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G Bureau

Publications and source records attributed to G Bureau.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Prognostic factors for patients with small cell lung carcinoma: analysis of a series of 763 patients included in 4 consecutive prospective trials with a minimum follow-up of 5 years.

BACKGROUND: The purposes of this study were to identify prognostic factors for response to chemotherapy, overall survival, and long term survival of patients with small cell lung carcinoma and to construct a classification of patients on the basis of their expected overall survival. METHODS: In the 763 patients registered in 4 consecutive clinical trials conducted by the European Lung Cancer Working Party from 1982 to 1993, the impact of 21 pretreatment variables assessable in a routine practice was analyzed for the various outcomes with a minimum follow-up of 5 years. RESULTS: The key prognostic role of disease extent was confirmed for all the outcomes. Additional independent prognostic factors for response to chemotherapy were gender, neutrophil count, and hemoglobin level; for overall survival, these factors were Karnofsky performance status, gender, and neutrophil count. Recursive partitioning and amalgamation algorithms (RECPAM) analysis classified patients into 4 groups, taking into consideration disease extent, Karnofsky performance status, age, gender, and neutrophil count. Median survival times for the 4 groups were 60, 47, 36, and 28 weeks, respectively. For long term survival, defined as a minimum survival of 2 years (9% of the patients), Karnofsky performance status was the only independent predictive factor, along with the achievement of a complete response (if this was taken into consideration). Small cell lung carcinoma remained the main cause of death among these patients. Cure was infrequent, with only 14 patients alive and disease free at 5 years (1.8%). CONCLUSIONS: In this study the long term prognosis associated with small cell lung carcinoma was poor. The well-known prognostic values of disease extent and Karnofsky performance status were confirmed, but the authors also identified age and gender (which are more controversial) as independent characteristics, in addition to citing the role of complete response in the attainment of long term survival. The independent role of neutrophils observed by the authors. must be validated by further studies.

Adult↗

A comparison of methods of calculation for estimating carboplatin AUC with a retrospective pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. European Lung Cancer Working Party.

We retrospectively analysed the data obtained in a large randomised trial performed in 505 eligible patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Its purpose had been to compare a combination of carboplatin (200 mg/m2) and cisplatin (60 mg/m2) with or without the addition of ifosfamide. The present retrospective analysis assessed two ways of dosing carboplatin: according to body surface area (mg/m2) or to the estimated targeted area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC). Two different methods were used in the latter calculation: the Calvert formula using the Cockroft approximation to evaluate the glomerular filtration rate and the Chatelut equation. There was an excellent linear correlation between them. With the Chatelut method, the calculated administered AUC were lower. Whichever method was used, carboplatin AUC was not significantly associated with antitumour response rate nor patient survival. A statistically significant increase in haematological toxicity, mainly thrombopenia, was observed with an increase in the AUC. This effect was observed whatever AUC variable was considered, i.e. total dosage at course one, total dosage during the first three chemotherapy courses or dose intensity during the first three courses. The effect remained highly significant after adjustment for treatment arm. We conclude that for a moderate carboplatin dose in non-small cell lung cancer, the therapeutic index could be improved if dosage is calculated according to the AUC.

Adult↗

A randomised phase III trial comparing consolidation treatment with further chemotherapy to chest irradiation in patients with initially unresectable locoregional non-small-cell lung cancer responding to induction chemotherapy. European Lung Cancer Working Party.

PURPOSE: A phase III randomised trial was conducted in patients with non-metastatic unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer in order to compare, in responders to induction chemotherapy, consolidation treatment by further chemotherapy to chest irradiation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 462 untreated NSCLC patients were eligible for three courses of induction chemotherapy (MIP) consisting of cisplatin (50 mg/m2), ifosfamide (3 g/m2) and mitomycin C (6 mg/m2). It was proposed that objective responders be randomised to either three further courses of MIP or to chest irradiation (60 Gy; 2 Gy per fraction given over six weeks). RESULTS: An objective response rate of 35% was achieved; 115 patients (including 52% with initial stage IIIA and 44% with initial stage IIIB) were randomised to consolidation treatment, 60 of them to further chemotherapy and 55 to chest radiotherapy. There was no significant difference in survival between the two arms, with a respective median and two-year survival of 42 weeks (95% confidence intervals (95% CI: 35-51) and 18% (95% CI: 8-28) for chemotherapy and 54 weeks (95% CI: 43-73) and 22% (95% CI: 11-33) for irradiation. There was also no statistical difference for response duration between the two arms but chest irradiation was associated with a significantly greater duration of local control than chemotherapy (median duration times: 158 vs. 31 weeks, P = 0.0007). CONCLUSIONS: For non-metastatic unresectable NSCLC treated by an induction chemotherapy regimen containing cisplatin and ifosfamide, if an objective response is obtained, consolidation treatments by further chemotherapy or by chest irradiation result in non-statistically different survival distributions, although a better local control duration is observed with radiotherapy.

