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Influence of some DNA-alkylating drugs on thermal stability, acid and osmotic resistance of the membrane of whole human erythrocytes and their ghosts.

Human erythrocytes and their resealed ghosts were alkylated under identical conditions using three groups of alkylating antitumor agents: mustards, triazenes and chloroethyl nitrosoureas. Osmotic fragility, acid resistance and thermal stability of membranes were changed only in alkylated ghosts in proportion to the concentration of the alkylating agent. All the alkylating agents decreased acid resistance in ghosts. The clinically used drugs sarcolysine, dacarbazine and lomustine all decreased osmotic fragility and thermal stability of ghost membranes depending on their lipophilicity. DM-COOH did not decrease osmotic fragility and thermal stability of ghost membranes, while NEM increased thermal stability of membranes. The preliminary but not subsequent treatment of ghosts with DM-COOH fully abolished the alkylation-induced thermal labilization of ghost membrane proteins while NEM had a partial effect only. The present study gives direct evidence that alkylating agents, having a high therapeutic activity against malignant growth, bind covalently to proteins of cellular membranes.

Alkylating Agents↗

Primary CNS lymphoma: an audit of cases treated over a nine year period and review of the literature.

Primary CNS lymphoma is a rare tumor comprising around one percent of all brain tumors. This report is an audit of eight cases [5 males, 3 females, age range: 17-55 years] which were accrued over nine years. All patients underwent surgical decompression, followed by radical Radiotherapy [RT]. Five out of eight patients received adjuvant chemotherapy in the form of CHOP or PCV. Of the patients who relapsed two received CHOP as a salvage therapy, one received PCV therapy and lomustine with intrathecal methotrexate. At a median follow up of 16 months [range 1 to 39 months] the two year disease free survival and overall survival were 13 percent and 38 percent respectively, which is in accordance with the literature. High dose RT to whole skull with boost therapy is indicated for all the cases. However, the role of chemotherapy and the appropriate regime needs to be defined with certainty.

Adolescent↗

Prevention of irradiation-induced glioma cell invasion by temozolomide involves caspase 3 activity and cleavage of focal adhesion kinase.

Sublethal doses of irradiation enhance the invasiveness of human malignantglioma cells. This can be inhibited by subtoxic concentrations of temozolomide (TMZ) but not by lomustine. Antagonism of irradiation-induced motility by TMZ is associated with the prevention of irradiation-induced alpha(v)beta(3)-integrin, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and MT1-matrix metalloproteinase-expression. Irradiation induces focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activation by phosphorylation, whereas TMZ promotes FAK cleavage. Inhibition of caspases prevents TMZ-induced FAK processing and restores the promigratory effect of irradiation, suggesting that the resistance of glioma cells to irradiation-induced caspase processing may determine the invasive responses of glioma cells to irradiation. In contrast, DAOY medulloblastoma cells, which respond with caspase activation to irradiation alone, do not show enhanced invasiveness when irradiated.

3T3 Cells↗

Identification of CD70-mediated apoptosis of immune effector cells as a novel immune escape pathway of human glioblastoma.

Interactions of CD70, a tumor necrosis factor-related cell surface ligand and its receptor, CD27, are thought to play an important role for T-, B-, and natural killer-cell activation. However, ligation of CD27 can also induce apoptosis. Human glioblastoma is paradigmatic for cancer-associated immunosuppression. We identified CD70 as a radioinducible gene in U87 MG glioma cells. A screening of a panel of human glioma cell lines revealed that 11 of 12 cell lines expressed CD70 mRNA and protein. Two human neuroblastoma cell lines did not express CD70. CD70 mRNA expression was enhanced by irradiation in 8 of 12 glioma cell lines in a p53-independent manner. No alteration in CD70 expression was observed after glioma cell exposure to cytotoxic drugs such as lomustine. CD70 protein was also detected by immunocytochemistry in 5 of 12 glioblastomas and 3 of 4 anaplastic astrocytomas in vivo. CD27 expression was not detected in any glioma cell line, and there was no evidence for autocrine or backward signaling of the CD70 system in human glioma cells. Unexpectedly, CD70 expressed on glioma cells did not increase the immunogenicity of glioma cells in vitro. In contrast, CD70-positive glioma cells induced apoptosis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in a CD70-dependent manner. Neutralization of CD70 expressed on glioma cells prevented apoptosis and enhanced the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in cocultures of glioma cells and PBMCs. The effects of CD70-expressing glioma cells on PBMCs were mimicked by agonistic CD27 antibodies. Conversely, the shedding of CD27 by PBMCs was identified as a possible escape mechanism from glioma cell-induced CD70-dependent apoptosis. Thus, induction of B-cell and T-cell apoptosis via interactions of CD70 expressed on glioma cells and CD27 expressed on B and T cells may be a novel way for the immune escape of malignant gliomas.

