A novel biweekly schedule with cisplatin and gemcitabine in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

A new schedule with cisplatin and gemcitabine administered biweekly was prospectively evaluated in stage IIIB or IV non-small cell lung cancer. We report the interim analysis of the safety and efficacy with the first 23 patients included. The mean age was 60. Thirteen patients (56.5%) were stage IIIB and 10 (43.5%) were stage IV The overall response rate was 47.8%: 69.2% for stage IIIB and 20% for stage IV The median survival among the 23 patients was 33 weeks and 1-year survival was 39%: 53.8% for stage IIIB and 20% for stage IV Seventy-seven cycles (154 administrations) were given. The mean number of cycles/patient was 3.3 (range: 1 to 6). Of the 154 administrations, 26 were delayed 1 week for recovery from toxicity. The dose intensity (Hryniuk criteria) was 94% of the planned dose. There was one toxic death with grade 4 thrombocytopenia and grade 4 esophagitis. In two patients, grade 3-4 vascular toxicity was observed, with distal arterial ischemic changes in the lower extremities. There were three (3.9%) episodes of grade 2 neutropenia, one (1.7%) of grade 3 and another one of grade 4. No cases of febrile neutropenia were seen. Predominant nonhematologic toxicities were asthenia and nausea/vomiting. This schedule of cisplatin and gemcitabine has a good therapeutic index and, as it is active, enrollment is ongoing to complete the second part of the study.

Sequential dose-dense paclitaxel followed by topotecan in untreated extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: a Spanish Lung Cancer Group phase II study.

BACKGROUND: Poor survival rates in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients prompted us to evaluate a sequential dose-dense schedule of paclitaxel followed by topotecan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-three patients with previously untreated, extensive-stage SCLC received three cycles of paclitaxel 250 mg/m(2) over 3 h every 14 days followed by three cycles of topotecan 2.5 mg/m(2) for 5 days every 21 days. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was given after every cycle. Patients progressing at any time and those not achieving complete response (CR) subsequently received four cycles of standard-dose etoposide-cisplatin. RESULTS: A total of 118 cycles of paclitaxel were administered with minimal hematological toxicity. Grade 2/3 peripheral neuropathy was observed in 21% of patients. Response rate to paclitaxel was 48.8%, and 25.6% had stable disease (SD). Thirty-two patients achieving SD or response to paclitaxel subsequently received a total of 90 topotecan cycles. Topotecan-related toxicities included febrile neutropenia in 15.6% of patients with one toxic death, grade 3/4 anemia in 25% of patients and grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia in 31.3%. Non-hematological toxicities were mild. At completion of sequential paclitaxel-topotecan treatment the overall response rate was 55.8% (22 partial response, two CRs). Median survival for all patients was 10.5 months and median progression-free survival was 8.5 months. CONCLUSIONS: Sequential treatment with dose-dense paclitaxel followed by topotecan is feasible despite significant hematological toxicity during topotecan treatment. This schedule is an active regimen in extensive-stage SCLC and merits further investigation.

[Addisonian crisis as first manifestation of adrenal gland insufficiency in patient diagnosed with lung cancer]. / Crisis addisoniana como primera manifestación de insuficiencia suprarrenal en paciente diagnosticado de cáncer de pulmón.

Adrenal insufficiency or Addison's disease is actually a rare illness associated with numerous pathologies. We describe the case of a fifty years old male with lung adenocarcinoma and metastasis in both adrenal glands, who was receiving chemotherapy with mytomicin, ifosfamide and cisplatin (MIC), and was diagnosed of adrenal insufficiency as a result of acute episode addisonian crisis. Many times, the clinic symptoms of adrenal insufficiency can go unnoticed due to its low specifity and to mixing up with other syndromes. Hypoadrenalism has been described in association with many tumours, specially with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It seems that there is a discordance between the number of patients with bilateral metastatic adrenal destruction and the documented cases of clinic insufficiency. Once the adrenal failure is suspected, the diagnosis and hormone replacement treatment are really easy. Addison's disease ethiologies are revised putting special emphasis on those related with cancer patients.

Survival after chemotherapy with cisplatin and infusion of bleomycin prior to local-regional treatment in pyriform sinus cancer.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare different approaches including neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Ninety-six consecutive patients with pyriform sinus squamous cell carcinoma with no distant metastases were entered. The first 48 patients were treated with surgery plus postoperative radiation therapy (50-60 Gy) over cervical lymphatics. The next 48 patients were treated by induction chemotherapy with two courses of cisplatin, 120 mg/m2 i.v. day one, plus bleomycin, 20 mg/m2/day for 5 consecutive days in 24-hr i.v. perfusion followed by definitive surgery and postoperative radiation therapy as in the first therapeutic group. RESULTS: Definitive surgery was performed in 38 control vs 39 neoadjuvant patients. Complete response was observed in 9 (18.7%) and partial response in 32 (66.7%) of 48 chemotherapy-treated patients. Partial plus complete response was seen in 41 (85.4%) of the 48 patients. Comparison between controls versus chemotherapy-treated groups showed persistence of the disease in 10 vs 9 patients; local-regional relapses in 21 versus 14 patients; and distant metastases in 4 vs 2 patients. Median survival was 12 vs 40 months. Survival curves were statistically better in neoadjuvants than in controls (P < 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Multidisciplinary therapy slightly decreases the rate of local-regional relapses and distant metastases and should improve survival in this set of pyriform sinus cancer patients.

