[Endocurietherapy in cancer of the bladder. A new technique by implant of 192iridium with Cyponil tubes (author's transl)]. / Endocuriethérapie du cancer de la vessie. Proposition d'une nouvelle technique pars fils d'192iridium en tubes de Cyponil.

The Authors propose a new technique of interstitial implant in cancer of the bladder based on the direct implant of 192 Iridium with Cyponil tubes. The tubes are roughly 2 metres in length with a radioactive wire in one third of the tube length. These wires are kept in a lead container during the complete implantation of the tube. After opening the bladder the uncharged part of the tube is passed through the inner walls by means of surgical needles. The number of the tubes depends on the size of the tumour and they are placed parallel to each other. They are then drawn until the radioactive part covers the tumour site. One end of the Cyponil tube is then pulled through the urethra and stitched to the skin, the other end is drawn through the surgical incision and attached to the abdominal skin. A Folley catheter is put on the bladder is such a way as to keep it blown up. It is then sutured. A radiography is carried out so as to determine the dosage. At the end of the therapy the stitches of the Cyponil tubes are cut and are removed by extraction.

[Cyclophosphamide and total lymph node irradiation as conditioning for bone marrow transplant in severe aplastic anemia]. / Ciclofosfamide (CTX) ed irradiazione linfonodale totale (TNI) come condizionamento al trapianto di midollo osseo (BMT) nelle anemie aplastiche gravi (AAG).

Personal experience is outlined with a preparative regimen consisting of total nodal irradiation (TNI) and cyclophosphamide in patients with severe aplastic anemia undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Nine patients (median age 23) previously having blood transfusions received BMT at the BMT Center in Pesaro. All patients were prepared for transplantation with cyclophosphamide 50 mg/kg/day (day -6, -5, -4, -3), and 7.5 Gy total nodal irradiation day -1, with a dose rate of 26 cGy/m. Six out of eight evaluable transplanted patients are still surviving 3 to 23 months with a median follow-up of 16.5 months. This preoperative regimen is extremely effective in decreasing rejection following transplantation for severe aplastic anemia. Future investigation must be aimed at the elimination of graft-versus-host-disease and control of fatal infections.

[Dosimetry of the bladder and the rectum: comparison between the measured and calculated dose (author's transl)]. / Dosimetria della vescica e del retto: confronto fra le dosi misurate e le dosi calcolate.

The authors examine 62 cases of curietherapy in the deep vagina on 21 cases of utero-vaginal applications and make a comparison between two dosimetric methods used to measure the dose to the rectum and to the bladder: the direct measure by the Siemens Gammameter dosimeter and the Chassagne-Horiot method. Very large differences were found between the doses evaluated by the two methods. The values with the direct measure were often found to be higher than the calculated ones. When the measurements were done by different doctors, the result was almost the same.

[Meningeal prophylaxis with radiocolloids in childhood leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma]. / Profilassi meningea con radiocolloidi nella leucemia e nel linfoma non-Hodgkin dell'infanzia.

Experiences in 13 children treated with radiocolloids (198Au and 32P) applied intrathecally are presented. This treatment may replace the external radiation therapy in prophylaxis or therapy of central nervous system (CNS) involvement in childhood leukemia and non Hodgkin lymphoma. The follow-up median value was 18 months. Ten children were treated for prophylactic aim. Two out of 10 presented meningeal failure 1 month after. Three patients treated for meningosis died for bone marrow relapse without evidence of blasts in CSF sediment.

Sensitivity to radiations of Mg2+ and (Ca2+ + Mg2+) ATPase activities associated with erythrocyte membrane fragments.

Treatment of disrupted erythrocyte membranes with ionizing radiation induces a partial oxidation of -SH groups (as expected from reported data) and a loss of membrane phospholipids as confirmed by the decrease of membrane amino groups. The resulting disturbance of the membrane assembly strongly affects the membrane bound divalent cation-dependent ATPase activities, possibly by causing the formation of a dead-end enzyme complex unable to complete the ATP splitting cycle.