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Biomedical subjects

A V Bedini

Publications and source records attributed to A V Bedini.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

Prolonged venous infusion of cisplatin and concurrent radiation therapy for lung carcinoma. A feasibility study.

Fifty patients with non resectable and/or inoperable bronchogenic carcinoma were entered into a feasibility study of cisplatin (CDDP) given in continuous infusion with concurrent radiation therapy. The radiation therapy regimen consisted of 2 Gy given 5 days a week in the first 3 and last 2 weeks of a 7-week split course (50 Gy of total dose). The CDDP (daily dose of 4 to 6 mg/m2) was administered to cover the days of radiation treatment by means of a central venous catheter and a portable pump. Less than 1% of predicted duration of infusion was lost due to complications related to venous access and pump. Toxicity was moderate. The overall probability of a locoregional major response (complete + partial) within 1 month after treatment completion was 86%. Twenty-three patients underwent resection. The 1-year actuarial probability of survival was 64%. The high response and survival rates warrant further studies on concurrent CDDP continuous infusion and radiation therapy in inoperable lung carcinoma.

Adult

Pilot study with cisplatin, ifosfamide, and etoposide in advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma.

Twenty-five patients with advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) were treated with a multidrug regimen (CIV) consisting of ifosfamide (IFX), cisplatin (CDDP), and etoposide (VP-16). Twenty-four patients were evaluable for response. An objective response was detected in eight cases (33%), including one case with complete tumor response. Median duration of response was 31 weeks, and median overall survival 46 weeks, with no significant difference between responders and nonresponders. Myelosuppression and gastrointestinal side effects represented the main toxic manifestations; a toxic death and an ischemic cardiac episode were also observed. CIV seems a moderately effective regimen in NSCLC, but unlikely to provide an advantage over the widely employed two-drug combination of CDDP and VP-16.

Adult

[Esophagogastric anastomosis at the inferior cricoid margin].

In esophageal resections, esophagogastric anastomosis can be performed either at cervical or intrathoracic level. A recent paper showed a greater incidence of postoperative leakages in cervical vs. intrathoracic anastomosis (26% vs. 4%). In the present paper we describe 55 cases of esophagectomy with a modified technique of cervical stapled anastomosis, where the incidence of fistula was 5%.

Anastomosis, Surgical

Relationship between CaMBr1 expression and tumor progression in small cell lung carcinomas.

In order to study the possible relationship between antigenic phenotype and tumor progression, 63 small cell lung carcinomas (SCLC) biopsies derived from primary or metastatic tumors were tested by immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase techniques with an anti-carcinoma monoclonal antibody designated MBr1. Primary tumors were found to be less reactive with MBr1 than the local and distant metastatic lesions (57% versus 75% and 89% positivity respectively). A life table analysis on the tested cases indicated an inverse association between the expression of the marker recognized by the MBr1 MAb (CaMBr1) and overall survival (p less than 0.01): patients with MBr1-positive tumors showed a shorter survival time in comparison to patients whose tumors did not express the marker. The same correlation between survival and CaMBr1 expression was found even when only the 31 cases of early stage disease patients were considered (p less than 0.05). Different tumor aggressiveness or resistance to therapy of MBr1-positive tumors could be responsible for the shorter survival time of the patients.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Surgical resection in the treatment of stages I-II of small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC).

From 1981 to 1986, 17 patients with resected small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) staged as I or II according to the new TNM classification were recruited for a prospective study to evaluate the effectiveness of surgery and postoperative chemotherapy (plus locoregional radiotherapy only when a nonradical resection was accomplished) in the treatment of early stages of the disease. Six patients received full protocol chemotherapy (6 courses) and 8 a mean of 79.1% of the planned courses. Three patients received non adjuvant treatment. Locoregional radiotherapy for residual disease was administered in 2 cases. One patient died for myelosuppression due to chemotherapy and 10 for recurrences of cancer, all within the 20th postoperative month. Metastases accounted 80% of overall recurrences. Six patients were alive and tumor-free at 18, 22, 39, 44, 47 and 51 months from resection. Actuarial observed 3-year survival was 32%.

Aged

Prognosis after nonradical resections for small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC).

Out of 52 consecutive patients resected for small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) from 1976 to 1986, 19 were selected because they underwent nonradical surgery, 10 of them for locoregional spread and 9 for distant metastases. Of the former subset all received postoperative radiotherapy and 8 chemotherapy also. Three patients are alive and disease-free 37, 56 and 91 months after resection. Four patients had a distant recurrence, and 3 a locoregional failure. Patients of the latter subgroup received chemotherapy in 7 instances. None survived more than 16 months, distant metastases being the cause of death. In these patients N0 status was associated with 13.3 months of mean survival, N1 with 8.5 months, and N2 with 6.7 months. Surgery and adjuvant treatments seem effective in achieving local control of SCLC despite nonradical resections. Tumor burden at locoregional sites does not preclude the possibility of long term survival.

Adult

Pilot study with adriamycin and ifosfamide in small cell lung cancer.

