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Biomedical subjects

M Soukop

Publications and source records attributed to M Soukop.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Randomised controlled study of relaxation training.

In a study lasting 12 weeks, relaxation training was evaluated as a coping resource for cancer patients. 80 patients of both sexes were randomised to relaxation training and to a control (no training) group (40 in each). Scores for anxiety, depression and psychiatric morbidity were obtained at 0, 6 and 12 weeks with well-known questionnaires and a new anxiety and depression scale, the effects of serious illness (ESI) scale. 71 patients (32 men and 39 women) successfully completed the study. Results showed that relaxation training and control group scores were similar at 0 weeks. Higher anxiety, depression and psychiatric morbidity scores were reported by all patients at 6 and, to a lesser extent, at 12 weeks with greater differences in women. Female controls invariably reported significantly higher scores at 6 and 12 weeks on all indices. Male controls reported significantly higher anxiety scores only at 6 and 12 weeks.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Alfacalcidol is a nontoxic, effective treatment of follicular small-cleaved cell lymphoma.

Thirty-four patients with progressive low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated with 1 microgram oral alfacalcidol daily. Complete response was seen in four patients and a partial response in four patients with an overall response rate of 24%. Median duration of response was 14 months. Disease stabilised in ten other patients (29%) and 16 patients (47%) had tumour progression. In the sub-group of patients with follicular, small-cleaved cell-lymphoma the overall response to treatment was 29%. Apart from one patient who had a mild transitory elevation of serum calcium there was no recorded toxicity from alfacidol. These results indicate that alfacalcidol has significant antitumour activity in patients with low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the follicular, small-cleaved cell type.

Calcitriol↗
PubMed1991

Molecular monitoring of low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma by gene amplification.

Molecular monitoring by the polymerase chain reaction was used to detect and follow minimal disease in working formulation category B and C on non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Rearrangement of the bcl-2 gene served as the target for gene amplification. Thirty patients were studied. Bone marrow histology was compared to PCR analysis of bone marrow aspirate and blood. PCR upstaged disease status in approximately 50% of patients. Results are shown from a patient whose disease was followed with PCR during chemotherapy from initial remission to relapse. We conclude that PCR of bone marrow and blood can be used to upstage disease status in low grade lymphoma and PCR of blood may be used to monitor response to treatment with obvious patient benefit. The general approach of molecular monitoring provides a means for appraising therapies in the setting of subclinical disease.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Long term results of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin and platinum chemotherapy in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

Between January 1980 and December 1983, 57 consecutive patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (FIGO Stage IIc n = 5; III n = 45; IV n = 7) were treated with 6 cycles of cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2, adriamycin 30-45 mg/m2 and platinum 50 mg/m2 (CAP) at 3 weekly intervals. Pathological complete remission (CR) was documented in 10 (18%) and 4 with no residual disease after primary cytoreductive surgery were free from progression (FFP). There were 19 partial remissions (PR) giving a 51% overall response rate. The median duration of CR was 33 months from second look surgery. Median survival (MS) for all patients was 22 months. Multivariate analysis indicated that response to chemotherapy was the most important prognostic factor, with MS for CR of 53 months, PR 23 months and stable or progressive disease 11 months (p = 0.001). Most CR (8 of 10) occurred in patients with minimal residual disease (no single lesion greater than 2.0 cm), but extent of disease, though significant in univariate analysis of prognostic factors was not an independent predictor of survival. Six patients (11%) are alive and tumour free with a minimum follow-up of 7 years. All had FIGO Stage III disease at presentation and four had no residual tumour after primary surgery.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1991

Epirubicin at two dose levels with prednisolone as treatment for advanced breast cancer: the results of a randomized trial.

Two hundred eleven patients with advanced breast cancer were randomized to receive either epirubicin (E) 50 mg/m2 and prednisolone (LEP) or E 100 mg/m2 and prednisolone (HEP). The intended treatment consisted of 16 courses of LEP or eight courses of HEP given at 3-weekly intervals. Reasons for stopping treatment early included progressive disease, stable disease without symptomatic improvement, or severe toxicity deemed intolerable by either the patient or physician. Toxicity was recorded at 3-weekly and response at 9-weekly intervals using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria of response and toxicity. Two hundred nine patients were eligible for analysis, 98% of whom have been followed for more than a year. One hundred four patients received LEP and 105 HEP. Significantly worse myelosuppression, alopecia, nausea and vomiting, and mucositis were seen in the high-dose arm (P less than or equal to .001). More patients in the LEP arm stopped treatment before the fourth course than in the HEP arm, and the commonest reason for stopping was progressive disease. A similar median number of courses was given in each arm. There was a significantly higher response in the HEP arm (HEP - complete response [CR] + partial response [PR] = 41%, LEP - CR + PR = 23%). Despite this, no statistically significant differences was seen in overall survival or progression-free interval. The median survival for HEP and LEP was 44 and 46 weeks, respectively.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Hypothesis: symmetrical cutaneous lymphoma.

Patients with malignant lymphoma may have cutaneous and subcutaneous involvement that exhibits a striking symmetry about the coronal axis. The symmetry of these lesions may be caused by site-specific migration from the circulation, preferential proliferation by lymphocytes of the neoplastic clones at defined anatomical sites, or both mechanisms. Similar behaviour by benign lymphocytes may explain the symmetry and selective anatomical distribution of lesions in other skin diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Longstanding pleural effusion in an elderly man due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (multilobulated nuclear cell type).

