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Robert Peter Gale

Publications and source records attributed to Robert Peter Gale.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

High-dose versus standard chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer: comparison of Cancer and Leukemia Group B trials with data from the Autologous Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry.

PURPOSE: To assess survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) versus standard-dose chemotherapy (SDC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: SDC in four Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) trials was compared with hematopoietic stem-cell support in patients from the Autologous Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry. Cox proportional hazard regression incorporated potentially confounding effects. A total of 1,509 women were enrolled onto CALGB trials, and 1,188 women received HDC. No significant survival differences existed by CALGB trial or HDC regimen. Consideration was restricted to candidates for both SDC and HDC. The resulting sample included 635 SDC and 441 HDC patients. The outcome of interest was overall survival. RESULTS: The HDC group displayed better performance status. The SDC group had slightly better survival in first year after treatment. The HDC group had lower hazard of death from years 1 to 4 and had somewhat higher probability of 5-year survival (adjusted probabilities [95% confidence intervals], 23% [17% to 29%] v 15% [11% to 19%], P =.03). CONCLUSION: After controlling for known prognostic factors in this nonrandomized analysis of two large independent data sets, women receiving HDC versus SDC for metastatic breast cancer have a similar short-term probability of survival, and might have a modestly higher long-term probability of survival.

Adult↗

Comparison of outcome following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation with cyclophosphamide-total body irradiation versus busulphan-cyclophosphamide conditioning regimens for acute myelogenous leukaemia in first remission.

We evaluated transplant-related mortality (TRM), leukaemia relapse, leukaemia-free survival (LFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients receiving busulphan and cyclophosphamide (BuCy) or cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation (CyTBI) prior to allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) in first remission. Outcomes of 381 human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling transplants using BuCy were compared with 200 transplants using CyTBI performed between 1988 and 1996. The incidence of hepatic veno-occlusive disease was higher with BuCy (13%) than with CyTBI (6%) (P = 0.009). Risks of acute and chronic GVHD were similar. In multivariate analysis, relapse risk was higher in the BuCy group [relative risk (RR) = 1.72; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-2.81; P = 0.031]. Eleven of 373 evaluable patients in the BuCy group had a central nervous system relapse in contrast to none of 194 evaluable patients in the CyTBI group (P = 0.016). There were no differences in TRM, LFS and OS. CyTBI conditioning may lower relapse risk but produces comparable TRM, LFS and OS to BuCy for HLA-matched sibling transplantation in first remission AML.

Adult↗

Intravenous immunoglobulin for the prevention of infection in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. A randomized, controlled clinical trial.

In a double-blind study, we randomly assigned 84 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who were judged to be at increased risk of bacterial infection to receive intravenous immunoglobulin G (400 mg per kilogram of body weight) or a placebo every three weeks for one year. Eligible patients had hypogammaglobulinemia, a history of infection, or both. The patients receiving immunoglobulin had significantly fewer bacterial infections during the study period than those receiving placebo (23 vs. 42; P = 0.01). This reduction was most striking in the patients who completed a full year of treatment (14 vs. 36; P = 0.001). The period from study entry to the first serious bacterial infection was significantly longer in the patients receiving immunoglobulin (P = 0.026). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidence of nonbacterial infection. Immunoglobulin therapy was tolerated well; there were no serious adverse reactions, and the incidence of minor reactions was low. We conclude that selected patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who are at risk of bacterial infection can be substantially protected from this complication by the regular intravenous administration of immunoglobulin.

Adult↗