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V Catalano

Publications and source records attributed to V Catalano.

53 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1975

[Transitory transesophageal atrial electric stimulation. Preliminary report on 19 cases and considerations on the method, indications and results (author's transl)].

Literature provides sufficient evidence that transitory electric stimulation via esophagus (SATE) - after the first positive experimental attempts on dogs - can be applied to man with a simple, rapid and harmless method. The study covers 19 patients subjected to high frequency transesophageal atrial stimulation by way of a bipolar electrode inserted through a nasogastric tube and connected to an external generator capable of producing tension impulses. Said impulses are variable up to 150 volts, lasting 2.5 microsec. with a frequency of up to 450/min. The 19 patients can be divided into 2 groups. The first including 15 patients on which SATE was effected for diagnostic purposes: in coronary deficiency (8 patients), in the disease of sinus node (3 patients), and lastly in the research for the A-V-block latent in 4 patients with acute post-infarctual A-V-block which regressed during the immediate clinical course of the illness. The other group includes 4 patients in which the atrial stimulation indication was the treatment of rapid, paroxysmic atrial rhythms, inaffected by drugs. By using impulses of 25-30 volts, the AA. have obtained a stable stimulation.

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PubMedDate not supplied

The value of oxaliplatin in combination with continuous infusion +/- bolus 5-fluorouracil and levo-folinic acid in metastatic colorectal cancer progressing after 5FU-based chemotherapy: a GISCAD (Italian Group for the Study of Digestive Tract) cancer phase II trial.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: The phase II trial was designed to evaluate the activity of combined oxaliplatin (L-OHP), continuous infusion (CI) +/- bolus 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and levo-folinic acid (I-FA) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer progressing after one or more lines of 5FU-based chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We designed two contemporary studies: in the former we enrolled patients previously treated with 1 line of chemotherapy, and in the latter, patients previously treated with 2, 3 and 4 lines. Seventy-six consecutive patients were enrolled: 45 received L-OHP (85 mg/m2 i.v. 2 h on day 1) + I-FA (100 mg/m2 i.v. 2 h on days 1 and 2) + 5FU i.v. bolus (400 mg/m2 days 1 and 2) + 5FU (600 mg/m2 CI 22 h days 1 and 2 (FOLFOX 4); 31 received L-OHP (100 mg/m2 i.v. 2 h on day 1) + I-FA (250 mg/m2 i.v. 2 h on days 1 and 2), followed by 5FU (1500 mg/m2 Cl 24 h days 1 and 2 (FOLFOX 2). The treatment was recycled every 2 weeks and continued until progression and/or unacceptable toxicity or patient preference. The primary end point was activity (tumor growth control [TGC]: partial response [PR] + stable disease [SD]); the secondary end points were time to progression (TTP), overall survival (OS) and toxicity. RESULTS: Forty-five patients in 2nd line (22 FOLFOX 4, 23 FOLFOX 2), 23 (17 FOLFOX 4, 6 FOLFOX 2) in 3rd, 4 in 4th and 1 in 5th line were assessable; 3 were lost to follow-up. In 15 patients (11 FOLFOX 4, 4 FOLFOX 2), disease involved the liver only. A total of 533 courses were administered with a range of 1-14 in FOLFOX4 and 1-12 in FOLFOX2; dose intensity was 92.85%, and the total dose of the administered L-OHP was 98.29%. As a 2nd line treatment, FOLFOX 4 achieved TGC in 72.8% of the patients (PR, 18.2%; SD, 54.6%), with a median TTP of 6 months and a median OS of 7 months, whereas in the FOLFOX 2 group these figures were 78.3% (PR 21.8%, SD 56.5%), and 5 and 9 months. As a 3rd line treatment, FOLFOX 4 produced TGC in 41.1% of patients (PR 23.5%, SD 17.6%), with a median TTP of 5 months and median OS of 7+ months, whereas FOLFOX 2 obtained respective values of 50% (PR 16.7%, SD 33.3%), 7 and 9 months. As a 4th line of treatment, TGC was achieved in 2 patients (1 PR, 1 SD); the patient in 5th line therapy obtained a SD. With "de Gramont" as the first-line regimen, patients assessable were 24 in FOLFOX 4 and 18 in FOLFOX 2. In the former population, TGC was 70.8% (PR 37.5%, SD 33.3%), with a TTP of 6 months and OS of 10 months, whereas with FOLFOX2 these values were 61.1% (PR 5.6%, SD 55.5), 5 and 7 months. In patients with liver involvement only, FOLFOX 4 obtained TGC in 63.6% of cases (with a TTP of 7 months and OS of 6+ months), FOLFOX 2 in 100% (with a TTP of 9.5 months and OS of 13.5+ months). Both schedules exhibited an acceptable toxicity: neurologic, hematologic and hepatic grade 3 side effects occurred in a limited number of patients, with a higher frequency in the FOLFOX 2 group. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with L-OHP, CI +/- bolus 5FU and I-FA was well tolerated. The activity in terms of TGC was interesting and comparable with results reported in the literature for the standard treatment for 2nd line, i.e. irinotecan alone. Treatment was effective in 2nd line and in patients previously treated with more than two chemotherapy lines; in particular, treatment was active in patients with hepatic disease only. Although the two schedules seemed to achieve the same benefit with the same tolerance, we could not define from the study the better regime.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic value of S-phase fraction in T3N0M0 gastric cancer. Implications for adjuvant chemotherapy.

