Biomedical subjects

E D Saad

Publications and source records attributed to E D Saad.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Case report: hand-foot syndrome induced by the oral fluoropyrimidine S-1.

Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a relatively common side effect of fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy that has also been associated with the oral fluoropyrimidine capecitabine. Interestingly, HFS is virtually unknown to result from treatment with UFT, a combination of tegafur and uracil. Tegafur is a prodrug of 5-FU and is a component of S-1, another oral fluoropyrimidine active in a variety of solid tumors. We know of only one previously described case of S-1-induced HFS and the case reported here is the first to provide full documentation of this occurrence. The pathophysiology of chemotherapy-induced HFS remains unknown and very little pathological information is available. Treatment consists of topical emollient therapy, although pyridoxine has occasionally been beneficial. The study of HFS may provide an important insight into the pharmacology of fluoropyrimidines and allow for effective preventive strategies for this side effect of chemotherapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2001

Phase I trial of i.v. administered tirapazamine plus cyclophosphamide.

Our objective was to determine the maximum tolerated doses of tirapazamine and cyclophosphamide given i.v. in combination. Eligible patients had advanced solid tumors refractory to conventional treatment. Tirapazamine (escalated from 80 to 390 mg/m(2)) was given i.v. over 2 h and followed by cyclophosphamide over 1 h. The cyclophosphamide dose was fixed at 1000 mg/m(2) until the tirapazamine dose of 390 mg/m(2) was reached. Once that dose of tirapazamine was reached, the cyclophosphamide dose was escalated to 1250 and 1500 mg/m(2). Twenty-eight patients were enrolled. The dose-limiting toxicity was granulocytopenia. One patient had transient deafness for 2 days. Four other patients had grade 1 ototoxicity. Grade 1 and 2 muscle cramps were observed at all dose levels. Other toxic effects observed included fatigue, nausea, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, drug fever, elevated transaminases and elevated creatine phosphokinase. Three patients had stable disease and the longest time to progression was 5 months. The combination of tirapazamine and cyclophosphamide is feasible, and the dose-limiting toxicity is granulocytopenia. The use of growth factors could possibly allow escalation of tirapazamine doses in future phase II trials. Without growth factor support, the recommended doses of tirapazamine and cyclophosphamide when administered in this schedule are 260 and 1000 mg/m(2), respectively.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Other fluorinated pyrimidines in the treatment of solid tumors.

Researchers, primarily in Japan, Europe, and the United States, have evaluated several new fluorinated pyrimidines in recent years. Most of these drugs are orally active prodrugs of fluorouracil (5-FU), and some also contain modulators of its pharmacological properties. S-1 is a rationally developed combination of tegafur, a prodrug of 5-FU; CDHP, an inhibitor of 5-FU catabolism; and potassium oxonate, an inhibitor of 5-FU-induced diarrhea. S-1 underwent phase I and II trials in Japan, where it is now approved for use in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. Two phase I studies conducted recently in Europe and the United States identified diarrhea as the dose-limiting toxicity of S-1. BOF-A2, which contains a 5-FU prodrug and CNDP, an inhibitor of 5-FU catabolism, demonstrated clinical activity in preliminary studies in Japan. This article summarizes the preclinical and clinical development of S-1 and BOF-A2.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗

PubMed2000

Phase I study of preoperative oral uracil and tegafur plus leucovorin and radiation therapy in rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Preoperative combined-modality therapy for rectal cancer may allow for sphincter preservation, while decreasing recurrence rates and improving the overall prognosis. Oral chemotherapy with uracil and tegafur (UFT) plus leucovorin (LV) may reduce costs and complications associated with protracted infusions of fluorouracil. Our goal was to evaluate the safety of UFT plus LV combined with preoperative radiation and determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of UFT plus LV in this setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with tumor-node-metastasis stage II or III rectal cancer received escalating doses of UFT (starting at 250mg/m(2)/d, with 50-mg/m(2)/d increments between consecutive cohorts) and fixed doses of LV (90 mg/d). The UFT and LV combination was given 5 days per week concurrently with a 5-week course of preoperative radiation totaling 45 Gy (1.8 Gy/fraction). Surgery was performed 4 to 6 weeks after radiation and was followed by four 35-day cycles of fixed doses of UFT and LV (28 days of therapy each cycle). RESULTS: Fifteen patients were treated, and 13 received the full preoperative chemotherapy. All planned radiation was delivered successfully. The MTD of UFT with radiation was 350 mg/m(2)/d with 90 mg/d of LV. Diarrhea was the DLT. Sphincter-preserving surgery was performed in 12 of 14 patients. One patient had progressive disease before surgery. Pathologic evaluation of 14 resected specimens showed a complete response in three cases. CONCLUSION: Preoperative chemoradiation with oral UFT plus LV is feasible and well tolerated and should be further investigated.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2000

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy with concurrent Richter's syndrome.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating infectious disease caused by the JC virus. It was originally described in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Richter's syndrome, or transformation to large cell Lymphoma, occurs in approximately 3% of patients with CLL, and carries a poor prognosis. We report a patient with documented PML and concurrent Richter's transformation outside the central nervous system. Before establishing a definitive diagnosis of PML, radiation therapy to the presumed lymphomatous brain lesion had been considered, raising the issue of whether stereotactic brain biopsy should be considered in every patient in a similar situation. Although this is likely a rare occurrence, patients with Richter's transformation documented at an extra-neural site and a brain lesion may benefit from the establishment of an infectious diagnosis which would influence therapy.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗

PubMed2000

A phase I study. Preoperative UFT/leucovorin and radiation therapy in rectal cancer.

The use of combined modality regimens has been well established in the treatment of stages II and III rectal cancer. The most common chemotherapy regimens used include continuous-infusion 5-FU delivered with the help of a central venous catheter and the use of portable pumps. These regimens are expensive and can potentially develop line problems. The availability of the oral agent UFT in combination with oral leucovorin prompted the development of an all-oral chemotherapy regimen that could be combined with radiotherapy. At The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, we routinely use combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy preoperatively for the treatment of rectal cancers, and decided to conduct a phase I trial in which UFT and leucovorin was used instead of the conventional 5-FU. The preliminary results are encouraging and seem to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Evidence-based medicine].

Evidence-based medicine has been described as a new approach to teaching and practicing clinical medicine. Although the search for evidence is an established practice among physicians, what is being proposed is the systematic gathering and critical interpretation of data, which can then be used in the appropriate context. The main objective is to provide better care for patients. This is accomplished by transforming clinical problems in specific questions to be answered by searching the literature for the levels of evidence favoring the possible interventions for one particular case. This has to be done in a systematic and conscientious fashion. Through its method, evidence-based medicine places less value on clinical experience, the study understanding of pathophysiology, and common sense; instead, it emphasizes observation, levels of evidence, and critical interpretation of original literature. In this manner, evidence-based medicine may be seen by the authoritarian physician as a threat. Other obstacles to the acceptance of the method include lack of time and lack of familiarity with computers. One important limitation of evidence-based medicine is the incomplete or contradictory evidence available in many areas of clinical medicine, or the so-called "grey zones". We outline the main aspects of evidence-based medicine, expecting a growing interest among brazilian physicians for this useful clinical tool.

Brazil↗