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Biomedical subjects

R Feld

Publications and source records attributed to R Feld.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Preoperative radiation therapy in clinical stage II endometrial carcinoma.

From 1980 to 1987, 30 patients with FIGO clinical Stage II carcinoma of the endometrium were treated with 5000 cGy preoperative pelvic radiation therapy at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Patients with gross cervical disease received additional intracavitary irradiation with a tandem and ovoids for a combined total dose of 7000 cGy to point A. All patients then underwent exploratory laparotomy, total abdominal hysterectomy, and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (TAH/BSO). The 5-year actuarial survival for the entire group was 69%. The 5-year actuarial survival for the 8 patients with papillary serous, clear cell, and undifferentiated small cell carcinoma was 38%, with most patients failing in the upper abdomen. The 5-year actuarial survival for the remaining 22 patients was 82%. The only local failure occurred in the patient with an undifferentiated small cell carcinoma. Although preoperative pelvic radiation therapy together with TAH/BSO appears to offer excellent local control in all patients with Stage II endometrial carcinoma, additional treatment options should be considered for patients with papillary serous and clear cell histologies because of the poor survival and high failure rate in the upper abdomen.

Adenocarcinoma

Treatment of iatrogenic femoral artery injuries with ultrasound-guided compression.

Iatrogenic injuries of the groin are becoming more common after increasingly sophisticated vascular intervention. These injuries are accurately detected by duplex and color Doppler ultrasonography. Recent treatment of these lesions by ultrasound-guided compression repair (UGCR) has been described. During a 1-year period we identified 18 femoral artery injuries, including 17 pseudoaneurysms and one arteriovenous fistula. Three of the pseudoaneurysms thrombosed spontaneously before attempted treatment. The remaining 15 lesions underwent a trial of UGCR. Successful closure was accomplished in 10 patients (56%). Seven of these lesions were successfully treated during the initial session, and thrombosis was accomplished after repeat compression in three additional lesions. Three patients who were given anticoagulants had a failed UGCR, but their pseudoaneurysms thrombosed after administration of anticoagulants was discontinued. Two patients had failed UGCR and required operation. Seven (88%) of eight patients who were not given anticoagulants were successfully treated. In contrast only two (29%) of seven patients given therapeutic doses of anticoagulant medication were successfully treated by the technique. There was no statistical difference between mean pseudoaneurysm diameter, mean width and length of pseudoaneurysm neck, or depth of pseudoaneurysm neck from skin surface in patients in whom successful initial closure was achieved when compared with those patients in whom the initial attempt failed. UGCR is a safe, simple, noninvasive technique that can be used to treat many femoral artery injuries that traditionally were treated with surgery. The technique can be applied by any laboratory that has the necessary ultrasonography equipment and is currently the method of choice for treating uncomplicated iatrogenic femoral artery injuries at our institution.

Adult

Suprahepatic circumcaval ring: CT finding after orthotopic liver transplantation.

A suprahepatic circumcaval ring or arc was noted on computed tomographic (CT) scans in 20 of 37 patients who had undergone 42 orthotopic liver transplantations. The patients were divided into two groups, depending on the presence or absence of this finding. The amounts of blood products transfused intraoperatively and the levels of serum calcium, phosphate, and calcium phosphate product after transplantation were determined for each group. Liver graft function was evaluated on the basis of postoperative levels of serum bilirubin, albumin, and aminotransferase. The levels of serum calcium and calcium phosphate product were higher in patients with the circumcaval ring. This group had received substantially more fresh frozen plasma and platelets at surgery. There was no difference in liver graft function between the two groups. In one case, pathologic examination demonstrated calcification within circumcaval fibrotic tissue. A suprahepatic circumcaval ring is a common finding at CT performed after liver transplantation and is probably related to elevated perioperative serum calcium levels and tissue injury. Surgeons should be made aware of this finding before performing repeat transplantation, since calcification at a potential anastomotic site may make surgery more difficult.

