PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Mecozzi

Publications and source records attributed to A Mecozzi.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Flow cytometric DNA ploidy, p53, PCNA, and c-erbB-2 protein expressions as predictors of survival in surgically resected gastric cancer patients.

In order to determine retrospectively the impact of some cytometric and immunohistochemical parameters on the overall survival of gastric cancer patients treated with surgery alone, paraffin-embedded tumor samples from 137 gastric carcinoma patients undergoing curative resection from 1987-1993 were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM) and immunohistochemistry (p53, c-erbB-2, and PCNA expression). FCM-derived parameters were DNA ploidy and fraction of S-phase cells (SPF). Multiple regression analysis was applied to determine the prognostic significance of the conventional clinicopathologic findings together with the flow cytometric and immunohistochemical parameters on overall survival. When all parameters were entered simultaneously into the Cox regression model, stage and DNA ploidy (DNA index >1.35) clearly emerged as the only independent prognostic factors. When the stages were analysed separately, the independent prognostic factors resulted DNA ploidy in early stages (I-II) and grading in stage IIIA tumors. For stage IIIB tumors, no independent prognostic factor was found. These results indicate that the DNA ploidy pattern is a valuable predictor of survival in curatively resected gastric cancer patients, especially when less advanced tumors are taken into consideration.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Combined treatment of invasive bladder carcinoma with transurethral resection, induction chemotherapy, and radical radiotherapy plus concomitant protracted infusion of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil: a phase I study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to define the maximum tolerated doses (MTDs) of cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) administered as protracted intravenous infusion (PVI) during hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) administered with organ-sparing intent to patients with infiltrating transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (TCCB). METHODS: Twenty-five patients with T2-T4aNXM0 TCCB were enrolled in this study. After a complete transurethral resection, bladder mapping, and two cycles of induction chemotherapy, patients were submitted to HFRT and CDDP + 5-FU as concomitant PVI at escalating dose levels until MTDs were reached. Treatment efficacy was also evaluated, in terms of complete response (CR) rates and cystectomy free, disease free, and overall survival. RESULTS: Combined treatment was well tolerated. The recommended doses for Phase II studies of PVI chemotherapy and radiotherapy for patients with invasive bladder carcinoma are CDDP 5 mg/m2/day and 5-FU 220 mg/m2/day. Twenty-four patients were evaluable for response: 21 (87.5%) had CR and 3 PR. After a median follow-up of 31 months (range, 11-49 months), 18 of 21 patients with CRs (86%) were alive: 15 (71.4%) had tumor free bladder, of whom 3 had superficial recurrence successfully treated with endovesical therapy and 1 had distant metastases. Three patients were submitted to cystectomy, one for superficial recurrence and hematuria and two for invasive bladder recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: This study defines the MTDs of CDDP and 5-FU concomitantly administered with hyperfractionated radiotherapy. The low toxicity observed and the high CRs and bladder preservation rates deserve further study.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

The importance of heterogeneity and of multiple site sampling in the prospective determination of deoxyribonucleic acid flow cytometry.

Multiple fresh specimens from 59 nonsmall cell carcinomas of the lung, 38 carcinomas of the gastric tract and 55 carcinomas of the colon and rectum were analyzed by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) flow cytometry (FC) after radical resection to evaluate tumor ploidy as an independent prognostic factor. The minimum follow-up period was five years (range of five to ten years). Aneuploidy was observed in 98.0 percent of carcinomas of the lung, in 70.9 percent of carcinomas of the colon and rectum and in 63.1 percent of carcinomas of the gastric tract. FC DNA heterogeneity, in terms of different number of DNA stem lines or different DNA indices between core and periphery, or both, was found in 50.0 percent of carcinomas of the lung, 47.0 percent of carcinomas of the colon and rectum and in 34.5 percent of carcinomas of the gastric tract. A diploid pattern was more frequently observed in less advanced stages of the gastrointestinal tract. By univariate analysis (Kaplan-Meier), patients with carcinoma of the lung with hypodiploid or hypertetraploid peaks, or both, and aneuploid gastric tumors had poorer prognosis. These differences were only marginally significant. Cox analysis demonstrated that the single most important prognostic variable for predicting the overall survival rate was the stage of disease. Tumor DNA content can be considered a marker of advanced stages, particularly in tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, but there is no evidence that it is an independent prognostic variable able to predict long term survival in patients who have been radically resected.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Flow cytometric and immunohistochemical correlations in high incidence human solid tumors.

475 patients with carcinoma at different sites (141 colon-rectum; 102 breast; 50 stomach; 48 kidney; 46 head and neck; 41 bladder; 47 other sites) submitted to surgery have been analyzed after histopathological staging and grading, by flow cytometry (monoparametric DNA content analysis) and immunohistochemistry (p53, c-erbB-2, and PCNA expression). In breast cancer patients the presence of receptors for estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PGR) has also been determined. Flow cytometry-derived parameters were DNA ploidy, fraction of cells in S-phase (SPF), and DNA content heterogeneity (multi-clonal stem cell lines with different DNA index and/or more than one subpopulations with different ploidy levels in different samples from the same tumor). Correlations of the results obtained by the different techniques have been attempted by the non-parametric Spearman's rank correlation approach. Significant associations (P < 0.05) were found between the histopathological, immunohistochemical and flow cytometric parameters considered in some anatomical regions, such as stomach (p53 vs DNA content aneuploidy and vs heterogeneity), colon-rectum (TNM vs p53 and vs heterogeneity), bladder (grading vs DNA content aneuploidy and vs heterogeneity). Tumor heterogeneity proved to be dependent on the number of tumor samples taken. The results of this preliminary assessment will subsequently be compared with the data obtained from a currently ongoing follow-up survey.

DNA, Neoplasm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Combined hyperfractionated radiotherapy and protracted infusion chemotherapy in bladder cancer for organ preservation.

PURPOSE: To test an innovative schedule of concurrent protracted intravenous infusion (PVI) of cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) with organ-sparing intent in bladder cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-two patients (pts) were selected to receive an aggressive TURB followed by 2 MCV cycles, and HFRT with concomitant CDDP and 5-FU PVI (33 pts) or HFRT and concomitant CDDP and 5-FU PVI (20 pts). The 5-FU and CDDP doses ranged from 180 to 220 mg/sm/day and from 4 to 6 mg/sm/day, respectively. Radiotherapy was delivered as three 100 cGy fraction per day or two 150 cGy fraction per day to a total dose of 50 Gy to the pelvis and a 20 Gy boost to the bladder. RESULTS: Grade III toxicity in pts who received or not MCV was: rectal tenesmus 12/33 and 0/20, dysuria 6/33 and 4/20, leukopenia 3/33 and 0/20, thrombocytopenia 7/33 and 1/20 pts, respectively. A Grade IV toxicity was observed in 2 pts. Of the 28 evaluable patients treated with MCV, CR were observed in 23 (82%) and PR in 5 cases. Of the 18 evaluable patients treated without MCV, CR were observed in 18 cases (100%). Actually, 65% and 14% of the CR pts treated with or without HCV are alive and free of tumor. CONCLUSIONS: This bladder-sparing treatment shows an acceptable acute and late toxicity, similar to that observed with radiotherapy alone. The high CRs and bladder preservation rates observed deserve further clinical evaluation.

Adult↗