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Biomedical subjects

Alfredo Tartarone

Publications and source records attributed to Alfredo Tartarone.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Support ellagic acid therapy in patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) on standard chemotherapy using vinorelbine and estramustine phosphate.

BACKGROUND: Recent phase III studies in hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) showed an improvement in terms of overall survival (OS), objective response (OR) and biochemical response (BR); however, chemotherapy is usually accompanied by negative side effects that determines poor quality of life (QoL) and only marginally improves individual clinical response (ICR) in terms of pain relief and performance status. Ellagic acid is a polyphenol that is found in many species of flowering plants. It is an antioxidant that determines apoptosis, down regulation of IGF-II, activates p21 (waf1/Cip1), mediates the cumulative effect on G1/S transition phase and prevents destruction of p-53 gene by cancer cells. ENDPOINTS: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of ellagic acid support therapy on toxicity, OR, ICR and BR in HRPC patients treated with estramustine phosphate and vinorelbine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with HRPC were randomly distributed in two study groups: a control group (group A) who underwent chemotherapy with vinorelbine and estramustine phosphate, and an experimental group (group B) where chemotherapy regimen was associated with ellagic acid. RESULTS: The mean number of chemotherapy cycles/patient was 4 (range 3-8 cycles) and 6.5 (range 5-11) in group A and B patients, respectively. A reduction in systemic toxicity, statistically significant for neutropenia, associated with better results in term of OR rate, ICR, and BR were observed in group B compared with group A. On the contrary no significant difference in OS and PFS was detected between groups. CONCLUSIONS: our study suggests that the use of ellagic acid as support therapy reduces chemotherapy induced toxicity, in particular neutropenia, in HRCP patients; however, further studies are required to confirm our results.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Linezolid-induced bradycardia: a case report.

We report an episode of severe bradycardia that occurred in a 49-year-old woman with fever and malignant jaundice during antibiotic therapy with linezolid, a new oxazolidinone with activity against Gram-positive cocci. In our case, the strict temporal dependence between bradycardia and linezolid therapy seems to provide strong evidence for a causal relationship. To our knowledge, this is the first report of linezolid-induced bradycardia. This adverse event confirms that the new antibiotic linezolid should be administered with caution in patient with jaundice and hepatic insufficiency.

Acetamides↗
PubMed2004

Guillain-Barré syndrome complicating mobilization therapy in a case of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

We report a case of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) which appeared after mobilization therapy in a patient with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). After obtaining a partial remission with four cycles of fludarabine at standard dose, the patient underwent to high-dose Cytoxan in order to mobilize CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells. During neutropenia the patient experienced fever of unknown origin (FUO) and subsequently developed GBS with normalization of his neurologic condition after 2 months. It is possible that a viral-induced activation of an antigen-specific T and B-cell clone caused a local inflammation and toxicity of Schwann cells with demyelination and axonal damage with a self-limited course.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pulmonary blastoma after liver transplant: a case report.

There is an increased risk of cancer after organ transplantation mainly due to the immunosuppressive therapy required in these patients. We report a case of biphasic pulmonary blastoma in an adult male who underwent liver transplant for hepatocellular carcinoma in March 1999, followed by immunosuppressive treatment and adjuvant chemotherapy with epirubicin. Disease-free survival lasted 18 months, then a diagnosis of biphasic pulmonary blastoma was made and the patient underwent a lung lobectomy. Five months after surgical resection a recurrence of this rare tumor was recorded and two cycles of cisplatin + etoposide and ifosfamide + etoposide and one cycle of second-line chemotherapy with vinorelbine were administered. The tolerability and the efficacy of this treatment were poor. The patient died less than one year after diagnosis. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of pulmonary blastoma in a transplant patient. Our findings confirm that organ transplant recipients deserve long-term medical surveillance also in the absence of graft complications, and that pulmonary blastoma is an aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cisplatin and weekly docetaxel as first-line therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer a phase II study.

