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Biomedical subjects

A F Fuller

Publications and source records attributed to A F Fuller.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Combination chemotherapy in advanced adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube.

Advanced adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube has a poor prognosis, with 5-year survival rates commonly less than 20%. Since 1980, we have managed 12 patients with disseminated tumor with combination chemotherapy following surgical cytoreduction. Analogous to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging of ovarian carcinoma, 3 patients were classified in Stage II, 8 in Stage III, and 1 in Stage IV. Ten patients received cisplatin-containing regimens. The 3 Stage II patients, without measurable disease after primary surgery, had an indeterminate response to chemotherapy. In Stages III-IV there were 4 complete responses (3 confirmed by second-look laparotomy) and 2 partial responses, for an overall response rate of 67%. Disease progressed in 2 patients and was stable in 1 patient. After median follow-up of 3.5 years, 4 of the Stage III-IV patients have no evidence of disease, 1 is alive with disease, and 4 are dead.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina: a second primary in a diethylstilbestrol-exposed woman?

A clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vaginal remnant in a diethylstilbestrol (DES)-exposed woman developed 20 years after anterior exenteration for a histologically similar stage II vaginal cancer. Arguments favoring a new primary cancer over a late recurrence are presented. This case probably represents the first report of a second primary vaginal clear cell cancer after DES exposure in utero. The implications of a second vaginal primary and the need for long-term surveillance in DES-exposed women are discussed.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Recurrent ovarian granulosa cell tumor: role of combination chemotherapy with report of a long-term response to a cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and cisplatin regimen.

We report a patient who, at age 43, underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for an unrupted 10 cm granulosa cell tumor. A recurrence was subtotally totally resected 2.5 years later, followed by six cycles of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and cis-platin (CAP) chemotherapy. She had no evidence of disease at second-look laparotomy. Serum estradiol (E2) levels paralleled her clinical course, becoming elevated at the time of her recurrence, and returning to postmenopausal levels during her chemotherapy. Four years later, further elevation in E2 heralded a second recurrence of tumor. The patient underwent a cytoreductive procedure and has resumed chemotherapy. Reports of the few other patients treated with multiagent chemotherapy are reviewed. Several combinations appear active, with the CAP regimen having possibly less toxicity. Compared with radiotherapy, chemotherapy may yield longer survival in patients with recurrent granulosa cell tumor, but actual cure remains elusive.

Adult↗

Carcinosarcomas and mixed Müllerian tumors of the fallopian tube.

Four cases of carcinosarcoma and mixed müllerian tumors of the fallopian tube are presented. Each patient presented with abnormal bleeding and a pelvic mass. All underwent total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, staging, and cytoreduction. Disease was limited to the pelvis in two patients, analogous to FIGO stage IIB ovarian carcinoma; the other two patients had upper abdominal disease, analogous to FIGO stage III. The primary tumors were intraluminal and papillary. There were equal amounts of carcinoma and sarcoma in three tumors; in one, sarcoma constituted only a small intraluminal focus. The sarcoma was predominantly homologous, with foci of heterologous elements present in three tumors. Adjuvant therapy consisted of pelvic radiation in two patients. One patient died of inanition within one year of diagnosis. The other patient, who had the small focus of sarcoma within a stage IIB carcinoma, had an 11-year disease-free interval before retroperitoneal recurrence of carcinoma. Two patients received chemotherapy. A stage IIB patient, after pelvic radiation, received Cytoxan and Adriamycin; she is clinically free of disease after 6 years. A stage III patient lived over 3 years after treatment with multiple agents; she responded to Cytoxan and cis-platinum before suffering a systemic relapse and death.

Adult↗

Determinants of increased risk for recurrence in patients undergoing radical hysterectomy for stage IB and IIA carcinoma of the cervix.

From 1939 to 1977, 431 patients underwent radical hysterectomy as primary therapy for Stage IB or IIA carcinoma of the cervix at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Only 11 patients were lost to follow-up at intervals of from 1 to 94 months. Assessment of gross and histologic extent of disease was correlated with the prevalence of nodal metastases and survival. Increasing tumor size, depth of invasion, and histologic grade were covariable and predictive of both lymph node metastases and recurrence. After stratifying for nodal metastases, adenocarcinoma cell type, the size of the primary tumor, depth of invasion into the cervix, and histologic grade were associated with decreased survival. For the 85 patients with documented recurrence of their carcinoma, the time to recurrence varied inversely with primary tumor size. Of 56 patients with documented recurrence and negative nodes at the time of their initial therapy, 10 patients (18%) were ultimately salvaged. None of the 29 patients with recurrent carcinoma and positive nodes at the time of their initial lymphadenectomy was successfully treated. Analysis of prognostic factors identifies a group of patients at high risk for recurrence and decreased survival for whom prospective trials of adjunctive treatment should be considered.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Primary mucinous carcinoid tumor of the ovary. A case report.

