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Biomedical subjects

N Martini

Publications and source records attributed to N Martini.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Comparative merits of conventional, computed tomographic, and magnetic resonance imaging in assessing mediastinal involvement in surgically confirmed lung carcinoma.

Thirty-four patients with operable malignant tumors of the lung had computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the chest in addition to regular chest roentgenograms and bronchoscopy. The purpose of the study was to assess the extent of tumor involvement in the hilum and the mediastinum by direct invasion and by regional lymph node metastasis. At thoracotomy, 23 tumors were completely resected and 11 were treated by interstitial implantation of radioisotopes. In addition, a mediastinal lymph node dissection or sampling was performed to correlate nodal involvement with the preoperative studies. The tumor was peripheral in 21 patients and central in 13. Histologically, 18 tumors were adenocarcinomas, 14 epidermoid cancers, and two atypical carcinoids. Preoperatively, 18 tumors were classified as N0 disease, nine as N1, and seven as N2. Pathologically, 11 were N0, eight N1, and 15 N2. Plain chest roentgenograms correlated poorly with the nodal findings at operation. Both magnetic resonance and computed tomographic imaging were highly accurate in assessing the hilum and the presence of mediastinal adenopathy, with a sensitivity rate of 87%. Except for identifying contact with the mediastinum, neither method correlated well with mediastinal invasion when present (sensitivity rate 55% for computed tomography and 64% for magnetic resonance) and neither method could differentiate hyperplastic from metastatic nodes. Hence, no advantage of magnetic resonance over computed tomographic scanning was noted in assessing tumor involvement of the mediastinum by direct invasion or by regional lymph node metastasis.

Adult↗

Vertebral body resection in the treatment of cancer involving the spine.

Results of radical spinal surgery with vertebral body resection in of 51 patients with primary and metastatic cancer of the spine were analyzed. Seven patients had primary spine tumors, 16 had paravertebral tumors that involved the spine by direct extension, and 28 had blood-borne metastases to the spine. Thirty-five patients (68%) had prior therapy directed to the spine: 4 had undergone previous surgery, 9 had surgery and radiation, and 22 had radiation alone. Forty-five patients (90%) had intractable pain, and 25 patients (48%) were nonambulatory. Myelography revealed high-grade or complete block in 39 patients (76%). Following surgery, 38 of 45 (84%) had pain relief, and 40/58 (78%) were ambulatory at discharge. Of the 25 patients who were unable to walk prior to surgery, 15 (60%) improved to fully ambulatory status. The surgical mortality was low (4%), and complications were few (10%). These results are superior to those reported following treatment by radiation and steroid therapy. In selected patients who have actual or potential neural compression resulting from tumor within the vertebral body, such surgery should be considered as initial therapy.

Adolescent↗

A retrospective analysis of 10-year survivors from carcinoma of the lung.

From 1949 to 1972, 4732 patients with carcinomas of the lung were seen. Of these, 118 patients were found alive at 10 years from their initial diagnosis and treatment. This number represents only 2.5% of all lung cancers seen because many have been lost to follow-up within the first ten years, and their true status is not known. The authors attempted to look at the patient characteristics that might have influenced long-term survival. A case-matched study was also done of patients with carcinoma of the lung who lived less than 2 years and who had the same age, sex, histology, and year of diagnosis. In the long-term survivors, the median age was 57 years, 2 of 3 had epidermoid carcinoma, 86% were smokers, 76% were symptomatic, and 70% had one or both parents alive at age 70 years or older. There was no difference in these variables in the case-matched group. Of the 118 long-term survivors, 91 were men and 27 were women. Sixty-seven percent had Stage I disease, 13% Stage II, and 20% Stage III. None had distant metastasis at presentation. Of the 118 patients, 115 had surgery. Eighteen of the 115 surgically treated patients also had postoperative external radiation. Three patients with Stage III disease received radiation without surgery. None had recurrence of their cancer, 27 developed new cancers, and 70% of these were new lung cancers. Although the majority of the long-term survivors had Stage I cancers, a third had Stage II or III disease. No long-term survivor died of his original disease, suggesting that a 10-year survival is adequate proof of cure in carcinoma of the lung.

