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Biomedical subjects

M Tefft

Publications and source records attributed to M Tefft.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Radiation to regional nodes for rhabdomyosarcoma of the genitourinary tract in children: is it necessary? A report from the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study No. 1 (IRS-1).

Fifty-eight children with genitourinary rhabdomyosarcoma are reported. Lesions involved the bladder (22), prostate (14), vagina/uterus (6), and paratesticular tissues (16). Fifteen of 58 had positive sampling of regional lymph nodes. Eleven of 15 received radiation to no more than 4500 rad in most cases, and 9 of 11 are diseases free. Two of 15 had no radiation and are disease free also. Twenty-three of 58 had negative nodes. Six of 23 had radiation to these nodal areas and 4 of 6 are disease free. Fifteen of 17 patients had no radiation and are disease free also. Sixteen of 20 patients with no node sampling are disease free; 9 of 16 had radiation but 7 of 16 did not. All patients in the Study had intensive systemic maintenance chemotherapy. One 1 patient failed in regional nodes despite 4500 rad to these node echelons. We suggest chemotherapy and radiotherapy, not to exceed 3500 rad in four weeks, to known residual disease including regions from which positive nodes have been obtained.

Child↗

Anticoagulation and high dose liver radiation: a preliminary report.

Two groups of patients were observed for evidence of acute radiation hepatitis during "high dose" radiation to the liver. The first group of 18 patients with metastatic liver disease received an average of 4,050 rad to the whole liver. Half received anticoagulation with warfarin. One patient on anticoagulation developed evidence of acute radiation hepatitis while 2 patients did so without anticoagulation. Eleven patients with Hodgkin's disease received 4,000 rad to the left lobe of the liver during extended field radiation. Four of these 11 patients were anticoagulated to therapeutic range. Only one of the fully anticoagulated patients showed changes on liver scan consistent with radiation hepatitis whereas three did so without anticoagulation. No serious sequelae from anticoagulation occurred in either group. These preliminary data suggest that anticoagulation may be safely administered with high dose hepatic radiation and that further trials with anticoagulation are warranted.

Adult↗

Evaluation of intensified chemotherapy in children with advanced rhabdomyosarcoma (clinical groups III and IV). The Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS) Committee of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B Children's Cancer Study Group, Southwest Oncology Group.

Twenty-seven previously untreated children with gross residual (20) or metastatic (seven) rhabdomyosarcoma were treated with pulse-VAC (vincristine weekly for 12 doses plus dactinomycin and cyclophosphamide simultaneously given daily for 5 days) and radiotherapy. Toxicity during the 12-week induction period included 23 of 27 (85%) with an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) under 500/mm3; 16/27 (59%) were given intravenous (I.V.) antibodies. Three patients developed Gram-negative sepsis and two of them died. In the first 12 weeks, eight children had a complete response (CR) and another 10 a good partial response (PR), a total of 18 of 27 favorable responses (67%). At 12 weeks, 20 patients received either intermittent pulse-VAC (Regimen H) or a pulse of adriamycin plus vincristine and cyclophosphamide alternating with pulse-VAC (Regimen I) every 4--6 weeks. After this first "maintenance," only seven patients (35%) developed an ANC under 500/mm3 and only three (15%) were given I.V. antibiotics. Severe toxicity disappeared with drug dose reduction in subsequent courses. The overall CR rate was 59% with a PR rate of 15%, a total of 74% favorable responses. This rate is not significantly better than that obtained by previous IRS chemotherapy and radiotherapy schedules for patients with gross residual and metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma. Future studies in these patients will concentrate on diminishing myelosuppression while shortening the rest period between pulses, in order to deliver more drug per unit time.

Adolescent↗

Is the risk of morbidity and rare mortality worth the cure?

Many more children with cancer are being cured, often as a result of aggressive treatment regimens. These employ several modalities and multiple chemotherapeutic agents. The acute complications resulting from this type of treatment are relatively well known. Those that develop later are becoming better understood; some are formidable. The challenge in pediatric oncology lies in developing better treatment strategies with a view to minimizing normal tissue damage while achieving higher cure rates. The cooperative clinical trial mechanism is well-suited to testing new treatment regimens designed to achieve these goals.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Incidence of meningeal involvement by rhabdomyosarcoma of the head and neck in children: a report of the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study (IRS).

141 patients with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the head and neck are reviewed. 57/141 had lesions of para-meningeal sites. 20/57 (35%) developed evidence of direct meningeal extension. 18/20 (90%) died of this complication. Radiation portals and doses were limited in 42% and 32%, respectively. All patients had chemotherapy for 6 weeks prior to radiation. The significance of the adequacy of radiation factors and the timing of chemotherapy are reviewed. Recommendations for managing these patients include earlier use of radiation and increased coverage of adjacent meninges by radiation including total craniospinal axis radiation when brain meningeal involvement exists.

Child↗

Extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma: a preliminary review of 26 cases encountered in the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study.

