Twenty patients with relapsed or refractory, intermediate or high grade non Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated with a combination of CCNU and vinblastine. Complete responses occurred in four patients (20 per cent), partial responses in eight (40 per cent), for an overall response rate of 60 per cent. The regimen was more effective in patients with high grade lymphoma, absence of constitutional symptoms, better response to prior treatment. Duration of response was 4, 8, 16, 30 months for complete responders; 2, 2, 6, 6, 6, 8, 9, 14 months for partial responders. This combination regimen seems at least as effective as most of other regimens utilized in salvage treatment of non Hodgkin's lymphomas, with a very acceptable toxicity.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Correlation between unscheduled DNA synthesis and chromosome condensation in mitoses from human lymphocytes.

The correlation between chromosome condensation and amount of repair synthesis after UV irradiation was studied in PHA-stimulated human lymphocytes. The length of selected chromosomes and the number of autoradiographic grains were determined in cells from late prophase to middle metaphase. The statistical analysis of data indicates a highly significant correlation between the two variables and a positive linear regression of the number of grains on chromosome length.

Autoradiography↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Independent factors predict supranormal CA 15-3 serum levels in advanced breast cancer patients at first disease relapse.

Data currently available are insufficient to demonstrate a real utility for CA 15-3 in the diagnosis, staging or surveillance of breast cancer patients following primary treatment. The aim of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between supranormal CA 15-3 serum levels and clinical and biological variables in breast cancer patients at first disease relapse. From October 1988 to March 1998, 430 consecutive patients entered the study. Overall CA 15-3 sensitivity was 60.7%. Elevated CA 15-3 levels were found more frequently in patients with liver metastases (74.6%) and in those with pleural effusion (75.7%). CA 15-3 sensitivity was 70.4% in patients with estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) primary tumors and 45.9% in those with estrogen-receptor-negative (ER-) tumors (p < 0.0001). In patients with a limited extent of disease, marker sensitivity was 57.7% in ER+ tumors and 25.7% in ER- tumors (p < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis showed ER status, disease extent and pleural effusion as independent variables associated with CA 15-3 positivity. The multivariate Cox analysis showed ER and disease extent as independent variables predicting overall survival, whereas CA 15-3 failed to be statistically significant. CA 15-3 was an independent variable only when the disease extent variable was removed. This study suggests that CA 15-3 in advanced breast cancer patients is a marker of both disease extent and ER status. The direct relationship with ER status indicates that CA 15-3 diagnostic sensitivity in the early detection of disease recurrence could be greater in ER+ patients than in ER- ones. Furthermore, this suggests that patients with elevated CA 15-3 levels could have disease that is more sensitive to hormone manipulation than those with normal CA 15-3 values.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The first breast cancer screening program in southern Italy: preliminary results from three municipalities of the Naples Province.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that breast cancer screening induces a 30% reduction of specific mortality. In May 1990, we started a pilot screening program to assess the feasibility of carrying out such a program in Campania (southern Italy). Herein we report the results of the first round of the program from three municipalities (Giugliano, Mugnano and Qualiano) that lie within the local health district no. 23, close to the city of Naples. METHODS: Women between the ages of 50 and 69 years were sent a personalized letter inviting them to attend the screening test; those not responding were sent a second invitation. The screening test consisted of clinical examination followed by two-view mammography. Second-level diagnostic tools were sonography, fine needle aspiration (manual, echo-guided and stereotaxic) and surgical biopsy. RESULTS: Out of 5,732 women invited for the first round, 1,813 (31.6%) attended the screening. Attendance rate was higher among younger women. Ninety-one women were positive at the screening test and underwent further examination (recall rate, 5.0%). Among them, 19 had surgical biopsy (biopsy rate, 1.0%) that led to breast cancer diagnosis in 11 cases. The benign/malignant biopsy rate was 0.73. Detection rate was 6.07 x 1,000 screened women and varied among age categories, increasing within the 60-69 subgroup; detection rate/expected incidence ratio in the overall group was 4.5 and also increased within the older age category. Seven out of 11 cancers were at UICC stage O-I. Among 327 self-referring women, 38 were positive (recall rate, 11.6%), and 14 underwent biopsy (biopsy rate, 4.3%), which showed cancer in 7 cases (benign/malignant biopsy rate, 1.0). In addition, 2 inflammatory cancers were diagnosed without surgical biopsy. Thus 9 cancer cases were detected in this group. Self-referring women differed from responding women in that they had a higher frequency of symptoms or familiar history of cancer, and a higher educational level and awareness of preventive medicine. Clinical examination added no diagnostic advantage in the responding group but did not significantly worsen the recall rate. In the self-referring group, one case of inflammatory cancer was missed by mammography and diagnosed by clinical examination. CONCLUSION: The early results (recall rate = 5%, detection rate/expected incidence ratio = 4.5, benign/malignant biopsy rate = 0.73, advanced cancers = 36.4%) are encouraging and indicate the validity of the program. Strategies to improve attendance rate are planned.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Xeroderma pigmentosum: clonal chromosomal rearrangements in a pre-cancerous skin lesion.

In cells from a papulonodular formation of a patient with the clinical and cellular phenotype of the variant form of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP-V), clonal rearrangements involving different chromosomes were observed. This finding confirms the literature data suggesting that multiple non-specific chromosome anomalies are typical of pre-malignant and malignant skin lesions.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of thymic extract 'thymostimulin' on the incidence of infections and myelotoxicity during adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

A clinical trial was made to evaluate the effectiveness of thymostimulin (TST), a bovine thymic extract, in preventing infections in breast cancer patients treated with polychemotherapy. Fifty-one women treated with adjuvant CMF were randomly divided into two groups: 25 patients received TST plus chemotherapy and 26 patients were subjected to chemotherapy only. Periodic clinical and laboratory checks were performed for at least three months to monitor the occurrence of infections and variations in immunological parameters. Infections (mostly cystitis, conjunctivitis and stomatomucositis) were observed in 37% of the TST treated patients and in 77% of the controls. (p less than 0.005). Serum immunoglobulin concentrations in the two groups were not significantly different, while quantitative analysis of peripheral T lymphocyte subsets showed a higher incidence of decreased T4/T8 ratio in the control group (p = 0.055). Finally, there was a significantly lower incidence of myelotoxicity in the TST treated patients (p less than 0.0005). In conclusion, thymostimulin seems effective in preventing some of the commonest side effects of cancer chemotherapy.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Determination of mutagenic and genotoxic activity of the antibiotic distamycin A].

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Cell Line↗