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Biomedical subjects

E Nou

Publications and source records attributed to E Nou.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Comparison of induction chemotherapy before radiotherapy with radiotherapy only in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. The Swedish Lung Cancer Study Group.

The aim of this randomised trial was to investigate the effect of induction chemotherapy before radiotherapy on survival in 302 patients with non-resectable squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Radiotherapy, 56 Gy to the chest, was given to 154 patients and combined treatment, with chemotherapy preceding the radiotherapy, to 148 patients. Chemotherapy consisted of three courses of cisplatin (120 mg/m2) and etoposide (100 mg/m2 i.v. for 3 days) administered every fourth week. Median survival was 10.5 months in the radiotherapy arm and 11 months in the combined treatment arm. The 2-year survival rate was 17% in the radiotherapy arm and 21% in the combined treatment arm. Addition of chemotherapy seemed to significantly improve survival, according to the Cox multivariate analysis (P = 0.04), but as only a trend according to life-table analysis (P = 0.11). Chemotherapy also accomplished a trend towards improved local control (P = 0.08) and towards decreased metastatic disease (P = 0.10). 2 patients in the combined treatment arm, but none in the radiotherapy arm, died from toxicity. The conclusion was that the value of the chemotherapy used in this study was very modest, but the results strongly support further research for more efficient drugs and combinations.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Local failure in patients treated with radiotherapy and multidrug chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer.

Fifty-three patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung were treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, 40 Gy in the chest tumour. Intrathoracic failure occurred in 89% of the cases with extensive disease and in 60% of those with limited disease. Since 86% of all failures were localized within the target volume, one can conclude that in most cases the radiation dose was too low for eradication of the tumour. The treatment technique resulted in dose inhomogeneities of more than +/- 5% in 45% of the cases. The high local failure rate might indicate the need of improved radiotherapy, in the first place higher radiation dose. However, 82% of the patients with limited disease and local failure and 50% of those without local failure also developed distant metastases. This might indicate that the curative potential of improved thoracic radiotherapy probably is limited. Besides, lethal treatment toxicity affected particularly patients in whom local cure had been achieved, indicating the difficulty of increasing the treatment intensity without increasing the lethal toxicity in potentially curable cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Increased expression of N-myc in human small cell lung cancer biopsies predicts lack of response to chemotherapy and poor prognosis.

Amplified and increased expression of the myc family of protooncogenes (c- and N-myc) has been described to be associated with rapid proliferation in a number of cell lines, including small cell lung cancer (SCLC). In SCLC, c-myc was demonstrated to be amplified in a subset of SCLC cell lines denoted as variant type, which show a more aggressive way of growth in vitro. The N-myc oncogene, which has extensive homology in the second exon with c-myc, has been shown to be implicated in the oncogenesis of several primary tumors, including SCLC. The authors describe, using in situ hybridization, that increased expression of the N-myc oncogenes in primary biopsies from 15 untreated patients with SCLC are strongly associated with poor response to chemotherapy, rapid tumor growth, and short survival.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Nuclear DNA content in squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, and bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma of the lung.

Nuclear DNA content in individual, morphologically identified tumor cells from 33 squamous lung carcinomas, 20 small cell lung carcinomas, and 10 bronchiolo-alveolar carcinomas were analyzed by means of cytophotometry on Feulgen-stained histologic and cytologic specimens. Twenty-eight of the squamous cell carcinomas and 17 of the small cell carcinomas had high and scattered DNA values, indicative of high malignancy potentials. None of the bronchiolo-alveolar carcinomas showed such high DNA values. These results are in line with clinical experience that squamous cell and small cell carcinoma are associated with rapid progression and death in patients, whereas bronchiolo-alveolar carcinomas have a more indolent course.

Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar↗
PubMed1985

Neutrophil phagocytosis in sarcoidosis. Reduced C3b receptor-mediated phagocytosis in active and silent sarcoidosis.

