Fatal pneumonitis induced by oxaliplatin: description of three cases.

We describe 3 fatal cases of interstitial pneumonitis rapidly evolving to pulmonary fibrosis and death after the administration of oxaliplatin as part of the FOLFOX regimen. Due to the widespread use of oxaliplatin in oncology, clinicians should be aware of the risk and severity of oxalipatin-induced interstitial pneumonia.

Low rectal cancer: impact of radiation and chemotherapy on surgical treatment.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy (leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil) on the treatment of potentially resectable low rectal cancer using the following end points: 1) toxicity of this combined modality regimen; 2) clinical and pathologic response rate and local control; 3) down-staging of the tumor and its influence on the number of sphincter-saving operations; 4) disease-free interval, patterns of relapse, and overall survival. METHODS: From 1991 to 1996, 118 patients with potentially resectable cases of histologically proven adenocarcinoma and no distant metastases were enrolled into this protocol. All patients were evaluated by clinical and proctologic examination, abdominal computed tomography, transrectal ultrasound, and chest radiography. Therapy consisted of 5,040 cGy (6 weeks) and concurrent leucovorin (20/mg/m2/day) with bolus doses of 5-fluorouracil administered intravenously at 425 mg/m2/day for three consecutive days on the first and last three days of radiation therapy. After two months, all patients underwent repeat evaluation and biopsy of any suspected residual lesions or scar tissue. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 36 months. Toxicity of chemotherapy regimen was minimum. Thirty-six patients (30.5 percent) were classified as being complete responders. In six of these patients, complete response was confirmed by the absence of tumor in the surgical specimens (3 abdominoperineal resections and 3 proctosigmoidectomies with coloanal anastomosis). In the remaining 30 patients, confirmation of a complete response was made by the absence of symptoms, negative findings on physical examination, and biopsy, transrectal ultrasound, and pelvic computed tomographic test results during follow-up. Eighty-two patients (69.4 percent) were considered incomplete responders. Residual lesions had already been identified during the first examination in 74 patients. In the other eight patients, residual tumor was only identified after 3 to 14 months. All patients underwent surgical treatment, except one patient who refused surgery. Eighty-seven patients underwent 90 surgical procedures: local excision, 9; coloanal anastomosis, 36; abdominoperineal resection, 4; Hartmann's procedure, 1. Isolated local recurrences occurred in five patients (4.3 percent) and combined local and distant failure in eight patients (6.7 percent). Ninety patients are alive and disease-free at a median follow-up of 36 months. CONCLUSIONS: Combined up-front chemoradiotherapy was associated with tolerable and acceptable side effects. A significant number of patients had complete disappearance of their tumors (30.5 percent) within a median follow-up of 36 months. This regimen spared 26.2 percent of patients from surgical treatment and allowed sphincter-saving management in 38.1 percent of patients who may have required abdominoperineal resection. Preliminary results of this trial suggests a reduction in the number of local recurrences and reinforces the concept that infiltrative low rectal cancer may be initially treated by chemoradiotherapy.

Synchronous primary malignant lymphoma and carcinoma of the stomach.

A case of synchronous concurrent carcinoma and primary malignant lymphoma developing as two independent tumors of the stomach is presented. The clinical and pathological diagnosis and therapeutic problems associated with synchronous tumors of the stomach are discussed. A possible relationship between the two tumors and the role of Helicobacter pylori are also reviewed.

[Primary lymphomas of the large intestine]. / Linfomas primários do intestino grosso.

Primary colorectal lymphomas are rare tumors that comprise 0.5 to 2% of large bowel malignancies and 10 to 20% of gastrointestinal lymphomas. Between 1982-1993 ten patients were treated in the Colorectal Unit of the "Hospital das Clínicas" of the University of São Paulo, representing 2% of the neoplasms in this period. Age varied from 22 to 76 years, with median around 50 years, and male/female ratio 8:2. Weight loss, right iliac palpable mass and bowel habit alterations were the most common symptoms. Definitive diagnostic was only set with histological evaluation of the surgical specimen in all colon tumors. Four patients had advanced disease classified as stages III or IV. The tumors were located in ileocecal region (7 cases), transverse colon (1 case), sigmoid colon (1 case) and rectum (1 case). Colon lymphomas were treated by radical surgical resection and chemotherapy; the patient with rectal lymphoma received radiotherapy and chemotherapy because of local tumor spread. Histological data showed 6 large cell lymphomas and 4 small cleaved cells lymphomas. Lymphnodal involvement and tumor size were the main prognostic factors in the series: 80% of the patients in advanced stage (III or IV) and 66% of those with tumors larger than 10 cm died during the first year of the follow-up.

Strongyloides hyperinfection in two patients with lymphoma, purulent meningitis, and sepsis.

Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection syndrome is a rare complication of strongyloidiasis that occurs in immunosuppressed patients. It is caused by increasing autoinfection of the host by the nematode, leading to serious superimposed enterobacterial sepsis. Once established, it has a high fatality rate. Two cases are reported of Strongyloides hyperinfection in patients with lymphoma who presented with purulent meningitis. Both were receiving combination chemotherapy that included high-dose corticosteroids, and neither was granulocytopenic at infectious onset. The patients had respiratory insufficiency that required mechanical ventilation and serious septic episodes. Both were treated with thiabendazole, and one survived with clearance of the larvae. These cases illustrate the possibility of strongyloidiasis hyperinfection as an underlying diagnosis of purulent meningitis and serious septic episodes in lymphomatous patients. It may occur even without granulocytopenia.

Phase II trial of etoposide (V), adriamycin (A), and cisplatinum (P) in patients with metastatic gastric cancer.

The efficacy and toxicity of a combination of etoposide (100 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1 to 3), Adriamycin (20 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1 and 8) and cisplatinum (40 mg/m2 i.v. on days 2 and 8) repeated every 4 weeks as an outpatient regimen were assessed in 29 consecutive patients with metastatic gastric cancer with measurable disease. Five of these patients were refractory to 5-Fluorouracil, Adriamycin, and Mitomycin C. Three of these previously treated patients responded to the etoposide. Adriamycin, cisplatinum (VAP) therapy. An overall objective response rate of 72.5% was achieved, including 14% that were complete responses. The median duration of response was 6.0 months; median overall survival was 7.2 months, overall one-year survival was 34.4%. Hematologic toxicity was intense, particularly among patients with lower performance status. Three patients died as a consequence of nadir sepsis episodes.

Epidermoid carcinoma of the anal canal. Results of treatment by combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Thirty consecutive patients with epidermoid carcinomas of the anal canal larger than 2 cm were treated with the concomitant application of radiation and two cycles of chemotherapy (5FU and mitomycin-C) between January 1982 and January 1988. Twenty-eight patients were treated with curative intention and two for palliation only. All patients were reexamined after a period of one to 2 months, under light general anesthesia, and any residual tumor or scar tissue was biopsied. Control biopsy was positive in eight patients. Three of six patients who had abdominoperineal excision died from locoregional recurrence; the remaining are alive and cancer free after 1 to 4 years. Two patients had local excision; one is alive and the other died of other cancer metastasis four years later. Seventeen patients who had negative biopsies are alive and free of disease after 1 to 5 years; two died of unrelated causes, two died with distant metastasis (present prior to treatment), and one died with locoregional recurrence. Locoregional failures occurred in four patients (13.3 percent) in the entire series. Individualization of each patient, adjustment of doses, and carefully executed radiation and chemotherapy are the most important points for the success of treatment.