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Biomedical subjects

T F Pajak

Publications and source records attributed to T F Pajak.

144 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Lung cancer as a second primary.

An unusually high association of other primary cancers (9.7%) was found during the analysis of 403 consecutive cases of carcinoma of the lung diagnosed at DGMC between 1960 and 1975. Incidence by stage included 17.3% for Stage I (75 cases) and 16.9% for Stage II (59 cases). Median survival by stage was not adversely affected by the associated malignancy. Incidence by histologic type was 15.6% for adenocarcinoma (132 cases), 7.7% for epidermoid (130 cases), 1.5% for oat (small cell) (67 cases), 12.5% for large cell (40 cases) and 11.8% for undifferentiated anaplastic type (34 cases). Of 31 cases of Stage I adenocarcinoma, 9 (29%) had second malignancies. Both adenocarcinoma and epidermoid carcinoma exhibited decreasing association of second malignances with increasing stage of lung cancer. The head and neck region was the location of the nonlung malignancy in 22 cases and the GU system in 11 cases. Two cases each of colon carcinoma and basal cell skin carcinoma were found and there was one case each of carcinoma of the pancreas, lymphoma and melanoma. The diagnosis of lung cancer was made first in only 3 instances. The appearance of solitary nodules in patients with known malignancy should receive strong consideration for vigorous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Future studies should consider carcinogenic stimuli that may be common etiologic factors in both malignancies.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Combination chemotherapy of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

A randomized therapeutic trial of three induction regimens for patients with lymphosarcoma and reticulum-cell sarcoma was conducted by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) (formerly Acute Leukemia Group B.) Addition of streptonigrin, but not cyclophosphamide, to the combination of vincristine and prednisone improved the complete remission rate achieved after a 42-day induction program. The duration of the subsequent remission and survival was not influenced by the induction combination assigned. Remission maintenance with cyclophosphamide was superior to maintenance with methotrexate. The results of this study are compared with others in which advantages for three or four drug treatment regimens have been reported.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Randomized clinical trial of cystosine arabinoside and 6-thioguanine in remission induction and consolidation of adult nonlymphocytic acute leukemia.

One hundred and forty-seven adults with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia were randomized to one of two treatment regimens utilizing cytosine arabinoside and 6-thioguanine. In regimen A the drugs were administered every 12 hours until marrow cellularity was reduced by at least 50%. In regimen B the drugs were administered every 12 hours for 5 days with five to 7 days rest intervals between courses. Decisions to continue or reinstitute therapy were based solely on marrow cellularity and marrow ratings. The overall response in referee-verified cases in both groups was similar (41%); regimen B proved to be the easier protocol to administer but required greater support. Younger patients or those with an initial high hemoglobin count responded best to these drug regimens. Only 36% of our patients experienced severe marrow hypoplasia (i.e., a 75% or greater reduction in marrow cellularity) prior to complete remission, suggesting that cytosine arabinoside and 6-thioguanine in combination may selectively suppress leukemic cells while sparing normal hematopoietic elements.

Acute Disease↗

Treatment of advanced lymphomas with bleomycin (NSC-125066).

88 patients with far-advanced lymphomatous malignancy were treated with Bleomycin given by either intramuscular (i. m.) or intravenous (i. v.) injection according to a randomized treatment assignment. Response occurred most frequently in Hodgkin's disease (i. m. 7/24; i. v. 4/18), least often in histiocytic lymphomas (i. m. 0/8; i. v. 1/8), and with intermediate frequency in lymphocytic lymphomas (i. m. 3/16; i. v. 0/14). While toxicity was common (70%), severe toxicity was unusual (8%) with severe pulmonary toxicity occurring in four patients (three i.m.; one i.v.). All three drug associated deaths occurred in i. m. patients. Unexpected life-threatening pericarditis occurred in two i. m. treated patients. Although response and drug related deaths occurred more often in the i. m. patients, the comparison with i. v. patients was not statistically different.

Adult↗

Effect of trimethylcolchicinic acid methyl ether d-tartrate (TMCA) on Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Trimethylcolchicinic acid methyl ether d-tartrate (TMCA; NSC-36351) was administered daily by mouth to 71 patients with malignant lymphomas. Partical (greater than 50%) responses were observed in eleven of 37 patients with Hodgkin's disesse, two of 22 patients with lymphocytic lymphoma, and one of two patients with mixed cell lymphoma. One complete and three partial responses were noted in nine patients with histiocytic lymphoma. Responses lasted from one to 91+ months (median: four months) and occurred in patients whose disease was resistant to alkylating agents, vinblastine, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone or BCNU. Toxic effects included leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, nausea, diarrhea, stomatitis, alopecia and dermatitis.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Phase I alternate-day dose study of chromomycin A3.

Chromomycin A3 was given to 43 patients with metastatic cancer in order to determine the tolerable dose when the drug was administered on an every-other-day dose schedule for a total of five iv push injections, with the course of therapy being repeated every 4 weeks. At least three patients were entered at each dose level, graduated in 0.1-mg/m2 increments between 0.7 and 1.6 mg/m2. The most common (19 patients) side effect was nausea and/or vomiting, but this was usually mild, lasted for a few hours, and diminished in severity with repeated injections. Skin necrosis due to drug extravasation was a problem early in the study, but was eliminated by injecting the drug through iv tubing. Transient elevations in SGOT and alkaline phosphatase levels were observed, but proved not to be of serious consequence. Renal toxicity proved to be the limiting factor in therapy. However, a dose level of 1.3 mg/m2 was found to be a tolerable level of drug administration in previously untreated patients. Objective tumor responses were noted in four patients (Hodgkin's disease, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, adenocarcinoma of the lung, and malignant melanoma).

