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Biomedical subjects

S Samel

Publications and source records attributed to S Samel.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Peritoneal cancer treatment with CYP2B1 transfected, microencapsulated cells and ifosfamide.

The prognosis of peritoneal spread from gastrointestinal cancer and subsequent malignant ascites is poor, and current medical treatments available are mostly ineffective. Targeted chemotherapy with intraperitoneal prodrug activation may be a beneficial new approach. L293 cells were genetically modified to express the cytochrome P450 enzyme 2B1 under the control of a cytomegalovirus immediate early promoter. This CYP2B1 enzyme converts ifosfamide to its active cytotoxic compounds. The cells are encapsulated in a cellulose sulfate formulation (Capcell). Adult Balb/c mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with 1 x 10(6) colon 26 cancer cells, previously transfected with GFP to emit a stable green fluorescence, by injection into the left lower abdominal quadrant. Two or five day's later animals were randomly subjected to either i.p. treatment with ifosfamide alone or ifosfamide combined with microencapsulated CYP2B1-expressing cells. Peritoneal tumor volume and tumor viability were assessed 10 days after tumor inoculation by means of fluorescence microscopy, spectroscopy and histology. Early i.p. treatment with ifosfamide and CYP2B1 cells resulted in a complete response. Treatment starting on day 5 and single-drug treatment with ifosfamide resulted in a partial response. These results suggest that targeted i.p. chemotherapy using a combination of a prodrug and its converting enzyme may be a successful treatment strategy for peritoneal spread from colorectal cancer.

Animals↗

Transanal endoscopic microsurgery: indications and results after 100 cases.

OBJECTIVE: Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM), a minimally invasive technique has been employed in the excision of benign and well-selected malignant rectal tumours since June 1998. We present a prospective descriptive study and analyse the currently accepted indications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Over a 4-year period 100 patients underwent TEM for treatment of rectal tumours located between 4 and 18 cm from the anal verge. RESULTS: TEM was performed in 71 cases for adenomas, 20 potentially curative excisions for pre-operative staged low-grade carcinoma, 3 palliative procedures for advance carcinoma, 5 carcinoids and 1 solitary ulcer. The local complication rate included wound breakdown in 7 patients, three of them requiring ileostomy. Conversion to laparotomy was performed in two patients. Five adenomas recurred and were successfully treated by TEM. Of the cancers, four patients required immediate salvage therapy by means of total mesorectal excision. Three patients underwent palliative TEM procedures combined with radiotherapy. A single cancer recurrence was treated by means of abdomino-perineal resection after radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: TEM appears to be an effective method of excising benign tumours and selected T1 carcinomas of the rectum. The superior exposure of tumours higher in the rectum combined with the greater precision of excision make this minimally invasive technique an attractive surgical approach.

Adenoma↗

High-dose 5-fluorouracil / folinic acid in combination with three-weekly mitomycin C in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. A phase II study.

BACKGROUND: The 24-hour continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and folinic acid (FA) as part of several new multidrug chemotherapy regimens in advanced gastric cancer (AGC) has shown to be effective, with low toxicity. In a previous phase II study with 3-weekly bolus 5-FU, FA and mitomycin C (MMC) we found a low toxicity rate and response rates comparable to those of regimens such as ELF, FAM or FAMTX, and a promising median overall survival. In order to improve this MMC-dependent schedule we initiated a phase II study with high-dose 5-FU/FA and 3-weekly bolus MMC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From February, 1998 to September, 2000 we recruited 33 patients with AGC to receive weekly 24-hour 5-FU 2,600 mg/m(2) preceded by 2-hour FA 500 mg/m(2) for 6 weeks, followed by a 2-week rest period. Bolus MMC 10 mg/m(2) was added in 3-weekly intervals. Treatment given on an outpatient basis, using portable pump systems, was repeated on day 57. Patients' characteristics were: male/female ratio 20/13; median age 57 (27-75) years; median WHO status 1 (0-2). 18 patients had a primary AGC, and 15 showed a relapsed AGC. Median follow-up was 11.8 months (range of those surviving: 2.7-11.8 months). RESULTS: 32 patients were evaluable for response - complete remission 9.1% (n = 3), partial remission 45.5% (n = 15), no change 27.3% (n = 9), progressive disease 15.1% (n = 5). Median overall survival time was 10.2 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 8.7-11.6], and median progression-free survival time was 7.6 months (95% CI: 4.4-10.9). The worst toxicities (%) observed were (CTC-NCI 1/2/3): leukopenia 45.5/18.2/6.1, thrombocytopenia 33.3/9.1/6.1, vomitus 24.2/9.1/0, diarrhea 36.4/6.1/3.0, stomatitis 18.2/9.1/0, hand-foot syndrome 12.1/0/0. Two patients developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). CONCLUSIONS: High-dose 5-FU/FA/MMC is an effective and well-tolerated outpatient regimen for AGC (objective response rate 54.6%). It may serve as an alternative to cisplatin-containing regimens; however, it has to be considered that possibly HUS may occur.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Malignant intestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma from the surgical point of view.

