PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C W Aungst

Publications and source records attributed to C W Aungst.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

Experiences with multiphasic screening for cancer.

This study reports on our experiences with a multiphasic cancer screening clinic for the detection of early-stage cancers. The clinic under review is the Prevention-Detection Clinic (PDC) housed at Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo. The PDC offers both free cancer screening examinations and risk-reduction education and counseling. Since its inception in May 1979 through 1984, over 13,000 individuals have been screened and counseled. Names of screenees were recently matched against the files of the Western New York Tumor Registry, a population-based cancer registry, to identify screenees subsequently diagnosed with cancer. Matching identified a total of 332 individuals with a cancer diagnosis. Of these, 98 individuals were found to have been diagnosed prior to screening. Of the remaining 234 individuals, 135 were diagnosed after referral from the PDC, 23 went undetected at screening, and 76 were either diagnosed several years after screening or with recurrent disease. The majority of cancers (67%) were detected with in situ/localized stages of disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Comparison of patient profiles from a comprehensive cancer center and the general population.

Differences in cancer patient profiles between cases seen at comprehensive cancer centers and those seen in the general population are seldom assessed by means of reliable and systematically collected data. This report compares the characteristics of patients treated at Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo with all reported patients diagnosed in the Western New York population. Data for this study were generated from the Roswell Park Tumor Registry and the Western New York Tumor Registry. The findings indicate that patients presenting for treatment at Roswell Park Memorial Institute, compared to the WNY cancer patient population, are more frequently diagnosed with rare tumors, are younger, and manifest later stage disease. These data may have implications for the planning and evaluation of cancer patient services at the community level.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Myxedema coma and inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion after deep neck irradiation: clinical implications and report of a case.

A case report is presented in which myxedema coma and inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion developed as a result of radiation therapy and surgery to the neck area in a patient with recurrent metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the floor of the mouth. Laboratory findings of low thyroxine level and the findings of persistent hyponatremia and hypoosmolality of serum in spite of persistent sodium loss in the urine were helpful in diagnosing the problem. Treatment included thyroid hormone replacement and fluid restriction resulting in complete reversal of her condition. We believe that patients with head and neck cancer who have undergone a course of radiation to the neck, and particularly when thyroid function might have been altered by previous subtotal thyroidectomy as part of a curative resection, should be carefully followed with periodic thyroid function assays and serum electrolytes with particular attention to serum sodium values.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1976

Lymphosarcoma. A comparison of extended to conservative chemotherapy.

Sixty-three patients with Stage III and IV lymphocytic lymphoma were randomized for induction treatment between a single course of nitrogen mustard and a 14-day course of prednisone (conservative therapy) or sequential rotation of BCNU, nitrogen mustard and cytoxan with intermittent vincristine and prednisone for 6 months (extended therapy). Maintenance therapy by an oral alkylating agent (cytoxan or chlorambucil) with or without prednisone was given. Complete remission occurred in 75% of the conservative and 77% of the extended therapy group. The median duration of remission was similar, and greater than 27 months in both groups, and there was no difference in survival. At 1 year 80% of patients with no prior chemotherapy were in remission vs. 47% of patients with prior chemotherapy (p less than .01). No significant advantage for extended chemotherapy was found. The addition of vincristine was not helpful in induction and prednisone during maintenance did not improve the duration of remission or survival.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Comparison of intensive versus moderate chemotherapy of lymphocytic lymphomas: a progress report.

In an Easter Cooperative Oncology Group trial, Cytoxan-prednisone (CP) Induction was compared to BCNU-prednisone (BP) in 273 patients with lymphocytic lymphoma. Response rates were comparable, with 21% achieving complete response and 40%, partial response. Patients with a nodular pattern responded better. Maintenance phase comparing cyclic intensive therapy (BCVP) with intermittent chlorambucil revealed the superiority of BCVP as demonstrated by improvement of the quality of response and somewhat longer remissions. The value of the Rappaport classification in the evaluation of lymphoma chemotherapy results is discussed. It is suggested tha NHL be separated into "favorable" and "unfavorable" groups, based on the presence or absence of nodularity and treatment schedules devised accordingly.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Splenectomy for palliation of chronic myelocytic leukemia.

