Journal of neuro-oncology
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Journal of neuro-oncology · Mar 1998
Comparative StudyStereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases: comparison of lung carcinoma vs. non-lung tumors.
In the medical literature, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for brain metastases results in rates of local control of 65 to 85 %. To define patient selection criteria, we measured the survival in a population with a high proportion of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NCS lung) metastases that occurred soon after primary diagnosis. Between 9/89 and 10/93 30 adults (21 M, 9 F) had SRS for metastatic NSC lung carcinoma (14 patients) vs. non-lung carcinomas (16 patients having breast (3), renal (3), melanoma (3), GI (2, thyroid (1) or carcinoma of unknown origin (4)). ⋯ The median survival (95% CI) after SRS was 7.9 months (3.0-14.3) for the NSC lung patients and 8.4 (2.9-11.9) months for the non-lung patients (p=0.98 logrank test). Within the two groups, no difference in survival was observed for patients who had SRS sooner (< 1 yr for NSC lung; < 3 yr for non-lung) after primary diagnosis: 9.3 vs. 6.5 mo for NSC lung (p=0.21) and 10.5 vs. 7.2 mo for non-lung (p=0.87). In this series, the shortened intervals from primary diagnosis to SRS for NSC lung metastases was associated with post-SRS survivorship that was equivalent to the more favorable non-lung group.
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Journal of neuro-oncology · Feb 1998
Case ReportsIatrogenic seeding of anaplastic astrocytoma following stereotactic biopsy.
We present a case of probable tumor seeding along the needle tract following computer tomography-guided stereotactic biopsy of an anaplastic astrocytoma in a 23 year old male. Six months after the initial biopsy and 3 months following a second stereotactic procedure for cyst aspiration, a second lesion appeared directly along the biopsy trajectory at a distance from the primary tumor. This lesion is presumed to be recurrent tumor and appears to have been spread iatrogenically following the biopsy of the initial tumor and the subsequent cyst aspiration along the same tract.
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Journal of neuro-oncology · May 1997
Implantable biodegradable polymers for IUdR radiosensitization of experimental human malignant glioma.
The potential of halogenated pyrimidines for the radiosensitization of human malignant gliomas remains unrealized. To assess the role of local delivery for radiosensitization, we tested a synthetic, implantable biodegradable polymer for the controlled release of 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine (IUdR) both in vitro and in vivo and the resultant radiosensitization of human malignant glioma xenografts in vivo. ⋯ Synthetic, implantable biodegradable polymers hold promise for the controlled release and local delivery of IUdR for radiosensitization of gliomas.
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Journal of neuro-oncology · Jan 1997
Mass-screening of neuroblastoma using urine from infants by high-performance liquid chromatographic method: results of first (6th month) and second (14th month) screening.
To detect neuroblastoma in early stages, mass-screening of this tumor was carried out by HPLC method using the urine of six-month-old infants. Screening began in April, 1981, and a total of 42 cases were detected by December, 1994. The incidence of detection was about 1:5,000 babies tested. ⋯ By December, 1994, 3 patients with neuroblastoma were found among 41,809 babies tested, and were subsequently treated. While one of these three patients was not screened at 6 months, the other two had shown approximate cut-off values in urinary VMA as well as HVA at their 6-month screening. Therefore, if the tumors had already existed at the 6-month screening, and had grown gradually until the second check at 14 months, at least some of these tumors were of the late-onset variety and could have been detected at an earlier stage.
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Journal of neuro-oncology · May 1996
ReviewTreatment of infants with malignant gliomas: the Pediatric Oncology Group experience.
Although survivals of infants with malignant brain tumors are worse than any other age group, one possible exception to this rule are the malignant gliomas. Eighteen children less than 3 years of age with malignant gliomas (glioblastoma multiforme, anaplastic astrocytoma and malignant glioma) were treated on the Pediatric Oncology Group regimen of prolonged postoperative chemotherapy and delayed irradiation, (1986-1990). Of 10 children evaluable for neuroradiologic response, 6 had partial responses (> 50% reduction) to two cycles of cyclophosphamide and vincristine. ⋯ This study suggests that some malignant gliomas in infants are chemotherapy sensitive and may be associated with a good prognosis. Why infants with these high-grade gliomas fare better than adults is not clear. It is likely that there is something intrinsically different about them that cannot be identified on routine pathologic examination.