A case of primary ovarian mucinous carcinoid tumor in a 36-year-old woman is described. The tumor was present in the wall of a mature teratoma and microscopically showed tubules and glands containing goblet cells interspersed among columnar to cuboidal cells with uniform round nuclei and granular cytoplasm. The cytoplasm of the tumor cells contained argyrophil granules on Grimelius stains. Immunohistochemical stains utilizing antibodies against carcinoembryonic antigen, chromogranin, and pancreatic polypeptide were positive. Although primary mucinous carcinoid tumors are generally believed to exhibit more aggressive behavior than other categories of carcinoid tumors, the patient was treated conservatively with a right salpingo-oophorectomy and remains well 3 years later, suggesting that unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and careful follow-up are adequate therapy in a young woman when the tumor is confined to the ovary.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗

Primary adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube.

Nineteen women with a mean age of 62 were treated for primary adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube from 1960 to 1980. Common presentations were bleeding or discharge, pelvic mass, and pain. Cervical cytology was positive in five of eleven cases; endometrial curettings revealed adenocarcinoma in three of nine cases. Staging was by a system analogous to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) classification of ovarian carcinoma: 11% stage I, 44% stage II, 28% stage III, and 17% stage IV. Bleeding and abnormal cervical cytology were associated with earlier stage lesions and better prognosis. The most common treatment was excision of the primary tumor and gross intraperitoneal metastases. Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed in 14 cases. Thirteen patients received 40-50 Gray of 2 MeV external beam pelvic radiation. Stages I and II had five-year survival of 100% and 63%. However, 38% of stage II patients had late extrapelvic relapses, and two early stage patients suffered serious complications of radiation therapy. All stage III and IV patients died of disease, 63% within the first 3 years. Based upon these results and review of other modern series, the importance of early diagnosis and complete surgical staging is emphasized, and stage-specific adjuvant therapy recommended.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Ultrasound-guided intrauterine removal of intrauterine contraceptive devices in pregnancy.

The risk to the embryo and to the mother when pregnancy results with an intrauterine device (IUD) in the uterus is well documented. Current advice in such cases is to remove the IUD if the string is visible; proper management when the string is not accessible is controversial. In four such cases, we were able to remove the IUDs from inside the uterine cavity using a small alligator forceps guided by high-resolution ultrasound. All four pregnancies progressed successfully to term. Based on the literature and our own experience, we recommend removal of IUDs or therapeutic abortion when pregnancy occurs with an IUD in situ.

Adult↗

Resolution of malignant ascites after intraperitoneal chemotherapy in women with carcinoma of the ovary.

The treatment of malignant ascites is a difficult task that faces the physician who is treating patients with advanced carcinoma. We describe the clinical course of three patients with malignant ascites caused by advanced carcinoma of the ovary who were treated with cisplatin-based intraperitoneal chemotherapy. In all three patients, there was resolution of the ascites with relief of symptoms caused by abdominal distention. Although one patient had a fall in the serum level of CA 125 (the antigen marker of carcinoma of the ovary) with repeated courses of intraperitoneal therapy, there was little reduction in the bulky abdominal tumors. Even though intraperitoneal chemotherapy, as currently administered, does not appear to effect a significant reduction in tumor in women with bulky carcinoma of the ovary, it may be of benefit in improving the quality of life. Larger numbers of patients should be studied to better assess the role of this method of treatment in the palliative cure of patients with symptomatic malignant ascites.

Aged↗

Fallopian tube prolapse after hysterectomy. A report of two cases.

Two patients were treated for fallopian tube prolapse after abdominal hysterectomy. This rare complication is usually seen after vaginal hysterectomy. Our patients presented with a profuse, blood-tinged vaginal discharge and lower abdominal pain two and three months after hysterectomy. The tender, fimbriated end of the fallopian tube must be distinguished from common cuff granulation tissue, one patient underwent painful cautery treatments for over a year before the correct diagnosis was made. Biopsy of the prolapsed tissue in both cases failed to provide the correct diagnosis. In cases reported on previously, repair of the prolapsed tube usually was accomplished transvaginally, but in one of our patients laparotomy was required to control bleeding from the retracted proximal tube. The other patient had her prolapsed tube diagnosed and resected laparoscopically. This technique, described in detail, has the advantage of avoiding more-extensive surgery in selected cases.

