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Biomedical subjects

J J Stuart

Publications and source records attributed to J J Stuart.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Advanced epidermoid lung cancer: prolonged survival after chemotherapy.

The charts and pathologic reports for 4 patients seen at our institution with advanced incurable epidermoid carcinoma of the lung, who had prolonged disease-free survival after chemotherapy, were reviewed. All patients had Stage III bronchogenic carcinoma. Our study indicates that patients with epidermoid carcinoma of the lung who achieve a complete response have a better survival than those patients who have a partial response or no response. All complete responses were achieved after two to three months of chemotherapy, and if a response is not seen by then a modification of the treatment program is recommended. We propose that complete response should be considered the most important prognostic factor for therapeutic trials in epidermoid carcinoma of the lung.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Actinomycin D in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Actinomycin D is generally administered by serial low-dose injection over 5-10 days. Recent recognition of prolonged serum and tissue half-lives suggests that high-dose intermittent injecton should be equally effective and less toxic. An intermitten single dose schedule was selected for this phase II trial of actinomycin D in 23 patients with advanced breast cancer refractory to standard combination chemotherapy. The drug was given in doses of 0.75-1.5 mg/m2 at 2-week intervals or on days 1 and 8 of 28-day treatment cycles. One patient obtained a partial response with a duration of 5.7 months. Four patients experienced stabilization of advanced disease, with a mean duration of response of 6.4 months. Gastrointestinal toxicity occurred in 47% of patients and mild to moderate myelosuppression in 39%. We conclude that actinomycin D in this dosage and schedule has limited activity in advanced breast cancer. Higher doses might result in increased response rates but would be associated with greater toxicity.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Ticarcillin-induced hemorrhage in a patient with thrombocytosis.

A patient with thrombocytosis, normal renal function, and severe ticarcillin-induced hemorrhage is described. Like carbenicillin, ticarcillin can cause severe bleeding in some individuals by creating a qualitative platelet defect. The template bleeding time is the most useful diagnostic test.

Adult↗

Chemotherapy versus chemoimmunotherapy in advanced adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum: a prospective randomized study.

The combination of vincristine, methyl-CCNU, and methotrexate with or without MER-BCG achieved a 2% complete response (CR) and a 11% partial response (PR) with a median duration of 25-29 weeks in 124 evaluable patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum. Responses were seen in previously untreated patients and in patients refractory to 5-fluorouracil. The median survival of these objective responders (CR + PR) was 57 weeks. The addition of MER-BCG did not appear to influence response rate or duration of survival and was accompanied by significant toxicity. Response was significantly correlated with performance status, sex, and disease free interval and survival with alkaline phosphatase and performance status. Patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma should be stratified according to these variables.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Written informed consent in patients with breast cancer.

One hundred breast cancer patients, 35 adjuvant and 65 advanced, were interviewed 0-24 months after the start of chemotherapy to assess their knowledge and perceptions of the purposes, risks and benefits of treatment. Prior to therapy, all had been given verbal explanations and had signed informed consent forms explicitly detailing drugs, objectives and possible adverse effects of therapy. Seventeen percent of adjuvant and 29% of advanced patients were unable to name any of their drugs. While most patients recognized distressing side effects such as nausea and hair loss, less than 50% were aware of the potentially lethal complications of infection and bleeding. While the purpose of adjuvant therapy was cure, only 29% of the adjuvant patients were aware of this. In contrast, 35% of the advanced patients incorrectly stated that they were told their therapy was potentially curative. Explanations given by a nurse in addition to a physician were better understood than those given by a physician alone. We conclude that, in spite of intensive efforts at improving informed consent procedures, current results are unsatisfactory.

Adult↗

Acquired von Willebrand disease associated with an inhibitor to factor VIII antigen and gastrointestinal telangiectasia.

A patient with acquired von Willebrand disease and gastrointestinal telangiectasia is described. He presented with the recent onset of spontaneous hemorrhage and demonstrated a prolonged bleeding time, reduced factor VIII coagulant (FVIII:C), and undetectable factor VIII-related antigen (FVIIIR:AG) and ristocetin cofactor (FVIIIR:WF). Following transfusion of cryoprecipitate, there was a smaller than expected immediate increase in FVIII:C, FVIIIR:WF and FVIIIR:AG, with a rapid return to baseline levels and no secondary increase in FVIII:C. An inhibitor could be demonstrated in the patient's plasma which markedly decreased the level of FVIIIR:AG in normal plasma whereas it only weakly decreased the activity of FVIIIR:WF and FVIII:C. The inhibitor was contained in the immunoglobulin G(IgG) fraction of plasma and lacked precipitating properties. This inhibitor demonstrates a specificity not previously seen in spontaneous antifactor VIII antibodies. Our report also demonstrates that ristocetin-induced agglutination of platelets is not always the most sensitive method for detecting an inhibitor in acquired von Willebrand disease.

Antigens↗

Adriamycin versus methotrexate in five-drug combination chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer: a randomized trial.

Adriamycin is of noteworthy efficacy in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Its role in combination regimens is under investigation. One hundred seventy-five women with advanced breast cancer were entered into a prospectively randomized trial comparing two five-drug regimens. Regimen CMFVP consisted of cyclophosphamide (C), methotrexate (M), 5-fluorouracil (F), vincristine (V), and prednisone (P). Regimen CAFVP was identical but substituted Adriamycin (A) for methotrexate. Twenty-seven patients were disqualified; 148 were evaluable. With CMFVP the complete response rate (CR) was 11%, and the partial response rate (PR) was 46%; with CAFVP, CR was 13% and PR was 45%. Duration of response tended to be slightly longer for patients on the Adriamycin arm. The median survival for CR and PR patients with CMFVP was 20.2 months, which was shorter (p = .07) than the 33 month median survival with CAFVP. Although statistical significance was not reached at the 5% level, the increased survival of responders on the Adriamycin regimen supports the data of other studies which suggest that first line combination chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer should include Adriamycin.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Chemoimmunotherapy for disseminated malignant melanoma: a prospective randomized study.

Twenty-eight patients with disseminated malignant melanoma were treated with DTIC (250 mg/m2 iv, Days 1--5) and actinomycin D (0.5 mg/day iv, Days 1--5) at 5-week intervals. Patients were randomly allocated to receive no immunotherapy or immunotherapy consisting of methanol extracted residue of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (0.5 mg intradermally; 100 microgram in five separate sites) every 5 weeks, concomitant with chemotherapy. Of these 28 evaluable patients, 13 received chemoimmunotherapy with one complete response (CR) and 15 received chemotherapy alone with one CR. Both responses occurred in lymph node metastases. No partial responses were seen.

BCG Vaccine↗

Thrombocytopenia in two patients treated with low-dose heparin.

Two cases of thrombocytopenia, one resulting in bleeding, are reported in patients treated with prophylactic low-dose heparin. The evidence indicates that low-dose heparin was responsible. A review of the literature indicates that heparin-induced thrombocytopenia may be a common event. Since low-dose heparin has been shown to decrease the incidence of venous thrombosis and subsequent pulmonary embolism in patients undergoing major surgery, recommendations are made for monitoring platelet counts in such patients.

Aged↗

Treatment of busulfan-induced pancytopenia.

A patient with busulfan-induced pancytopenia and recurrent, thrombocytopenic bleeding was treated prophylactically with random-donor platelet transfusions and later with HLA-matched platelets from a sibling. The pancytopenia remitted after five months. The course and alternative modes of therapy of busulfan-induced pancytopenia are discussed. This disorder may be reversible if the patient can be supported through an initial period of severe pancytopenia.

Adult↗