Adult↗

Evaluation of the TN sub-staging in patients with initially unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer treated by induction chemotherapy. The European Lung Cancer Working Party.

PURPOSE: This study attempted to investigate, in a cohort of patients with clinical stage III initially unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated by the same induction chemotherapy regimen, the prognostic value of clinical T and N sub-groupings in order to validate the current International Staging System (ISS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: All the eligible patients with stage III NSCLC (428 patients) registered in a clinical trial were included in the study investigating, after three courses of induction chemotherapy, the role, in responders, of chest irradiation in comparison to further chemotherapy. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of mitomycin C, ifosfamide and cisplatin. RESULTS: Patients with ISS 1986 stage IIIA had a significantly better survival than those with stage IIIB (median survival 47 vs 36 weeks; P = 0.01). A RECPAM analysis showed that patients with T1-T2 N3 and T4 N0-1-2 stage had a more similar prognosis to those with stage IIIA. That result leads to define two new sub-groups: stage IIIlalpha (T3-T4 N0-N1; any T N2; T1-T2 N3) and IIIbeta (T3-T4 N3), with a highly significant difference in survival between them (median survival: 45 vs 29 weeks; P < 0.0001). The superiority of that new classification on the ISS documented in our series of stage III patients for discriminating survival and tumour response has to be confirmed on another series in a multivariate context. CONCLUSION: For unresectable NSCLC treated by induction chemotherapy, stage III sub-classification by moving T4 N0-1 and T1-2 N3 tumours from stage IIIB to stage IIIA appeared to better correlate with prognosis. The usefulness of this new sub-division has to be tested in validation studies.

Adult↗

Phase III randomized trial comparing cisplatin and carboplatin with or without ifosfamide in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. European Lung Cancer Working Party.

PURPOSE: A phase III randomized trial in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was performed to determine if the addition of ifosfamide to moderate-dose cisplatin and carboplatin improved response rate (primary end point) and survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 529 patients were randomized to receive a combination of moderate-dose carboplatin (200 mg/m2 intravenously [i.v.] on day 1) and cisplatin (30 mg/m2 i.v. on days 2 and 3) with (CCI arm) or without (CC arm) ifosfamide (1.5 g/m2 i.v. on days 1 to 3). There were 248 eligible patients on the CC arm and 257 on the CCI arm, with 220 and 238 patients assessable for response, respectively. All but 23 had stage IV disease with pleural effusion. RESULTS: There was a 16% objective response (OR) rate to CC and a 31% OR rate to CCI. That observed difference was highly statistically significant (P < 0.001). Duration of response and survival were not statistically different between arms. The CCI regimen was associated with significantly more acute toxicities: emesis, alopecia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia. The frequency of chronic renal, auditive, and peripheral neurologic toxicity was low in both arms (4.6% and 6.6%, respectively, after six courses of chemotherapy). The relative dose-intensity (RDI) of the CCI arm was significantly lower than that of the CC arm. CONCLUSION: The addition of ifosfamide to moderate-dose cisplatin and carboplatin significantly improves the antitumoral response rate, but has no apparent effect an survival in advanced NSCLC.

Adult↗

Response to chemotherapy has predictive value for further survival of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: 10 years experience of the European Lung Cancer Working Party.

