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Biomedical subjects

L Bove

Publications and source records attributed to L Bove.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

A pilot study on the relation between cisplatin neuropathy and vitamin E.

Peripheral sensory neuropathy is the main non-hematological side-effect related to cisplatin chemotherapy. The strong similarity between clinical and neuropathological aspects in peripheral neuropathy induced by cisplatin and neurologic syndromes due to vitamin E deficiency, prompted us to investigate the relationship between cisplatin neuropathy and plasmatic level of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol). We measured vitamin E in the plasma of 5 patients (Group 1) which developed severe neurotoxicity after cisplatin treatment and in another group of 5 patients (Group 2) we analyzed the plasmatic level of vitamin E before and after 2 or 4 cycles of cisplatin treatment. The results showed that the patients of group 1 presented low plasmatic levels of vitamin E and that the patients of group 2 presented significantly lower levels of vitamin E after 2 or 4 cycles of cisplatin than before treatment. Our preliminary data suggest that an inadequate amount of the antioxidant vitamin E due to cisplatin treatment could be responsible of the peripheral nerve damage induced by free-radicals. Given the lack of toxicity of vitamin E, we need to systematically assess the possible neuroprotective role of vitamin E supplementation in patients treated with cisplatin chemotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Weekly schedule of vinorelbine in pretreated breast cancer patients.

PURPOSE: In this phase II study, we explored tolerability and activity of vinorelbine administered according to a dose-dense weekly schedule with hematopoietic growth factor support in pretreated, advanced breast cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 1994 to March 1996, 40 patients with metastatic breast cancer, pretreated with at least one prior anthracycline-containing regimen, were entered into the study. PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: median age 53 years (range 32-70); ECOG performance status 0-1: 34 patients, 2: 6 patients; dominant visceral metastatic disease: 15 patients, dominant non-visceral: 25; anthracycline-refractory/resistant: 2 patients, sensitive: 38 patients. Six patients were treated as first-line therapy for metastatic disease and 34 in second- or subsequent lines. All patients received vinorelbine at the dose of 25 mg/m2/week as a short intravenous infusion, together with routine antiemetic medication. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (Lenograstim) at the dose of 150 microg/m2 subcutaneously on day 3 was included in the treatment schedule. RESULTS: The median number of treatment weeks was 23 (range: 4-24), with a delivered dose-intensity (DDI) of 23.8 mg/m2/week (range: 18.7-25, 95.2% of projected dose-intensity). Toxicity was mild, with non-complicated neutropenia being the main toxicity observed (grade 3-4 in 25% of the patients but only 2% of treatment weeks). Overall response rate was 52.5%, with complete responses in 12.5% of patients. Median duration of the response and median time to progression were 10 and 9 months, respectively. Median overall survival was 19 months. CONCLUSION: Dose-dense weekly vinorelbine is safe and effective with minimal toxicity in pretreated advanced breast cancer patients.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed2000

Patients treated with antitumor drugs displaying neurological deficits are characterized by a low circulating level of nerve growth factor.

The aim of our study was to explore whether nerve growth factor (NGF) plays any role in the development of peripheral neuropathy induced by anticancer treatment. We measured the circulating NGF levels in 23 cancer patients before and after chemotherapy. We evaluated whether the development of peripheral neurotoxicity was associated with changes in basal NGF concentrations in patients studied with a comprehensive neurological and neurophysiological examination. The results of these studies showed that the circulating levels of NGF, which are about 20 pg/ml in plasma of controls, decrease during chemotherapy and in some cases completely disappeared after prolonged treatment with antitumor agents. The decrease in NGF levels seems to be correlated with the severity of neurotoxicity. These results clearly suggest that NGF might become a useful agent to prevent neuropathies induced by antineoplastic drugs and restore peripheral nerve dysfunction induced by these pharmacological compounds.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Neurophysiological evaluation of sexual dysfunction in patients operated for colorectal cancer.

Sexual dysfunction after colorectal cancer surgery may be severe and occurs in 25% to 100% of cases. Thirty-eight patients underwent colorectal resection; eight (21%) who were totally impotent and two (5%) who had ejaculatory failure were therefore studied to better understand the neurophysiological alterations related to this type of surgery. The patients were evaluated after surgery with electrophysiological testing, including examination of the sacral reflex (SR), pudendal somatosensory evoked potential (PEP), and motor evoked potential (MEP) responses. Sudomotor skin response (SSR) was also studied in a group of patients. Of the 38 patients studied, 29 showed abnormalities: six of SR, three of PEP, six of MEP, and fourteen of SSR. Only a combination of all these tests permits correct evaluation of the sexual dysfunction.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1998

Epilepsy and gliomas: incidence and treatment in 119 patients.

