Insecticidal activity and chemical composition of volatile oils from Hyptis martiusii Benth.

The essential oils from leaves and inflorescences of Hyptis martiusii Benth were analyzed by GC-MS. Twenty-six compounds representing 93.2% of the essential oil of leaves were characterized; Delta-3-carene (22.5%), 1,8-cineole (24.27%), beta-caryophyllene (6.15%), and bicyclogermacrene (6.32%) were found as the major components. In the essential oil of inflorescences 27 compounds representing 87.7% of the oil were identified. The major components were Delta-3-carene (13.5%), alpha-pinene (5.78%), beta-caryophyllene (6.59%), viridiflorene (8.25%), and germacrene B (5.21%). The essential oil of leaves and 1,8-cineole showed pronounced insecticidal effect against Aedes aegypti larvae and Bemisia argentifolii, the vectors of dengue fever and white fly fruit plague, respectively.

Why barium enemas fail to identify colorectal cancers.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to determine the cause and clinicopathological factors associated with the failure of barium enemas to detect colorectal cancers. METHODS: A histopathological database was used to identify all patients with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer between 1991 and 1995. These records were matched with the records from patients who underwent barium enema examinations between 1990 and 1995. Those patients who had a colorectal cancer histologically diagnosed within 24 months of a barium enema in which no carcinoma was seen, were identified. Where possible the radiology was reviewed. Failure to identify a carcinoma was then attributed to either simple failure, technical, interpretive or perceptive difficulties. RESULTS: There were 967 patients with colorectal cancers treated in Christchurch Hospital during the study period 1991-1995. Matching of these patient details with all barium enema records revealed 313 patients who had barium enemas and histologically proven colorectal cancer. There were 21 (6.7%) patients in whom a carcinoma was missed. Of these, 18 had a barium enema within 8 months of surgery, and three were performed outside this timespan (15, 18 and 28 months, respectively). On review, 11 carcinomas could not be identified (nine due to technical error: poor coating (n = 1), overlapping loops (n = 3), single-contrast enema (n = 4), faecal residue (n = 1)); and seven could be seen on review of the films (two interpretation errors, one technical and perceptive error, and four perceptive errors). In three cases films could not be found for review. In 16 of the 21 missed lesions the patient had a double-contrast barium enema (DCBE) while five patients had single-contrast barium enema (SCBE). The site and stage of missed tumours is presented. CONCLUSIONS: The most common reason for missed tumours was technical. The percentage of missed tumours in each region of the bowel correlates with the known incidence of tumours in each region and with a normal Dukes stage distribution, except in the caecum where the number of missed lesions was higher than expected.

Two years of high-dose cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil followed by surgery after 3 months for acute inflammatory breast carcinomas. A phase II study of 25 cases with a median follow-up of 35 months.

Twenty-five consecutive cases of inflammatory breast carcinoma were treated with high-dose cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil in 5-day courses every 3 weeks for 2 years, with total mastectomy performed after the third course. The toxicity was high but acceptable in 24 of the patients, provided the doses were decreased. Tumor was found at surgery in all 24 patients, and the lymph nodes were involved in 19 of 24 cases. The median follow-up was 35 months (range, 16-76 months). Thirteen relapses were observed, three of which were exclusively locoregional. The median disease-free survival was 46 months. The expected median survival is greater than 6 years. Six patients were treated with radiotherapy for regional recurrences. The good results obtained with this severe form of the disease confirm: that chemotherapy is highly effective in primary tumors and that initial radiotherapy is not necessary in the management of this disease.

[Vitamin A augmentation of the effects of chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancers after menopause. Randomized trial in 100 patients]. / Augmentation par la vitamine A des effets de la chimiothérapie dans les cancers du sein métastasés après la ménopause. Essai randomisé sur 100 malades.

Vitamin A was administered to randomly allocated patients in a group of 100 patients with metastatic breast carcinoma treated by chemotherapy. The daily doses (given indefinitely) ranged from 350,000 to 500,000 IU according to body weight. A significant increase in the complete response rate was observed. When subgroups determined by menopausal status were considered, it was observed that serum retinol levels were only significantly increased in the post-menopausal group on high dose Vitamin A. Response rates, duration of response and projected survival were only significantly increased in this subgroup. The therapeutic and biological implications of these findings are discussed.

High-dose cyclophosphamide and high-dose 5-fluorouracil. A new first-line regimen for advanced breast cancer.

Thirty consecutive patients with metastatic breast cancer previously untreated by chemotherapy were given high-dose cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) and high-dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as first-line therapy. Cyclophosphamide, 1200 mg/m2 was administered intravenously (IV) on day 1 and 5-FU, 600 mg/m2 IV on days 1 through 5. Cycles were repeated every 21 days or on hematologic recovery. Twenty-eight of the 30 patients achieved a remission (16 partial, and 12 complete), i.e., a response rate of 93%, and a complete response rate of 40%. The actuarial survival rate at 43 months was 52% for the population as a whole, and 68% for patients who achieved a complete response. Hematologic toxicity was relatively severe and the initial doses had to be reduced by 20% in all patients between the second and fifth courses. No deaths due to either infection or bleeding were seen due largely to intensive supportive care. It is concluded that increasing the doses of a small number of drugs of proven efficacy may be more useful than increasing the number of drugs given in lower doses. Furthermore, this approach spares other effective drugs for second-line therapy.

[Localized hyperthermia in the treatment of human deep tumors. 4 years' experience]. / Hyperthermie localisée dans le traitement des tumeurs profondes humaines. Expérience de 4 années.

Localized hyperthermia was used on 86 adult patients with deep-seated tumours beyond therapeutic resources. The possibility of regression could be assessed in 71. Following treatment with an instrument producing 13.6 MHz radiofrequency waves, demonstrable regression was obtained in 28% of all cases and in 50% of the last 22 cases treated for a total of 20 hours divided into one-field sessions of at least 2 hours. Even in the absence of regression, the pain-killing effect was most conspicuous. Some physical and technological problems inherent in the method have yet to be solved, but undoubtedly localized radiofrequency hyperthermia has real possibilities in the treatment of deep-seated human tumours, and this without toxic hazards, which is quite unusual in cancerology.