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Biomedical subjects

J P Collins

Publications and source records attributed to J P Collins.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Double-blind, cross-over study comparing prostaglandin E1 and papaverine in patients with vasculogenic impotence.

Intracorporeal injection of vasoactive agents is the treatment of choice for many patients with organic impotence. However, some patients with vasculogenic impotence respond poorly to injections of papaverine or papaverine/phentolamine. This study was conducted to determine if patients with vasculogenic impotence who failed to respond to papaverine might respond to prostaglandin E1 and thus be salvaged from possible prosthetic surgery. A total of 54 patients with vasculogenic impotence were administered intracorporeal prostaglandin E1 (20 micrograms) and intracorporeal papaverine (60 mg) randomized in a double-blind fashion and crossed over one week later. Forty-six percent of patients receiving prostaglandin E1 produced a satisfactory erection compared with 14 percent of patients with a similar response to papaverine. The difference between these results was highly significantly by the McNemar test. The number of side effects were similar for both drugs. Prostaglandin E1 might be considered the intracorporeal agent of choice for patients with significant vasculogenic impotence.

Alprostadil

The use of tissue expansion for immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy.

A series of 139 patients who had a total mastectomy underwent breast reconstruction using the method of tissue expansion. In 127 patients a tissue expander was inserted at the time of mastectomy and in 12 patients this was done as a delayed procedure. The reconstruction was successfully completed in 87% of cases and the patient acceptance of this method of reconstruction has been high. We believe that tissue expansion should be offered to all women having immediate reconstruction after total mastectomy and that it also has a significant role in delayed breast reconstruction after mastectomy.

Adult

Management of primary, operable breast cancer in Victoria.

The study aimed to describe the surgical treatment in cases of primary, operable breast cancer in Victoria. All patients who were entered in a population-based cancer registry and who met the entry criteria over a six-month period were identified. In respect of each patient, the treating surgeon completed a questionnaire about patient characteristics, investigations, tumour description, surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. For 716 eligible cases, 635 (89%) questionnaires were returned by 200 treating surgeons; this gave a mean rate of 6.3 breast-cancer patients per surgeon per year. Most (61%) surgeons treated one to four breast-cancer patients per year and only 4% of surgeons treated more than 20 breast-cancer patients each. Little systematic difference was found in the treatment approach that was adopted by the surgeons with heavy or light case-loads of patients with breast cancer. Twenty-two per cent of patients underwent breast-conserving operations. Virtually all the remainder underwent mastectomy, most commonly modified radical mastectomy.

Adult

Colonic and breast carcinomas--association or metastases? Report of a case.

There is an increased incidence of colonic carcinoma in patients with breast carcinoma but colonic involvement secondary to breast carcinoma can also occur. The differentiation of the organ or origin (breast vs colon) of the abdominal tumour can be difficult and may benefit from the use of immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibodies that react preferentially with colon cancer (JGT) and breast cancer (3E1.2, BC2,BC3). Measurement of Mammary Serum Antigen (MSA) level as detected by the anti-breast monoclonal antibody (3E1.2) was also useful in the classification of tumours of uncertain origin.

Breast Neoplasms

Immunolymphoscintigraphy for the detection of lymph node metastases from breast cancer.

The presence of metastases in the regional lymph nodes is the major prognostic factor in breast cancer in the absence of overt distant metastases and is also an important indicator of the need for adjuvant therapy in "early" breast cancer. Currently, the accurate assessment of axillary lymph node status requires axillary dissection which has an associated morbidity. An alternative method of identifying patients who are "node positive" has been developed by means of immunolymphoscintigraphy with s.c. administered radioiodinated monoclonal antibody. The 131I-labeled anti-breast cancer antibody (RCC-1; 400 micrograms) and cold iodine-labeled "blocking" antibody (Ly-2.1; 2 mg which is nonreactive with breast cancer) were injected s.c. into both arms and scintigraphy images were obtained 16-18 h after the injection, using the axilla contralateral to the side of the breast cancer as the control. Studies were reported as positive (and therefore indicative of lymph node metastases) if the amount of background-subtracted radioactive count in the axilla of interest exceeded the normal side by a radio equal to or greater than 1.5:1.0 as assessed by computer analysis. In 38 of 40 patients the findings on scintigraphy were correlated with operative and histopathological findings on the axillary dissection specimen or cytological findings of fine needle aspiration of axillary lymph nodes. In a prospective study of 26 patients, the method is more sensitive (86%) and specific (92%) than preoperative clinical assessment (57% sensitivity, 58% specificity) in the detection of axillary lymph node metastases; and by combining both modalities of assessment, there was an improvement in the sensitivity (100%) but a deterioration in the specificity (50%). There was no significant complication from this essentially outpatient procedure and only 1 of 40 patients developed a human anti-mouse antibody response. This novel and safe method of imaging may become a most useful adjunct in the surgical management of breast cancer.

