PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

B Hrabar

Publications and source records attributed to B Hrabar.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Five-year survival of patients treated for esophageal cancer at the Institute of Oncology in Ljubljana in the years 1960-1989.

In last decades, the incidence of esophageal cancer in the male as well as female population of Slovenia has been increasing moderately. The number of long-term survivals is rather low. The treatment results of 13/714 (1.8%) 5-year survivors with esophageal cancer treated during the years 1960-1989 at the Institute of Oncology were analyzed. Different treatment modalities were used; the majority of patients were treated by using a combination of surgery, irradiation and chemotherapy. The analysis failed to establish a reliable cause of their significantly longer survival. Five years from the beginning of therapy 10/13 patients were alive without evidence of disease. Three patients developed a recurrence or another primary cancer. Longer survivals are probably attributable to a favorable treatment response associated with permanent or long-lasting disease free intervals and later recurrence. Longer and more frequent survivals can be expected with early stages and more effective, combined therapy for esophageal cancer.

Age Factors↗

The importance of surgery as the first step in multimodality treatment of small cell bronchial carcinoma. The ISC Lung Cancer Study Group.

For patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in their early stages (TNM I, II), surgery for cure was used to eliminate the primary tumour and its regional lymph-nodes followed by intermittent chemotherapy and radiotherapy within the first six postoperative months. After the pathohistological examination of the operation-specimen a two-arm-randomization was performed: standard chemotherapy (1000 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide, 50 mg/m2 doxorubicin, 1.4 mg/m2 vincristine) compared with sequential chemotherapy using three different drug-combinations (A: 1500 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide, 100 mg/m2 lomustine, 15 mg/m2 methotrexate; B: 1000 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide, 40 mg/m2 doxorubicin, 1 mg/m2 vincristine; C: 5 x 1.6 g/m2 ifosfamide plus mesna, 5 x 120 mg/m2 etopside). Thereafter disease-free patients only received prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI: administering 3600 TD Gy/18 fractions) according to the protocols of the International Society of Chemotherapy Studies I and II. Preliminary evaluations in March 1990 of 170 patients from 24 cooperating departments for thoracic surgery showed that the projected life-table four-year-survival rate of 63 patients with SCLC at pTNM-stage I was 61%, of 54 patients at pTNM-stage II was 35%, of 13 patients at stage pT3, 4 NO, 1 MO was 59% and of 40 patients at stage pT N2 MO was 35%. The indication for surgery is emphasized for pTNM-stages I + II. For N2-lesions surgery would not be recommended in general, but the survival rate seems to indicate that this treatment was not detrimental, being rather more favourable compared with chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone. The continuation and enlargement of these studies seem not only justified, but emphatically indicated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

The importance of surgical and multimodality treatment for small cell bronchial carcinoma.

In a cooperative international lung cancer multimodality treatment trial, 112 patients with small cell lung cancer underwent initial surgical resection and were then randomized to receive one of two intensive postoperative chemotherapeutic regimens, followed by prophylactic cranial irradiation in the disease-free patients. Regimen A consisted of eight courses of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine and regimen B of two courses of three sequential drug combinations: (1) cyclophosphamide, lomustine, and methotrexate; (2) cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine; and (3) ifosfamid and etoposide. In 47 patients the diagnosis was known preoperatively and in 65 it was not confirmed until the resected specimen was examined (all diagnoses were reviewed by a referee pathologist). Each patient was classified by the pathologic TNM characteristics. There were 38 patients with stage I disease, 39 patients with stage II, and 35 patients with stage IIIa disease. In stage IIIa there were nine patients with T3 N0-1 disease and 26 with T1-3 N2 disease (most N2 disease was clinically undetected until thoracotomy or was discovered only by routine histologic examination of the resected mediastinal nodes). Early survival rates at 24 months calculated by the life table method are as follows: stage I, 76%; stage II, 56%; and stage IIIa, 49% (T3 N0-1, 89%; T1-3 N2, 35%). Survival rates at 36 months are 62%, 50%, and 41% (74% and 29%), respectively. The projected 36-month survival rate for 43 patients with N0 disease is 65%; for 43 with N1 disease, 52%; and for 26 with N2 disease, 29%. No difference in survival has been noted in either chemotherapy treatment group. It is concluded that initial surgical resection for limited small cell cancer (stage I, II, and T3 N0-1) followed by intensive chemotherapy is an appropriate therapeutic approach. For T1-3 N2 disease the results are inconclusive.

Actuarial Analysis↗

[Late results of esophageal and cardial resection for cancer during the past 15 years].

Out of 196 patients--that we performed recestion on for cancerous esophagus and cardia, 30 are still alive by June 1977. 18,7% patients lived more than 5 years, and today 15 patients have been alive for more than 5 years. The majority of operated patients died due to advanced cancerous illness and metastasis, and less than half in number due to local recidive. By for largest percentage of them had soon after operation started to live normal lives, had no problems with taking in food, had improved physically and psychologically and started their jobs anew. All but one of alive patients are mobile, four of them partially. Two thirds do same or lighter jobs, eat normally and are in good condition. The most frequent problems are pain which are mostly temporary, and pyrosis due to reflux. We can conclude that the quality of life of operated patients is in major cases good, and cure by operation the only way for permanent recovery or fast and best method to palliate patients troubles.

Cardia↗