Antigens, CD↗

Teniposide (VM-26) in brain tumors.

Although teniposide activity in glioma was reported as early as 1971, it is only within the last 2 to 3 years that its effectiveness in small cell lung cancer and, most dramatically, in associated brain metastasis, has undergone long overdue systematic investigation. The drug appears to enjoy preferential uptake by brain-tumor tissue compared with disease-free brain tissue. Single-agent activity of teniposide in astrocytomas has been widely reported but the data are difficult to interpret due to differences among studies in definition of response and response duration. Combination therapy has focused primarily on teniposide with nitrosoureas and, again, definition variations have made it difficult to evaluate data. Similar problems plague trials by one group of investigators who reported that the combination of teniposide with doxorubicin and lomustine resulted in regression or improvement in significant percentages of their patients. While many studies indicate that teniposide has significant potential in treatment of adult glioma, controlled trials are needed to evaluate and optimize the use of this agent.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Guidelines for the treatment of adult intra-cranial grade II-III ependymal tumours.

Intra-cranial ependymal tumours are very rare in the adult population, so most of reported series are retrospective, include also paediatric patients and have limited statistical power due to the small number of cases. As a consequence, universally accepted prognostic factors and therapeutic guidelines are lacking. The addition of postoperative chemotherapy with lomustine, vincristine and prednisone to cranio-spinal irradiation did not improve survival with respect to RT alone in a randomised phase III trial of children with infratentorial ependymoma. Different chemotherapy regimens have been tested in children with ependymoma or anaplastic ependymoma yielding comparable results to those reported for patients receiving RT alone. No data is available for adult population. Thus far, there is no proof that the addition of chemotherapy to RT improves the outcome and adjuvant chemotherapy should be confined to investigational controlled clinical trials.

Journal Article↗

[Therapeutic efficacy of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clineffects of autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). METHODS: Fifty-seven patients with CML were treated by HSCT, including 8 patients treated with autologous transplantation in vivo and vitro purging minimal residual disease (MRD), 39 with related donor allogeneic HSCT (allo-HSCT), and 10 with unrelated donor allo-HSCT. For the conditioning regimen, total-body irradiation with cyclophosphamide (CTX) was given in 32 patients, modified BuCY protocol (hydroxyurea, busulfan, Ara-C, CTX) in 24 patients, and MACC protocol (melphalan, Ara-C, CTX and lomustine) in one patient. Cyclosporine (CsA) and methotrexate (MTX) were used in patients with related donor allo-HSCT, and the combination of CsA, MTX , mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and antithymocyte globulin (ATG) in unrelated donor all-HSCT to prevent graft versus host disease (GVHD). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis model was used to estimate the overall survival and the disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years after transplantation. RESULTS: In 8 patients with autologous transplantation, 7 obtained partial or complete cytogenetic remission (CR) within 3 months after transplantation and one died of transplantation-related complication. In 49 patients with allo-HSCT transplantation, all patients obtained CR except for two patients, one of whom failed to obtain CR and the other died of hepatic veno-occlusive disease. The incidence of infection and veno-occlusive disease during transplantation was 33.3% and 7.0%, respectively. The incidence of hemorrhagic cystitis and cytomegalovirus interstitial pneumonia after transplantation was 22.8% and 8.8%, respectively. Veno-occlusive disease, hemorrhagic cystitis or cytomegalovirus interstitial pneumonia did not occur in patients with autologous transplantation. The incidence of acute GVHD was 41.0% and 48.6%, and that of chronic GVHD 40.0% and 42.9% in patients with related and unrelated transplantation, respectively. The rate of relapse was 57.1% and 12.8%, with DFS at 5 years of 25.0% and 61.7%, respectively, in patients with autologous and related donor transplantation. The DFS at 5 years was 70.7% and 34.1%, respectively, in patients with chronic/accelerated phases and blast crisis be fore trans plantation. CONCLUSION: allo-HSCT can produce a higher clinical cure rate in CML patients in chronic phase CsA+MTX+MMF+ ATG protocol is more effective for prevention and alleviation of acute GVHD in patients with unrelated donor transplantation. Autologous transplantation with bone marrow purging helps prolong the patients' survival and even obtain clinical cure of CML.