Animals

The detection of axillary lymph node metastases from breast cancer by radiolabelled monoclonal antibodies: a prospective study.

In a prospective study to assess the accuracy of monoclonal immunoscintigraphy for the detection of axillary lymph node metastases in breast cancer, two murine monoclonal antibodies that react with human breast cancer (3E1.2 and RCC-1) were labelled with 131iodine, and the radiolabelled antibody was injected subcutaneously into the interdigital spaces of both hands of 40 patients, 36 of whom had breast cancer and the remaining four of whom had fibroadenoma (the normal, contralateral axilla was used as a control). Of the patients with breast cancer, the findings from the scintigraphy images were correlated with histopathology or cytology of the axillary lymph nodes; images were regarded as positive and hence indicative of lymph node metastases if the amount of background-subtracted radioactive count in axilla on the side of breast cancer exceeded the contralateral normal side by a ratio greater than or equal to 1.5:1.0 as assessed by computer analysis. Using this method, immunoscintigraphy had an overall sensitivity of 33% (23% with 131I-3E1.2 and 50% with 131I-RCC-1) for the detection of lymph node metastases and a specificity of 63% (67% with 131I-3E1.2 and 60% with 131I-RCC-1) with problems of non-specific uptake by presumably normal lymph nodes. The results of immunoscintigraphy obtained with 131I-RCC-1 (IgG) were superior to 131I-3E1.2 (IgM) although the accuracy of immunoscintigraphy using 131I-RCC-1 (56%) was not much better than preoperative clinical assessment (50%). However, there were cases when immunoscintigraphy using radiolabelled antibody (IgM or IgG) detected axillary lymph node metastases not suspected by clinical examination. Thus it appears that while immunoscintigraphy may be a useful adjunct to preoperative clinical assessment and is simple and safe, a major improvement in its accuracy is needed before it can replace axillary dissection and histological examination in the accurate staging of axilla in breast cancer.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Sequential alternating medroxyprogesterone acetate and epirubicin in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.

A phase II trial of sequential oral medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and epirubicin was performed in 12 postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer. Patients received MPA at a dose of 500 mg twice daily by mouth for 25 days. Following a 3-day washout, epirubicin was administered in a dose of 75 mg/m2. After a 3-week hiatus, the cycle was recommenced with MPA. Responses were evaluated at the end of the first 25-day period of MPA and following the end of the first cycle. Partial responses were obtained in two patients (17%)--one after the first 25 days of MPA and the other at the end of the first cycle. One of the patients had chest wall disease and the other had hepatic involvement with ascites. Minimal toxicity was experienced from this regimen and the response durations were 2 and 7 months. The response rate reported here does not warrant the further development of sequential therapy. The dose intensity of both MPA and epirubicin are compromised and may be the cause of this low response rate.

Adult

Comparison of mammary serum antigen assay with mammography in patients with breast cancer.

Mammary serum antigen levels and two-view xeromammography were evaluated in a study of 97 patients who presented at a specialist breast clinic in a major teaching hospital, in order to determine their single and combined value in the detection of breast cancer. Raised mammary serum antigen levels (greater than 300 inhibition units) were found in 76% of patients with stage-1 (including carcinoma-in-situ) and stage-II breast cancer compared with 54% of patients whose mammograms were suggestive of cancer (probability of carcinoma, greater than 50%). Four patients with carcinoma-in-situ had elevated mammary serum antigen levels, but their mammograms did not suggest the presence of cancer (probability of carcinoma, less than 50%). The over-all sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of a positive test-result in detecting breast cancer were 76%, 82% and 72%, respectively, for the mammary serum antigen test, and 54%, 88% and 74%, respectively, for mammography. When the mammary serum antigen test and mammography were used together, a combined evaluation enhanced the sensitivity in the detection of breast cancer (89%) but with a concomitant reduction in specificity (72%). The mammary serum antigen test was superior to mammography in the detection of breast cancer in this study and may prove to be a useful adjunct to conventional methods of clinical assessment and to mammography for the detection of breast cancer.

