Seminars in oncology
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Seminars in oncology · Oct 1994
Clinical TrialCarboplatin and radiotherapy in the treatment of head and neck cancer: six years' experience.
Between 1987 and 1991, 103 patients with advanced head and neck carcinoma were treated with radiochemotherapy plus carboplatin. Tumors were located in the oral cavity in 33 patients, the oropharynx in eight, and the hypopharynx in seven. Four patients had a tumor of the epipharynx and three, tumor of the larynx. ⋯ Patients with advanced head and neck carcinomas are either randomized for conventional radiotherapy plus carboplatin or hyperfractionated accelerated irradiation plus carboplatin. As of July 1994, 178 patients have been entered in the study. Results will be evaluated after the study is completed.
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Seminars in oncology · Oct 1994
Vinorelbine (Navelbine)--a new agent for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer: a summary.
A large body of preclinical and clinical data concerning the new semisynthetic vinca alkaloid vinorelbine (Navelbine; Burroughs Wellcome Co, Research Triangle Park, NC; Pierre Fabre Médicament, Paris, France) are now available. At both the cellular and clinical levels, this drug shows reduced neurotoxicity compared with other vinca alkaloids. In phase III clinical trials of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), treatment with the combination of vinorelbine and cisplatin resulted in survival advantages greater than those achieved by vindesine plus cisplatin. ⋯ Vinorelbine is now being actively investigated in combination and multimodality regimens in patients with various stages of NSCLC. New strategies to avoid vinorelbine-related granulocytopenia are also being developed. Vinorelbine-containing regimens hold the promise of providing effective, well-tolerated treatment for patients with NSCLC.
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Seminars in oncology · Oct 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialA report comparing the use of tropisetron (Navoban), a 5-HT3 antagonist, with a standard antiemetic regimen of dexamethasone and metoclopramide in cisplatin-treated patients under conditions of severe emesis.
This report of a double-blind, randomized study performed to evaluate the comparative antiemetic efficacy of tropisetron (Navoban; Sandoz Pharma Ltd, Basel, Switzerland), a new 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor antagonist, focuses on treatment during stages of chemotherapy when nausea and vomiting are particularly severe. One hundred fifteen chemotherapy-naive patients with malignant disease were administered either tropisetron (n = 58) or a dexamethasone dose plus a metoclopramide dose (n = 57) during 5 days of two successive cycles of chemotherapy. Within the first 24 hours after receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy, 76% of patients in the tropisetron group remained free of vomiting (with 59% of patients free of nausea) compared with 39% of patients free of vomiting in the conventionally treated group (30% of patients free of nausea). ⋯ The difference in incidence of nausea and vomiting between the patient groups was statistically significant (P < .05). The efficacy of tropisetron was well maintained during the second consecutive chemotherapy cycle; during the first 24 hours, 72% and 62% of patients remained free of vomiting and nausea, respectively. Tropisetron appears to be a highly effective, well tolerated, and simple to use antiemetic agent for patients receiving chemotherapy.
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Seminars in oncology · Oct 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialPrevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting by tropisetron (Navoban) alone or in combination with other antiemetic agents.
We report an open, three-armed, multicenter study being carried out to assess the optimum treatment for acute and delayed emesis and nausea in patients undergoing highly emetogenic chemotherapy. Eighty-seven patients were randomized to receive tropisetron (Navoban; Sandoz Pharma Ltd, Basel, Switzerland), tropisetron plus dexamethasone, or tropisetron plus metoclopramide during chemotherapy. Tropisetron in combination with dexamethasone produced the best control of both acute and delayed emesis. ⋯ In the tropisetron and tropisetron plus metoclopramide treatment groups, a decreased food intake was observed due to delayed nausea while the addition of dexamethasone prevented loss of appetite. The antiemetic treatments were similarly well tolerated. The most common adverse events were constipation (15%) and tiredness (7%).