The aim of this study was the assessment of the predictive value for survival of an antitumoral response to three courses of chemotherapy in association with various pretreatment characteristics in patients with non-resectable non-small cell lung cancer treated by cisplatin- (or carboplatin)-based combination regimens. Patients considered for this study were eligible patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer registered in one of the seven trials conducted by the European Lung Cancer Working Party from December 1980 to August 1991. All these trials tested chemotherapy regimens with platinum derivatives (cisplatin and/or carboplatin). In this population of 1052 eligible patients, 752 were assessed in this analysis. Data were prospectively collected on 23 pretherapeutic variables and objective response after three chemotherapy cycles. The predictive value of response to chemotherapy on survival (measured from the time of response assessment i.e. 12 weeks after registration in the trial) was studied by univariate analysis as well as by multivariate methods (adjustment of the impact of several covariates simultaneously on the dependent variable) with adjustment for the pretreatment prognostic variables. After three cycles of chemotherapy, the global estimated median survival time was 24 weeks with a 95% confidence interval of 22-25 weeks. By univariate analysis, we identified an objective response to chemotherapy as a highly significant discriminant marker (P < 0.0001) for further survival with estimated median survival times of 41 weeks (95% CI: 38-46) and 19 weeks (95% CI: 17-20), respectively, for the responding and non-responding patients. In a Cox regression model fitted to the data using a forward stepwise procedure, this variable was the first selected explanatory variable. Its effect was adjusted by the introduction in the model of initial disease extent, Karnofsky performance status, serum calcium level and white blood cell count. These results were consistent with those obtained by application of recursive partitioning and amalgamation algorithms (RECPAM) which led to a classification of the patients into three homogeneous subgroups. Our results, using a classical Cox regression model consistent with those highlighted by application of a RECPAM analysis, found an objective response to chemotherapy to be a predominant predictive factor for further survival, although it did not allow any conclusion about a causal relationship. The RECPAM results led to a classification of the patients into three subgroups which needs to be validated in other series.

Adult↗

[Prognostic factors in advanced stage non-small cell bronchial cancer: experiences of the European Lung Cancer Working Party].

The European Lung Cancer Working Party has investigated prognostic factors for response, overall survival, long term survival in a population with advanced non small cell lung cancer registered in a clinical trial evaluating platinum derivatives-containing chemotherapy regimens. Various factors have been identified in multivariate analyses and were classified using RECPAM methodology. In addition to the clinical factors such as disease extent and performance status were shown, as significant predictors, rarely studied biological factors like pretherapeutic leucocyte and polynuclear levels. The obtention of an objective response to chemotherapy appeared to be a major prognostic factor for further survival.

Age Factors↗

Prognostic factors for response to chemotherapy containing platinum derivatives in patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer. (NSCLC).

PURPOSE: To identify pretreatment variables predicting response to platinum derivatives containing chemotherapy in patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients included in one of the 7 consecutive clinical trials conducted by the European Lung Cancer Working Party between December 1980 and August 1991. All patients received a cisplatin or carboplatin containing chemotherapy. We analyzed 22 potential prognostic factors including sex, age, histology, performance status, weight loss, type of lesions, extent of disease, main metastatic sites and several biological parameters, namely white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil count, platelet count, hemoglobinemia, creatininemia, serum alkaline phosphatases and LDH. RESULTS: On 1052 eligible patients. 107 were not assessable for response. The objective response rate was 26% (95% C.I.: 23, 29%). Univariate analysis identified as statistically significantly associated with a higher objective antitumoral response rate the following characteristics: a normal platelet count, the absence of skin metastasis, the absence of adrenal metastasis, a higher creatininemia, a normal hemoglobinemia, an older age and a normal WBC count. On a restricted set of variables including data from 777 patients, a multivariate logistic regression model disclosed age and platelet count as significantly and independently related to response rate. CONCLUSION: Clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with unresectable NSCLC, as well as routine laboratory parameters, could not accurately predict response to chemotherapy in a population of patients selected for a clinical trial. Future studies on this subject should include more sophisticated variables as new biomolecular makers.

Adult↗

Randomized trial comparing induction chemotherapy versus induction chemotherapy followed by maintenance chemotherapy in small-cell lung cancer. European Lung Cancer Working Party.