Adolescent

Phase I-II study of high-dose epirubicin in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: A phase I multicenter trial was performed to determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) of epirubicin, given on 3 consecutive days every 3 weeks to previously untreated patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: After appropriate staging and a baseline multiple-gated angiogram (MUGA) scan, at least four patients were entered at each dose level, starting at 35 mg/m2 of epirubicin given intravenously (IV) daily for 3 days (105 mg/m2) and escalating by 5 mg/m2 per injection in each dose level (15 mg/m2 per course). Epirubicin was administered up to a maximum dose of 60 mg/m2/d for 3 days (180 mg/m2). The MTD was determined to be 55 mg/m2/d for 3 days (165 mg/m2) after treating a total of 35 (33 assessable) patients. Nadir granulocyte counts and associated febrile episodes comprised the dose-limiting toxicity, but there were no treatment-related deaths. A phase II trial was performed using a dose of 50 mg/m2/d for 3 days (150 mg/m2) every 3 weeks with no dose escalation, but with dose reduction for toxicity as required. A total of 30 patients were entered onto this phase of the study. RESULTS: The major toxicity, as in the phase I trial, was neutropenia with five febrile episodes, again with no treatment-related deaths. An overall response rate of 12 of 63 (19%) was noted in the combined patient population of the phase I-II trial, with 95% confidence intervals of 10% to 31%. When the response rate was analyzed by histology, only one of 17 (6%) patients with squamous histology, as compared with 11 of 46 (24%) with non-squamous histology, responded, but this did not reach statistical significance (P = .15). CONCLUSIONS: High-dose epirubicin is tolerable and is an active single agent in NSCLC. It should be combined with relatively nonmyelosuppressive agents such as cisplatin to try to obtain higher response rates and extend the survival in this disease.

Adult

Recent advances in sonography of the testis and scrotum.

Ultrasonography remains an accurate, rapid, and safe tool in the imaging of disorders of the testes and scrotum. The strengths of gray scale sonography lie in its ability to distinguish intratesticular from extratesticular processes. Improvements in resolution permit greater confidence in the characterization of lesions as representing simple fluid, complex fluid, or solid lesions. The addition of flow information by color Doppler ultrasonography and duplex Doppler ultrasonography represents the most exciting recent advancement, permitting even more diagnostic information in the evaluation of these patients.

Color

Circulating arginine-vasopressin, calcitonin, carcinoembryonic antigen, neuron-specific enolase, and beta-2 microglobulin fluctuations during combined modality induction therapy for small-cell bronchogenic carcinoma. Association of postchemotherapy AVP surge with high tumor response rate and durable remission.

While on combined modality induction therapy, 88 small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients were studied longitudinally for changes in circulating tumor-associated substances (TAS). Chemotherapy protocols were CAV (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine), PE (cisplatin, etoposide), sequential CAV greater than PE and alternate CAV/PE. Sixty patients were given prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) and 40 remitting patients were irradiated to the primary thoracic tumor. Of 73 evaluable patients, 43 had blood sampling adequate for analysis of treatment-related TAS fluctuations. Fourteen patients demonstrated 16 events of transient arginine-vasopressin surge following chemotherapy. In decreasing order of frequency, the surge occurred after the first (9), second (6) and third (1 event) course of chemotherapy. Three patients had a concomitant increase of one of the following markers: carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), calcitonin and neuron-specific enolase. Another patient showed an exclusive CEA surge. This group of patients (10 with limited, 4 with extensive disease) had a 93% objective response rate (57% complete, 36% partial) with a median duration of 9 months and a survival of 15 months. Five other patients, 2 with limited and 3 with extensive disease, showed a TAS surge after PCI. Their response was complete in 1 (8 months' duration) and partial in 3 cases (2, 4 and 4 months' duration, respectively) with a median survival lasting only 8 months. This study suggests that a chemotherapy-related TAS surge may be an early indicator of a favorable tumor response in SCLC.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols

The prognostic significance of pretreatment serum lactate dehydrogenase in patients with small-cell lung cancer.

Pretreatment serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were assayed in 288 patients presenting with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) between 1976 and 1985. Patients were routinely staged by physical examination, chest x-ray, bone, brain, and liver scans, and bone marrow evaluation. Clinical response and survival were assessed following treatment with combination chemotherapy as part of four clinical trials. Patients with extensive disease (ED) presented with a higher incidence (108 of 147, 73%) of abnormally elevated LDH (greater than 193 IU/L) than those (65 of 141, 46%) with limited disease (LD) (P = 2 x 10(-6)). Forty percent of patients had an initial normal LDH level and a higher response rate (89 of 108, 82%; complete response [CR], 47%) than those with elevated values of LDH (119 of 156, 76%; CR, 29%). The CR rate varied inversely with the level of LDH in patients with LD (P = .026) but not in those with ED (P = .300). The median survival time and 1-year and 2-year survival rates for patients with elevated LDH were 39 weeks and 33% and 6%, respectively, whereas for those with a normal LDH level these were 53 weeks and 54% and 16%, respectively. Patients with LD and elevated levels of LDH manifested a higher relative death rate (1.63:1) when compared with patients with LD and LDH in the normal range (P = .0083). The survival of patients with ED did not differ between those with normal and elevated levels of LDH (P = .273). A significant survival advantage persisted for patients with LDH in the normal range following adjustments for extent of disease, performance status (PS), and treatment protocol (P = .044, log-rank analysis). In conclusion, serum LDH appears to be a significant independent pretreatment prognostic factor in patients with SCLC that correlates with stage of disease, response to treatment, and survival.