CYFRA 21-1 in lung cancer: comparison with CEA, CA 125, SCC and NSE serum levels.

CYFRA 21-1, CEA, CA 125, SCC and NSE serum levels were determined in 50 healthy subjects and in 189 patients with primary lung cancer (101 with locoregional disease, 68 with recurrence and 20 patients with no evidence of residual disease (NED). Abnormal CYFRA 21-1 serum levels were found in 53.6% (90/168) of the patients with active cancer. Neither healthy subjects nor NED patients had abnormal serum levels. CYFR alpha 21-1 serum concentrations were significantly higher in patients with active cancer than in healthy subjects or in NED patients (p < 0.0001). CYFRA 21-1 sensitivity was related to tumor histology with abnormal levels in 64.7% of patients with NSCLC and in 30% of patients with SCLC (P < 0.0001). In NSCLC, serum CYFRA 21-1 concentrations were also related to histological type, the highest values being found in squamous cell carcinomas and LCLC and the lowest in adenocarcinomas (p < 0.04). There was also a clear relationship between CYFRA 21-1 and tumor extension, with significantly higher values in patients with metastases than in those without metastases (p < 0.0001). Abnormal CEA values were found in 49.1%, CA 125 in 39%, SCC in 27.8% and NSE in 21.3% of the patients with active cancer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Carboplatin plus ftorafur as a palliative treatment in locally advanced cancer of the oral cavity and lip.

Forty consecutive patients with local advanced cancer of the oral cavity and lip, heavily pretreated, were palliated with two courses of carboplatin, 400 mg/m2 intravenously once a month plus ftorafur, 500 mg/m2 daily per os for 30 days. Previous treatment consisted of surgery (17 patients), radiation therapy (23 patients), and chemotherapy with cisplatin plus bleomycin (15 patients). The main sites of primary tumor were the tongue (12 patients), hard palate (6 patients), retromolar area (6 patients), tonsils (6 patients), perioral skin and lip (5 patients), and floor of the mouth (5 patients). Complete response was observed in 3 patients, and partial response in 7. Symptomatic improvement was observed in 56% of the cases. Median duration of response was 9 months. Median survival was 7 months. The main toxic effects were nausea (39 cases), vomiting (35 cases), and thrombocytopenia (4 cases). We conclude that carboplatin plus ftorafur has a role as palliative chemotherapy in cancer of the oral cavity and lip in heavily pretreated patients when local therapies are not suitable.

Chronic oral etoposide in advanced breast cancer.

Chronic oral etoposide has shown activity in some metastatic refractory tumors. To test its activity in previously treated metastatic breast cancer patients, we started a study in 18 consecutive patients given etoposide orally at 50 mg/m2 daily for 21 days. A partial response was observed in 4 of 18 patients (22%); of the responding patients, 3 had visceral metastases and 1 had multiple bone metastases. Leukopenia of grade 3 or 4 was the main hematological toxic effect (23% of patients) and alopecia was the most important nonhematological toxicity. Chronic oral etoposide shows some activity in pretreated patients with metastatic breast cancer, with tolerance being good and toxicity, acceptable. Further studies of this drug given as first-line chemotherapy or in combination with other drugs can establish all its potential activity in this cancer.

Age and clinical characteristics of 1433 patients with lung cancer.

A review has been conducted of 1433 patients treated by the Lung Cancer Unit of our hospital to assess the association of age with clinical characteristics of patients with lung cancer. The factors evaluated were tobacco, stage of disease, treatment and survival of patients treated surgically. A comparison was made of patients aged 65 or less with those over 65. There was a similar prevalence of smokers in both age groups. The stage of disease at time of diagnosis was similar (33% of the patients aged 65 or less were Stage I or II versus 37% of the older patients). The distribution by histological type showed significant differences (p < 0.05) with a higher percentage of squamous carcinoma in the younger group (54% versus 44%). Surgery was performed in 30% of the patients aged 65 years or less but only in 19% of the older cases (p < 0.05). Among those patients treated surgically there was no difference in the survival of younger and older patients.

Hydrocortisone anaphylaxis: a new case report.

In this report we describe a case of a nonatopic patient who developed an anaphylactoid reaction immediately after receiving intravenous hydrocortisone. The patient recovered after reanimation techniques and intravenous administration of atropine, epinephrine and plasma expanders. Although allergic reactions to corticosteroids appear to be rare there are a few case reports in the literature. This case is presented to draw the attention of clinicians to the occasional hazard of intravenous corticosteroid preparations, specially hydrocortisone.

Cancer diagnosis disclosure in a Spanish hospital.

At the Clinic Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, 167 cancer patients and 380 hospital health care workers were interviewed about cancer diagnosis disclosure. Only 25 patients (15%) were correctly informed of their diagnoses. Breast cancer patients were significantly more often informed than patients with other malignancies (p less than 0.05). Two hundred seventy-two of 380 hospital health workers interviewed (71%, p = 0.00) would want to know their own diagnoses should they suffer from cancer in the future, but only 19% (p = 0.00) would want such a diagnosis revealed to their similarly afflicted relatives. This information model, based on cancer taboo, is largely preferred by these healthy people and is followed by doctors, patients and family members. To inform our patients better, the mandatory uniform disclosure of the true diagnosis is not likely to be constructive at present. In our opinion a pragmatic approach is more realistic and humane. Nevertheless, we must hope that more modern cancer education will lead to the gradual elimination of this taboo in our society.