BACKGROUND: Primary intestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (I-NHL) is much less frequent than gastric lymphoma and has hardly been studied in prospective trails. To the surgeon, patients frequently present with abdominal emergencies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A consecutive series of patients subjected to surgery because of I-NHL between 1998 and 1999 was evaluated retrospectively for characteristic clinical, radiographic and intraoperative findings. Patients with gastric lymphoma were not considered. RESULTS: 10 patients, 8 males and 2 females, with I-NHL were subjected to first-line surgery because of painful abdominal tumor, intestinal hemorrhage, obstruction or perforation. I-NHL was located most often in the small bowel (n = 7). It was rare in the colon (n = 2) and the duodenum (n = 1). Median postoperative follow-up was 28 months. Perioperative mortality was 10% (n = 1). Probability of survival 3 years after surgery was 60%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with I-NHL frequently present with complications of tumor growth, requiring urgent surgical treatment. Irrespective of surgical complications we advocate surgery in cases of resectable disease as first-line treatment. Adjuvant treatment is indicated with respect to resection status and histopathological staging.

Adult↗

Neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction.

BACKGROUND: Recently, neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy has been demonstrated to induce tumour remission and to prolong survival of patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction.The present study was performed to re-evaluate these data. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A non-randomised trial of multimodal treatment was conducted in order to investigate histopathologic response and survival of patients with adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction. Treatment consisted of 2 courses of combined chemotherapy with 15 mg/kg 5-fluorouracil on days 1-5 and 75 mg/m(2) cisplatin on day 8 and simultaneous radiation (40 Gy), and a second course starting on day 36, followed by surgery. Abdomino-thoracic oesophagectomy and systematic 2-field lymphadenectomy were performed in patients with Barrett's carcinoma. D2-gastrectomy was performed in patients with type 2 or 3 cancer of the oesophagogastric junction according to the Siewert classification. Probability of survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: 16 patients with a mean age of 57 years were enrolled in this study. Surgery was performed in 14 of these patients. Response to treatment was evident in 10 patients, but none of these patients had complete histopathologic response. Toxicity related to radiochemotherapy was mild to moderate (37.5%). Perioperative complications, both medical and surgical, occurred in 71.4% of patients. 2 patients had fatal complications. 30-day mortality was 25.4%. The probability of survival at 2 years after surgery was 61.2%. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant radio-chemotherapy followed by surgery for cancer of the oesophagogastric junction is associated with a considerable rate of complications. Histopathologic response to radio-chemotherapy is poor. In consequence of these preliminary results, the present study was terminated and the protocol of a future study was modified.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Problems with intraoperative hyperthermic peritoneal chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative hyperthermic peritoneal chemotherapy (IHPC) after total gastrectomy for advanced, serosa-penetrating gastric cancer has been demonstrated in several studies to reduce the incidence of peritoneal carcinosis and to prolong survival. METHODS: In a prospective pilot study, nine patients with advanced gastric cancer were selected to receive IHPC with Mitomycin and Cisplatin after total gastrectomy and systematic lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: All patients had nodal, and four patients distant, metastases. Six patients (66%) suffered from post-operative complications including renal failure, pancreatitis, pancreatic fistula and anastomotic dehiscence. Thirty-day mortality was zero. Six patients died within 3-10 months after surgery. Five of these deaths were related to peritoneal carcinosis and one patient died from cardiac failure 3 months after surgery. Three patients, respectively, have been alive for 12, 20 and 24 months at present, with suspected peritoneal tumour in the last patient. The 2-year probability of survival among our patients receiving IHPC is 29%. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative hyperthermic peritoneal chemotherapy carries a high risk of peri-operative complications and was not able to prevent or delay peritoneal tumour recurrence in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Aged↗

