PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D J Perrault

Publications and source records attributed to D J Perrault.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Duration of intravenous antibiotics for patients with neutropenic fever.

BACKGROUND: Standard therapy for febrile neutropenia after chemotherapy has consisted of intravenous antibiotic until resolution of both fever and neutropenia. We attempted to shorten the hospital stay by discontinuing intravenous antibiotics in blood culture negative patients who remained clinically stable and afebrile for 48 hours. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Febrile neutropenic admissions of non-leukemic patients were reviewed. They were divided by three consecutive six month intervals into Group 1 (prior to initiation of the policy), Group 2 (after the policy was instituted), and Group 3 (to monitor the implementation of the policy after the initial six months). RESULTS: There were 134 admissions for neutropenic fever. Median duration of intravenous antibiotic for Group 1 was 7 days (95% Confidence Interval 6-9). It was significantly decreased to 5 days (4-6) and 4 days (3-5) for Groups 2 and 3 respectively (p = 0.004 and p < 0.001). Median duration of hospital stay for Group 1 was 10 days (7-13). It was also significantly decreased to 7 (5-8) and 6 days (5-7) for Groups 2 and 3 respectively (p = 0.04 and p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Early discontinuation of intravenous antibiotics in patients with negative blood culture who remain afebrile and clinically stable for 48 hours results in shorter duration of hospital stay with potential for reduction in hospital costs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Ondansetron compared with dexamethasone and metoclopramide as antiemetics in the chemotherapy of breast cancer with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil.

BACKGROUND: Although ondansetron was found to be effective as an antiemetic in numerous clinical trials of highly emetogenic combination-chemotherapy regimens that included cisplatin, its role in milder emetogenic regimens has not been fully defined. To address its use with a widely used but less emetogenic regimen, we performed a double-blind, randomized clinical trial comparing ondansetron with dexamethasone and metoclopramide in patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil. METHODS: A total of 165 women with breast cancer from 14 Canadian centers who were about to receive this chemotherapy for the first time were randomly assigned to receive either ondansetron (n = 85) or dexamethasone plus metoclopramide (n = 80), a widely used, standard antiemetic regimen. The patients recorded the incidence of nausea, emesis, and other side effects in diaries, and these data were compared in the two groups. RESULTS: The patients who received dexamethasone and metoclopramide had significantly less nausea during the first 24 hours after chemotherapy was begun. Otherwise, there were no statistically significant differences in efficacy between the regimens. The incidence of drowsiness and increased appetite was higher in the group given dexamethasone and metoclopramide. CONCLUSIONS: For women with breast cancer who are being treated with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil, the efficacy of dexamethasone and metoclopramide in controlling nausea and vomiting equaled or exceeded that of ondansetron.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1992

Systemic treatment for locally advanced breast cancer: what we still need to learn after a decade of multimodality clinical trials.

Multimodality therapy of locally advanced breast cancer with initial chemo-(hormono)-therapy followed by locoregional treatment has become increasingly popular during the past decade. A paucity of large randomised clinical trials leaves the following unanswered questions: does systemic treatment impact on long-term control of distant metastases? What is the best treatment sequence? The most effective drug combination? The optimum treatment duration? Future prospects in the treatment of locally advanced breast cancer include the use of haematopoietic growth factors to increase the dose-intensity of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the investigation of autologous bone marrow transplantation with high dose chemotherapy on a larger scale, the development of new approaches designed at interrupting the "autocrine loop" of breast cancer local growth factors and the introduction of diphosphonates in the adjuvant systemic therapy.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1990

Phase I study of idarubicin administered orally on a daily x 3 schedule.

Twenty-one adult patients with refractory solid tumors were treated on a phase I study of idarubicin (4-demethoxydaunorubicin) administered daily for 3 days every 3 weeks. Nineteen of the patients had received previous chemotherapy (including 13 with prior anthracyclines), and 12 had received prior radiotherapy. Idarubicin dose levels of 10, 15, 17.5, 20, and 25 mg/m2 were explored. Hematological toxicity was dose-related. Other toxicity was acceptable. Only one patient (treated with an idarubicin dose of 17.5 mg/m2/day) developed neutropenic fever, from which he recovered. Further dose escalations beyond 25 mg/m2 were not carried out because of the increasing length of time required for recovery from granulocytopenia at higher doses. No patient experienced a major response, but minor responses were seen in 3 patients with carcinomas of the colon, breast, and kidney respectively. Further phase II studies of oral idarubicin at a starting dose of 20-25 mg/m2 daily times 3 days in patients with good bone marrow reserves are recommended. Because of the degree of neutropenia expected, patients would have to be observed carefully.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1990

Activity of intravenous menogaril in patients with previously untreated metastatic breast cancer. A National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group study.

We have carried out a phase II study of intravenous menogaril given every four weeks in a group of patients with breast cancer who had received no prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Myelosuppression, nausea and vomiting and local reactions were seen frequently. Six partial responses (median duration 154 days) were seen in 24 eligible patients. We conclude menogaril is active in breast cancer and recommend that because it can be delivered in high doses orally, future trials in this disease should focus on intense oral schedule.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Systemic adjuvant therapy for node-negative breast cancer.