Adolescent↗

[Favourable result for temozolomide in recurrent high-grade glioma].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the results of the treatment of recurrent glioma with temozolomide. DESIGN: Retrospective. METHOD: This study evaluated 77 patients with a recurrent high-grade glioma who from August 1997-December 2003 were treated with temozolomide (150-200 mg/m2/day for 5 days per 28-day cycle) following surgery and radiotherapy at the Daniel den Hoed Oncology Centre of the Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The patients were divided into 4 groups depending on histology and chemotherapy history. RESULTS: 15 patients received temozolomide for a recurrent anaplastic oligodendroglioma or mixed oligo-astrocytoma. The response in this group was 80% and after 12 months in 47% of the patients there was no disease progression. 35 patients underwent second-line chemotherapy with temozolomide after earlier chemotherapy with procarbazine, lomustine and vincristine for recurrent anaplastic oligodendroglioma or mixed oligo-astrocytoma. Response was 26% and after 12 months in 15% of patients there was still no disease progression. 14 patients were treated with temozolomide for a recurrent anaplastic astrocytoma with a response of 35% and after 12 months in 8% of these patients there was no disease progression. Of the 13 patients with a recurrent glioblastoma who were treated with temozolomide 16% responded and after 6 and 12 months 21% were still free from progression. Temozolomide was well-tolerated: 2 patients had to stop because of probable side effects. CONCLUSION. Temozolomide has an acceptable safety profile and may be regarded as the preferred treatment for recurrent anaplastic gliomas after radiotherapy. There is only a limited role for temozolomide in the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma.

Adult↗

Gateways to clinical trials.

