[Clinical study of 5-Fluorouracil and l-Leucovorin therapy for 56 patients with advanced recurrent colorectal carcinoma].

We have experienced 56 cases of advanced and recurrent colorectal carcinoma treated with 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)/l-Leucovorin (LV) therapy from January 2000 to March 2005. The RPMI regimen was employed, but 5-FU was administered at the dose of 500 mg/body for the first cycle and 750 mg/body for subsequent cycles, thanks to its safety, economy, and simplicity. l-LV was administered at 375 mg/body for all cycles. An average of 3.6 cycles were given, and the average 5-FU dose was 427.7 mg/m(2). The probability of the toxicities (Grade 3 or 4) tended to be less frequent compared with that observed in multi-center cooperative studies in Japan, although the frequency of nausea and vomiting was similar. Responses were CR 0/56, PR 16/56, NC 23/56, and PD 17/56, and the overall response rate was 28.6%. The median progression-free survival time was 6.0 months, and the median overall survival time was 14.0 months, which was longer than that achieved in multi-center studies in Japan. These data suggest that new regimens such as FOLFOX 4 and infusional 5-FU/l-LV therapy can be administered at lower doses of anti-cancer drugs with less toxicity and possible longer survival time.

Magnetic resonance images in hanging.

Hanging is a devastating method of suicide and unfortunately is common in Japan. Although several CT findings of the head have been reported, there have not been any reports about magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in hanging. We report here interesting MRI findings in a patient after hanging. A 39-year-old woman was transferred to our department after attempting suicide by hanging. Respiration had probably ceased for about three minutes but heart had not stopped when she was pulled down by her father. After her father performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, she started to breathe immediately. She was treated conservatively in our intensive care unit for 14 days, her condition became stable. Ten days after admission, MRI demonstrated symmetrical hyperintensity on T1-weighted images and relative hyperintensity on T2 weighted images in bilateral lentiform nuclei and medial thalami. There have been several reports about characteristic MRI findings in the case of acute global cerebral ischaemia caused by severe hypoglycaemia or longstanding cardiopulmonary arrest. It was postulated that these specific findings reflected tissue degeneration, deposition of mineral substances, or lipid accumulation. These MRI findings suggest that severe acute global cerebral hypoperfusion also occurs in hanging in the same way as in long-standing cardiopulmonary arrest and that hanging has devastating sequelae.