One hundred and nineteen consecutive patients affected by supratentorial gliomas were studied in order to determine the incidence of seizure at diagnosis, the occurrence of subsequent seizures and the efficacy of anticonvulsant treatment. The overall incidence of seizures as presentation symptom was 52% (62 patients). Preoperative seizures were present in 83% of patients affected by low-grade astrocytoma, in 46% of patients affected by anaplastic astrocytoma and in 36% of patients affected by glioblastoma. Postoperative epilepsy refractory to anticonvulsant treatment significantly related to low-grade histology and presence of preoperative seizures occurred in 48% of patients. Adverse effects associated with anticonvulsants were observed in 33.8% of patients treated with phenobarbital, 14.3% in the group treated with carbamazepine and 12% of patients treated with vigabatrin. We conclude that anticonvulsant treatment in patients affected by gliomas is often ineffective and prophylactic treatment should be discontinued after 6 months in patients preoperative seizures free. In patients with high risk of seizures antiepileptic drugs with good efficacy and lower incidence of adverse effects than phenobarbital are indicated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Paclitaxel neurotoxicity: clinical and neurophysiological study of 23 patients.

Paclitaxel is the prototype of a new class of chemotherapeutic agents with an antimitotic effect that is related to its ability to interfere with the microtubule system. It causes peripheral neurological toxicity by means of its activity on the axonal microtubules. To define the clinical and neurophysiological characteristics of paclitaxel neuropathy 23 patients undergoing paclitaxel therapy at a dose of 175 mg/m2 were studied. The patients were divided into two groups, with only one group receiving pretreatment with potentially neurotoxic drugs such as cisplatin and carboplatin. The results showed a high incidence of mild neurotoxicity in both groups. Treatment was discontinued due to severe neurotoxicity in only one patient pretreated with platinum-compounds. The clinical and neurophysiological data make it possible to define paclitaxel neurotoxicity as a distal axonal neuropathy with a summatory effect in patients pretreated with cisplatin; the possible reversibility of paclitaxel neurotoxicity requires further confirmation.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Vinorelbine neurotoxicity: clinical and neurophysiological findings in 23 patients.

Vinorelbine (5'-noranhydrovinblastine) is a new semisynthetic antineoplastic vinca alkaloid which interfers with axonal transport, inducing spiralisation of axonal microtubules and resulting in peripheral neurotoxicity. A prospective detailed neurological and electrophysiological evaluation was performed in 23 patients treated with 25 mg vinorelbine a week. All patients developed a sensory-motor distal symmetric axonal neuropathy. The neurotoxicity increased with cumulative vinorelbine doses and peripheral neuropathy was mild or moderate in most patients. After discontinuation of vinorelbine treatment, neuropathic signs and symptoms were partially reversible.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Docetaxel neuropathy.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗
PubMed1994

Neurotoxicity of antitumoral IL-2 therapy: evoked cognitive potentials and brain mapping.

Antitumoral interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy is frequently associated with a neurotoxicity that manifests itself in neuropsychiatric disturbances and, more rarely, with neurological focal signs. With the aim of documenting the involvement of cognitive functions after IL-2 treatment, we studied 20 patients using evoked cognitive potentials (P300) and computer analysis of the EEG signal. A comparison of the tests performed before and after the subcutaneous infusion of IL-2 showed a significant lengthening in mean P300 latencies and a percentage increase in the EEG frequencies contained with the delta and theta bands, especially in the frontal regions.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Combination chemotherapy for multiple myeloma with BCNU, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, melphalan, and prednisone (M-2 protocol).

54 consecutively referred, previously untreated patients with stage II and III multiple myeloma have been treated with the M-2 protocol. 50% of patients had a performance status of less than 50%. 13% were stage II and 87% stage III. In 50 of 54 patients (90%), and objective response according to the Myeloma Task Force was achieved; 10% of the responses have been complete (9+, 15+, 17+, 18+ and 66+ months). Remissions now range from 1 to 86+ months. The actuarial median survival determined from the initiation of therapy will exceed 4 years. Toxicity was acceptable with mild myelosuppression. These results confirm the efficacy of the M-2 protocol in multiple myeloma with regards to response rate and survival.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Anterior interosseus nerve syndrome (Kiloh-Nevin) (author's transl)].

The Authors describe two cases of "Anterior interosseus nerve syndrome" with spontaneous recovery. The etiopathogenesis of the syndrome is discussed after reviewing the anatomy of the nerve and muscles, as well as diagnostic procedures. The main clinical features are: 1) no sensory troubles, 2) impairment of muscles innervated by interosseus nerve (flexor pollicis longus, external portion of flexor digitorum profundus, pronator quadratus). The electrophysiological confirmation of the diagnosis is based on EMG findings, while conduction velocity appears to be complementary but not conclusive. The therapeutic aspects are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Neurophysiological examination of end-plate function in patients with lung cancer.

Twenty-eight patients affected by lung cancer were studied with neurophysiological and clinical examinations to show the prevalence of alteration of neuromuscular transmission. During repetitive stimulation at 20 Hz we found in 6 cases (22%) an increment (> 20%) and in 4 cases a decrement ( > 10%) of the size of muscle action potentials. In 15 patients (57%) we found low sensory action potential amplitude (< 11 uv). In 3 (11%) of the 6 cases with incremental response the overall examination suggested a disorder of neuromuscular junction such as Eaton-Lambert syndrome. Our results suggest that the peripheral nervous system involvement in patients affected by lung cancer is higher than usually estimated.

Action Potentials↗