Gateways to Clinical Trials are a guide to the most recent clinical trials in current literature and congresses. The data in the following tables have been retrieved from the Clinical Trials Knowledge Area of Prous Science Integrity, the drug discovery and development portal, http://integrity.prous.com. This issue focuses on the following selection of drugs: 131I-labetuzumab; Abacavir sulfate, abatacept, adalimumab, ademetionine, adjuvanted influenza vaccine, alefacept, alemtuzumab, amlodipine, amphotericin B, anakinra, aripiprazole, aspirin, axitinib; Betamethasone dipropionate, bevacizumab, biphasic insulin aspart, bortezomib, bosentan, botulinum toxin type B, BQ-123; Calcium folinate, canertinib dihydrochloride, carboplatin, carmustine, cetirizine hydrochloride, cetuximab, cholecalciferol, ciclesonide, ciclosporin, cinacalcet hydrochloride, cisplatin, clarithromycin, clofazimine, cold-adapted influenza vaccine trivalent, CpG-7909; Darbepoetin alfa, darifenacin hydrobromide, DB-289, desloratadine, Dexamet, dicycloverine hydrochloride, dimethyl fumarate, docetaxel, dolastatin 10, drospirenone, drospirenone/estradiol, duloxetine hydrochloride; Ecogramostim, edotecarin, efaproxiral sodium, enalapril maleate, epoetin beta, epoprostenol sodium, epratuzumab, erlotinib hydrochloride, escitalopram oxalate, estradiol, etanercept; Fluconazole, fludarabine phosphate, fluorouracil; Gefitinib, gemcitabine, Ghrelin (human), glibenclamide, glimepiride, GTI-2040; Haloperidol, human insulin, hydrocortisone probutate; Imatinib mesylate, indisulam, influenza vaccine, inhaled insulin, insulin aspart, insulin glulisine, insulin lispro, irinotecan, ispronicline; Lamivudine, lamivudine/zidovudine/abacavir sulfate, lapatinib, letrozole, levocetirizine, lomustine, lonafarnib, lumiracoxib;Magnesium sulfate, MD-1100, melphalan, metformin hydrochloride, methotrexate, metoclopramide hydrochloride, mitiglinide calcium hydrate, monophosphoryl lipid A, montelukast sodium, motexafin gadolinium, mycophenolate mofetil, mycophenolic acid sodium salt; Nitisinone; Omalizumab, omapatrilat, ONYX-015, oxaliplatin; Paclitaxel, paclitaxel nanoparticles, panitumumab, parathyroid hormone (human recombinant), peginterferon alfa-2a, peginterferon alfa-2b, peginterferon alfa-2b/ribavirin, pertuzumab, phosphatidylcholine-rich phospholipid mixture, pimecrolimus, pioglitazone hydrochloride, pramlintide acetate, prasterone; QR-333; Ranelic acid distrontium salt, ranolazine, rasagiline mesilate, RFB4(dsFv)-PE38, ribavirin, rifabutin, risperidone, rituximab, rofecoxib, rosiglitazone maleate, rosiglitazone maleate/metformin hydrochloride, rotavirus vaccine; S-236, salmeterol xinafoate, sarizotan hydrochloride, sildenafil, sildenafil citrate, sunitinib malate; Tadalafil, tegaserod maleate, temozolomide, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, teriparatide, tiotropium bromide, tipifarnib, trabectedin, treprostinil sodium; Vandetanib, vardenafil hydrochloride hydrate, vatalanib succinate, vinflunine, virosome influenza vaccine, voriconazole; Zidovudine.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Can MOPP be replaced in the treatment of advanced Hodgkin's disease?

MOPP (mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone) was the first successful regimen for the treatment of Hodgkin's disease. It has the longest period of follow-up and is best studied as to its benefits and acute and long-term side effects. The acute toxicity of the side effects, including nausea and/or vomiting, hair loss, and myelosuppression, may have been reason to modify doses of nitrogen mustard, an agent whose dose intensity may be critical in achieving long-term benefits. The substitution of chlorambucil and vinblastine in the ChlVPP (chlorambucil, vinblastine, procarbazine, prednisone) program has relieved all of these acute toxicities, except myelosuppression. The long-term toxicity of sterility, especially in males, and myelodysplasia is most likely due to alkylating-agent toxicity and would not be influenced by the various MOPP variants, such as MVPP (mechlorethamine, vinblastine, procarbazine, prednisone), ChlVPP, and COPP (chlorambucil-vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone). Doxorubicin-containing regimens, such as ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) and ABDIC (doxorubicin, bleomycin, dacarbazine, lomustine, prednisone), have been second-line treatments that have significant antitumor effect and, as such, have resulted in few, if any, long-term cures in most series. ABVD has been incorporated into alternating MOPP/ABVD schemes or in hybrids that attempt to offer all active agents, such as MOPP/ABV. The initial experience has been encouraging with high and durable complete remissions (CRs). MOPP/ABVD x 12(1) and MOPP-2/ABVD-2(2) have been compared with MOPP alone with a significant superiority for the alternating regimens. Other randomized trials have not shown any superiority for the alternating program. The Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) has compared MOPP with MOPP/ABVD given with a third arm of ABVD alone. The complete response and time-to-treatment failure rates for MOPP/ABVD and ABVD alone were superior to those for MOPP. Significant modifications of MOPP doses may explain the differences, since only 20% of patients were receiving full doses of nitrogen mustard by the sixth dose. ABVD has unique toxicity, and myelodysplasia and sterility are not seen. Pulmonary fibrosis with radiation and bleomycin is unique to ABVD, as shown in the ABVD experience at the NCl (Milan). Can ABVD be improved? The demonstrated single-dose activity of etoposide in Hodgkin's disease has prompted its inclusion in second-line programs, such as EVA (etoposide, vincristine or vinblastine, doxorubicin). The second-line response rates in the St Bartholomew's (London, England) series (where vincristine was used) was 11 of 19 patients (58%);3 in the ongoing CALGB trial of EVA (vinblastine combination), the response rate is 67%. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Nine years' experience with ABMT in 128 patients with Hodgkin's disease: an Italian study group report.

