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Biomedical subjects

G Falkson

Publications and source records attributed to G Falkson.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

"Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura-like syndrome" treated with interferon in a patient with lung cancer.

A case of autoimmune thrombocytopenia associated with lung cancer is presented. The thrombocytopenia occurred 2 years before the diagnosis of lung cancer. Previous treatments include high doses of corticosteroids and splenectomy. The patient was managed with interferon, which resulted in an increase of the platelet count with control of the hemorrhagic manifestations with this syndrome.

Carcinoma, Small Cell↗
PubMed1990

Ifosfamide and mesna in combination with other cytostatic drugs in the treatment of patients with advanced cancer.

Fifty patients with histologically confirmed advanced malignancies were treated with ifosfamide and mesna plus other cytostatics. The other cytostatic drugs added to the treatment regimen were cisplatin (36 pts), etoposide (31 pts) and doxorubicin (20 pts). Among previously untreated patients objective response was documented in 12 of 19 pts with ovarian cancer, 9 of 14 with small cell cancer of the lung and in all 3 pts with Ewing's sarcoma. Among patients with disease refractory to prior cytostatic treatment, objective response was documented in 8 of 9 with testicular cancer, 1 of 3 with high grade lymphoma and 0 of 2 with osteosarcoma. Side-effects due to the combination of ifosfamide plus mesna and other cytostatics were acceptable. No life-threatening or lethal toxicities occurred. Most commonly encountered toxicities were leukopenia (64%), nausea and vomiting (84%), alopecia (63%), CNS toxicity (30%) and renal toxicity (12%).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

High versus low dose granisetron, a selective 5HT3 antagonist, for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Fifty six patients, with histologically confirmed cancer, who received highly emetogenic chemotherapy, were entered on a randomized double blind, low versus high dose, study of granisetron, a 5HT3 receptor antagonist. A single dose of intravenous granisetron protected the majority of patients from nausea and vomiting, 160 micrograms/kg was more effective than 40 micrograms/kg with no more side effects. Additional doses of granisetron conferred added benefit to patients who experienced breakthrough symptoms. Granisetron at a dose range of 40-240 micrograms/kg over a 24 hour period was well tolerated with the only side effect being mild headache.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1990

A randomized phase II study of acivicin and 4'deoxydoxorubicin in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group study.

We analyzed 56 of 75 previously untreated patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who entered on a prospectively randomized trial of acivicin versus 4'deoxydoxorubicin (esorubicin). At least one episode of severe toxicity was documented in 23% of the patients on acivicin and 45% of those on 4'deoxydoxorubicin. Two patients responded to 4'deoxydoxorubicin. One response was partial, lasting 58 weeks, and one was complete, lasting more than 4 years. The 90% confidence interval for response is 1-20%. In view of a 45% rate of severe or worse toxicity with 4'deoxydoxorubicin, this drug cannot be recommended as treatment. There were no responses on acivicin.

Antibiotics, Antineoplastic↗
PubMed1990

Plasma melatonin in patients with breast cancer.

Daytime plasma melatonin values were measured by radioimmune assay in 86 patients with breast cancer; 280 assays were done and compared with the clinical status of the patients. Patients in the advanced disease group had significantly higher levels than those in the adjuvant treatment group, and patients with progressive disease had significantly higher values than those in remission or with stable disease. No significant differences were found between different dominant metastatic disease sites. Multiple-regression tests showed a significant inverse correlation between survival and melatonin values.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1990

Adjuvant trial of 12 cycles of CMFPT followed by observation or continuous tamoxifen versus four cycles of CMFPT in postmenopausal women with breast cancer: an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group phase III study.

A prospectively controlled randomized trial to compare the adjuvant efficacy of 12 cycles of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil, prednisone, and tamoxifen (CMFPT) followed by observation or a total of 5 years of continuous tamoxifen versus four cycles of CMFPT followed by observation in postmenopausal women with operable node-positive breast cancer was started by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) in 1982. In 1986 the study was modified to allow patients on CMFPT X 12 plus continuous tamoxifen to be rerandomized after completing 5 years of tamoxifen to either continue for life or to stop therapy. Patients were stratified for number of involved nodes and estrogen-receptor (ER) status and randomized to receive one of three treatments: CMFPT X 4, CMFPT X 12, or CMFPT X 12 plus continuous tamoxifen. Of 962 patients entered on the study, 803 were eligible. Life-threatening toxicity occurred in 75 and lethal toxicity in seven patients. Median follow-up is 4.1 years; 279 patients had recurrent disease. Time to relapse (TTR) is significantly longer for patients on CMFPT X 12 plus continuous tamoxifen than for CMFPT X 4 (P = .002), or CMFPT X 12 (P = 0.05). Differences between four or 12 cycles of CMFPT are not significant; relapse-free rates at 5 years are 61% for CMFPT X 12 plus continuous tamoxifen, 51% on CMFPT X 12, and 52% on CMFPT X 4. Treatment differences in overall survival are not significant. Hormone receptor status and number of involved nodes were found to be significant prognostic parameters.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1989

Combination chemotherapy of advanced breast cancer. Comparison of dibromodulcitol, doxorubicin, vincristine, and fluoxymesterone to thiotepa, doxorubicin, vinblastine, and fluoxymesterone: an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Study.