PURPOSE AND METHODS: The European Lung Cancer Working Party (ELCWP) performed a randomized trial with the primary end point to determine if maintenance chemotherapy with 12 courses of etoposide (120 mg/m2 on days 1 and 3) and vindesine (3 mg/m2 on day 3) could improve progression-free survival in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients who responded to six courses of induction chemotherapy with ifosfamide, etoposide, and an anthracycline (doxorubicin or epirubicin). RESULTS: Among 235 eligible patients initially registered, 91 were randomized to receive maintenance therapy, including seven patients who were no longer responding. Among 84 randomized responders, progression-free survival was significantly improved (P = .003) by maintenance therapy, with median durations (maintenance v follow-up) of 25 versus 12 weeks after the second randomization, but survival was not significantly increased (P = .10), with median durations of 48 and 38 weeks. However, in a multi-variate analysis that took into account disease extent, maintenance therapy, Karnofsky performance status (PS), and absolute dose-intensity (ADI) of anthracycline given during induction, limited disease (LD) and maintenance were found to be independent positive predictors of survival. CONCLUSION: We conclude that maintenance chemotherapy in responding patients is beneficial in SCLC.

Adult↗

[Effects of temporary dual-chamber cardiac pacing in refractory cardiac failure].

The authors studied 18 patients (15 men, 3 women) with an average age of 67 +/- 8 years with refractory cardiac failure. In order to determine the potential of pacing to raise cardiac output in severe cardiac failure. The average ejection fraction was 26 +/- 6.5%. All patients were in sinus rhythm:resting cardiac output was 3.35 l/min. Two temporary pacing catheters were positioned in the right atrium and at the apex of the right ventricle for dual-chamber mode pacing triggered by the spontaneous P waves. Changes in cardiac output were measured by Doppler echocardiography at different values of atrioventricular delay. Patients were considered to be responders if their cardiac outputs rose by 15%. In 7 patients meeting this criterion, the average increase in cardiac output was 27% (2.99 +/- 0.7 to 3.81 +/- 0.86 l/mn; p < 0.01); all had dilated cardiomyopathies with left bundle branch block and the optimal AV delay was 103 +/- 21 ms (80-140 ms); the duration of diastolic filling increased from 212 +/- 98 to 292 +/- 116 ms (p = 0.02). In the non-responding group (11 patients with an increase of cardiac output of only 3.6 +/- 0.09 to 3.9 +/- 0.92 l/mn; p < 0.01), the underlying disease process was mainly ischaemic. Two predictive factors of efficacy of dual-chamber pacing were identified: a short ventricular filling period (29 +/- 8% of the RR interval in the responders vs 44 +/- 9% in the non-responders; p < 0.01) and the presence of 1st degree atrioventricular block. Dual-chamber pacing could be a valuable method of increasing resting cardiac outputs in a selected group of patients with severe, refractory, cardiac failure.

Aged↗

[Thoracic electric bioimpedance. A non-invasive method for the measurement of cardiac output].

Bioimpedance offers a simple non-invasive means of measuring systolic ejection volume and heart rate and thus cardiac output. Four pairs of electrodes are placed on precise locations on the chest and stroke volume is calculated according to the equation developed by Kubicek in 1966 and modified by Sramek in 1980. The aim of this work was to evaluate this method in patients with heart disease. In a series of 50 patients, the coefficient of correlation for cardiac index between impedance values (2.52 +/- 0.71 ml/min/m2) and thermodilution values (2.74 +/- 0.69 ml/min/m2) was 0.63 (p < 0.01). The mean difference was -0.2 l/min/m2 (confidence interval +1 l/min/m2 to -1.4 l/min/m2). There was no statistical correlation in patients with complete left bundle branch block, severe mitral or aortic regurgitation or dilatation of the aorta. In a group of 11 healthy volunteers, there was a good correlation between two measures taken at a 2 day interval (r = 0.95). The coefficient of variation ranged from 1.2 to 7% for ejection volume. Bioimpedance is reproducible and simple, authorizing its use for non-invasive monitoring of cardiac output in a given patient in various clinical situations.

Adult↗

Prognostic factors for survival in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: univariate and multivariate analyses including recursive partitioning and amalgamation algorithms in 1,052 patients. The European Lung Cancer Working Party.