Twenty-six of three hundred and fourteen (26/314) patients whose tumors were reviewed by the Pathology Evaluation Committee of the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study have histologic subtypes I and II which have morphologic characteristics similar to Ewing's sarcoma of bone. They are somewhat more common in an extremity lesion but have no relation to patient age. Disease-free survival is good; seventeen of twenty-six (17/26) or sixty-five (65%) percent thus far.

Child↗

Paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma in childhood.

The paratesticular region was the primary site in 20 of 289 children (7%) entered on the Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study. The 20 patients were 1.7- to 19-years-old at diagnosis. Fifteen underwent retroperitoneal node dissection (12) or biopsy (3), and 6/15 (40%) had nodal involvement by tumor. Nineteen of the 20 patients had no gross local or metastatic disease after surgery. All 20 received chemotherapy, and 13 also received radiotherapy. Treatment was effective: 16 of 18 evaluable patients (89%) were free of disease at a median of 23 months from diagnosis (range, 8-43 months). Since the incidence of tumor-involved retroperitoneal nodes is high, a dissection should be performed. If the nodes are free of tumor, retroperitoneal radiotherapy may not be necessary. Reduction of morbidity in patients with paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma is desirable, because the disease has a good prognosis.

Adolescent↗

Meningeal seeding from rhabdomyosarcoma of the head and neck with base of the skull invasion: recognition of the clinical evolution and suggestions for management.

Rhabdomyosarcomas of the head and neck may spread by diffuse local invasion, resulting in erosion of the base of the skull with possible extension to the leptomeninges, brain, and cranial nerves, as well as invasion of the ventricular system with possible intradural, extramedullary metastases anywhere along the neuraxis. Meningeal spread of tumor is difficult to eradicate, and nearly all patients reviewed died soon after meningeal disease was evident. Patients with erosion of the base of the skull or abnormal cranial nerve findings seem to have a risk of seeding the meninges with tumor. The clinical evolution of this pattern of metastatic spread is reviewed, diagnostic studies are recommended, and therapeutic considerations are discussed. Tentative treatment guidelines are also offered.

Ataxia↗

Radiation in bone sarcomas: a re-evaluation in the era of intensive systemic chemotherapy.

We have reviewed the literature and described experience in treating Ewing's sarcoma and osteosarcoma before and during the era of intensive systemic chemotherapy. Local control of Ewing's sarcoma may relate to increasing doses of radiation, especially when intensive chemotherapy is administered also. Problems of radiation enhancement by chemotherapy have caused us to reconsider time-dose and volume parameters in treating these patients. The role of radiation in osteogenic sarcoma is limited to patients with inoperable lesions and metastases.

Bone Neoplasms↗

Rhabdomyosarcoma: response with chemotherapy prior to radiation in patients with gross residual disease.

One hundred and ten Group III patients enrolled in the IRS Study have been reviewed. Of these, 39 are fully and 56 are partially evaluable. Combining the data for both groups 77/95 (81%) have shown complete or partial response/no measurable disease and this has been maintained in 53/95 (56%). No patient received premature RT for local progression during the time of pre-radiation chemotherapy. However, 15/95 patients have shown local recurrence or direct extension to neighboring tissues; 13/15 could be reviewed. Only 3/13 have recurred at a time related to the delay in starting radiation. Overall survival for Group III patients is 72%-85% (Regimen F and Regimen E respectively).

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma in children with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

From May, 1970 through December, 1972, Children's Cancer Study Group entered 112 patients on an amended treatment program for rhabdomyosarcoma and undifferentiated sarcoma in children. These patients had Group II disease with residual tumor remaining after surgery, or metastatic disease at onset. Another group consisted of patients who previously had treatment with surgery and radiotherapy and had recurrent disease. Cyclophosphamide was added to a previously used drug regimen which consisted of actinomycin D and vincristine. The drugs were given sequentially in repeated cycles for 18 months. Of 97 evaluable patients, there were 24 with microscopic residual disease, 37 with gross residual disease, 22 with metastatic disease at onset, and 14 patients who were treated with chemotherapy for the first time with recurrent or metastatic disease. All patients have been followed for 3 or more years. Survival in each group was 70.8%, 43.2%, 27.2%, and 28.2%, respectively. Although the number of complete remissions was greater than with two-drug therapy, survival with three-drug therapy was not significantly different than that seen in the earlier study.

Adolescent↗

Survival in bilateral Wilms' tumor--review of 30 National Wilms' Tumor Study cases.

Bilateral tumors were found in 33 patients or 5.4% of 606 children enrolled in the National Wilms' Tumor Study. Twenty six of 30 patients (87%) for whom detailed clinical information is available survived 2 yr after conservative surgery and radiation therapy. All patients were given one or more chemotherapeutic agents. A variety of surgical procedures were used including biopsy only, nephrectomy, and partial nephrectomies. Radiation therapy doses ranged widely, but between 1000 and 2000 rad apparently sufficed for local control in most cases. Recommendations regarding management by surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are given.

Child↗