Two Adriamycin (doxorubicin)-based chemotherapy regimens were investigated in patients with carcinoma of the breast who had failed prior systemic therapy. The two chemotherapy programs, dibromodulcitol, Adriamycin, vincristine, and Halotestin (fluoxymesterone) (DAVH), and thiotepa, Adriamycin, vinblastine, and Halotestin (TAVH), were chosen for comparison on the basis of reported response rates of 40% to 50% with remission durations of 11 months in patients refractory to other cytotoxic chemotherapy. Cycles of DAVH were repeated every 4 weeks. Cycles of TAVH were repeated every 3 weeks. Of 184 patients evaluable for response, 32% of patients treated with DAVH and 38% of patients treated with TAVH had a complete response (CR) or partial response (PR). An additional 5% of patients had nonmeasurable improvement in osseous disease for an overall rate of response (CR + PR + improvement) of 40%. Patients who had previously received cytotoxic chemotherapy for metastatic disease or had early failure after adjuvant therapy had a lower response rate to DAVH, but not to TAVH than those who did not fail prior chemotherapy. Duration of response and survival were similar with the two treatments. There were seven treatment-related deaths, five among patients receiving DAVH and two among patients receiving TAVH. Patients receiving DAVH had significantly more thrombocytopenia and neurologic toxicity than those receiving TAVH. These treatments appear to be reasonable second-line regimens and are good candidates to be used in initial therapy of metastatic disease or adjuvant therapy studies that explore the use of alternating non-cross-resistant combinations with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1989

Efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in high-risk node-negative breast cancer. An intergroup study.

We randomly assigned 536 women who had undergone either a modified radical mastectomy or a total mastectomy with low axillary-node dissection for potentially curable breast carcinoma to receive adjuvant chemotherapy or no-treatment observation. The patients were considered at high risk for recurrence because they had either an estrogen-receptor-negative tumor of any size or an estrogen-receptor-positive tumor at least 3 cm in diameter with no histopathological evidence of axillary-node involvement. The chemotherapy consisted of six four-week cycles of cyclophosphamide (100 mg per square meter of body-surface area orally on days 1 through 14), methotrexate (40 mg per square meter intravenously on days 1 and 8), fluorouracil (600 mg per square meter intravenously on days 1 and 8), and prednisone (40 mg per square meter orally on days 1 through 14). Treatments were balanced with respect to patients' characteristics. The analysis included 406 eligible patients who were entered in the study before October 1, 1987. The overall disease-free survival among patients treated with the four-drug regimen was 84 percent, as compared with 69 percent for the control group, at a median follow-up of three years (P = 0.0001). A treatment benefit was also observed in premenopausal and postmenopausal patients as well as in patients with estrogen-receptor-positive or with estrogen-receptor-negative tumors. Severe or life-threatening hematologic toxicity was encountered in 33 percent of the treated patients, with one death. Our results indicate that adjuvant chemotherapy with six cycles of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil, and prednisone is effective in improving three-year disease-free survival among high-risk patients with axillary-node-negative, operable breast cancer. An analysis of the effect of treatment on survival awaits a longer follow-up.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Symptomatic treatment of the malignant carcinoid syndrome with octreotide].

Intractable diarrhoea and flushing due to the malignant carcinoid syndrome is seldom relieved by conservative medical treatment. Octreotide (Sandostatin; Sandoz) is a long-acting analogue of somatostatin and a powerful inhibitor of endogenous peptide release. A patient with severe diarrhoea and flushing due to the malignant carcinoid syndrome, in whom symptomatic control with octreotide was achieved, is described, and the value of octreotide treatment in the malignant carcinoid syndrome is discussed.

Female↗
PubMed1989

Treatment and prognosis of metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary: analysis of 100 patients.

One hundred patients with metastatic carcinoma of unknown primary were analyzed to assess the importance of prognostic factors on survival. Patients were treated with cytostatic combinations, single drugs, or symptomatic care only. Response in the treatment groups ranged from 10% to 33%. The median survival of all patients was 124 days. In a univariate analysis good performance status, the presence of lymph node metastases, and the absence of liver metastases favorably influenced survival. In a Cox proportional hazards model, good performance status contributed significantly to a better survival. In addition there was a trend for female patients, patients with lymph node metastases, and patients without liver metastases to survive longer. These patient subsets deserve optimal treatment despite the dismal prognosis of this disease.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1989

Ifosfamide and mesna in the treatment of malignant disease mesna as urothelial protector.

One hundred and forty-six patients with advanced malignant disease were treated with 6 different dosage schedules of ifosfamide (IFX). Mesna was used as urothelial protector. With mesna, urothelial toxicity was moderate, and single doses of up to 7 g/m2 could be administered without intolerable urotoxicity. Leukopenia was the dose-limiting factor in this study. Unexpected pulmonary edema occurred in 3 patients. Therapeutic results were disappointing. A malignancy identified in this study that warrants further investigation with IFX and mesna, is malignant mesothelioma.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

A phase I study of a new 5HT3-receptor antagonist, BRL43694A, an agent for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

In a phase I study of BRL43694A, a 5HT3-receptor antagonist, a single dose of 40 micrograms/kg was given to 24 patients. All patients received cytostatic treatment expected to cause nausea and vomiting. During the first 24 h, 12 patients were completely protected from nausea and vomiting, 4 experienced nausea and 8 had moderate vomiting; mild headache occurred in 10 patients. No cardiovascular (including ECG) changes took place. Apart from headache, no neurological side effects occurred.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

CAF and nasal buserelin in the treatment of premenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer.

This study was undertaken to determine whether intranasally administered buserelin, a gonadotrophin releasing hormone analog agonist, can be given with CAF to premenopausal women with advanced and/or metastatic breast cancer, and to assess toxicity and therapeutic effect. Of 24 women entered into the study 22 were evaluable; objective responses were documented in 18 patients (seven CR and 11 PR). The median time to treatment failure was 402 days. Buserelin, given with CAF, was well tolerated with the only additional side-effect being hot flushes. Amenorrhea occurred in 13/17 menstruating women and serum estradiol levels decreased to postmenopausal values in all patients.

Administration, Intranasal↗