Biomedical subjects

R Kellermeyer

Publications and source records attributed to R Kellermeyer.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Phase II study of mitoxantrone and 5-azacytidine for accelerated and blast crisis of chronic myelogenous leukemia: a study of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.

A total of 40 evaluable patients were treated for blastic crisis of chronic myelogenous leukemia with mitoxantrone, 12 mg/m2 per day for three days and 5-azacytidine 150 mg/m2 per day for 5 days. Toxicity was primarily hematologic and was manageable. The overall response rate was 23%, including five complete responders, two partial responders, and two with hematologic improvement. Cytogenetic and immunophenotypic characterization of the leukemia was performed on all patients with aspirable bone marrow, and these results were correlated with response and survival, but did not have predictive value once the patient was in blastic crisis. Only initial platelet count (p = 0.02), hemoglobin (p = 0.03), and lower white blood cell count (p = 0.09) were somewhat predictive of response. Lack of hepatic involvement (p = 0.05), lower white blood cell count (0.05), and higher platelet count (p = 0.02) were predictive of prolonged survival. Although response did not strongly correlate with survival, one third of responders were alive at one year. This regimen produces results similar to those of other recently published regimens in this disease. Earlier intervention and more effective therapy is necessary in these patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

Alternating sequential combination chemotherapy in the management of advanced Hodgkin's disease. A Southeastern Cancer Study Group trial.

The Southeastern Cancer Study Group has explored the use of alternating sequential combination chemotherapy in advanced Hodgkin's disease. Two hundred twelve evaluable patients were randomly assigned to treatment with the six-drug combination, BCNU, cyclophosphamide, vinblastine, procarbazine, prednisone, and bleomycin (BCVPP-Bleo) or with the same drugs alternating in monthly cycles with doxorubicin, dacarbazine, and bleomycin. Both regimens produced complete response rates of approximately 73%. The duration of remission and survival were similar for the two treatment regimens. Although our sequence of combinations does not rigorously meet the criteria for "non-cross-resistant" our results do not lend support to the hypothesis that alternating sequential non-cross-resistant drug combinations improves the outcome in advanced Hodgkin's disease.

Adult↗

PubMed1981

Thoracic and elective brain irradiation with concomitant or delayed multiagent chemotherapy in the treatment of localized small cell carcinoma of the lung: a randomized prospective study by the Southeastern Cancer Study Group.

A prospective randomized study was carried out to compare the effectiveness of concomitant or delayed multiagent chemotherapy combined with irradiation to the primary tumor and regional lymph nodes and to the brain in a group of 70 patients with histologically proven small cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the lung. Complete and partial response in both groups was comparable, and the overall survival was comparable. However, relapse-free survival was significantly higher in patients receiving concomitant chemotherapy and irradiation in comparison with the radiotherapy alone group. Disease-free survival was higher in the concomitant chemotherapy-radiotherapy patients, although survival was not significantly modified, probably because of suboptimal chemotherapy. The initial intrathoracic failure rate was 40.7% inthe concomitant chemotherapy-irradiation group, compared with 53.8% in the radiotherapy-alone patients. None of the patients receiving delayed chemotherapy following the radiotherapy recurrence showed significant tumor response to the drugs. The incidence of distant metastasis was slightly lower in the chemotherapy groups. Brain metastases were noted in 7% of the patients in both groups. Increased intrathoracic recurrences were noted in patients with lower doses of irradiation. Nine of 13 patients treated with inadequate portals developed intrathoracic recurrences in comparison to 13 of 40 treated with adequate irradiation fields. The study emphasizes the need for intensive chemotherapy and adequate radiation therapy to improve survival of patients with small cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the lung. Additional trials are necessary to assess the role of each modality in the management of these patients.

Aged↗

PubMed1977

Central nervous system involvement in mycosis fungoides: pre mortem diagnosis by light and electron microsocopic study of the spinal fluid.

Involvement of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, meninges, and cerebrospinal pathways in mycosis fungoides manifests itself, clinically, as an obscure neurologic disturbance, occurring in patients with cutaneous manifestations of that disorder. Neurologic expressions of this particular cutaneous lymphoma are infrequently reported, in spite of the fact that many patients dying in the course of mycosis fungoides have pathologically demonstrable central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and meningeal involvement. We report here a patient who incurred devastating neurologic illness as one of the initial features of the course of systemic dissemination of mycosis fungoides. Death occurred nine years after the onset of cutaneous illness. In this instance, cerebrospinal fluid cytologic studies established the diagnosis of nervous system involvement. Mycosis fungoides cells shed into the cerebrospinal fluid were studied by special techniques of light and electron microscopy. Brain scan abnormalities were present, which were clinically correlative with foci of brain involvement. The initial response of patient's nervous system illness to therapy was gratifying but unsustained, and she went on to fatal brain and multiple organ involvement with disseminated mycosis fungoides. The techniques of spinal fluid cytologic diagnosis, confirmatory of the etiology of disease in this case, may have practical appications in the diagnosis of otherwise obscure neurologic disorders.

Adult↗

PubMed1976

A computer-based method for the quantification of leukocyte chemotaxis.

A computerized method for the counting of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN's) on chemotactic membranes is described. Through the use of an optical scanner-computer accurate objective quantification is obtained which is similar to the results generated by visual tabulation of the same membranes. Futhermore, the electronic quantification method is both less time consuming and highly reproducible.

Adult↗