[Changes in prostate-specific antigen in casodex (bicalutamide) monotherapy in a dose 150 mg/day given to patients with locally advanced and/or advanced prostatic cancer]. / Dinamika prostatspetsificheskogo antigena pri monoterapii kasodeksom (bikalutamidom) v doze 150 mg v den' u bol'nykh mestno-rasprostranennym i (ili) rasprostranennym rakom predstatel'noi zhelezy.

Three-month treatment with casodex (150 mg/day) of untreated patients with locally advanced and/or advanced cancer of the prostate is well tolerated. The only side effect encountered in 9(60%) patients was temporary breast painfulness and swelling. Subjective effects consisted of higher activity (in 40% of patients), pain relief (in 33.3%), improved urination (in 80%). Objective effects comprise: reduction of prostate-specific antigen in 14(93.3%) patients by 150.4 ng/ml at the average; a rise in testosterone concentration in 12(80%) patients; regression of the tumor by more than 50% in 5(33.3%) patients; stabilization and partial regression of regional metastases (1 case); stabilization of distant metastases (3 of 4 cases). One patient showed progression of bone metastasizing in partial local regression of the tumor.

[The diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer metastases]. / Diagnostika i lechenie metastazov raka mochevogo puzyria.

The study included 27 patients with regional and distant metastases of bladder cancer. Regional and distant metastases were detected in 12 (44.4%) and 15 (55.6%) patients, respectively. Basic treatment consisted in chemotherapy (MVAC scheme) which combined with reaferon immunotherapy. Chemoimmunotherapy in combination with radiotherapy was used in 8 patients to relieve pain caused by the metastases. The response was seen in 37% of patients with regional metastases and 22% of patients with distant ones. The former and the latter were followed up for 15.9 and 9.3 months, respectively.

[The combined treatment of locally disseminated bladder cancer]. / Kombinirovannoe lechenie mestnorasprostranennogo raka mochevogo puzyria.

39 untreated patients with local cancer of the bladder without distal metastases were included in the trial to assess efficacy of combined drug plus radiation treatment, its toxicity and chances to preserve the bladder. The examination comprised tumor biopsy, ultrasonography, computed tomography, excretory urography and routine laboratory tests. The patients received one or two courses of intraarterial chemotherapy, radiation (50 Gy) and two doses of cysplatinum in a dose 70 mg/m2 before and after radiation. A complete response was achieved in 66.6%, partial in 12.8%, stabilization in 10.3% and progression in 10.3% of patients. One-year survival was reported in 89.7%, recurrence-free survival with functioning bladder being 66.7%. Side effects were mild and did not demand the treatment discontinuation.

[The combined treatment of bladder cancer]. / Kompleksnoe lechenie raka mochevogo puzyria.

The paper presented the results of the combined multistage treatment of 60 patients with advanced carcinoma of the urinary bladder: intra-arterial chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Intra-arterial chemotherapy was performed in total dosages of the following drugs: 5-fluorouracil, 3-4 g/m2, adriamycin, 100-120 mg/m2, methotrexate, 20-40 mg/m2, platidiam, 30-50 mg/m2. Immunotherapy was exercised through endolymphatic administration of BCG vaccine in a dose of 0.08-0.12 mg. The majority of the patients were exposed to a remote gamma-therapy in a total focal dosage of 50-54 gram-roentgen. The treatment resulted in a complete regression of the tumor in 26.7, partial regression in 43.3 per cent of the patients. 3-6 mos after the radiation therapy, 46.6 per cent of the patients were operated on, mainly with the use of organ-sparing techniques. A three-year survival rate reached 100 per cent in the patients with stage T2 disease, 85.2 in those with T3a and 58.6 per cent in those with stages T3b--T4. The analysis of the survival revealed higher mortality rates in patients with low-differentiated tumors.

Intra-arterial chemotherapy for advanced bladder cancer.

The results of prolonged intra-arterial chemotherapy in 61 patients with locally advanced bladder cancer (T3-T4) are discussed. Regional internal iliac artery infusion of chemotherapeutic agents was done daily for 5 or 7 days at a rate of 1 to 3 ml/h over an 18-20-h period. The total dosages of each course were 60-120 mg/m2 adriamycin, 2.5-3.5 g/m2 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), 20-40 mg/m2 methotrexate or 30-50 mg/m2 cisplatin. At 3 to 4 weeks after the completion of infusional chemotherapy the results were evaluated, based on data from control cystoscopy and sonography. One patient (1.6%) was free of tumor; an objective response of greater than 50% reduction in tumor size occurred in 26 (42.7%) patients; 34 (55.7%) demonstrated objective responses of less than 50%. No further increase in tumor size during the management was detected. Hematuria, dysuria and urine infection were controlled and pain was relieved. The use of cytostatics and prolonged iliac artery catheterization did not incur any serious complications.

[Ultrasonic scanning in determining the local spread of bladder cancer]. / Ul'trazvukovoe skanirovanie v opredelenii mestnogo rasprostraneniia raka mochevogo puzyria.

The results of ultrasound investigation were analysed in 48 patients with urinary bladder cancer. Potentialities of longitudinal intracavitary echography in the determination of the local dissemination of malignant urinary bladder tumors were studied. This method proved to be most informative for tumors sited in the cervix, basis and anterior wall of the bladder whereas transabdominal echography provided reliable diagnostic information for tumors of the lateral and posterior walls. In choosing methods for the determination of the local dissemination of urinary bladder cancer preference should be given to combined echography in view of its high accuracy, noninvasive and safe nature.