Tracking down duodenopancreatic malignancy.

BACKGROUND: Malignant tumours of the duodenum are rare and often difficult to diagnose. Due to the small clinical experience with duodenal malignancies their prognosis is unknown and resection is the treatment of choice. CASE REPORT: Adding to a small series of incidental tumours, we report the case of a 65-year-old patient with primary extranodal (MALT-) lymphoma of the duodenum infiltrating the pancreatic head. The patient was admitted because of anaemia and epigastric discomfort with a history of Helicobacter-pylori associated gastric ulceration. Physical examination and bloodchemical values were otherwise normal. Endoscopy revealed duodenal ulceration but the biopsies taken from the ulceration did not give any evidence of malignancy or residual Helicobacter pylori infection. But MRT showed a circular intramural tumour of the duodenum. On laparotomy a large duodenal tumour adherent to the pancreatic head was found and a Whipple procedure was performed. CONCLUSION: Apart from describing the case of a rare lymphoproliferative disorder of the duodenum, this report illustrates the diagnostic difficulties with uncommon neoplasm's of the duodenopancreatic region and the value of MRT prior to resection of a duodenopancreatic mass.

Aged↗

Serous adenoma of the pancreas with multiple microcysts communicating with the pancreatic duct.

The rare neoplastic cystic adenomas of the pancreas form two groups of tumors: macrocystic mucinous and microcystic serous adenomas. Both entities show specific radiologic and histologic features. Several recent case reports, however, suggest some diversity within the group of microcystic serous adenomas. We present the case of a young man operated because of epigastric pain for 12 months and a palpable microcystic tumor of the pancreatic head. Multiple cysts communicating with branches of the pancreatic duct in an alveolar-like pattern were demonstrated on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Histologic examination of the specimen confirmed the diagnosis of a serous adenoma of the pancreas. The tumor morphology in this case may suggest a ductal origin of microcystic serous adenomas.

Adenoma↗

Clostridial gas gangrene of the abdominal wall after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is associated with a considerable rate of infectious complications of up to 2.8%. Such infections are usually of minor clinical importance. However, we observed a case of life-threatening Clostridial gas gangrene centering around the right lateral port site and developing across all of the right-sided abdominal wall, causing septic shock and severe multi-organ failure. Considering the overall infection rate and the possibility of even severe morbidity, we advocate perioperative antibiotics in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Abdominal Muscles↗

[Need for thyroidectomy in differentiated thyroid cancers].

In a retrospective case series study we compared data collected from 142 unselected patients with cancer of the thyroid gland treated in 1985-1994 with results from corresponding studies with reference to the necessity for radical thyroidectomy in cases of differentiated thyroid carcinoma. We standardly treated our patients by either primary or subsequent complete total thyroidectomy within 48 h after initial surgery followed by 131I ablation, achieving an overall R0 tumor clearance in 94.1% of cases. Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was diagnosed postoperatively in 7.7% of cases. Local tumor recurrence or nodal or distant spread occurred in 16.9% of patients with papillary, 9.1% of patients with follicular and 10% of patients with medullary carcinoma. Only one patient with papillary thyroid carcinoma died after 5 years at the age of 82, whereas 83% of anaplastic cancer patients died within 3 years. We conclude from our data that radical surgery ought to be performed for both differentiated thyroid cancer and undifferentiated cancer to reduce the rate of recurrence. When surgical management is careful radical thyroidectomy as standard treatment is associated with a reasonable rate of perioperative morbidity.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