INTRODUCTION: The prognosis of patients with T3N0M0 gastric cancer is still unfavourable and the role of adjuvant chemotherapy is unclear. We addressed this study to evaluate whether the analysis of the S-Phase Fraction (SPF) might have prognostic implications in serosa-positive, node-negative gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Specimens of resected gastric cancer were studied by flow cytometry for SPF analysis. Consecutive patients with stage pT3N0M0, adequate follow-up information and sufficient archival tumor tissue were considered eligible for the study. The tumor SPF indices were related to the timing of recurrences, the relapse rate and the disease-free survival of patients. RESULTS: The analysis was carried out on samples of 137 patients with surgically-resected, stage pT3N0M0 gastric cancer. SPF resulted high and low in 39% and 61% of cases, respectively. Fifty-seven patients relapsed (42%) and early recurrences (within 18 months after surgery) occurred more frequently among cases with high SPF (p < .03). Patients with high SPF tumors showed a worse relapse rate and disease-free survival than patients with low SPF tumors. (p < .005). CONCLUSION: The SPF analysis showed prognostic differences among patients with stage pT3N0M0 gastric cancer. These data may be of value in the planning of future adjuvant chemotherapy trials in gastric cancer.

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PubMedDate not supplied

A new cisplatin/gemcitabine schedule in locally advanced (IIIB) and metastatic (IV) non-small cell lung cancer: relationship between dose-intensity and efficacy. A phase II study.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin/gemcitabine are one of the "standard" chemotherapy schedules in locally advanced and metastatic NSCLC cancer. A number of trials documented that omission of gemcitabine on day 15 and reduction of cisplatin up to 70 mg/mq are equivalent in term of response rates to "classic" administrations on days 1, 8 and 15 with cisplatin 100 mg/mq. The aim of this study was to confirm this evidence and to demonstrate that a further reduction of gemcitabine dose-intensity may be performed with the same efficacy on response. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty untreated patients with locally advanced and metastatic NSCLC entered the study: 24 stage IIIB and 26 stage IV. The median age was 65 years (range 32-76); 44 males and 6 females Genicitabine was administered 1000 mg/mq weekly on days 1 and 8 followed by a 2-week rest and cisplatin 80 mg/mq on day 2 of each 28-day-cycle. RESULTS: Forty-five patients were evaluable for response and all for toxicity. The overall response rates were 35.5% with 16 partial responses (95% Confidence Interval: 32%-61%). Most of the objective responses were seen in IIIB patients (56% of the stage IIIB and 44% of the stage IV patients responded). According to the intent-to-treat-principle, the response rates were 32% (16 out of 50 patients). The median dose-intensity of gemcitabine and cisplatin was respectively 477.6 mg/mq/week (481.4 for responders) and 19.5 mg/mq/week (19.9 mg/mq for responders). The median response duration was 5 months (range 1-18) and the median time to progression was 5 months (1-21); median survival was 9 months (range 2-31). The main toxicity was haematological: thrombocytopenia grade IV in 5 patients (10%) and grade III in 11 patients (22%); neutropenia grade III-IV in 4 patients (8%); grade III anemia in 3 (6%). Asthenia was the most significant non-haematological toxicity and was observed in 19 patients (38%). CONCLUSION: This trial confirmed the efficacy of a schedule with 2 administrations of gemcitabine (on days 1, 8) and a cisplatin dose on day 2 lower than 100 mg/mq. Moreover, the same efficacy was obtained with a median-dose intensity of cisplatin and gemcitabine lower than planned in a 21-day-schedule. For safety and low toxicity, we think that this schedule provides another chance to treat patients with non-small cell lung cancer, especially the elderly or patients with coexistent medical illnesses.

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