A 68-year-old man presented with left sided pleural effusion. Investigations were suggestive of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of multilobulated nuclear cell type. Symptomatic treatment by repeated thoracic aspiration was carried out every three to four months over nine years, after which the patient developed left axillary lymphadenopathy and a chest wall mass. Biopsy of the mass revealed multilobulated B cell lymphoma. Complete remission including disappearance of the pleural fluid was achieved with combination chemotherapy. Pleural effusion was the only clinical feature of lymphoma for nine years and this has not been described before.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Breast cancer-associated hypercalcaemia: a reassessment of renal calcium and phosphate handling.

The mechanisms of hypercalcaemia were assessed in 20 hypercalcaemic patients with breast cancer. Abnormalities suggestive of a PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) mechanism were observed in up to 60% of cases; urinary cyclic adenosine monophosphate (UcAMP) was elevated in nine patients (45%), renal tubular reabsorption of calcium (RTRCa) was elevated in nine (45%) and the renal tubular threshold for phosphate reabsorption (TmPO4) depressed in 12 (60%). While TmPO4 was lower in patients with high UcAMP, there was no consistent relationship between RTRCa and UcAMP or UcAMP and the extent of bone metastases. In a control group of nine normocalcaemic breast cancer patients, bone resorption as assessed by urinary calcium/creatinine ratio was slightly increased but UcAMP, RTRCa and TmPO4 were generally normal. These observations indicate that a PTHrP-mediated mechanism of hypercalcaemia may be operative in up to 60% of patients with breast cancer, irrespective of the presence or extent of bone metastases.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1990

Primary retroperitoneal choriocarcinoma with pulmonary metastases in an elderly man.

We describe a 56-year old male smoker who presented with bilateral gynaecomastia and a large shadow in the upper zone of the right lung. Lobectomy revealed a haemorrhagic tumour at the apex of the right upper lobe. Histology revealed pure choriocarcinoma. Further investigations revealed normal testes and a retroperitoneal mass. Apart from histology, the other poor prognostic factors in this patient were the extragonadal site, gynaecomastia and age. Complete remission was achieved with an aggressive 5-day chemotherapy regime. Primary retroperitoneal choriocarcinoma is extremely rare and is predominantly seen in the age group between 20-30 years.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1990

A comparison of two dose levels of granisetron in patients receiving high-dose cisplatin. The Granisetron Study Group.

In this double-blind study, the efficacy and safety of a novel anti-emetic, granisetron, was assessed at two dose levels (40 micrograms/kg; n = 149 and 160 micrograms/kg; n = 147) in 296 patients undergoing high-dose cisplatin chemotherapy. In the first 24 h, 57% and 60% of patients, respectively, experienced no vomiting and no more than mild nausea. Two further doses of granisetron (40 micrograms/kg) were permitted in the first 24 h to treat breakthrough nausea and vomiting. This resulted in resolution or improvement of symptoms in 68-89% of patients. Over the 7-day study period, 53% of patients in the lower-dose group and 51% in the higher received no conventional anti-emetic therapy. No difference in efficacy or safety between the two doses of granisetron was established. Granisetron was well tolerated throughout the dose range of the study (40-240 micrograms/kg). The commonest adverse event was headache, seen in 13-16% of patients. In all cases this resolved spontaneously or responded to simple treatment.

Cisplatin↗
PubMed1989

Hypersplenism due to fungal infection of spleen in a successfully treated patient with Hodgkin's disease.

A 58 year old woman, with dermatitis herpetiformis was found to have Hodgkin's disease following the discovery of an abdominal mass and splenomegaly. Combination chemotherapy was given. Although the abdominal mass and systemic symptoms resolved, the splenomegaly did not and the patient developed severe prolonged anaemia and pancytopaenia. Splenectomy resulted in a complete reversal of the haematological abnormalities. Histopathological examination of the spleen revealed fungal granulomas of Candida albicans. No residual Hodgkin's disease was found. The patient thus had hypersplenism due to fungal granulomas in the spleen. This form of presentation of fungal granuloma is very rare and resulted in delay in diagnosis and considerable morbidity to the patient.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1989

Testicular cancer in three brothers.

Three of four brothers in a family were diagnosed to have testicular tumour. All brothers were in their twenties at diagnosis and all had malignant teratoma, intermediate. One of the brothers, in addition, had a seminoma on the same side as the teratoma. The cases were unusual as there was no family history of cancer and no congenital abnormalities, such as cryptorchidism. Chromosomal analysis and HLA typing did not help in elucidating the cause of this rare familial occurrence of testicular tumour.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Pulmonary infiltrates--diagnostic problems in lymphoma.

The use of invasive investigations in immunocompromised patients with pulmonary infiltrates is controversial. We report a series of 22 pulmonary lesions occurring in 19 patients with underlying Hodgkin's (7) and non-Hodgkin's (12) lymphoma in whom invasive investigations were performed. The principle techniques used were fibreoptic bronchoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchial lung biopsy. A specific diagnosis was made on 12 occasions (55%). Involvement of the lung with lymphoma (6) and cytotoxic drug induced pneumonitis (4) were the commonest diagnoses, infection being found on only one occasion. In 15 of these 22 procedures (68%) the information obtained made a positive contribution to patient management.

Adult↗