Adult

Is there ever a role for salvage operations in limited small-cell lung cancer?

Combined modality treatment with chemotherapy and radiation produces tumor regression in most patients with small-cell lung cancer, but the impact on survival has been small, and less than 20% of patients with limited disease survive 2 years. Survival time is extremely short after failure to respond or relapse after treatment. Local control remains a problem, with one third of patients having recurrence only at the primary site. In an attempt to prolong survival and perhaps achieve cure, we undertook surgical resection in 28 patients with limited small-cell lung cancer who did not have complete remission with standard treatment or who had only local recurrence after treatment. There were 28 patients, 22 male and six female, median age 61 years (range 41 to 76). All patients had been treated with chemotherapy and 13 had received preoperative radiotherapy to the primary site and mediastinum. Eight patients underwent an operation for relapse after complete remission. Five patients had had no response to treatment, three had had a slight response followed by progression during chemotherapy, and 12 had achieved partial response but had greater than 3 cm residual masses. Twelve patients required pneumonectomy, 15 lobectomy, one patient had unresectable disease, and two had bulky residual masses after the operation. Three others had microscopic residual disease. Pathologic examination showed only small-cell lung cancer in 18 patients, mixed small-cell and non-small-cell in four, and only non-small-cell lung cancer in six. There were only four patients with stage I disease, 10 with stage II, and 14 with stage III. The median survival from the date of diagnosis for the entire group is 105 weeks and from the date of operation, 74 weeks. The projected 5-year survival rate is 23%. The two patients with residual masses died with local progression, and distant metastatic disease developed in 17 others. One patient died at 6 years without recurrent disease. Eight patients are alive 2 to 5 years after diagnosis. Seven of these patients required only a lobectomy, four had stage I disease, two had stage II, and two had stage III disease. Five had pure small-cell lung cancer and three had mixed small-cell and non-small-cell tumors. All of the patients with pathologic stage I disease remain alive compared with one of 10 with stage II disease and two of 14 with stage III. In summary, relapse or failure to respond to chemotherapy may be due to non-small-cell lung cancer or a mixed tumor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult

Surgical treatment for limited small-cell lung cancer. The University of Toronto Lung Oncology Group experience.

Since 1977, 119 patients with limited small-cell lung cancer have undergone combined modality therapy including surgery at our institution. Seventy-nine patients (58 male, 21 female; median age 63 years) had surgery first, and 67 of these had adjuvant chemotherapy. Forty (27 male, 13 female; median age 59 years) had chemotherapy first, and 94% had a complete or partial response before the operation. Pretreatment staging revealed 69 stage I, 27 stage II, and 23 stage III tumors. Twenty-six patients required pneumonectomy, 88 lobectomy, and five had no resection. Four patients had gross and six had microscopic residual disease. Postoperative pathologic examination showed small-cell lung cancer only (n = 95), non-small-cell lung cancer (n = 3), mixed (n = 17), and no residual tumor (n = 4). Postoperative staging revealed 35 stage I, 36 stage II, and 48 stage IIIa tumors. The median survival of the entire group is 111 weeks and the projected 5-year survival rate is 39%. No survival difference was seen between patients treated with chemotherapy before the operation and those undergoing an initial operation followed by chemotherapy (p = 0.756). The median survival for patients with pathologic stage I disease has not been reached, and the projected 5-year survival rate is 51%. This is significantly better than for the patients with stage II (median 82 weeks, p = 0.001) or stage III (median 83 weeks, p = 0.001) disease, who have projected 5-year survival rates of 28% and 19%, respectively. Seven of the 12 patients who had no adjuvant chemotherapy remain alive at 6 to 48+ months. Sixty-seven patients have died (11 had no evidence of disease). Only 10 patients had a relapse in the primary site alone, seven at the primary and distant sites, and 39 only in distant sites. In summary, resection improves control at the primary site, and a significant proportion of patients with stage I (N0) disease achieve long-term survival and cure with combined modality therapy including surgery. Stage II and IIIa patients have survival predictions similar to stage IIIa non-small-cell lung carcinoma treated surgically.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols

Micrococcus luteus pneumonia: a case report and review of the literature.

The clinical course of a 69-year-old male with acute myelogenous leukemia is described who, while extremely leukopenic (less than 100 neutrophils/microliter) from chemotherapy, developed a cavitating pneumonia due to a gram-positive coccus, Micrococcus luteus. Aggressive antibiotic management and attainment of complete remission of his leukemia resulted in a successful outcome. A review of the literature regarding the pathogenicity of this organism and, in particular, its occurrence as a cause of pneumonia is presented.

Aged

Empiric therapy for infections in granulocytopenic cancer patients: continuous infusion of amikacin plus cephalothin.

