Anticancer research
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Anticancer research · Jul 1997
Circadian variations of interleukin-2 receptors, serum thymidine kinase and beta-2-microglobulin in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and normal controls.
In this study we investigated whether circadian rhythms of interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R), serum thymidine kinase (sTK) and beta-2-microglobulin (beta 2M) are apparent, which may influence tumor marker detection. Blood was drawn every two hours over 24 hours from 6 patients with NHL, 3 healthy donors and three patients with non-hematologic disorders. The serum levels of the three markers were measured. ⋯ The three NHL-patients with consistent circadian rhythms in all three markers achieved a complete remission, whereas the patients with disturbed rhythm progressed under therapy. We showed that circadian variations of sIL-2R, sTK and beta 2M follow a sinusoidal circadian rhythm in normals and patients with NHL. Disturbance of this rhythm may be related to a worse prognosis.
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Anticancer research · May 1997
ReviewTreatment of metastatic bone pain using the bone seeking radiopharmaceutical Re-186-HEDP.
Recent advances in radionuclide therapy offer a new approach for the management of metastatic bone pain. This paper reports the results of dosage escalation studies with 186Re-HEDP as a bone-seeking radiopharmaceutical in patients with bone metastases originating from breast or prostate cancer with regard to toxicity, pharmacokinetics and bone marrow dosimetry and the palliating effect on bone pain. Thrombocytopenia proved to be the dose limiting factor and 186Re-HEDP showed a considerable efficacy in end-stage patients with metastatic bone pain.
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Anticancer research · Mar 1997
Multivariate analysis of DNA ploidy, p53, c-erbB-2 proteins, EGFR, and steroid hormone receptors for prediction of poor short term prognosis in breast cancer.
Several molecular-genetic alterations in breast cancer, including aneuploidy, aberrant expression of p53, c-erbB-2 and EGFR, have been associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients particularly those who are lymph node negative. To determine the importance of molecular-genetic factors relative to more traditional surgical-pathologic prognostic factors, multivariate analysis was performed on lymph node positive breast cancer cases. ⋯ Among molecular-genetic prognostic factors, c-erbB-2 was the most strongly predictive of poor short term prognosis followed by p53 in lymph node positive breast cancer.
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Anticancer research · Jan 1997
ReviewThe effect of megestrol acetate on anorexia, weight loss and cachexia in cancer and AIDS patients (review).
Weight gain is a well-known side-effect of megestrol acetate (MA) treatment. This effect has been studied systematically in cancer and AIDS patients with involuntary weight loss, anorexia or manifest cachexia, situations in which weight gain is desirable. Significant, positive effects on weight gain and on certain quality of life aspects, such as appetite, nausea, body image and mood have been reported for cancer patients treated with 160 mg to 1.600 mg daily and similar effects have been registered in AIDS patients if doses of about 400-800 mg are used. ⋯ The weight gain is, unfortunately, mainly due to an increase in fat mass and partly due to edema and, therefore, no significant effects are reported as regards the Karnovsky index. If anorexia, nausea and a negative body image are major concerns and if the patient has a life expectancy of more than 3 months, MA is a reasonable treatment option. However, if the central problem is fatigue and a low Karnovsky index, especially in a patient with a short expected survival, MA, which is not inexpensive, is not likely to be of significant help.
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Anticancer research · Jan 1997
Factors influencing the haematological recovery after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in leukaemia patients treated with methotrexate-containing GVHD prophylaxis: a single-centre experience.
In the present single institution study of 66 leukaemia patients (28 AML, 23 ALL, 15 CML), the factors influencing haematological recovery after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (alloBMT) were analysed retrospectively in order to identify the optimal conditions required for a rapid haematological recovery after alloBMT. All patients received GVHD prophylaxis with cyclosporine A plus methotrexate. The mean number of days required to achieve > or = 0.5 x 109/l neutrophil count after alloBMT was 17 (median 17, range 9 to 27 days) and 19 patients (28.8%) had rapid neutrophil recovery within 15 days after alloBMT. ⋯ The present study has identified the high number of progenitor cells in the allografts infused and the daily administration of G-CSF post-transplant as the optimal combination for a rapid neutrophil recovery after alloBMT. More significantly, the number of BFU-E in allografts was the most significant factor to determine platelet recovery after alloBMT. The development of GVHD of grade II or more during the first weeks after alloBMT was associated with slower haematological recovery and longer period of fever during neutropenia and hospitalisation.