Adult↗

Pleurectomy and intraoperative brachytherapy and postoperative radiation in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Forty-one patients with diffuse, pleural mesothelioma limited to one hemi-thorax underwent a thoracotomy at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from January 1976 to July 1982. Treatment at thoracotomy consisted of as complete a parietal pleurectomy as was possible to remove the bulk of the tumor. Measurable gross residual disease was treated whenever feasible, with permanent 125I implantation; residual diffuse disease was treated by a temporary 192Ir implantation or by postoperative instillation of 32P. External radiation therapy was given 4-6 weeks postoperatively to the involved hemi-thorax, shielding the lung and utilizing a combination of electron and a photon beam. A dose of 4500 rad in 4.5 weeks was given to the pleural surface by the mixed beam. There was no postoperative mortality in this group of 41 patients. Complications developed in 6 patients (15%). The median survival was 21 months; the one year survival was 65% and the two year survival was 40%. The median disease-free survival was 11 months and the one and two year disease-free survival 44 and 13% respectively. This study suggests that the combination of pleurectomy, intraoperative brachytherapy and postoperative external radiation increased the local control of the tumor and prolonged the survival.

Adult↗

Serum and sputum concentrations of azlocillin, cefoperazone and ceftazidime in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Single-dose pharmacokinetics of azlocillin, cefoperazone and ceftazidime were studied in 17 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). All patients had broncho-pulmonary infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Three groups of five, six, and six patients were treated with azlocillin, cefoperazone, or ceftazidime, respectively. The size of the single dose was 133 mg/kg for azlocillin, 66.7 mg/kg for ceftazidime and 66.7 mg/kg for cefoperazone. The clearance values for the three antibiotics calculated from the single-dose data were, on the average, higher than the values previously reported for normal subjects. After the first dose, the patients received a repeated-dose treatment with the same antibiotic. During the first 5 days of therapy, a complement postural drainage of sputum was obtained four times a day for each patient. Cefoperazone could be measured in 47 (39.2%) of the 120 sputum samples assayed while ceftazidime was shown to be present in all 120 sputum samples examined. Azlocillin was not detected in any of the 100 sputum samples assayed.

Adolescent↗

Non-small-cell lung cancer: results of the New York screening program.

Radiographs of 168 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer were reviewed. Following a negative initial examination, 102 tumors were detected during routine annual screening, while 66 were diagnosed during the interval between screenings. The cancers detected on routine yearly examination were smaller; the rate of resectability was higher, a larger number were Stage I, and survival was better. Within the routinely screened group, 65% had evidence of cancer on reviewing earlier radiographs; these patients tended to have earlier stages of cancer and a better survival rate.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Early lung cancer detection: results of the initial (prevalence) radiologic and cytologic screening in the Memorial Sloan-Kettering study.

This is a report of the initial (prevalence) screening for lung cancer in a population of 10.040 cigarette-smoking men 45 yr of age and older, recruited from metropolitan New York. All had posteroanterior and lateral chest roentgenograms, and approximately half the men, randomly chosen, also had sputum cytology (dual screen). Fifty-three confirmed lung cancers were found; 22 (40%) were AJCC Stage I, with 85% survival for 5 yr after resection, whereas only 2 of the remaining men with Stage II to III lung cancer lived longer than 3 yr. In the dual screen group, in which the 2 detection techniques could be compared, 6 Stage I lung cancers were detected by radiology alone, 7 by cytology alone, and only 1 by both techniques. All of the cases detected by cytology alone were squamous carcinomas, whereas two thirds of those detected by radiology alone were adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Screening for early lung cancer. Results of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering study in New York.