One-hundred, twenty-eight patients with Hodgkin's disease in remission or who had failed a mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine and prednisone (MOPP), a doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD) and/or lomustine, etoposide and prednimustine (CEP) regimens have been treated with a high-dose therapy (HDT) containing cyclophosphamide, etoposide, carmustine (CVB) and autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). Forty patients were treated while they were in resistant or progressive disease states using alternating MOPP/ABVD protocol; 15 patients received ABMT in first relapse; 51 patients had a complete remission (CR) with first-line therapy but later relapsed and then received conventional salvage therapy; 16 achieved no response or progression ("resistant relapse" patients) and 35 responded partially or completely ("sensitive-relapse" patients). The other 22 patients received ABMT in remission. Following HDT, 56 patients (52.8%) achieved CR and 23 patients (21.6%) achieved a partial remission for an overall response rate of 74.4%. Sixteen patients failed to respond and died in progressive disease 1 to 10 months (median 6 months) after ABMT. High-dose therapy produced severe toxicity including vomiting (100%), mucositis (75%) and liver enzymes and alkaline phosphatase elevations (51%). There were 10 treatment-related deaths. A multivariate analysis identified poor performance status and resistant-relapse patients as very important adverse risk factors for survival immediately after ABMT. These results, while validating this procedure for inducing remissions in advanced highly-treated patients, at the same time confirm the need of employing this approach in first relapse or in second complete remission after standard therapy and before ABMT or, in first complete remission in very high risk Hodgkin's disease patients. Our experience in 15 very poor prognosis Hodgkin's disease patients transplanted in first CR demonstrated to be much significant.

Adult↗

The importance of surgery as the first step in multimodality treatment of small cell bronchial carcinoma. The ISC Lung Cancer Study Group.

For patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in their early stages (TNM I, II), surgery for cure was used to eliminate the primary tumour and its regional lymph-nodes followed by intermittent chemotherapy and radiotherapy within the first six postoperative months. After the pathohistological examination of the operation-specimen a two-arm-randomization was performed: standard chemotherapy (1000 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide, 50 mg/m2 doxorubicin, 1.4 mg/m2 vincristine) compared with sequential chemotherapy using three different drug-combinations (A: 1500 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide, 100 mg/m2 lomustine, 15 mg/m2 methotrexate; B: 1000 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide, 40 mg/m2 doxorubicin, 1 mg/m2 vincristine; C: 5 x 1.6 g/m2 ifosfamide plus mesna, 5 x 120 mg/m2 etopside). Thereafter disease-free patients only received prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI: administering 3600 TD Gy/18 fractions) according to the protocols of the International Society of Chemotherapy Studies I and II. Preliminary evaluations in March 1990 of 170 patients from 24 cooperating departments for thoracic surgery showed that the projected life-table four-year-survival rate of 63 patients with SCLC at pTNM-stage I was 61%, of 54 patients at pTNM-stage II was 35%, of 13 patients at stage pT3, 4 NO, 1 MO was 59% and of 40 patients at stage pT N2 MO was 35%. The indication for surgery is emphasized for pTNM-stages I + II. For N2-lesions surgery would not be recommended in general, but the survival rate seems to indicate that this treatment was not detrimental, being rather more favourable compared with chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone. The continuation and enlargement of these studies seem not only justified, but emphatically indicated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

The role of resection in the management of melanoma metastatic to the adrenal gland.