Adult↗

Management of high-grade stage I adenocarcinoma of the endometrium: hysterectomy following low dose external beam pelvic irradiation.

Sixty-eight patients with FIGO stage I, grade 2 or 3 adenocarcinoma of the endometrium were treated according to a protocol involving 10 Gy external pelvic irradiation, prompt hysterectomy with surgical staging, and postoperative therapy individualized according to surgical-pathologic findings. Five-year survival for the entire group was 78%, 87% for those with grade 2 disease, and 59% for those with grade 3 disease. For patients whose disease was found to be confined to the uterus, surgical stage I, the 5-year survival was 98%. Patients with surgical stage I, grades 2 and 3 disease had 97 and 100% probabilities of surviving 5 years, respectively. Five-year disease-free probability was 96% for all patients with surgical stage I carcinoma, 97% for patients with grade 2 disease, and 94% for patients with grade 3 disease. Myometrial penetration influenced survival; no patient with less than 50% myometrial penetration died or suffered a relapse, while only 40% of patients with deeper penetration survived 5 years. Twenty-three percent of patients with surgically confirmed disease spread beyond the corpus survived 5 years; 29% remained disease-free at this interval. Ten of the 68 patients developed recurrences, none has had a known pelvic recurrence. Two major complications, one requiring surgery, were seen, both in patients receiving postoperative external beam irradiation. The rationale behind low-dose, preoperative external pelvic irradiation is described, and an approach to high-grade, FIGO stage I adenocarcinoma of the endometrium is outlined.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Prognostic variables in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.

Records of 98 patients undergoing surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva between 1960 and 1982 were analyzed to evaluate and develop treatment policy. There were 32, 34, 26, and 6 patients in FIGO stages I-IV, respectively. Eighty-six patients underwent radical vulvectomy, 8 patients underwent less extensive procedures, and 4 underwent more extensive procedures. Eighty-seven patients underwent inguinal node dissection, and 40 underwent pelvic node dissection as well. Eight patients received external beam irradiation. Actuarial 5-year survival was 57%. Age, tumor size, FIGO (clinical) stage, surgically determined T and N stages, tumor differentiation, lymph vessel invasion, extent of surgical procedure, and adjuvant irradiation were analyzed to determine their effects on local control, freedom from distant metastases, and survival, using single variable and multivariate analysis. Local control was significantly related to FIGO stage; freedom from distant metastasis was significantly related to surgical N stage, tumor size, and surgical T stage; survival was significantly related to surgical N stage, tumor size, surgical T stage, age, and lymph vessel invasion. Metastatic involvement of inguinal lymph nodes was significantly correlated with tumor size and differentiation. Of 87 evaluable patients, 33 had inguinal node involvement, and of these, 17 developed recurrent disease. All 7 patients with pelvic node metastases had positive inguinal nodes, and all died; the cause of death could be determined in 5, of whom 4 manifested distant metastases. Pelvic lymphadenectomy conferred no survival benefit in this series, even in the presence of positive inguinal nodes. Local vulvar recurrence is a significant problem in patients with positive inguinal nodes, and postoperative irradiation should be directed to this area in these patients. Patients with vulvar recurrences, especially those occurring at least 2 years after surgery, can be successfully salvaged, and should therefore be treated aggressively.

Adult↗

Female adnexal tumor of probable Wolffian origin with multiple recurrences over 16 years.

The case history of a woman with a "female adnexal tumor of probable Wolffian origin" is described in which the neoplasm recurred three times during a 16-year interval and responded with prolonged remission after repeated surgical excision and radiotherapy. Ultrastructural data are given to support the Wolffian nature of the tumor. Although the tumor was considered in the past to be a benign neoplasm, the current report, as well as six others in which the tumor recurred or metastasized, indicates that the female adnexal tumor of probable Wolffian origin should be classified within the International Classification of Disease-Oncology and the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine nomenclatures as "of low malignant potential."

Adenoma↗

Mullerian inhibiting substance reduction of colony growth of human gynecologic cancers in a stem cell assay.

Mullerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS), a fetal testicular product that causes regression of the Mullerian duct in the male mammalian embryo, was evaluated for its antitumor effect on the premise that a substance active against this genital precursor in the fetus might also be active against tumors derived from these tissues. Increasingly pure fractions of biologically active MIS, prepared from newborn calf testes, were tested in the soft agar colony inhibition assay against single cell suspensions of fresh tumors derived in ascitic or solid form from patients with gynecologic malignancies. Twenty-eight tumor specimens placed in soft agar culture have provided sufficient growth to assess an MIS effect. Twenty-five of these 28 tumors showed significant colony inhibition after incubation with MIS. Increased antitumor response correlated with increased purification of MIS when the same tumor was treated with preparations of different purity. Samples obtained from the same patient at different times, from both ascites and solid tumor sources, produced nearly identical responses to MIS. MIS preparations, previously shown to be active in microcytotoxicity and colony inhibition assays against established human ovarian and endometrial carcinoma lines demonstrate consistent antitumor activity against fresh human gynecologic cancers removed at surgery.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Pulmonary resection for metastases from gynecologic cancers: Massachusetts General Hospital experience, 1943-1982.

Fifteen patients with pulmonary metastases from gynecologic cancers have been evaluated and treated surgically at the Massachusetts General Hospital from 1943 to 1982. These women have had primary tumors involving the cervix (6), endometrium (3), and ovary (2) as well as uterine sarcomas (2) and choriocarcinomas (2). Two-year Kaplan-Meier survival for this group was 71%; the corresponding survival at 5 years was 36%. No hospital mortality was encountered. Patients with solitary lesions of less than 4 cm diameter appeared to have the most favorable prognosis in the group. A prolonged time to initial recurrence (latent period) of greater than 36 months was associated with improved survival and there was a 60% survival among patients with latent periods of 60 months or more. An aggressive approach to resection of pulmonary metastases in selected patients provides gratifying palliation for the majority of women and long-term cure in a significant minority.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Low-dose preoperative radiation therapy for adenocarcinoma of the endometrium. A pilot study.

A pilot study using low-dose preoperative radiation therapy, i.e., 10 Gy in 3 to 4 days as an adjuvant preoperative procedure for grade 2 or 3 (FIGO classification) endometrial carcinoma, was done. The concept of low-dose preoperative radiation therapy is to administer treatment, either surgical or radiotherapeutic, postoperatively according to the surgical and pathologic findings, allowing identification of those patients with previously undiagnosed extensive metastatic disease outside the pelvis found at laparotomy in whom routine pelvic radiation therapy is futile, as well as those patients with relatively low risk of recurrence who may not require further radiotherapy. Forty-four patients with clinical Stage I, grade 2 or 3 with adenocarcinoma of the endometrium were entered into the pilot study. Following surgery, 68% remained Stage I by pathologic examination, and in the remaining patients the stages were changed to II in seven, III in three, and IV in four. Postoperative treatment was administered according to extent of the disease found at surgery. The 4-year actuarial probability of survival rate for the entire group of patients with clinical Stage I disease was 80%; corresponding disease-free rate was 77%. For the Stage I disease confirmed by pathologic examination, the corresponding rate was 96%. The rates for Stages II through IV, as shown by pathologic findings at laparotomy, were 53% and 42%, respectively. In this pilot stud, a treatment policy for clinical Stage I, grade 2 or 3 adenocarcinoma of the endometrium using low-dose preoperative radiation therapy is recommended.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Müllerian inhibiting substance inhibition of a human endometrial carcinoma cell line xenografted in nude mice.

Müllerian inhibiting substance (MIS) is a fetal testicular product which causes regression of the müllerian duct in the male mammalian embryo. This material has been partially purified from a neonatal bovine source and in cruder fractions has shown antitumor effects when tested against the HOC-21 ovarian carcinoma line in monolayer cytotoxicity, in soft agar colony inhibition assay, and in nude mouse xenografts. The glycoprotein used for the present studies was more highly purified by sequential ion exchange, carbohydrate affinity, and dye affinity chromatography. After a 1-hr exposure with 1.0 X 10(6) tumor cells prior to heterotransplantation, this more purified preparation with MIS biological activity as determined by organ culture assay of embryonic urogenital ridges delayed the appearance of palpable tumor nodules. That this response may be specific for tumors derived from the coelomic epithelium of the embryo is further supported by the absence of any antitumor effect when this substance was tested against the SW-48 colon carcinoma line. It is of interest that the antitumor activity followed the biological activity as the preparation was further purified to 30,000-fold.

Animals↗