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Biomedical subjects

U Bruntsch

Publications and source records attributed to U Bruntsch.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Lack of response in nine patients with breast cancer treated with fibroblast interferon.

Nine patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with a minimum of 6 X 10(6) U/day of beta-interferon (IFN-beta) for at least 6 weeks. In patients whose disease did not progress during this period treatment was continued to a maximum of 13 weeks, while in other patients doses were escalated. With daily treatments over 3 weeks the maximum tolerated dose was found to be around 60 X 10(6) U/day. Fever occurred regularly. The dose-limiting toxicities were granulocytopenia and increasing liver enzymes. No objective remissions were observed. One patient showed stable disease after her cancer en cuirasse had rapidly progressed under chemotherapy. One patient each with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and fibrous sarcoma were also treated without success. IFN-beta at this moderately toxic dose given over a period of 6-13 weeks is of no clinical value in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer in women.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, a frequent complication of mitomycin therapy in cancer patients.

Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) has long been recognized as a rare complication in far-advanced malignant tumors. Recently several patients have been described in whom MAHA and renal insufficiency developed as a result of mitomycin therapy. We here describe another five such cases among 50 patients treated with mitomycin. All five cases were observed among the 14 patients who had received four or more doses of the drug. We conclude that MAHA is a frequent and potentially fatal complication of long-term mitomycin treatment. Careful monitoring for the early appearance of schistocytes is mandatory as the syndrome tends to be self-limited if this therapy is discontinued early.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1984

Phase II study of amsacrine in refractory lymphomas. A report of the EORTC Early Clinical Trials Group.

Forty-three patients with advanced measurable lymphoma, progressive after conventional therapy, were entered into a phase II study of m-AMSA 90-120 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. Five patients were ineligible and response could not be evaluated in four patients. For HD there were two partial responses (14%), lasting 6 and 41 weeks, in 14 evaluable patients. Among 20 evaluable patients with NHDL three (15%) achieved partial remission, but duration of response could not be evaluated. One patient with diffuse histiocytic lymphoma died of infection at 4 weeks, a second with lymphoblastic lymphoma was given high-dose steroids commencing at 6 weeks, and the third patient with nodular poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma refused further treatment after one course. Leucopenia was more marked in patients with NHDL (WBC nadir X 10(9)/l, median 2.2, range 0.2-4.3) than in HD (WBC nadir X 10(9)/l, median 2.8, range 0.85-7.2), as was thrombocytopenia. There was one toxic death and one life-threatening infection, both secondary to myelosuppression. Non-haematological toxicity was mild. m-AMSA has marginal activity in previously treated lymphomas and causes considerable myelosuppression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Randomized phase II trial of carminomycin versus 4'-epidoxorubicin in advanced breast cancer.

Sixty-three evaluable patients with advanced breast cancer were randomly allocated to receive three-week intravenous courses of carminomycin (18 mg/m2) or 4'-epidoxorubicin (90 mg/m2). The former yielded one (3%) partial response for nine weeks among 29 patients whereas, in the other arm, nine (27%) of 34 patients achieved partial response for a median of 28 weeks (range, nine to 36 weeks; p less than 0.02). The major toxic effect of these anthracyclines was leukopenia with median white blood cell nadirs of 1,600/microL (range, 300-4,000/microL) versus 1,800/microL (range, 500-4,300/microL), respectively. Acute nonhematologic toxic effects were qualitatively similar but carminomycin produced significantly less gastrointestinal intolerance and alopecia. Patients whose disease failed to respond to first-line anthracycline received doxorubicin (60 mg/m2) every three weeks. Four partial responses were obtained among 19 patients previously treated with carminomycin. Following 4'-epidoxorubicin therapy, one of 12 evaluable patients also attained partial response. Survival curves were not affected by the initial treatment option. Carminomycin has marginal activity against breast cancer whereas 4'-epidoxorubicin deserves further evaluation of its therapeutic index relative to doxorubicin. The design used in this trial appears attractive for prompt phase II evaluation of anthracycline analogs.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Phase II trial of diaziquone (AZQ) in advanced malignant melanoma.

Forty-two evaluable patients with malignant melanoma received AZQ 27 mg/m2 i.v. every 4 weeks. In 5 patients with poor marrow reserve this dose was reduced to 20 mg/m2. Doses were rapidly escalated when no significant myelosuppression was encountered in previous courses. Twenty-five patients had received no prior chemotherapy. A single partial response was obtained for 3 months. Inconsistent myelosuppression was the main toxic effect in this trial. The median WBC and platelet nadirs were 3200/mm3 (900-19,500) and 105,000/mm3 (33,000-530,000) respectively. In 2 patients leukopenia was complicated by a transient episode of infection. One-third of the patients did not experience significant myelosuppression. Non-hematologic adverse reactions were generally mild to moderate and consisted of nausea and vomiting in 26 patients and alopecia in 1. It is concluded that at this dose schedule AZQ is ineffective against malignant melanoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

A randomized study of combination chemotherapy (VAC-FMC) with or without immunostimulation by Corynebacterium parvum in metastatic breast cancer.

A total of 156 patients with metastatic breast cancer were entered into a prospective multi-center trial in September 1975. All patients were treated monthly with vincristine, adriamycin and cyclophosphamide (VAC) six times, followed by 5-fluorouracil, methotrexate and cyclophosphamide (FMC) until progression was documented. By random assignment, the patients received 5 mg/m2 Corynebacterium parvum (CP) subcutaneously on day 1, in addition to VAC/FMC. Of the 150 evaluable patients, 33 of 76 (45%) and 36 of 74 (49%) had complete or partial response to VAC/FMC plus CP, respectively. The Kaplan-Maier curves of duration of remission and survival were almost identical (medians 14.5 vs 12.1 months and 22.2 vs 21.1 months, respectively). The hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicity were also similar in the two study groups. However, 19 of 74 (26%) patients developed skin ulcers after repeated injections of CP. These patients showed prolonged survival (P = 0.002, log rank test). These results suggest that adding nonspecific immunostimulation with CP to currently available chemotherapy on day 1 is of no benefit to most patients with metastatic breast cancer, but may select an "immunoreactive subgroup with increased local toxicity and survival.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1982

[Microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia as a complication of mitomycin C treatment (author's transl)].

Microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia developed in 5 (out of 14) patients treated with mitomycin C combinations, having received 4 or more treatment cycles. This finding necessitates restricted use of broad and longterm use of mitomycin C, particularly in view of the occasionally fatal outcome of this toxic complication. Adjuvant treatment with mitomycin C does not appear acceptable any longer. Patients treated with mitomycin C should be monitored carefully for occurrence of schistocytosis and platelet deficiency as very early signs of microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia.

Adult↗