Adenocarcinoma↗

Development of surgical quality-control mechanisms in large-scale prospective trials: head and neck intergroup report.

One of the current national prospective clinical trials of the Head and Neck Intergroup explores the usage of chemotherapy in advanced operable head and neck cancer patients. The experimental arm consists of the addition of 3 courses of cisplatin-containing chemotherapy to standard treatment defined as surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy. In the design of the study it is necessary to define not only the extent of the surgery performed for each eligible lesion, but also to insure uniformity of surgery performed between surgeons and institutions. This will hopefully insure that any variation between the 2 arms of the study represent the effect of the chemotherapy. The procedure to obtain and confirm uniformity of surgery is multifaceted. It is, however, fundamentally based upon the current TNM staging system and therefore has intrinsic limitations.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Methodology and research by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG).

The studies of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group have contributed important evidence to improve the outcome of patients with cancer. The evidence has been compelling both to the scientific community and to practicing physicians a very large number of whom participated in the investigations. It is a tribute to the hard work of these many hundred volunteers that the studies mentioned above, and many other clinical investigations were completed, and patients throughout the world had improved outcomes.

Female↗

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) trials for head and neck cancer.

Clinical investigations for cancer of the head and neck, primarily tumors of the upper respiratory and digestive tracts, have been one of the most important components of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) since its inception 30 years ago. Emphasis from the very beginning to the present time has been on altered fractionation. Studies of hypoxic cell sensitizers were also explored for many years. More recently, combinations of radiation therapy with cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents, either sequentially or concurrently, have been a major focus. Although the majority of the trials have been for unresectable tumors, surgical adjuvant radiation therapy alone or combined with chemotherapy has also been an important activity. Combined modality trials emphasizing organ conservation have been carried out within the last decade. The RTOG represents a national and international resource for studies of cancer of the head and neck. Its results influence the care of patients and the clinical research environment.

Dose Fractionation, Radiation↗

Prognostic factors in small cell carcinoma of the lung: a cancer and leukemia group B study.

Prognostic factors were studied in 224 patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung entered in a Cancer and Leukemia Group B protocol. Extent of disease was the major predictor of complete remission (CR) frequency and survival greater than 2 years, with CR rates being 40% for patients with limited disease (LD) and 10% for those with extensive disease. Patients who were classified as having extensive disease on the basis of isotope scan evidence of a single bone metastasis had survival characteristics and response rates similar to those of patient with LD. A multivariate analysis of various factors, which may influence overall survival, reveals a good-risk population to be defined as having LD and an initial performance status less than or equal to 2, with or without a single metastatic focus on bone scan. Furthermore, this risk definition fairly successfully predicted which patients had the greatest chance of achieving a CR (45%). Age less than 70 years was shown to be a significantly adverse factor on survival in these multivariate analyses after adjusting for risk. When long-term survivors (less than 24 months) were investigated by multivariate analyses, the new risk system was found to be the only significant pretreatment factor. Interestingly, sex was the next marginally influential factor on long-term survival. Future stratification by these risk categories should lead to more homogeneous subgroups for comparison of different therapeutic approaches and should provide some indication as to how much better the newer treatment program is within each risk group.

Age Factors↗

Survival results among patients with alpha-fetoprotein-positive, unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: analysis of three sequential treatments of the RTOG and Johns Hopkins Oncology Center.

PURPOSE: To analyze the observed therapeutic impact of the post-induction components of three treatment programs utilized sequentially between 1983 and 1991 for patients with unresectable alpha-fetoprotein-positive hepatoma. METHODS: Over a 7.5-year period, three treatment regimens were sequentially utilized: (1) RTOG 83-19, (2) a Johns Hopkins Oncology Center Institutional Pilot Program, and (3) RTOG 88-23. Each treatment program began with an induction phase of external-beam hepatic irradiation (2100 cGy/7 fractions), with concurrent doses of intravenous chemotherapy intended to be radiosensitizing. After induction, patients received cycles of one of the following: (1) intravenous doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with or without 131I-polyclonal antiferritin (RTOG 83-19); (2) intrahepatic artery cisplatin (Hopkins Institutional Pilot); or (3) intrahepatic artery cisplatin with or without 131I-polyclonal antiferritin (RTOG 88-23). Analysis of survival results was performed with multivariate and Cox regression methods. RESULTS: The addition of intravenous 131I-polyclonal antiferritin to post-induction cycles of either intravenous doxorubicin and 5-FU or intrahepatic artery cisplatin did not enhance survival. Intrahepatic artery cisplatin treatment yielded median survival duration of 9.1 months and survival at 12 and 24 months of 37% and 9%, respectively. These results were significantly superior to those resulting from use of intravenous doxorubicin and 5-FU (P = 0.0001; median survival duration 3.6 months; 12- and 24-month survival results 17% and 4%, respectively). A significant survival difference for the cisplatin regimen remained even when patients were stratified by previously identified prognostic factors and the results were appropriately adjusted. CONCLUSION: Patients with unresectable alpha-fetoprotein-positive hepatocellular carcinoma experienced improved survival and decreased toxicity when managed with post-induction cycles of intra-arterial cisplatin as compared with intravenous doxorubicin and 5-FU. Intravenous 131I-polyclonal antiferritin did not improve survival when added to either post-induction regimen but dramatically increased hematologic toxicities.

Antineoplastic Agents↗