[Basic stages of organizing antineoplastic chemotherapy in Russia. Role of the Russian Oncological Scientific Center named for N. N. Blokhina, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences]. / Osnovnye étapy stanovleniia protivoopukholevoi khimioterapii v Rossii. Rol' Rossiiskogo onkologicheskogo naurnogo tsentra im. N. N. Blokhina RAMN.

The paper outlines the history of cancer chemotherapy in our country, starting with the 1950s marked by the first studies made by L. F. Larionov to design cancer chloroethylamine drugs and by studies by N. N. Blokhin who initiated their clinical studies at his headed Institute of Cancer Experimental Pathology and Therapy, USSR Academy of Medical Sciences (now the N. N. Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences). The historically established leading role of this center in the development of cancer chemotherapy in Russia is greatly determined by the fact that the country's first specialized department of chemotherapy headed by V. I. Astrakhan was founded in 1960, which has become a center that conducts clinical trials of new Russian and foreign cancer drugs and trains cancer chemotherapeutists. Intensive development of the problem, collaboration with the country's leading research institutions and international cooperation have promoted the development of clinical chemotherapy for cancer diseases, which is an essential component of multimodality treatment in cancer patients now. Alkylating agents, antimetabolites, antitumor antibiotics, taxanes, topoisomerase I and II inhibitors, antiestrogens, antiandrogens, aromatase inhibitors, LH-RH agonists, cytokines. There are prospects for development of basically new approaches to drug therapy for cancer diseases in terms of latest data on the molecular biological features of tumor growth.

[The 5HT3-receptor antagonist Zofran (ondansetron) as an agent for preventing nausea and vomiting during the cytostatic treatment of cancer patients]. / Antagonist retseptorov 5HT3 zofran (ondansteron) kak sredstvo preduprezhdeniia toshnoty i rvoty pri tsitosticheskom lechenii onkologicheskikh bol'nykh.

The authors describe regimens of Zofran application convenient in oncological practice to prevent nausea and vomiting in patients receiving cytostatic drugs. It is well tolerated and low toxic.

Cisplatin-etoposide and carboplatin-etoposide induction chemotherapy for good-risk patients with germ cell tumors.

BACKGROUND: In an attempt to reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy in good-risk testicular cancer patients the two drug combinations, cisplatin plus etoposide (EP) and carboplatin plus etoposide (EC), have been compared. METHODS: Good risk was defined according to the MSKCC and IU criteria. 39 Patients have been treated with EP (cisplatin 20 mg/m2 i.v. and etoposide 100 mg/m2 i.v. on days 1 to 5), and 23 patients received EC (carboplatin 350 mg/m2 on day 1 and etoposide 100 mg/m2 on days 1 to 5). Four cycles of chemotherapy were given at 21- and 28-day intervals, respectively, with delays of up to 7 days in instances of leukocyte counts less than 3.0 x 10(9)/l or platelet counts less than 100 x 10(9)/l. RESULTS: In the EP group 34 (87%) of 39 patients achieved CR (26 with chemotherapy alone, 8 with additional surgery). After a median follow-up of 26 (12-58) months 3 (9%) patients relapsed from CR. Currently 38 patients are alive, and 37 (94%) are NED. In the EC group 20 (87%) of 23 patients achieved CR (15 with chemotherapy alone and 5 with additional surgery). After a median follow-up of 45 (26-57) months 6 (30%) patients relapsed from CR. Currently 19 patients are alive and 17 (74%) are NED. There was no difference in survival between the two groups (p = 0.13), but in the EC group the relapse rate was higher (p = 0.052) and the proportion of patients with NED was lower (p = 0.03) in comparison with EP. Toxicity in both groups was mild and similar, but 3 EP-treated patients presented hair loss. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that carboplatin-etoposide combination therapy is inferior to cisplatin-etoposide in patients with good-risk germ cell tumors.

[Monoclonal antibodies to human small-cell lung cancer]. / Monoklonal'nye antitela k melkokletochnomu raku legkogo cheloveka.

Murine monoclonal antibodies to human small cell lung cancer (SCLC) have been developed and partially characterized. Primary hybridoma clones were screened in the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) on alive H417 cells. Then five clones (IgG1, IgG2a, IgG3 and IgM) non-reactive with normal human bone marrow cells and positively reactive with SCLC tumors were selected. The H417.3 antibody is directed against 47-50kD surface antigens of H417 cells. The antibodies are supposed to be applied for the immunodetection of SCLC metastases to bone marrow and immunotoxin preparations.

[The results of using high-dose methotrexate in treating osteogenic sarcoma]. / Rezul'taty primeneniia vysokikh doz metotreksata pri lechenii otseogennoi sarkomy.

The interim results of the use of high-dose methotrexate with leucovorin rescue for the treatment of 26 patients with osteogenic sarcoma are discussed. Preoperative chemotherapy was followed by marked regression of primary tumor in one out of seven patients with localized disease. In that group, metastasis-free period lasted 2, 3, 10+, 12, 17+ and 24+ months. Response was observed in two out of 19 (10.6%) cases of metastases. Toxic side-effects were moderate and were mainly nausea (38.5% of patients), vomiting (26.9%), elevation of serum transaminase levels (38.5%) and fever (30.7% of cases).

[The use of holoxan (iphosphamide) in malignant tumors]. / Primenenie goloksana (ifosfamida) pri zlokachestvennykh opukholiakh.

A clinical trial of holoxan in combination with a urological protector--uromitexan--was carried out. Response was observed in 26.3% of patients with lung cancer. The drug was effective in cases of soft tissue sarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma.

Effect of methotrexate on the pharmacokinetics and renal excretion of cisplatin.

The kinetics of platinum in plasma and erythrocytes, and its renal excretion, have been examined in five patients with non-small cell carcinoma of the lung, after treatment with cisplatin 50 mg/m2 (Platidiame) and, three weeks later, a combination of 50 mg/m2 cisplatin and 40 mg/m2 methotrexate. The patients were given 0.9% saline 1 l 1 h prior to drug application. Plasma platinum elimination was biphasic with a short initial phase (t1/2 alpha 10-31 min) and a long beta-phase (t1/2 beta 65-91 h). With the exception of increased AUC values in all five patients 0-8 h after the injection, no significant change in the kinetics of platinum in plasma was found after coadministration of methotrexate. In four of the five patients renal platinum excretion was reduced in the first 6 h after administration of methotrexate. The renal clearance of platinum was 50% lower in those four patients 0-3 h after the injection. With the exception of one patient, no signs of nephrotoxicity were observed after combined drug administration. Other toxic effects were mild and showed no increase after the initial administration of methotrexate.