The prognostic significance of tumor regression following radiotherapy was evaluated in 1,897 patients with oro- and pharyngolaryngeal cancer. Complete tumor regression occurred in 62% and 80% at the end of treatment and 2 months later, respectively. Complete regression was significantly higher for early tumors than for advanced stages and for exophytic lesions compared to deeply infiltrative cancers. Depending on tumor location, 75% to 90% of T1, T2 stages and 50% to 80% of more advanced tumors were locally controlled in patients who experienced complete tumor regression at 2 months. The local failure rate was at least 80% for those who did not have complete regression. The local failure rate for the incomplete responder was the same for early and advanced tumors. Complete tumor clearance following radiotherapy is a reliable indicator of permanent local control. Tumor regression after a dose of 5,000 to 5,500 cGy should be used as a guide to select patients who could be treated by either radical irradiation or surgery.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Elective postoperative radiotherapy after incomplete resection of colorectal cancer.

It is known that patients with incompletely resected epithelial cancers are at high risk of local recurrence. A prospective study to determine whether elective postoperative radiotherapy can decrease the incidence of local recurrence and thus improve survival of those patients with an incompletely resected tumor was made of 125 irradiated patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer (B2, C1, C2) 78 patients had rectosigmoid tumors and 47 had colonic cancers. Complete resection (R0) was performed in 94 patients (75 per cent). Thirteen (10 per cent) had microscopic (R1) and 18 (14 per cent) had gross residual disease (R2). Local control and survival (average follow-up, 38 months) of patients with microscopic residual cancer (RI) were 84 per cent (11/13) and 77 per cent (10/13) respectively. These results were identical to those obtained in patients without residual disease (R0). Patients with gross residual disease (R2) had a local control of 50 per cent (9/18) and a survival of 39 per cent (7/18). Radiation complication occurred in seven of 125 patients (6 per cent). One patient died, of radiation enteritis. One patient required a nephrostomy. The remaining five patients were treated conservatively. Elective postoperative radiotherapy given to patients who had incomplete resection of a colorectal cancer prevented local recurrence in the majority and may have increased survival.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Correlation between in vitro labeling indices (LIs) and tumor regression following radiotherapy.

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Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Staging laparotomy for Hodgkin's disease.

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Evaluation Studies as Topic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A quick method for concentrating and processing cancer cells from serous fluids and fine-needle nodule aspirates.

A quick method of concentrating cancer cells and the preparation of cytological slides from body fluids and aspirates is described, using a single Ficoll gradient and cytocentrifuge. The method eliminates the disadvantages of conventional techniques, i.e., excess contamination by red (erythrocytes) or white (leukocytes) blood cells and a scarcity of cancer cells. Because the technique is simple and requires only standard cytotechnological equipment, it can be easily adopted as an aid to diagnostic routine in cancer cytology.

Ascitic Fluid↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The relation of prognosis to the nuclear diameter of breast cancer cells obtained by cytologic aspiration.

Nuclear diameters of breast cancer cells obtained by aspiration cytology from 245 patients were measured by ocular micrometry. The nuclei of 50 benign lesions were also measured. Cancers with 80% or more of their nuclei larger than 12 mu were classified as "large nuclear type" (LN). Those with nuclei of 12 mu or less were considered "small nuclear type" (SN). One hundred forty-nine cases of the former and 96 of the latter were evaluated. There was significant overlap in nuclear diameter of benign lesions and SN cancers but minimal overlap between SN and LN cancers. Thirty-eight percent of SN cancers were staged as T1 as compared to only 20% of LN tumors. Survival, free of disease, at five years was 90% for the SN cancers and 58% for the LN cancers (p less than 0.001). Intervals between completion of treatment, appearance of metastases and death were longer for patients with SN cancers. Measurement of nuclear diameters of cells obtained by aspiration cytology may, therefore, be useful in determining the prognosis.

Adult↗