The Memorial Sloan-Kettering lung cancer screening program was begun in 1974 to evaluate sputum cytology as a supplement to the annual chest x-ray examination for early detection and diagnosis. The 10,040 adult, male cigarette smokers who enrolled were randomly assigned to receive annual chest x-ray examinations only or a dual screen with annual chest x-ray examination and four monthly sputum cytology evaluation. Over 40 percent of the 288 who developed lung cancer were diagnosed in stage I, and their survival was 76 percent at five years; overall survival was 35 percent. Nearly one third of the lung cancers detected on first examination on the dual screen, and 14 percent of those on subsequent examinations were found by cytologic examination. The same number of cancers developed in the x-ray screen only group, and were diagnosed at a later date. Despite the delay, survival and mortality were the same, suggesting that the squamous carcinomas detected by cytologic examination alone are very slow growing and tend to remain localized until detectable by x-ray examination.

Carcinoma↗

Value of perioperative brachytherapy in the management of non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung.

Nearly one-half of all patients with non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung are found to have mediastinal lymph node metastases at the time of initial presentation. There is no consensus today on what constitutes best treatment in patients whose disease is confined to the chest and in whom mediastinal lymph node metastases are the only evident site of tumor spread. The overall survival of these patients is so low that the majority have been either excluded from therapy or have been treated palliatively by external radiation therapy. In an attempt to improve the control of mediastinal lymph node metastases in the operable patients, we began a pilot study in 1977 at Memorial Hospital to determine the value of perioperative brachytherapy (permanent Iodine-125 implantation of primary lung and a temporary Iridium-192 implantation of the mediastinum) with or without resection followed by a moderate dose of postoperative external beam irradiation. Eighty-eight patients with disease limited to one hemithorax (N2 MO) were treated with this combined method during the period 1977 through 1980. Locoregional control was observed in 76% of the 88 patients. The median survival is 26 months and the 2 year actuarial survival is 51%. There was no post-operative mortality. This pilot study has demonstrated that the combination of surgery, perioperative brachytherapy and external beam irradiation in non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung, metastatic to mediastinal lymph nodes, can improve the locoregional control and prolong survival with minimal early or late morbidity.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Results of resection in non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung with mediastinal lymph node metastases.

From 1974 to 1981, 1598 patients with non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung were seen and treated. All were staged according to the AJC staging system. Of these, 706 patients had evidence of mediastinal lymph node metastases (N2). There were 151 patients (21%) who had complete, potentially curative resection of their primary tumor and all accessible mediastinal lymph nodes. The histologic type of tumor was adenocarcinoma in 94 patients, epidermoid carcinoma in 46 patients, and large-cell carcinoma in 11 patients. The extent of pulmonary resection consisted of a lobectomy in 119 patients, pneumonectomy in 26 patients, and wedge resection or segmentectomy in six patients. Almost all patients also received radiation therapy to the mediastinum. Clinical staging of the primary tumor and the mediastinum was based on the radiographic presentation of the chest and on bronchoscopy. Before treatment, 104 of 151 patients (69%) were believed to have had stage I (90 patients) or II (14 patients) disease, and 47 patients had stage III disease, of whom only 33 had evidence of mediastinal lymph node involvement. Excluding deaths from unrelated causes, the overall survival rate was 74% at 1 year, 43% at 3 years and 29% at 5 years. Survival in patients with clinical stage I or II disease treated by resection was favorable despite the presence of N2 nodes (50% at 3 years). Survival in obvious clinical N2 disease was poor (8% at 3 years). There was no difference in survival between patients with adenocarcinoma and those with epidermoid carcinoma. However, survival was poorer in patients with N2 nodes in the inferior mediastinum compared to those without lymph node involvement at that level.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Clinical and pathological evaluation of response to chemotherapy in patients with esophageal carcinoma.

Pretreatment clinical staging, radiographic response to chemotherapy, and posttreatment pathological staging were assessed in 39 patients with epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus. Thirty patients received combined modality therapy with cisplatin, vindesine, and bleomycin followed by surgery; nine patients were treated with the same chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy. Using barium esophagrams as the measure of response, radiographic objective regressions were quantitated and considered as complete (CR), partial (PR), and minor or no radiographic response. Sixty percent of patients had CR or PR. However, surgical or endoscopic restaging showed residual microscopic or macroscopic disease in nine patients, with complete radiographic regression. Downstaging of the primary tumor following chemotherapy (pretreatment clinical staging as compared to posttreatment pathological staging) was common. Chemotherapy-induced objective regressions in esophageal carcinoma can be achieved frequently and can be quantitated, using serial barium esophagrams. Complete radiographic regressions should be confirmed by repeat endoscopy or surgery. Downstaging of the primary tumor is commonly noted in responding patients, but it is too soon to determine whether or not this will effect their long-term prognosis.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Prognostic significance of N1 disease in carcinoma of the lung.