Melanoma metastatic to the adrenal gland diagnosed before death was exceedingly rare before the development of computed tomographic (CT) scanning. The records of 28 patients with melanoma metastatic to the adrenal gland seen since 1975 were reviewed. Eighteen patients were men and 10 were women. Twenty-three patients had unilateral disease. Four patients were diagnosed only at autopsy, leaving 24 for analysis of treatment and survival. Twenty-one patients had received specific active immunotherapy, four had received chemotherapy (dacarbazine, lomustin, bleomycin, and vincristine), and three had received both before the diagnosis of their adrenal disease. Adrenal metastases were diagnosed by CT scanning in 14 patients with symptoms, 10 (91%) of whom had pain. Ten patients were diagnosed by CT before entry into a chemotherapy protocol. Of eight patients who underwent resection of all known disease, five underwent unilateral adrenalectomy, two underwent unilateral adrenalectomy and bowel resection, and one underwent bilateral adrenalectomy. Two patients underwent partial resection of large unilateral tumors. Fourteen patients with adrenal metastases and disease elsewhere were initiated or continued with chemotherapy or were treated symptomatically. Mean survival in the group that underwent resection for cure was 59 months (3 to 112 months), whereas survival in the group with unresectable tumors was 15 months (1.5 to 132 months). Four of eight patients who underwent resection for cure lived more than 5 years after detection of adrenal metastasis, whereas in only one of 14 patients with unresectable tumors was the same true. Patients with metastatic melanoma localized to one or both adrenal glands may benefit from early detection and surgical intervention.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

[Chemotherapy of malignant melanoma--current status].

Curative treatment modalities for patients with malignant melanoma (MM) in advanced stages are limited. Temporary successes with chemotherapy have so far mainly been achieved after removal of all accessible tumor masses. Extensive experience with cytostatic measures has been gained over more than two decades both with therapeutic and with adjuvant schedules. Dacarbazine (DTIC), which is associated with a remission rate of approximately 20%, continues to be the most effective cytostatic drug in the treatment of MM. Systemic (poly) chemotherapeutic schedules with and without DTIC have improved the response rates in metastasizing MM in numerous phase II trials. However, these results have not been confirmed in randomized studies comparing these schedules with DTIC monochemotherapy. For the BOLD schedule (bleomycin, Oncovin, lomustine, dacarbazine), the BELD schedule (Eldisine instead of Oncovin), and the DVP combination (dacarbazine, vindesine, Platinex), initial response rates of 40-49% have been reported. However, lower response rates were recently described (DVP: 24%; BOLD: 22% and 4%). Therefore, there is still no definite evidence that polychemotherapy is superior to DTIC monotherapy in MM. In our opinion, expected response rates of 20-30% justify the use of chemotherapy in disseminated MM; in cases of further progression, therapy should be interrupted early - after 2-3 cycles. Systemic (poly) chemotherapy of metastasizing MM is indicated in patients whose general condition is good, mainly in those who have skin, soft tissue, or lung metastases. These metastases usually respond well to cytostatic treatment. In future, the combined use of cytostatics together with new antitumour molecules may reduce the general toxicity and improve the efficacy of systemic cytostatic therapy in MM. The benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of MM have still to be confirmed definitively. While adjuvant therapy with DTIC has proved to be ineffective in stage I, irrespective of the tumor thickness, some studies suggest that adjuvant therapy with DTIC, or combinations including DTIC, may improve the prognosis of patients in clinical stage II.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

The importance of surgical and multimodality treatment for small cell bronchial carcinoma.

In a cooperative international lung cancer multimodality treatment trial, 112 patients with small cell lung cancer underwent initial surgical resection and were then randomized to receive one of two intensive postoperative chemotherapeutic regimens, followed by prophylactic cranial irradiation in the disease-free patients. Regimen A consisted of eight courses of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine and regimen B of two courses of three sequential drug combinations: (1) cyclophosphamide, lomustine, and methotrexate; (2) cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine; and (3) ifosfamid and etoposide. In 47 patients the diagnosis was known preoperatively and in 65 it was not confirmed until the resected specimen was examined (all diagnoses were reviewed by a referee pathologist). Each patient was classified by the pathologic TNM characteristics. There were 38 patients with stage I disease, 39 patients with stage II, and 35 patients with stage IIIa disease. In stage IIIa there were nine patients with T3 N0-1 disease and 26 with T1-3 N2 disease (most N2 disease was clinically undetected until thoracotomy or was discovered only by routine histologic examination of the resected mediastinal nodes). Early survival rates at 24 months calculated by the life table method are as follows: stage I, 76%; stage II, 56%; and stage IIIa, 49% (T3 N0-1, 89%; T1-3 N2, 35%). Survival rates at 36 months are 62%, 50%, and 41% (74% and 29%), respectively. The projected 36-month survival rate for 43 patients with N0 disease is 65%; for 43 with N1 disease, 52%; and for 26 with N2 disease, 29%. No difference in survival has been noted in either chemotherapy treatment group. It is concluded that initial surgical resection for limited small cell cancer (stage I, II, and T3 N0-1) followed by intensive chemotherapy is an appropriate therapeutic approach. For T1-3 N2 disease the results are inconclusive.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Comparison of alternating to nonalternating chemotherapy regimens for non-small cell lung cancer.