Twenty-one patients with limited (12 cases) or extensive (9 cases) small cell lung cancer entered a pilot study with adriamycin (ADM) plus ifosfamide (IFX) as first line treatment for six planned cycles. ADM was administered at the dose of 60 mg/m2 iv push on day 1 and IFX at 3 g/m2/iv in 1-hour infusion on days 1 and 2. To prevent IFX-induced hemorrhagic cystitis, mercaptoethane sulfonate sodium (Mesna) was given after the administration of IFX at the dose of 500 mg/m2 by iv push four times (hour 0, 4, 8, 12) on days 1 and 2. In the absence of disease progression, chemotherapy was repeated every 3 weeks for 6 cycles. All patients were evaluable for analysis of response, toxicity and survival. The overall response rate clinically and radiologically assessed after four treatment cycles was 95.3% (CR 28.6%, PR 66.7%). However, by continuing the same drug treatment up to the sixth cycle, 7 of 14 partial responders showed tumor progression within the intrathoracic region. Therefore, at the end of the planned chemotherapy program the partial remission rate fell to 33.3%, for a total remission rate of 61.9% and a median total survival of 9 months (range 5 to 36+). The regimen was well tolerated with only one case presenting hemorrhagic cystitis. The results achieved with this drug combination appear comparable to those obtained with other conventional regimens. However, the high response rate achieved after four cycles and the low incidence of marrow toxicity suggest the use of this regimen for a short period with increased dose levels.

Adult

Modified Schoemacher resection for distal gastric cancer.

Between October 1979 and February 1987, 30 consecutive patients with cancer of the lower stomach underwent B1-Schoemacher resection with a tubular gastric pouch. Operative mortality was 0% and operative morbidity 10% (leak 3%, anastomotic stricture 3% and abscess 3%). After a mean follow-up of 30 months, the expected 5-year survival was 32%. The causes of death were: 7 distant relapses, 2 noncancer diseases and 1 new primary cancer. The overall incidence of postgastrectomy symptoms was 23% for the whole series and 35% for the patients harboring small tumors. Mild dyspepsia occurred in 71%. The declining concept of total gastrectomy as an essential requirement for curative resection and the recent evidence that B2 for gastric lesions is a carcinogenic operation necessitate alternative procedures. The data show that modified Schoemacher resection can be consider a valid challenge to B2.

Aged

Late results after sleeve or wedge lobectomies for non-small-cell lung carcinoma.

From January 1971 to June 1983, 35 lobectomies with bronchoplastic procedures for invasive non-small-cell lung carcinoma were performed. Sleeve lobectomy was carried out in 21 cases, wedge lobectomy in 11, and upper sleeve bilobectomy in 3. There were 23 stage I, 10 stage II, and 2 stage IIIa tumors. Completion pneumonectomy was required in 1 case for anastomotic fistula and in 2 for atelectasis of residual lung. One of these patients died later due to empyema. The 5-year probability of death with recurrence was 31.98%. The 5-year disease-free survival was 58.57%. Metastatic relapse was observed in 8 cases and loco-regional recurrence in 5. A new primary lung tumor occurred in 2 patients.

Aged

Resectable breast cancer: axillary dissection sparing pectoralis muscles and nerves.

In breast cancer surgery, axillary dissection is currently considered an essential step. Nevertheless, procedures commonly used include the resection of the pectoralis minor muscle and/or pectoralis nerves. Since 1984 we have performed axillary dissection by sparing both the pectoralis muscles and their nerves. In this paper we present the surgical technique. The comparison of the two groups with clinical N0 N1a assessment, the former of 103 patients submitted to this kind of surgical procedure, the latter (108 women) treated by resection of the pectoralis minor muscle, showed that the mean number of dissected lymph nodes in both procedures was superimposable.

Axilla

Young age is not an ominous prognostic factor in breast cancer patients.

Analysis of a series of 137 women 20-30 years of age, operated for breast carcinoma, excluding patients pregnant, lactating or with inflammatory cancer, showed that disease-free survival rates were similar and not lower than those reported for a large series of 716 breast cancer patients of all ages, treated and followed at the same Institute. Ten-year disease-free survival rates for the two series of 137 young women and 716 patients of all ages were 43.7% and 47.1% respectively. Even when considering the subgroups of patients with and without nodal axillary involvement, the corresponding figures for the two series considered were 72.6% vs. 72.1% (N-) and 25.1% vs. 24.5% (N+). It can be concluded that young age cannot be considered as an unfavorable prognostic factor.

Adult

Five-year recurrence probabilities in 330 patients curatively resected for stage Ia bronchogenic carcinoma.

Three hundred and thirty consecutive cases of resected Stage Ia (TNM UICC classification) lung carcinomas were retrospectively reviewed with the aim of evaluating actuarial probabilities of recurrence within the 5th year from operation, according to the extent of resection, the cell type, and the T number. The probabilities of recurrence according to the pattern of failure were also assessed. Five-year overall probability of recurrence was 46.3%. Pneumonectomies showed a lower rate of relapse (37.4%) than lobectomies (49.2%), even though non significant. However, patients submitted to a lobectomy had a higher rate of 5-year survivors. Cell type had no significant impact on the probability of recurrence. 35.5% of patients with T1 carcinomas had evidence of relapse compared with 51.1% of patients with T2 tumors. This datum is explained by the presence in T1 group of a high share of squamous cell cases. Patients with T1 squamous cell carcinomas had, in fact, the best prognosis (26.5% recurred) among the subgroups obtained by stratification of T number and cell type together; loco-regional failure as exclusive modality of relapse had a 5-year rate of 19.7% and metastatic failure of 30.0%. Adenocarcinomas had a significantly higher impact on the occurrence of brain metastases.

Adult