PURPOSE: This study attempted to determine the prognostic value for survival of various pretreatment characteristics in patients with nonresectable non-small-cell lung cancer in the context of more than 10 years of experience of a European Cooperative Group. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included in the analysis all eligible patients (N = 1,052) with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer registered onto one of seven trials conducted by the European Lung Cancer Working Party (ELCWP) during one decade. The patients were treated by chemotherapy regimens based on platinum derivatives. We prospectively collected 23 variables and analyzed them by univariate and multivariate methods. RESULTS: The global estimated median survival time was 29 weeks, with a 95% confidence interval of 27 to 30 weeks. After univariate analysis, we applied two multivariate statistical techniques. In a Cox regression model, the selected explanatory variables were disease extent, Karnofsky performance status, WBC and neutrophil counts, metastatic involvement of skin, serum calcium level, age, and sex. These results were confirmed by application of recursive partitioning and amalgamation algorithms (RECPAM), which led to classification of the patients into four homogeneous subgroups. CONCLUSION: We confirmed by our analysis the role of well-known independent prognostic factors for survival, but also identified the effect of the neutrophil count, rarely studied, with the use of two methods: a classical Cox regression model and a RECPAM analysis. The classification of patients into the four subgroups we obtained needs to be validated in other series.

Algorithms↗

Induction chemotherapy with ifosfamide, etoposide, and anthracycline for small cell lung cancer: experience of the European Lung Cancer Working Party.

Prospective trials comparing drug analogues in the treatment of small cell lung cancer are rare. The European Lung Cancer Working Party has conducted a randomized trial with a primary end point of determining the effect on survival of maintenance chemotherapy and a secondary end point of comparing doxorubicin (45 mg/m2) with a bioequivalent epirubicin dose (60 mg/m2) in one set of patients, and a standard with a high epirubicin dose (60 v 90 mg/m2) in a second set of patients. Anthracycline was given on day 1 of induction chemotherapy in combination with ifosfamide (1.5 g/m2 intravenously days 1 through 3) and etoposide (80 mg/m2 intravenously days 1 through 3). Six courses were given at 3-week intervals. In all, 235 eligible previously untreated patients with pathologically proven small cell lung cancer were randomized: 106 to the comparison of doxorubicin and epirubicin and 129 to the comparison of standard-dose versus high-dose epirubicin. There was no difference between the regimens in terms of objective response rate or survival, and the regimen containing the lower (60 mg/m2) epirubicin dose was better tolerated, with fewer toxic deaths and less need for dose and schedule adjustments.

Adult↗

[Tuberculosis and pregnancy].

The authors report a case of pulmonary tuberculosis during pregnancy. They point out that the pregnancy does not change the natural course of the disease, congenital tuberculosis is rare but with a high rate of mortality, and the three most important antituberculosis (isoniazid, ethambutol and rifampicin) are safety during pregnancy.

Adult↗

A four-drug combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, mitomycin, vindesine and 5 fluorouracile: a regimen associated with major toxicity in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

The purpose of this study was to determine the activity of a 4-drug combination chemotherapy: cisplatin, mitomycin C, vindesine and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Chemotherapy consisted of the administration of cisplatin (30 mg/m2 d 1-4), mitomycin C (10 mg/m2 d 1), vindesine (3 mg/m2 d 1) and 5-FU (1 g/m2 d 1-4 by continuous intravenous infusion). In patients older than 70 years, and in those who received prior irradiation or chemotherapy, cisplatin and 5-FU were omitted on day 4. Courses were repeated every 4 weeks and evaluation of response was performed after the first 2 courses. In case of response, treatment was continued until best response or untolerable toxicity. Among 182 eligible patients, 75% had received no prior therapy; 41% had locoregional disease and 59% metastatic disease; 41% lost more than 5% of their pretherapy body weight. A 34% objective response rate was observed in the 164 evaluable patients (31% in all the eligible patients) including 4 complete and 52 partial responses. Patients with locoregional disease had a significantly better response rate than those with metastases (44% vs 27%). The overall median survival was 26 weeks. Significant hematological toxicity was documented but the most serious adverse event was the occurrence of 18 (10%) cardiac or sudden deaths. These toxic deaths were significantly associated with a 5% loss of body weight prior to therapy. The addition of 5-FU to combination of cisplatin, mitomycin C and vindesine does not improve antitumoral effect but results in very significant cardiac toxicity.

Adult↗