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Biomedical subjects

C Focan

Publications and source records attributed to C Focan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

[Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide and fluorouracil, in operable breast cancer of intermediate stage: first results of a phase II study in 40 patients].

Forty patients with intermediate stage (T2 > 3 cm-T3, N0-N1) operable breast cancer received neoadjuvant chemotherapy by MCF (mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil). Four cycles were administered at 3-week intervals. The obvious hematological toxicity (64% of grade III for the leucocytes and up to 34% of grade IV for the granulocytes) was rapidly reversible and did not hinder completion of the treatment. Ten patients showed a complete remission and a tumor volume regression of more than 50% was observed in 12 other patients. Tumor shrinkage allowed breast-saving surgery in 50% of the cases. A complete sterilisation of the surgical specimen was found in only two of the 40 patients and a few persisting neoplastic cells were found in ten other cases. A positive response at the level of the axillary lymph nodes was also obtained in more than 50% of the cases. In 25 of the 36 cases examined, the primary chemotherapy induced cellular lesions (fibrosis, necrosis) at the tumor level. A feasibility study was undertaken in order to determine quantitatively several biochemical parameters (steroid hormone receptors, cathepsin D, c-erbB-2 oncoprotein) in very small tumor samples obtained by Tru-Cut before any treatment and in surgical specimens. In the future, these micromethods will be used systematically with the aim of estimating the value of these potential prognostic factors for therapeutic follow-up of the patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Oral administration of [3H]navelbine in patients: comparative pharmacokinetics using radioactive and radioimmunologic determination methods.

[3H]Navelbine (NVB) was administered orally to two patients. Drug levels in biological fluids were monitored by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and direct radioactivity (RA) determinations. NVB absorption was rapid: maximum plasma concentrations appeared in the first 2 h after oral administrations. Pharmacokinetic parameters estimated from RIA data were in complete accordance with those obtained from i.v. injections. Bioavailability (i.v./po) estimated from RIA and RA data averaged 40.6 and 93.0%, respectively. NVB urine excretion was low. Fecal excretion remained its main elimination route. Moreover, large differences were observed in area under NVB plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) values obtained by the two methods, implying intense drug bio-transformations.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1990

Experience of the Belgian Society of Medical Oncology with single-administration 5 g/m2 ifosfamide with mesna as second- or third-line therapy in advanced breast cancer.

In an ongoing phase II trial conducted in advanced breast cancer, we tested a therapy schedule consisting of continuous, 24-h infusion of 5 g/m2 ifosfamide (IFO) in 3 1 dextrose saline with mesna (MSN), repeated every 3 weeks until disease progression. Since September 1988, 16 heavily pretreated patients with advanced disease (11 with visceral lesions) considered refractory to standard chemotherapy (regimens always including cyclophosphamide) have been included. Objective partial remissions were observed in two cases (one in liver and one in soft-tissue and pleural lesions), and disease stabilization for at least 3 months occurred in four cases. No treatment-related death was recorded and tolerance was judged to be excellent (six cases) or acceptable in all instances. The haematological toxicity consisted mainly of transient leucopenia (nadirs evaluated by WHO scale as grade 3 in 43% and grade 4 in 29%), sometimes associated with thrombocytopenia (grade 3 in 7% and grade 4 in 7%). Other side effects included nausea and/or vomiting (grade 3-4 in 33%); worsening of preexisting alopecia (five cases); haemorrhagic cystitis (one case); mild, transient somnolence (two cases); and moderate fluid retention (two cases). We concluded that infusion of 5 g/m2 IFO over 24 h with MSN rescue might represent an acceptable second- or third-line salvage regimen. Close monitoring of haematological and renal function parameters is recommended. A larger number of patients will be treated in a continuation of this study to evaluate the true response rate within narrower confidence limits.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Phase II trial with high-dose ifosfamide and mesna given in a 24-h infusion for advanced GI tract cancer.

In all, 26 patients with advanced GI tract cancer (among whom 23 had liver metastases) were treated in a phase II trial with a 24-h infusion of high-dose ifosfamide and mesna (5 g/m2). Two PR, 1 CR and 4 NC were evidenced among 23 patients evaluable for response. The toxicity was significant and mainly expressed in the hair, digestive tract, granulocytes and CNS. One patient died from CNS and kidney toxicities. Only patients with good clinical indices, normal serum albumin and creatinine levels and without pelvic involvement seemed to be candidates to benefit from the treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Pharmacokinetics of a new anticancer drug, navelbine, in patients. Comparative study of radioimmunologic and radioactive determination methods.