Sixty patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) (most, in the "terminal phase" of the disease) were subjected to splenectomy because of symptomatic splenomegaly, thrombocytopenia or anemia for which they required frequent transfusions. Surgical morbidity and mortality were high when the procedure was performed on a "casual" basis, but both were reduced sharply after care of these patients was restricted to a single medical-surgical-nursing team and improved technics of surgery and perioperative management were developed. Significant hematologic and clinical benefit was achieved in half of the patients and temporary arrest of the disease was often observed, but in most patients, the basic evolution of CML was not greatly altered. In eight patients, however, long-lasting improvement (one to nine years) was recorded. Measurement of the doubling time of circulating leukemic cells and other observations were consistent with the hypothesis that, in some patients, the spleen contains a more rapidly proliferating and "more malignant" population of leukemic cells than the marrow. We conclude that splenectomy is often a useful palliative procedure in advanced stages of CML, and that it may be strikingly beneficial in 10 to 15 per cent of such cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Immunotherapy of chronic myelocytic leukemia: effects of different vaccination schedules.

In a clinical trial of immunotherapy in chronic myelocytic leukemia, 62 patients received repeated intradermal injections of BCG-cultured cell mixtures, while 16 were vaccinated with BCG alone. The lymphoblastoid cell lines used for vaccination were established from blood of patients with advanced myeloid leukemia and were reactive with "specific" primate antisera against myeloid leukemic cells. Both sensitization to target cell antigens and substantial general increases in delayed hypersensitivity responses were recorded among immunized patients. Major immunologic complications (hypersensitivity and "autoimmune" phenomena) were observed in 10 patients. These complications were attributable to the BCG content of vaccines, and their incidence correlated with intensity of immunologic stimulation. Data from cases in which intermittent busulfan therapy was used provided suggestive evidence that immunotherapy (either with BCG-cell mixtures or with BCG alone) prolonged unmaintained remissions in one-third of the patients. Among 48 "good-risk" patients, there was an inverse correlation between intensity of immunologic stimulation and survival. The survival of 18 patients who received the most intensive vaccination schedule was identical to that of controls. Survival of the other 30 patients was significantly better (p = 0.03), with an increase of 2 years in median survival. Survival of 30 poor-risk patients (24, most intensive vaccination schedule) was identical to that of controls. We conclude that immunologic stimulation may produce worthwhile prolongation of life in CML but that overly aggressive schedules of immunotherapy abrogate this effect. Our experience raises the question whether results in other clinical trials of immunotherapy may have been adversely affected by excessive frequency or dosage of immunologic stimulants.

Abscess↗
PubMed1975

Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and lymphosarcoma with a new chlorambucil ester of prednisolone (Leo 1031) (NSC-134087).

A new chlorambucil ester of prednisolone (LEO 1031) has been evaluated in patients with advanced lymphocytic lymphosarcoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. All 11 patients had been previously treated with radiotherapy and/or combination chemotherapy. Three complete remissions and one partial remission were seen in 4/7 lymphocytic lymphosarcoma patients treated with LEO 1031. In the chronic lymphocytic leukemia group, 3/4 have had benefit. This new drug is considered worthy of further trial.

Chlorambucil↗
PubMed1975

Complications of BCG vaccination in neoplastic disease.

More than 300 patients with neoplastic disease (most with lymphoma or leukemia) were given one or more BCG vaccinations. In the great majority of cases, these were well tolerated. The complications we observed were of three types: (A) persistent BCG infection that could disseminate widely, (B) activation of old, dormant acid-fast infection, and (C) hypersensitivity reactions. The latter were related to the frequency of administration and dose of organisms. It is important to recognize that BCG organisms may not be completely destroyed by patients with impaired immunologic defenses, and that their inoculation may create a source of disseminated acid-fast infection at a later time. In our limited experience, treatment with isoniazid for 2 to 3 months has resulted in cure of BCG infection. Hypersensitivity reactions may constitute a more serious problem than such infections.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