Adult

Application of mammary serum antigen assay in the management of breast cancer: a preliminary report.

A monoclonal antibody (3E1.2) based serum test using an enzyme immunoassay has been used to determine circulating levels of the breast cancer associated antigen--mammary serum antigen (MSA). Of 157 patients with early breast cancer (stage I and II) and 199 patients with advanced breast cancer (stage III and IV), 73 per cent and 87 per cent respectively had elevated MSA levels (i.e. greater than 300 inhibition units (IU). Furthermore, 40 of 44 patients (91 per cent) had a significant fall of MSA levels with reduction in tumour load by mastectomy. In addition, there was a correlation of MSA levels with the clinical course: changes in MSA levels correlated with changes in disease status (progressive disease, stable disease, disease regression) in 54 of 61 patients and antedated disease progression or recurrence by up to 8 months in some patients; and in 32 of 36 patients (89 per cent) with no clinical evidence of recurrence MSA levels did not vary by more than 25 per cent of the original MSA value over a period of 2-15 months. MSA is therefore a useful tumour marker in the diagnosis and staging of breast cancer. There is also evidence that serial estimations of MSA levels may be used to detect subclinical recurrence and the fluctuations in MSA levels might be useful in assessing response to therapy. Furthermore, it was also noted that surgical procedures such as fine needle aspiration biopsy or incisional biopsy could lead to a rise in MSA levels.

Adult

Experience with lyophilized human dura for treatment of Peyronie disease.

Peyronie disease was treated by excision of the plaque and patch grafting with lyophilized human dura in 17 patients. Results were satisfactory as far as correction of penile curvature was concerned, but the incidence of impotence and glans hypoesthesia was disappointing. Less complex operations such as the Nesbit procedure may be a better choice of treatment for the surgical management of Peyronie disease.

Adult

Comparison of mammary serum antigen (MSA) with beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) assays in patients with breast cancer.

Serum levels of mammary serum antigen (MSA), beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were evaluated in 186 subjects to assess their use in the diagnosis and monitoring of breast cancer, either singly or in combination. Raised MSA levels (greater than 300 I.U.) were detected in 79% of patients with Stage I/II breast cancer, compared with 25% for beta 2M (greater than 2000 micrograms/l) and 12% for CEA (greater than 5 ng/ml) levels respectively. Of 53 patients with Stage III/IV breast cancer, 98% (MSA), 55% (beta 2M) and 64% (CEA) had raised levels. In 25 patients followed over 3-9 months, the changes in MSA levels correlated with the clinical course of the disease in 23/25 (92%), compared with 7/25 (28%) using beta 2M, and 9/25 (36%) using CEA assays. The overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in detecting breast cancer were 88%, 95% and 99% for MSA; 39%, 90% and 96% for beta 2M; and 38%, 95% and 98% for CEA, respectively. MSA and beta 2M assays in combination enhanced the sensitivity in the detection of breast cancer (93%) especially early breast cancer, while maintaining specificity (90%). MSA seems to be superior to beta 2M or CEA as a tumour marker in breast cancer and its levels seem to correlate with tumour burden. While it appears that beta 2M or CEA measurements used alone are of little value in the current management of breast cancer, beta 2M may be a helpful adjunct to enhance the sensitivity of MSA assay especially in early breast cancer.

Antigens, Neoplasm

Glucose, fat, and protein kinetics in patients with primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism.

