Between August 1979 and August 1984, 47 consecutive patients with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck entered one of three consecutive second-line treatments. Response rates with each treatment were very different (70% vs 5.9% vs 75%), but there was no statistical difference in actuarial survival (survival: 30% vs 29% vs 20%, respectively, at 260 days). In light of this observation, the efficacy of the second-line therapy appears doubtful and the survival of relapsing patients seems unrelated to the response achieved.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Non-functioning parathyroid carcinoma: a case report.

Non-functioning parathyroid carcinoma is a very rare disease. Only 12 cases have been reported in the literature. The clinical behavior is characterized by the appearance and growth of a neck mass or nodule, which often has been present for many years, and is not accompanied by clinical or laboratory evidence of hypercalcemia or elevated levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in peripheral blood. Pathologic findings are similar to those of functioning tumors, and the proof of malignancy is established on the basis of an increased mitotic index only. Data on survival from cases reported in the literature are not conclusive; however, the non-functioning type of parathyroid carcinoma seems to be a more aggressive disease. Radiotherapy seems to be effective in the local control of the disease, but most patients become metastatic. Even if no data are available on response to chemotherapy, the course of the disease is relatively indolent.

Adenoma↗

PubMed1985

Phase I-II trial with cisplatin and 5-FU in recurrent head and neck cancer: an effective outpatient schedule.

Thirty patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were treated with a combination of cisplatin (20 mg/m2) and 5-FU (400-200 mg/m2) by iv push on Days 1-5 every 21 days. All patients but two had relapsed disease. Twenty-seven patients were evaluable for response: there were four complete responses and 12 partial responses (objective response rate, 59.2%). The response rate falls to 53.3% if it is calculated on the total number of patients entered. Twenty-seven patients were evaluable for toxicity: myelosuppression occurred in ten patients (37%), while renal toxicity, nausea and vomiting, and stomatitis were quite rare and moderate. These results look encouraging and suggest the need for further studies.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

Ineffectiveness of 5-fluorouracil and cis-platin as second-line chemotherapy in head and neck cancer.

Seventeen patients with heavily pretreated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were submitted to a combination of 5-fluorouracil, 500 mg/m2 on days 1-4, and cis-platin, 50 mg/m2 on day 5, repeated every 21 days. Before administration of 5-fluorouracil, N5,N10-methyltetrahydrofolate, 200 mg/m2 i.v., was given. Only 1 partial response and 4 stable disease were observed, and the median survival of the entire group was 5 months. Although all patients had been heavily pretreated and a considerable percentage (6/17, 35.2%) of these showed resistance to first-line therapy, this combination seems to be ineffective as second-line therapy in head and neck cancer.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

Combined radiotherapy and CMF-B cytotoxic regimen in stage III-IV head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Twenty patients with stage III-IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were treated with the combination of a multidrug cytotoxic regimen CMF-B (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, bleomycin) and radical radiotherapy. All the patients were evaluable: 7 (35%) achieved clinical complete response (CR), 10 (50%) partial response (PR) and 3 (15%) stable disease (SD). The median survival of the whole group is 14 months (range 3-26+); 21+ months for complete responders (range 4+-22+). Hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicity was moderate, 9 patients (45%) developed mucositis but only one needed total parenteral nutrition. It is concluded that the combination of CMF-B regimen and radiotherapy is effective and well tolerated in these patients and needs to be evaluated in further controlled studies.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

Low-dose metoclopramide versus methylprednisolone in controlling chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting.

Ninety outpatients with histologically confirmed malignancy receiving chemotherapy entered a randomized crossover trial to assess the antiemetic efficacy of low-dose metoclopramide versus methylprednisolone. Treatment consisted of either metoclorpramide (MCP) 60 mg or methylprednisolone (MPN) 375 mg administered in 3 equal doses just prior to chemotherapy and 6 and 12 hours after treatment. Patients receiving MPN had significantly less nausea (p less than 0.001) and fewer episodes of vomiting (p less than 0.0003) than patients receiving MCP. MPN also proved to be the more effective agent in cross-over trials. Both MPN and MCP were well tolerated. No important side effects were observed. MPN is a safe, effective, antiemetic treatment suitable for use in the outpatient.

Adult↗