A combination of amikacin sulfate given by continuous infusion (800 mg/sq m/24 hr) plus cephalothin sodium (2 g every four hours) was used as initial empiric therapy for the treatment of 65 evaluable febrile (greater than 38.5 degrees C) episodes in 54 granulcoytopenic (neutrophils, less than 1,000/microliter) adult cancer patients. Carbenicillin disodium (5 g every four hours) was substituted for cephalothin in patients with Pseudomonas infections and in patients in whom the initial regimen was unsuccessful. Thirty-two of the 38(84%) identifiable infections responded to therapy, including all of the eight septicemias and eight of 11 pneumonias. Three additional infections responded to the substitution of carbenicillin for cephalothin, for a total response rate of 92% (35/38). Nephrotoxicity occurred in five patients (7.1%), most commonly in patients over 60 years of age. Ototoxicity, highly correlated with a duration of greater than 19 days and a total dosage of greater than 25 g of amikacin sulfate, occurred in four patients (5.6%). Amikacin given by continuous infusion plus cephalothin is a safe and efficacious empiric therapy for infections in granulocytopenic cancer patients.

Acute Disease

Urticaria following intravenous doxorubicin administration.

Urticaria developed above the site of injection with doxorubicin hydrochloride in 11 patients with malignant neoplasms. Generalized urticaria without anaphylaxis developed in one patient, while only local reactions developed in the other ten. A reaction developed in two patients on their first exposure to doxorubicin. Two of the seven patients who received subsequent doxorubicin therapy had further reactions. Urticaria does not seem to be a contraindication to further treatment with doxorubicin if the patient is closely observed. The value of prophylactic antihistamines of corticosteroids is not clear.

Adult

Infections in patients with malignant lymphoma treated with combination chemotherapy.

The records of 360 patients with malignant lymphoma treated with various forms of combination chemotherapy from 1966 to 1974 were reviewed. A total of 181 infections was found in 125 patients. The most frequent types of infection were pneumonia (31%), skin infections (17%), urinary tract infections (13%) and septicemia (11%). An etiologic organism was was identified in 133 infections (73%). The most common causative organisms were bacteria (77%), especially gram-negative bacilli. Viral infections accounted for 18% of the infections with 21 of the 24 being due to herpes zoster. These were more frequently found in patients with Hodgkin's disease (14/21) than in the other lymphomas. Among patients with Hodgkin's disease, 53% treated with COP developed infections compared to only 27% treated with MOPP (p = 0.039). Among patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, infections were more frequent in patients treated with Adriamycin containing combinations than with COP. Neutropenia (i.e. less than 1,000 neutrophils/mm3) was associated with 35% of infections in this study and was seen more often in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (p = 0.048).

Adolescent

Comparison of amikacin and tobramycin in the treatment of infection in patients with cancer.

Two new aminoglycoside antibiotics, tobramycin and amikacin, were compared in a randomized study of the treatment of infections in patients with cancer. For the identified infections, the response rate for tobramycin was 60% and for amikacin was 64%. Pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and septicemia were the most frequent infections. Most (78%) of the identified pathogens were gram-negative bacilli; Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most frequently isolated organisms. When only infections due to gram-negative bacilli were considered, 67% responded to tobramycin and 69% responded to amikacin. All infections except pneumonias had at least a 50% response rate to either antibiotic. The major form of toxicity of both antibiotics was azotemia and occurred in 22% of cases treated with tobramycin and in 20% treated with amikacin. Tobramycin and amikacin are equally effective in the treatment of gram-negative infections and have similar toxicity.

Adolescent

Amikacin for treatment of infections in patients with malignant diseases.

Amikacin was evaluated in patients with malignant diseases during 134 episodes of identified infection, most of which were cases of pneumonia and septicemia. The overall rate of response of the identified infections was 63%. The majority of infections were caused by Escherichia coli, the Klebsiella-Enterobacter-Serratia group, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The response rate for infections caused by these organisms was 80%. Five of eight infections caused by organisms resistant to gentamicin responded to therapy with amikacin. Nephrotoxicity was observed in 13% of patients who had normal renal function initially.

Adolescent

Mycobacteriosis in patients with malignant disease.

Mycobacteriosis was found in 59 patients with malignant disease in a five-year period from 1968 to 1973. Thirty patients (51%) had mycobacteriosis that was caused by atypical mycobacteria. The most frequent organisms were Mycobacterium kansasii and M fortuitum. The most frequent tumors associated with mycobacteriosis were squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, testicular carcinoma, and lung carcinoma. The only predisposing factor was treatment with cancer chemotherapy. Mortality due to mycobacterial infections was most frequently associated with those infections caused by M tuberculosis. Although mycobacteriosis is relatively uncommon in cancer patients, if it is present, atypical mycobacteria should be looked for because, in these patients, these organisms cause more than 50% of mycobacteriosis.

Adolescent