We performed a series of isotopic studies in 16 normal volunteers, four patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), and in nine patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Using the primed constant infusion of stable and radioisotopes, we have determined glucose, glycerol, free fatty acids, and urea kinetics, as well as glucose oxidation. Measurements were performed both in the basal state and during glucose infusion (4 mg/kg body weight/min). Compared with normal volunteers, PHPT patients are intolerant of glucose because of a limited suppression of endogenous glucose turnover during glucose infusion (34% versus 96% suppression). In addition, the plasma cortisol level increased in the PHPT patients during glucose infusion. Glucose oxidation and fat kinetics in both PHPT patients and volunteers were similar, but the rate of net protein loss was significantly greater in the PHPT patients than in the volunteers (2.1 +/- 0.5 versus 1.4 +/- 0.2 gm/kg/day). Rates of VO2 in the PHPT patients and volunteers were similar, but the value in the SHPT patients was higher (120 +/- 9 versus 142 +/- 20 mumol/kg/min for PHPT and SHPT patients, respectively). The SHPT patients had significantly increased rates of glucose turnover, glucose clearance, and glycerol turnover, compared with the other two groups, as well as an increased reliance on glucose for energy. We conclude from these studies that (1) SHPT patients are catabolic and have increased rates of glucose and fat turnover; (2) PHPT patients have limited suppression of endogenous glucose turnover after glucose infusion compared with volunteers and higher rates of net protein loss; (3) fat metabolism and glucose utilization are unimpaired in PHPT patients; and (4) these alterations in metabolism and hormonal response to glucose infusion suggest that some of the symptoms seen in these patients may have a metabolic-hormonal basis.

Adult

Homologous artificial insemination for oligoasthenospermia: a randomized controlled study comparing intracervical and intrauterine techniques.

Homologous artificial insemination (AIH) is used to treat infertility caused by oligoasthenospermia, despite the lack of controlled studies confirming its benefit. This prospective randomized controlled trial was undertaken to determine whether intracervical (IC-AIH) or intrauterine (IU-AIH) homologous artificial insemination improves pregnancy rates in couples with infertility attributable to oligoasthenospermia alone. Twenty couples were randomized to receive IC-AIH or IU-AIH. Sixty-three insemination cycles were completed. During the same study period, 35 cycles with timed vaginal intercourse alone were assessed. Four pregnancies occurred, all following timed vaginal intercourse. No pregnancies resulted from IC-AIH or IU-AIH. This suggests that neither IC-AIH nor IU-AIH is of benefit when oligoasthenospermia is the cause of infertility. Pregnancies previously attributed to AIH may also have been conceived as a result of vaginal intercourse. This confounding effect on the results of AIH should always be considered.

Adult

Comparison of mammary serum antigen (MSA) and CA15-3 levels in the serum of patients with breast cancer.

Serum levels of mammary serum antigen (MSA) and CA15-3 were evaluated in 135 individuals in order to determine their single and combined value in the diagnosis and monitoring of breast cancer. Raised MSA levels (greater than 300 IU) were found in 68% of patients with Stage I and II breast cancer compared to only 3% having raised CA15-3 levels (greater than 40 U ml-1). Of 38 patients with Stage IV breast cancer, 95% had raised levels of MSA and CA15-3 combined with each test individually detecting 82% of those with Stage IV disease. No correlation was found between MSA and CA15-3 levels. Four patients being treated for breast cancer were followed over a 5-17 week period; MSA levels correlated with disease course in 3 and CA-15 in 2. The overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in detecting breast cancer were 76%, 91% and 96% for MSA; and 47%, 95% and 97% for CA15-3 respectively. When both tests were used together combined evaluation gave the highest sensitivity (84%) and specificity (100%). MSA seems to be superior to CA15-3 for early breast cancer diagnosis and a combination of the two tests gave the best results for metastatic disease.

Antigens, Neoplasm

Experience with intracorporeal injection of papaverine and duplex ultrasound scanning for assessment of arteriogenic impotence.

We present our experience with the intracorporeal injection of papaverine and duplex sonography in the assessment of 47 patients with suspected vasculogenic impotence. Sonography and Doppler analysis were performed before and after the papaverine injection. The anatomy of the penis was easily seen. Flow in the deep arteries was obtained in most patients in both the flaccid and erect state. Patients with a good erectile response to papaverine injection had a larger increase in the inner diameter of the deep cavernosal artery than did those with a poor response. However, the percentage change in the diameter did not correlate with the degree of clinical response. Following injection, the systolic peak flow rates and diastolic minimum flow rates were higher in patients with some clinical response but only the increase in diastolic flow rates correlated in a stepwise fashion with the degree of clinical response. This technique provides a method for the objective assessment of response to intracorporeal papaverine injection. Its potential as a diagnostic test will only be determined after normal values are established. At present it appears most useful in patients responding poorly to papaverine injection by indicating the possible area of vascular impairment and the direction for further evaluation.

Adult