In response to recent advice from the US National Cancer Institute concerning the use of systemic adjuvant therapy for node-negative breast cancer we reviewed the literature and found that several studies have shown evidence of a disease-free, but not an overall, survival advantage for treated patients. The benefits have been modest and may not outweight the cost and toxic effects of such therapy. Routine use does not seem to be justified. Factors must be identified to differentiate between patients at low risk and those at high risk. It should then be determined if adjuvant therapy is truly beneficial in those who are at high risk.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1988

Phase II study of flutamide in patients with metastatic breast cancer. A National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group study.

The National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) Clinical Trials Group conducted a phase II study of the oral antiandrogen flutamide in 33 patients with metastatic breast cancer. Eight patients had received no prior systemic therapy for their metastatic disease and 13 had only one site of metastasis. Toxicity occurred in 18 of the 33 patients and was primarily gastrointestinal. It ranged in severity from mild to severe with 4 patients discontinuing treatment early because of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or stomatitis. One response, of 8 weeks duration, was noted in 29 evaluable patients. We conclude that flutamide does not have meaningful antitumour activity in breast cancer and plan no further trials of the drug in this disease.

Anilides↗
PubMed1987

Combined mitoxantrone plus doxorubicin in the treatment of breast cancer.

Twenty-three patients with advanced breast cancer were treated with the combination of mitoxantrone and doxorubicin. This study was conducted since there is incomplete cross-resistance between the two drugs, and since data in vitro suggested that mitoxantrone might decrease the cardiotoxicity of concurrently administered doxorubicin by decreasing doxorubicin-induced membrane lipid peroxidation. Of 20 patients who were evaluable for response, 10 (50%) responded. Myelosuppression was pronounced with mitoxantrone doses ranging from 6 to 10 mg/m2 and doxorubicin doses ranging from 30 to 50 mg/m2, but granulocytopenia-related infections were uncommon. Three of 14 patients who had repeated gated cardiac radionuclide scans had reductions in their ejection fractions of 26% or more at relatively small total cumulative doses of the drugs; one patient developed reversible congestive heart failure after having received high cumulative doses of the two drugs. Preliminary clinical data suggest that mitoxantrone does not protect patients from doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Other toxicity was generally mild.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1985

Echocardiographic abnormalities following cardiac radiation.

Five years or more after receiving cardiac radiation, 41 patients with Hodgkin's disease and seminoma in remission were subjected to echocardiography. The abnormalities detected included pericardial thickening in 70%, thickening of the aortic and/or mitral valves in 28%, right ventricular dilatation or hypokinesis in 39%, and left ventricular dysfunction in 39%. In the 23 patients treated by an upper mantle technique with shielding, the incidence of right ventricular abnormalities and valvular thickening was significantly lower than in patients treated with modified techniques. Although no symptoms were attributable to the observed abnormalities, longer follow-up time may reveal important functional implications.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Detection of radiation cardiomyopathy by gated radionuclide angiography.

Twenty-one asymptomatic adults underwent rest and exercise gated radionuclide angiography seven to 20 years after having received mediastinal radiation (2,000 to 7,600 rads) for Hodgkin's disease. None of these patients received cytotoxic chemotherapy. Twelve patients (57 percent) had abnormal left (less than 53 percent at rest and/or greater than 5 percent decrease at peak exercise) and/or right (less than 27 percent at rest and/or greater than 5 percent decrease at peak exercise) ventricular ejection fractions. Previous reports have described myocardial fibrosis occurring late after therapeutic mediastinal radiation; however, the incidence of this occurrence based on clinical follow-up has been low. Rest and exercise radionuclide angiography is a sensitive method for assessing systolic ventricular function and reveals a high prevalence of cardiomyopathy that can be linked to previous radiotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Importance of physician's role highlighted in survey of women's breast screening practices.

OBJECTIVE: To describe women's breast screening knowledge, attitudes, intentions and practices. DESIGN: Telephone survey. PARTICIPANTS: Random population-based sample of 383 women aged 50 to 69, living in Ottawa-Carleton, and having no history of breast cancer. Participation rates were 81%. RESULTS: Only 47% reported having had a mammogram within the two years before the survey, and 57% had received a physical breast exam within the previous year. Intentions to arrange screening were positively correlated to income, previous mammography, encouragement to have a mammogram, knowledge, knowing a person with breast cancer, an absence of negative attitudes (i.e., mammograms unnecessary), and low decisional conflict. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in participation rates will be achieved only if women are convinced of the need for screening, and physicians encourage them to be screened.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Changes in women's breast cancer screening practices, knowledge, and attitudes in Ottawa-Carleton since 1991.

Although Canadian Breast Screening Guidelines have been in place since 1988, participation rates have been suboptimal. The study objective was to describe changes in breast screening knowledge, attitudes, and practices among women aged 50 to 69 years since initiation of a regional mass screening program in Ottawa-Carleton in 1991. A random-digit-dialing telephone survey was conducted with 384 women aged 50 to 69 years residing in Ottawa-Carleton and compared to a 1991 survey. Between 1991 and 1994 there were significant increases in the percentage ever having had a mammogram (from 60% to 83%) and monthly breast self-examination (from 46% to 54%). Professional breast examination rates were unchanged as were overall attitudes and concerns about screening. There were significant improvements in knowledge and encouragement to have a mammogram. As the focus on primary health care within our health care system grows, and as service delivery changes, we must continue to search for, and continually evaluate, innovative strategies to align practices with Canadian breast screening recommendations.

Adult↗