Forty-seven patients with stage III lung cancer from four institutions in the Denver area were entered in a study comparing two regimens of chemotherapy. The patients were randomized into two groups: Group A received lomustine, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, cisplatin, and doxorubicin monthly; Group B received the five-drug regimen on Months 1, 3, and 5 and received 5-FU by constant infusion, methotrexate, and mitomycin on Months 2, 4, and 6. The age, extent of disease, Karnofsky score, prior therapy, and average number of chemotherapy courses received in each group were comparable. The median survival in Group A was 265 days and in Group B was 163 days (P greater than 0.25). There does not seem to be an advantage in survival in patients who are treated with the eight-drug regimen over the five-drug regimen.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Inoperable non-small cell bronchopulmonary cancers. Results of ambulatory polychemotherapy including cisplatin].

Between October, 1981 and October, 1983, 57 subjects with inoperable non small-cell carcinoma of the lung (localized in 37, metastatic in 20) were treated as out-patients, after oral rehydration, with a multiple chemotherapy regimen which included Cisplatinum, Doxorubicin, Vincristine and Lomustine. No severe haematological or renal reaction was observed. After 2 courses 23 patients were responders (complete, or partial, or minor response), 2 of them with complete response. Patients with localized tumour had complementary radiotherapy, while chemotherapy was pursued in responsive patients with metastasis. Median survival was 9 months in responders and 5 months in non-responders. Thus, chemotherapy including Cisplatinum in medium doses (80 ms/sq.m) can be given to out-patients without risk of renal damage. The results obtained in this study are comparable to those of studies performed with other drug combinations including Cisplatinum.

Adult↗

Determinants of complete remission induction and maintenance in chemotherapy with or without irradiation of small cell lung cancer.

The possible influence of pretreatment patient characteristics upon the probabilities of complete remission (CR) induction and maintenance was investigated in a series of 815 nonresected patients with small cell lung cancer. All patients underwent pretreatment staging which enabled allocation of 391 patients to trials for limited stage disease and 424 patients to trials for extensive disease. Three controlled trials for each disease stage were conducted between 1973 and 1981. All therapeutic regimens consisted of combinations of between three and six agents (lomustine, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, vincristine, doxorubicin, etoposide) with or without irradiation. Thirty-five % of the limited stage patients and 18% of the extensive stage patients were alive and had achieved a complete remission 16 weeks after initiation of the treatment, i.e., after four cycles of chemotherapy. Relationships between pretreatment characteristics and the probability to pass this benchmark were examined by logistic regression analysis. The probability of CR was negatively related to increased serum lactate dehydrogenase and male sex in both disease stages. Pretreatment anemia (less than 12 g/liter) and poor performance status were associated with a reduced CR rate in limited and extensive stage disease, respectively. Factors related to the maintenance of complete remission were subsequently examined in the 211 complete responders by use of Cox's regression analysis. Complete responders with extensive disease prior to treatment had greater cumulative risk of relapse than those with limited disease (P less than 0.01). Hyponatremia had a significant negative influence on the remission duration in limited disease while age greater than 60 years and bone marrow metastases had significantly negative influence in extensive disease. Using the models it was possible to identify subgroups of patients with CR rates ranging from 5 to 55% and to stratify complete responders according to estimated risks of subsequent relapse.

Adult↗