A study was designed to investigate the fate of navelbine (NVB) and its excretion routes in two cancer patients treated with tritiated NVB (30 mg/m2) by i.v. bolus injection. Plasma and red blood cell concentrations and urine and stool elimination were monitored over long periods of time. NVB plasma and urine concentrations were measured by both radioimmunoassay (RIA) and direct radioactive (RA) determination. Samples were also analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography to evaluate the importance of NVB metabolism. Whereas the major excretion route for NVB was the stool (from 34% to 58.4% of the total dose given over 21 days), urinary excretion was low (about 21% within the same time period), corresponding mainly to that of unchanged drug. Thus, a good correlation was found between RIA and RA determinations in urine. In contrast, plasma area under the curve (AUC) values obtained after RA and RIA analysis differed markedly (AUC RIA/AUC RA = 0.23-0.31), demonstrating that a significant proportion of the plasma-circulating drug was biotransformed, mainly during the last elimination phase. This could have important pharmacological and toxicologic implications in clinical practice.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Adjuvant treatment with high dose medroxyprogesterone acetate in node-negative early breast cancer. A 3-year interim report on a randomized trial (I).

After initial surgery, 240 pre-, peri- or postmenopausal patients with early node-negative breast carcinoma were randomized to receive either no hormone therapy or adjuvant therapy with medroxyprogesterone acetate at high dosage (HD-MPA; 500 mg IM per day times 28 or 500 mg intramuscularly (i.m.) 5 days a week for 5 weeks then 500 mg i.m. twice weekly for the 5 following months. After a median follow-up time of 3 years, relapse-free survival and overall survival appeared significantly improved in the HD-MPA arm. Side effects were tolerable.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Local tumefaction of the gallbladder wall due to pancreatic heterotopia].

A 38-year-old woman was examined because of vague abdominal symptoms. Cholecystography and US studies demonstrated a lobulated tumor, 14 mm in length, with a homogeneous structure, sharp limits, adjacent to the posterior wall of the gallbladder and producing no acoustic shadow. Pathological examination demonstrated subserosal pancreatic heteropia. More than 22 different kinds of focal lesions affecting the gallbladder wall have been described. Unfortunately, no clinical or US criteria allow a definite diagnosis. Only the size makes a difference: more than 94% of the adenomas measuring less than 10 mm are benign whereas 88% of the malignant lesions are over 10 mm. Considering the absence of specific criteria, surgical removal is therefore indicated for lesions over 10 mm.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Oral etoposide preceding cisplatin in advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A phase II study.

Forty male patients with locally advanced (LD; 11 patients) and extensive (ED; 29 patients) NSCLC were treated with oral etoposide (240 mg/m2 days 1-3) preceding intravenous cisplatin (100 mg/m2 day 4) at 4 weekly intervals. Eleven patients achieved major response (27.5%; 1 CR, 10 PR). Minor response (MR) occurred in seven patients (17.5%); stable disease (SD) in seven patients (17.5%) and progressive disease (PD) in 15 (37.5%). The median duration of response in major responders was 31 weeks. The median survival time (MST) in all patients was 42 weeks. Patients achieving response, and stable disease lived significantly longer than progressors (P less than 0.0001; 56 vs. 9 weeks respectively). The MST of non-progressors in both LD and ED was significantly increased as compared to progressors. Two patients with poor risk prognostic variables died from myelosuppression-related infection early during the first course of chemotherapy. The remainder of the courses were without severe hematological complications. Alopecia was the most common side-effect. Gastro-intestinal, neurological and renal complications were mild to moderate. Intravenous etoposide can be replaced by the oral formulation with preservation of antitumoral activity in NSCLC patients, offering the advantage of maximal treatment outside the hospital.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Chronobiology and biochemical markers of human cancer].

The author reviewed available data from the literature related to the presence of biological rhythms in human tumor markers. Those rhythms appeared frequently disrupted with regard to the controls in presence of cancer. In some instances, they appeared as specific criterion of underlying malignancy (CEA, ferritin); the reappearance of "normal" rhythmicity after therapy could also reflect the favorable outcome of the disease.

Chronobiology Phenomena↗