BACKGROUND: Based on the results of previous phase I studies, in the current phase II trial we evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of cisplatin plus weekly docetaxel in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The eligibility criteria for the study included newly diagnosed stage IIIB/IV NSCLC, age < or = 75 years, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2, adequate organ functions, and signed informed consent. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of cisplatin, 80 mg/m2 on day 1, and docetaxel, 25 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15 every 4 weeks. RESULTS: Between January 2002 and December 2003, 31 patients with NSCLC were enrolled in the study. An objective response rate of 40% (95% CI, 21-60) was obtained in 27 assessable patients. The median time to progression was 6.4 months (range, 2.5-26.3) and median overall survival was 10.01 months (range, 5-28.3). The regimen was well tolerated with no grade 4 toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Cisplatin plus weekly docetaxel is an effective and well-tolerated regimen in chemo-naive patients with advanced NSCLC. A phase III study of weekly versus the conventional regimen of every three weeks should be conducted to compare the survival benefits, toxicity profile and quality of life.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Role of parenteral nutrition in cancer patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation.

High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous bone marrow or peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation represents a recognized option in the treatment of solid tumors and hematologic diseases. Patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy are traditionally supported with parenteral nutrition with the aim to prevent malnutrition secondary to gastrointestinal toxicity and metabolic alterations induced by the conditioning regimens. Nevertheless, well-defined guidelines for its use in this clinical setting are lacking and there are several areas of controversy.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Dose-finding study of weekly docetaxel plus estramustine in patients with hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this phase I study was to find the maximum tolerated dose of weekly docetaxel in association with estramustine in hormone-refractory prostate cancer. METHODS: Eleven patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer were treated with escalating weekly doses of docetaxel (level I, 3 patients, 30 mg/m2; level II, 3 patients, 35 mg/m2, level III, 3 patients, 40 mg/mz; level IV, 2 patients, 45 mg/m2) associated with fixed dosage of estramustine (840 mg/day). RESULTS: In level I, there was only one episode of grade 3 neutropenia; grade 1 nausea and vomiting were registered in 1 patient; in 1 patient mild edema of the lower limbs was noted. In level II, grade 2 stomatitis and grade 1 sensory symptoms occurred in 1 patient, and grade 1 edema in 1 case. In level Ill, grade 2 edema was noted in 2 patients, damage to nails in 1 patient, asthenia in 1 patient, grade 1 neuropathy in 2 patients, and grade 1 nausea in 1 patient. In level IV, grade 2 edema was present in 1 patient, grade 3 edema in 1 patient, changes with fall of nails and grade 2 erythema of face in 2 patients, asthenia in 2 patients, grade 1 neuropathy in both patients. Nine patients had a more than a 50% decrease in PSA after 2 cycles of therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study suggest a good tolerability of weekly 35 Mg/m2 docetaxel in hormone-refractory prostate cancer in association with estramustine.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) polymorphisms as risk factors for cancer in a highly homogeneous population from southern Italy.

Glutathione S-Transferase (GST) is a phase II enzyme and catalyses reactions between glutathione and a variety of electrophilic compounds, including some environmental carcinogens. In man, at least 20 isoenzymatic forms of GST have been identified and many of them show genetically-based individual variability of enzyme activity. The GSTM1 and GSTT1 isoenzymes display several polymorphisms, including a homozygotic deletion, which have been associated with an increased risk for developing neoplastic diseases. There is geographical and ethnic variation in genotype frequencies for both genes. The available data suggest that cancer incidence varies amongst Italian regions, being higher in Northern that in Southern areas, though it is unknown whether this phenomenon is to be attributed to genetic and/or environmental factors. We performed a case-control study to evaluate the GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms in a series of cancer patients in Basilicata, a Southern Italian region, and in corresponding controls. The results obtained demonstrate that the occurrence of GST polymorphisms in the Basilicata population is not different from other Italian regions and suggest that the population attributable risk associated with these genotypes may be quite high. GSTM1 homozygous null genotype was associated with an increasing risk of cancer, especially in females. The strongest association was with colon and breast cancers. For the GSTT1 gene, the results obtained were suggestive of a decreased risk of cancer associated with the null genotype. Thus, similar studies on these and other susceptibility genes are warranted since they can help to identify susceptible subgroups of people who can be targeted for cancer prevention.

Adult↗