recorded at diagnosis or during the postoperative period. Complement levels were within normal values preoperatively; in the early postoperative period a transient increase of C3c, C4 and Factor B was recorded, then complement levels progressively decreased. Parameters of phagocytic activity were normal at diagnosis and fluctuated within the normal range throughout the whole period of study.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

[Experimental contribution to the study of the anticellular effect of diphenyl mercury (author's transl)].

The effect of diphenyl mercury on the chick embryo erythroblastic cell population and rat's bone marrow cells has been studied. The predominant cytologically observed effect of this compound was the c-mitotic action. Besides the well known capacity of spindle inactivation, the diphenyl mercury was able to induce chromosome fragmentation; a radiomimetic action of the compound is suggested.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chemotherapy plus immunotherapy for patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors.

The authors report two clinical trials concerning chemotherapy and immunotherapy combined in the treatment of primary and metastatic brain tumors. In the first study bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) and in the second Levamisole (LMS) were utilized as immunostimulating agents. Chemotherapy was performed with BCNU or CCNU in association with surgery and/or radiotherapy. The immunological response was obtained but immunotherapy failed to demonstrate any significant effect on survival.

Astrocytoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[CCNU in the chemotherapy of tumours of the central nervous system (author's transl)].

This study concerns 59 patients with primary and metastatic tumors of the CNS. After surgery, each patients followed a therapeutic protocol requiring Radiotherapy (5500 Rads for 6 weeks) and antiblastic monochemotherapy with CCNU (130 MG/M2/D p.o. every 8 weeks). The results were evaluated according to Wilson's (1975) criteria of response to therapy. CCNU significantly improved the survival time in comparison to the data given for conventional treatment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ethinyl estradiol and medroxyprogesterone treatment in advanced breast cancer: a pilot study.

Twenty patients with disseminated breast cancer unresponsive to conventional chemotherapy and chemohormonotherapy were treated with an alternating sequential schedule of ethinyl estradiol and medroxyprogesterone on the basis of correlations between hormones and estrogen and progestin receptors. Of 19 evaluable patients, six underwent partial or complete remission, while five others showed minor responses.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Epirubicin versus mitoxantrone in combination chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.

As valid therapeutic alternatives to adriamycin, with a more favourable safety profile, epirubicin (E) and novantrone (N) were compared in combination with fluorouracil (F) and cyclophosphamide (C) in a prospective randomized clinical trial as first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer (mbc). 158 women with mbc were randomly allocated to receive FEC or FNC regimen; the dosage in mg/m2 was as follows: 500 for C and F, 75 for E and 10 for N. All drugs were administered iv. on day 1 and recycled on day 21. In 141 evaluable patients the response rate (CR+PR) was better in the FEC (43.6%) than in the FNC regimen (30.3%) (95% C.I. of 32% to 55% versus 14% to 34%), without any statistically significant difference. Differences in response rate were significantly in favour of FEC group in previously untreated patients (57.6% versus 25%, p = .02), and in postmenopausal women (46.1% versus 23.6%, p = .01). No significant differences between the two treatment arms were observed in terms of either time to progression or duration of response and survival. The most important dose-limiting toxicity was hematological (leuko-and thrombocytopenia were significantly higher in FNC-treated patients). This difference in hematological toxicity sustained a significantly different incidence of delays in administering chemotherapy courses, which precluded the administration of comparable doses of all drugs in both groups. The incidence of complete alopecia was significantly higher in FEC-treated patients, while no clinical or instrumental evidence of CHF was observed with either regimen. Due to its more favourable therapeutic profile, the E-containing regimen seems a suitable first-line treatment for previously untreated patients with mbc, while the FNC combination should be offered to women refusing hair loss.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

High-dose folinic acid (FA) and fluorouracil (FU) plus or minus thymostimulin (TS) for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: results of a randomized multicenter clinical trial.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the possible protective effect of thymostimulin (TS) on chemotherapy-induced leukopenia and related febrile episodes, beside the potential of improving therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of high-dose folinic acid (FA) plus fluorouracil (FU) in metastatic colorectal cancer. In 211 evaluable patients the objective responses were 19/105 (18%) in the FA-FU arm versus 32/106 (30%) obtained with the same regimen plus TS. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.02). No difference was observed in terms of hematological toxicity, while the TS treated patients experienced a significantly lower incidence of mucositis and diarrhoea (p = 0.03). No significant differences were recorded in the incidence of febrile episodes and other treatment-related toxicities. The possibility of improving response to chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer without increasing systemic toxicity is particularly interesting and deserves further attention.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of glycosylated and non-glycosylated G-CSFs, alone and in combination with other cytokines, on the growth of human progenitor cells.

Two recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (rHu G-CSF) are clinically available, a glycosylated (lenograstim) and a nonglycosylated from (filgrastim). Since there is accumulating evidence that glycosylation plays a role in the in vitro activity of the G-CSF molecule, we compared the biological potency of lenograstim and filgrastim on human hematopoietic progenitor cells by colony assay in semisolid medium and ex vivo expansion experiments. Leukapheretic products without further processing and CD34-positive purified cells were used as source of human progenitors. Lenograstim demonstrated greater capacity, to stimulate the colony growth of both, purified and CD34+ peripheral blood cells. This effect, which is evident especially at low doses of growth factor, seems not to be mediated by accessory cells. Whether these observations may have clinical relevance is still to be clearly assessed and further investigations are needed.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Circulating progenitor cell collection: experience from 275 leukaphereses in various malignancies and in healthy donors.

BACKGROUND: Blood cell transplantation has become a new type of support in high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) for several oncologic and hematologic diseases. Over the last few years the demand for circulating progenitor cell (CPC) collection by blood cell separators has grown dramatically, and transfusion services must manage new CPC programs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A protocol for optimizing the collection and clinical use of CPC is described. The results of 275 harvestings were studied: 128 patients were divided into 5 groups according to tumor type (A: breast cancer; B: Hodgkin's disease; C: non-Hodgkin lymphoma; D: multiple myeloma; E: various solid tumors). An additional group (F) consisted of 11 healthy donors. Factors affecting collection (mobilizing regimen or previous radiation therapy) and side effects were investigated. RESULTS: The mean values of mononuclear cells (MNC x 10(7)/kg) and CD34+ cells (x 10(6)/kg) collected per leukapheresis in the 6 respective groups were: 31.4 and 4.6 in group A; 26.4 and 3.4 in group B; 21.8 and 5.8 in group C; 24.6 and 2.4 in group D; 26.8 and 2.9 in group E; 60 and 6 in group F. Previous chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy were the main factors influencing CPC harvesting. The different chemotherapy regimens employed demonstrated no significant differences in their mobilizing efficacy. Side effects related to leukapheresis were few (2.3% of the procedures) and manageable. CONCLUSIONS: CPC collection is feasible in a wide range of clinical situations. Careful clinical evaluation of patients, accurate monitoring of progenitor cell release and collection timing are important for obtaining a sufficient number of CPC for hemopoietic recovery. Previous chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the main factors influencing CPC harvests. The mobilizing regimens employed showed no substantial differences in their efficacy.

Adult↗