The phagocytic and complement receptor function of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) from patients with sarcoidosis was studied using a kinetic assay which allows the distinction to be made between Fc receptor-mediated and C3b receptor-mediated particle uptake. The study included one group (A) of patients with active disease (n = 20), and one group (B) with silent or inactive disease who since 10 years had no symptoms or radiological signs of sarcoidosis (n = 11). Abnormal C3b receptor function was observed in both groups but the impairment was most pronounced in the A group. The presence of C3b receptor dysfunction in both groups with a quantitative difference between the groups, is compatible with C3b receptor dysfunction being a primary causal factor of sarcoidosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Serum sialyltransferase and fucosyltransferase activities in patients with bronchial carcinoma.

Serum sialyltransferases and fucosyltransferases measured by an affinity adsorbent technique were studied in 27 exactly defined patients with malignant pulmonary diseases. Fourteen patients with benign pulmonary diseases and 56 with benign surgical diseases were used as controls. Enzyme activities were expressed as amounts of labeled precursor molecules incorporated into endogenous acceptors in counts per minute (cpm). The mean sialyltransferase activity was 583 cpm in bronchial carcinoma, 485 cpm in benign pulmonary disease and 428 cpm in benign surgical disease. The only statistically significant difference was between bronchial carcinoma and benign surgical disease. The mean fucosyltransferase activity was 813 cpm in bronchial carcinoma, 436 cpm in benign pulmonary disease and 255 cpm in benign surgical disease. All the differences were statistically significant. There were no statistically significant differences between the WHO histologic bronchial carcinoma groups. The correlation between sialyltransferase and fucosyltransferase activity in bronchial carcinoma was statistically significant (r = 0.59). In squamous cell carcinoma (N = 6), it was strongly significant (r = 0.96) and there was a significant correlation also in small cell carcinoma (N = 10; r = 0.79) but not in adenocarcinoma (N = 9; r = 0.30) and benign pulmonary disease (N = 14; r = 0.44). It is suggested that serum sialyltransferases and fucosyl transferases would not be decisive for diagnosis when used alone in bronchial carcinoma, but could be included in a screening test battery.

Bronchial Neoplasms↗
PubMed1980

Serum beta 2-microglobulin in patients with bronchial carcinoma and controls.

We measured serum levels of beta 2-microglobulin in 467 patients mainly with suspected pulmonary malignancy. By applying serum concentrations of 3.0 mg/liter as the normal upper limit, we found elevated levels in 21% of the patients with verified bronchial carcinoma (n = 230) and in 11% of the patients with lung diseases of infectious, inflammatory, or other origins but without proven malignancy. A rise in serum beta 2-microglobulin levels with advancing age was demonstrated in cancer patients and controls. No significant differences in serum concentrations were seen between cancer patients subgrouped according to the WHO clssification. Serial measurements on cancer patients generally revealed increasing serum-beta 2-microglobulin with time. The most striking elevations during tumor growth were observed in patients with small cell anaplastic or epidermoid carcinoma. After surgical removal of the lung tumor, no decrease of beta 2-microglobulin was found. Patients who at admission had low circulating levels of beta 2-microglobulin (less than 1.5 mg/liter) had a better prognosis than those with serum beta 2-microglobulin greater than 3.0 mg/liter. The mechanism behind elevated beta 2-microglobulin in bronchial carcinoma and the variation of this protein during progression of the cancer disease is unknown. One possible interpretation is that levels increase as a consequence of an increased cell turnover in tumor tissue in combination with an enhanced immune response secondary to the malignant process.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Argyrophil carcinoid tumors of the lung. Incidence, clinical study, and follow-up of 46 patients.

Forty-nine patients with lung tumors initially diagnosed as carcinoids from their cellular appearance and arrangement were originally included in the study. The tumors of 46 of these patients showed an argyrophil reaction with the Grimelius silver stain. The three nonargyrophil tumors were reclassified as noncarcinoid tumors at further examination. The use of the argyrophil technique in characterization of the lung carcinoid tumors is discussed. The incidence of lung carcinoid tumors in the County of Uppsala was 0.7 patients per 100,000 inhabitants per year. Eleven patients with detected disease were symptom-free. The doctor's delay in 9 patients was 3 to 13.8 years. Yet, the prognosis was good, with 5-year survival in 91 percent, 10-year survival in 91 percent, and 15-year survival in 86 percent of the 46 surgically-treated patients. It is concluded that the surgical treatment should at least comprise a lobectomy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1966

[Farmer's lung].

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Farmer's Lung↗