From 1973 to 1981, 75 patients with T1 N1 M0 and T2 N1 M0 disease had a complete, potentially curative resection with mediastinal lymph node dissection. Thirty-eight had adenocarcinomas, 36 epidermoid cancer and one large cell carcinoma. Surgical treatment consisted of lobectomy in 54, sleeve lobectomy in three, and pneumonectomy in 18. Two patients died postoperatively. Of 17 patients with T1 N1 disease, 14 had no further treatment and three received postoperative radiation and/or chemotherapy; the 5 year cumulative survival rate of these patients was 56%. There were 58 patients with T2 N1 disease. Forty-five had no further treatment and 13 received postoperative radiation and/or chemotherapy; the 5 year cumulative survival rate of these patients was 48%. The overall incidence of local and regional recurrence was low, and the brain was the most frequent site of recurrence. Factors influencing recurrence were histology and proximity of the tumor to hilum. The specific nodes involved, the number of nodes affected, and the extent of involvement within the nodes had no observed effect on survival. There was no observed improvement in survival with the use of adjuvants. However, survival was significantly poorer in patients with visceral pleural involvement.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus.

The association of adenocarcinoma with Barrett's esophagus stimulated a review of our experience to study the clinical presentation, pathology, and results of management. Nineteen patients (15 men and four women) satisfied the criteria of primary adenocarcinoma arising in columnar epithelium in the esophagus. The majority had dysphagia (95%) and weight loss (63%). Nearly three fourths of the patients also had a history of hiatus hernia or esophagitis. Diagnosis was confirmed preoperatively in all by endoscopic biopsy and/or cytologic study. Potentially curative resection was performed in 15 patients and palliative procedures in four. Fourteen patients had advanced (Stage III) disease and only five had Stage I or II disease. Multicentric disease within the esophagus was found in seven patients. Postoperative complications included empyema, hemothorax, and pneumonia (one case each). The only postoperative death resulted from complications of previously undetected brain metastases. The median survival of the 15 patients having resection for cure is 12 months. Four are alive, one with disease at 46 months and three free of disease at 19, 87, and 93 months. All four patients undergoing palliative procedures died within 8 months. The study demonstrates that multifocal presentation of the tumor is common in this group of patients and that long-term survival is possible when early tumors are managed aggressively.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Vindesine in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma: a phase II study.

Vindesine (VDS) is a new semisynthetic vinca alkaloid which has demonstrated therapeutic activity against a variety of solid tumors. A phase II trial of this agent was performed in patients with advanced malignant mesothelioma. VDS at a dose of 3 mg/m2 was given iv once weekly for 4-6 weeks and then every 2 weeks thereafter. Only one of 17 evaluable patients had a partial remission, lasting 5 months (95% confidence limits, 0%-17%). Toxic effects of VDS included leukopenia, peripheral neuropathy, and alopecia. VDS has minimal activity in malignant mesothelioma.

Adult↗

Combination chemotherapy of esophageal carcinoma using cisplatin, vindesine, and bleomycin.

Sixty-one patients with epidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus have been treated with a three drug combination of cisplatin, vindesine, and bleomycin. Of 53 patients currently evaluable for response, 29 (55%) have had partial remissions: 7/16 with metastatic, and 22/37 with local-regional disease. The median duration of response in metastatic patients is eight months. Of 28 patients treated preoperatively, 23 (82%) had resectable disease. The major toxicities seen were nephrotoxicity and myelosuppression. Cisplatin, vindesine and bleomycin is an effective combination in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma. Effects on long-term survival cannot yet be evaluated.

Acute Kidney Injury↗