Pulmonary lesions developed in three patients with an invasive hydatidiform mole. At open thoracotomy the modules were found to contain molar tissue. Therapy with twice-weekly methotrexate induced complete clinical and biologic remission of the disease in all three patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1976

Combination chemotherapy for metastatic breast carcinoma. Prospective comparison of multiple drug therapy with L-phenylalanine mustard.

A prospective randomized clinical trial was undertaken in 184 patients with metastatic breast carcinoma to compare single drug chemotherapy with L-phenylalanine mustard (L-PAM) and intermittent combination chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluourouracil (CMF). All patients had not been previously treated with cytotoxic drugs and all had objectively measurable visceral of soft tissue disease. Of the 93 patients who received CMF, 49 (53%) achieved a complete (14 patients) or partial (35 patients) regression of measurable tumor, for a median duration of 25 weeks. Eighteen of the 91 patients (20%) treated with L-PAM responded, for a median duration of 13 weeks. The toxicity was primarily hematologic, and greater in the CMF group, which also received more cycles of therapy because of the higher rate and duration of response. The overall survival of CMF-treated patients was superior to that of the single drug group. The differences were even greater when the patients were subclassified according to the presence of liver involvement or nonambulatory performance status. The superior antitumor effect of CMF over L-PAM suggests that it may be a more effective drug regimen to be used as an adjuvant to primary therapy.

Adult↗

PubMed1976

The role of chemotherapy in the treatment of breast cancer.

A wide variety of approaches are being applied to the therapy of breast cancer. Treatment begins with a biopsy followed by mastectomy to remove the primary tumor. The risk category must be determined and, at present, an axillary dissection appears to be required; in the future, tumor cell markers may replace the role of an axillary dissection in the determination of risk category (TORMEY et al., 1975). If the nodes are positive, adjuvant chemotherapy and possibly immunotherapy should be considered. A positive estrogen receptor assay suggests that patients may also benefit from endocrine treatments. If it is negative, the chances of responding to hormonotherapy are very limited, except, perhaps, for anti-estrogens (McGUIRE, et al., 1975). Adjuvant therapy for patients with negative nodes is not recommended at this time; this view may have to be modified as the results of current adjuvant studies become available. We have at hand the means to improve the cure rate of patients with breast cancer. We are getting better diagnostic methods and find more patients with negative nodes. We know more about the primary treatment and have systemic modalities that are effective in the adjuvant situation. The immediate problem is to learn how to put these treatments together, and this task has been undertaken by on-going clinical trials. We are anticipating the results with optimism.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

PubMed1976

Radiologically occult pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis detected by 67gallium-citrate scintiscan.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1976

Phase II study of tamoxifen: report of 74 patients with stage IV breast cancer.

Tamoxifen (NSC-180973), a synthetic antiestrogen, was studied for efficacy and toxicity in patients with metastatic breast adenocarcinoma. Two dose levels were used, 10 mg bid and 15 mg/m2 bid, in separate groups. In the 10-mg bid dosage group, 30 of the 31 patients were considered evaluable for efficacy. Five complete and 11 partial responses were recorded, for an overall response rate of 53%. In the 15-mg/m2 bid dosage group, 44 of the 45 patients were considered evaluable for efficacy. Three complete and 16 partial responses were recorded, for an overall response rate of 43%. All 76 patients were evaluated for toxicity. Side effects were generally mild, consisting mostly of hot flushes, transient leukopenia, transient thrombocytopenia, nausea, and fluid retention. A high degree of correlation between response and positive estrogen-receptor assay suggests the value of the test as a means to select patients for tamoxifen treatment. The conclusion from this study is that tamoxifen used as a single agent is an effective drug with minimal toxicity for treatment of metastatic breast adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1975

Growth rate of pulmonary metastases in human sarcomas.

The growth rate of spherical pulmonary metastases was studied in 15 patients with osseous and soft tissue sarcoma. The median volume doubling time (Dt) was 25 days. The time from diagnosis of the primary tumor to occurrence of pulmonary metastases correlated directly with the length of Dt. No correlation between Dt and tumor histology was observed. The effect of therapy on the tumor growth curve was studied in 1 patient. The therapeutic implications derived from the quantitative evaluation of tumor growth rate are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

Clinical evaluation of two weekly dose schedules of 'IC-140'. 4-N, N-bis (2-Chloroethyl) amino phenyl N (P-carboxyphenyl) carbamate, in the treatmentment of solid tumors 1,2.

53 patients with intractable malignant diseases that were treated with a new alkylating agent, 4-N,N-bis (2-chloroethyl) amino phenyl N (P-carboxyphenyl) carbanate, also knows as 'IC-140' were evaluated. The records of an additional 41 patients entered on this study could not be assessed from the standpoint of toxicity. At the dose level of 150 mg/m2/week, severe leukopenia (less than 2,000) and thrombocytopenia ( less than 75,000) were encountered in 23 of 34 patients. On the other hand, at the 100 mg/m2/week dose level, the severe toxicity was reduced to 8 out of 19 patients. Tumor response was evaluated in 43 patients. The overall response was 23% (29% at the 150 mg/m2, 13% at the 100 mg/m2) and the duration of the response varied from 3 to 32 weeks with a mean duration of 13 weeks. Responses were noted in patients with ovarian, renal, lung, hepatic, breast carcinomas and lymphosarcoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Tamoxifen-induced tumor stimulation and withdrawal response.

A postmenopausal breast cancer patient with a measurable lung metastasis was treated with tamoxifen. The tumor doubling time of the pulmonary lesion was 140 days during spontaneous growth and 52 days during tamoxifen therapy, an almost threefold increase in tumor growth rate. This stimulation persisted fro 1 month after discontinuation of tamoxifen and was followed thereafter by a withdrawal regression lasting greater than 6 months. Awareness of the possible tumor growth enhancement with tamoxifen is of importance especially in view of its prolonged activity. Hormone withdrawal regression may occur following tamoxifen therapy, and a sufficient time interval should therefore elapse between cessation of tamoxifen and initiation of other therapeutic modalities.

Breast Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Phase I study of corynebacterium parvum in patients with solid tumors.

Nineteen patients with various solid tumors were treated with Corynebacterium parvum for 10 consecutive days at doses ranging from 0.5 to 6 mg/m2. Major toxic effects included rigors and cyanosis, hypertension, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Toxicity was maximal during the first 3 days of treatment and decreased or even disappeared when, on subsequent days, increasing doses of the vaccine were given. Objective tumor regressions were observed in four patients.

Adult↗