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Biomedical subjects

M Peetermans

Publications and source records attributed to M Peetermans.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Cytosine arabinoside for induction, salvage, and consolidation therapy of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

During A-ALL induction treatment, HD-ara-C (2.5 g/m2 IV, day 1), does not produce any beneficial effect, whereas the hematologic toxicity is increased. A 3-month consolidation phase comprising intermittent MTX, ara-C and 6-TG is not significantly affecting either DFI or survival in A-ALL. The association of HD-ara-C and m-AMSA appears to be a promising salvage therapy for the 20% A-ALL refractory to first induction therapy. The quality of autologous bone marrow graft, harvested after HD-ara-C, seems to be impaired as suggested by a delayed recovery of PMN and platelets. HD-ara-C (3 g/m2 X N) given the days before cyclophosphamide and TBI as conditioning treatment for BMT does not seem to induce prohibitory additional toxicity. Whether HD-ara-C was given four to six times or eight to 12 times gave no significant difference in early toxicity.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

A randomized comparison of maintenance treatment with androgens, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy in adult acute myelogenous leukemia. A Leukemia-Lymphoma Group Trial of the EORTC.

Twenty-three European centers participated in a randomized clinical trial (AML-5) to study the effect of androgens and immunotherapy during maintenance in adult acute myelogenous leukemia. Induction treatment consisted of Adriamycin (doxorubicin) 50 mg/m2 day 1, vincristine VCR 1 mg/m2 day 2, and cytosine arabinoside 80 mg/m2 every 12 hours by push injection days 3-9. Patients in complete remission were randomized into four groups: (1) 6-mercaptopurine 70 mg/m2 days 1-14, methotrexate 15 mg/m2 twice weekly days 15-28, and reinduction with daunorubicin 35 mg/m2 and vincristine 1 mg/m2 day 29; (2) chemotherapy as in group 1 plus stanozolol 0.15 mg/kg/day; (3) 6-thioguanine 70 mg/m2 orally on 4 consecutive days and cytosine arabinoside 80 mg/m2 subcutaneously day 5 every week; and (4) chemotherapy as in Group 3 plus irradiated blast cells treated with neuraminidase. Three hundred forty-eight patients were eligible and 295 were evaluable. The median age was 45 yrs. A complete remission was achieved in 64% of the patients, with 158 complete remissions randomized. Patients not randomized and patients receiving bone marrow transplantation (BMT) were analyzed separately. There was no difference in disease-free survival (DFS) or survival in the four maintenance arms. For patients reaching complete remission, the median DFS was 40 weeks, and median survival was 22 months with 30% surviving at 4 years. The overall survival was 18% at 4 years. There was no beneficial effect for DFS or survival by adding either immunotherapy or androgens to chemotherapy during maintenance. However, patients receiving immunotherapy seemed to have a higher rate of responses to reinduction after relapse than those in the other treatment arms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Recombinant interferon alfa-2C versus polychemotherapy (VMCP) for treatment of multiple myeloma: a prospective randomized trial.

Forty-two previously untreated patients with multiple myeloma were entered in a prospective, randomised trial comparing recombinant interferon alfa-2C monotherapy with VMCP (vincristin, melphalan, cyclophosphamide and prednisolone). Both treatment arms were comparable for the stratification variables such as paraprotein type, stage of disease, and renal function. Rec. interferon effected 14% responses and 29% minor responses, while 57 and 32% of VMCP-treated patients achieved a pathologically documented remission (P less than 0.001). The time on initial treatment was significantly shorter in the IFN group (3.2 months) than in the VMCP group (7.6 months). In four patients in the IFN arm, primary treatment had to be changed according to progressive or severe stationary disease. Since all four patients responded to second line therapy (VMCP) no significant difference has been observed between the two groups in survival (median follow-up greater than 12 months). Despite this clear superiority of the conventional four-drug polychemotherapy, there was some suggestion that IFN might be particularly active in cases with low tumor-burden (stage I, II), and light-chain or IgA paraprotein type.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Cytogenetic and DNA-flow cytometric studies of separated blasts.

With Percoll density gradients, blasts from peripheral blood and bone marrow could be separated with a significant enrichment, and very often with a high degree of purity. This allowed a study of selected cases, where the separated sample exhibited chromosome abnormalities and/or an abnormal DNA content distribution (as measured by DNA-flow cytometry). The anomalies were shown to be associated with the separated blast fraction.

Bone Marrow↗
PubMed1984

Low dose cytosine arabinoside (Ara C) in myelodysplastic syndromes.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are acquired bone-marrow disorders, characterized by a decreased ability of the haemopoietic cell to differentiate, resulting in peripheral cytopenias. The majority of patients will die either from acute myeloid leukaemia or from infection and/or haemorrhage. Thirty-eight courses of low dose Ara C were administered in 26 MDS patients. Nineteen courses (50%) were associated with good (12) or partial (7) response. Three complete remissions were observed. The median duration of response overall was 19.5 weeks, 26 weeks for the good and 10 weeks for the partial responders. A high incidence of treatment failure was seen in patients treated after transition to AML. Major complications were observed during 14 courses and mortality was directly related to therapy in five patients. Platelet transfusions were required during 26 courses. Aggravation of peripheral-blood cytopenia during the first weeks and hypocellularity of bone-marrow aspirates at the end of therapy suggest that low-dose Ara C exerts its main activity by suppression of leukaemic growth, rather than by induction of differentiation in malignant cells. Our results in MDS patients demonstrate that low-dose Ara C can be of value in severe cytopenia and can decrease the proportion of leukaemic cells in the bone marrow, but the danger of treatment should not be underestimated.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Surface and cytoplasmic immunoglobulin distribution during treatment of a non-excretory myeloma.

A patient with non-excretory myeloma with severe clinical signs, has been assessed for cytoplasmic and surface immunoglobulins on peripheral mononuclear cells and bone marrow cells. A clearcut monoclonal pattern was found. During treatment with melphalan, methotrexate and prednisolone a clinical remission was obtained. The immunological studies were repeated during this remission and were in accordance with the clinical improvement, however the monoclonality persisted and indicated an intracellular dissocitaion of light and heavy chains. The patient died with broncho-pneumonia and marrow failure.

Bone Marrow↗
PubMed1978

The prevalence of ay and ad subtypes of the hepatitis B surface antigen in Belgium.

Subtyping in various groups of persons positive for hepatitis B surface antigen gave the following results: Among asymptomatic blood donors (healthy carriers) subtype ad was found in 20, subtype ay in 24. Among symptomatic patients with acute hepatitis B ad was found in 25, ay in 29. Among patients of an institution for the mentally retarded ad was found in 9, ay in 23. Among patients of a Among patients of a geriatric institution ay was found in 9; among medical personnel of the same geriatric institution ay was found in 3 persons. Among symphilis patients ad was found in 6, ay in 29; and in patients of a dialysis centre ay was found in 6. These data show that neither subtype is really dominant in Belgium.

Acute Disease↗