bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Autologous bone marrow transplantation in poor-prognosis intermediate-grade and high-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in first remission: a pilot study.
Authors: Freedman A S , Takvorian T , Neuberg D , Mauch P , Rabinowe S N , Anderson K C , Soiffer R J , Spector N , Grossbard M , Robertson M J 
Published: February 2017

PURPOSE Using high-dose therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) to overcome cellular resistance and eradicate minimal disease, we initiated a pilot study during first remission in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) to examine whether the long-term disease-free survival (DFS) rate can be improved for patients with poor-prognosis intermediate/high-grade NHL. PATIENTS AND METHODS Twenty-six patients with advanced-stage diffuse intermediate/high-grade B-cell NHL (including 16 patients with diffuse small cleaved-cell [DSC]) were selected at presentation by histologic and clinical characteristics to have less than a 25% probability of long-term DFS with conventional treatment. After induction chemotherapy, 16 patients were in complete remission (CR) and 10 were in a minimal disease state. Patients were then treated with high-dose cyclophosphamide, total-body irradiation (TBI), and anti-B-cell monoclonal antibody-purged ABMT. RESULTS Following ABMT, no acute in-hospital treatment deaths occurred, and engraftment of granulocytes and platelets was significantly faster than for patients undergoing ABMT who were in second or subsequent remission. Of 26 patients, 21 remain in CR maintained without continued therapy, three relapsed in sites of prior nodal disease (4.8, 5.4, and 28 months post-ABMT), and two died in remission. The DFS rate is estimated to be 85% at 28 months and thereafter. The median follow-up period for the 21 patients who are alive and disease-free is 32 months. CONCLUSION This pilot study suggests that consolidation of first remission with ABMT may improve the long-term DFS rate for diffuse intermediate/high-grade NHL patients at high risk for relapse.
Dose-ranging study of oxycodone for chronic pain in advanced cancer.
Authors: Glare P A , Walsh T D 
Published: February 2017

PURPOSE AND METHODS We assessed the analgesic efficacy and safety of single-entity oxycodone solution at doses greater than 10 mg orally every 4 hours in 24 patients with chronic cancer pain not controlled by weaker analgesics. RESULTS Twenty of 24 patients completed the study. Pain relief was obtained with doses up to 60 mg every 4 hours. When oxycodone was taken for long periods, further dose increments could be made safely. The side effects of oxycodone are mild, and common to all opioids, with sedation and constipation most frequent. Nausea was more common in females in all age groups and in patients of either sex less than 50 years of age. Episodes of serious toxicity were rare, and responded to dose reduction. Patients older than 65 years required lower doses, suggesting pharmacokinetic similarities between oxycodone and morphine. Patients changed from oral oxycodone to morphine remained pain-free when relative milligram potency ratios of 1:1 to oral morphine and 3:1 to intravenous morphine were used. CONCLUSION Oxycodone has been shown for the first time to be as versatile and flexible as oral morphine in the management of chronic pain in patients with advanced cancer.
Cardiac dysfunction following spinal irradiation during childhood.
Authors: Jakacki R I , Goldwein J W , Larsen R L , Barber G , Silber J H 
Published: February 2017

PURPOSE Although spinal irradiation used in the treatment of CNS malignancies includes a portion of the heart in the radiation field, cardiac effects have not been previously reported. PATIENTS AND METHODS We compared patients treated for malignancy in childhood with spinal irradiation (n = 26) with patients treated with mediastinal/flank irradiation (n = 47) that included the heart in the radiation field. All patients were more than 1 year from completion of radiation therapy. Patients underwent at least two of the following cardiac evaluations: (1) ECG; (2) 24-hour ambulatory ECG; (3) echocardiogram; and (4) exercise-testing using cycle ergometry. RESULTS Twelve of 16 patients (75%) in the spinal irradiation group with an assessable exercise test achieved a maximal cardiac index (MCI) below the fifth percentile as compared with 13 of 40 patients (32%) who had received mediastinal/flank irradiation (P = .007). Furthermore, after adjusting for normal heart growth, radiation and anthracycline doses, and follow-up time, the group of patients who received spinal irradiation had significantly higher estimated posterior wall stress (P = .002), expressed as the natural logarithm of the ratio of end-diastolic left ventricular internal diameter (LVID) to left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT), than the group who had received mediastinal/flank irradiation. Finally, eight of 26 patients (31%) in the spinal group had pathologic Q-waves in the inferior leads versus three of 47 (6.4%) in the mediastinal/flank group (P = .001). CONCLUSION Patients who have received spinal irradiation for pediatric malignancies appear to be at risk for significant cardiac dysfunction. The asymmetric distribution of radiation to a growing heart, as given with spinal irradiation, may be the cause of these findings.
Effect of prior interferon alfa therapy on the outcome of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Authors: Giralt S A , Kantarjian H M , Talpaz M , Rios M B , Del Giglio A , Andersson B S , Przepiorka D , Deisseroth A B , Champlin R E 
Published: February 2017

PURPOSE To determine whether prior interferon alfa (IFN-A) treatment affects the outcome of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS We analyzed the outcome of 77 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) who received transplants from an HLA-identical donor using a total-body irradiation-containing preparative regimen. Engraftment, acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), survival, and disease-free survival were compared between patients who had previously received interferon (IFN+) to those who had not (IFN-). Forty-one patients were transplanted in chronic phase and 36 had more advanced CML. The IFN+ group had received IFN-A in doses of 3 to 5 x 10(6) U/m2 three times a week or more for at least 4 weeks anytime before transplantation. RESULTS For patients in chronic phase, there were no significant differences between the IFN+ group and the IFN- group in regard to neutrophils recovery more than 1.0 x 10(9)/L (29 v 24), platelet recovery more than 50 x 10(9)/L (33 v 36), incidence of grade II to IV GVHD (23% v 28%), incidence of chronic GVHD (39% v 47%), disease-free survival (46% +/- 11% v 59% +/- 13%), relapse (9% v 11%), or 100-day transplant-related mortality (22% v 16%). In patients with more advanced stage disease, there was also no significant differences between the IFN+ group and the IFN- group in regard to these outcomes. CONCLUSION Prior treatment with IFN-A did not adversely affect transplant outcome. Further studies are required to better understand the complementary roles of IFN-A and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for the treatment of CML.
Infusional cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and etoposide in relapsed and resistant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: evidence for a schedule-dependent effect favoring infusional administration of chemotherapy.
Authors: Sparano J A , Wiernik P H , Leaf A , Dutcher J P 
Published: February 2017

PURPOSE This study attempted to determine the efficacy of cyclophosphamide (C), doxorubicin (D), and etoposide (E) administered as a continuous intravenous (IV) infusion (infusional CDE) over 4 days in patients with relapsed or resistant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (rNHL) and in patients with previously untreated (uNHL) who had poor prognostic features. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty-eight patients with rNHL and 10 patients with uNHL received infusional CDE every 28 or more days; all but one had intermediate- to high-grade histology. The cumulative doses of C, D, and E administered per treatment cycle were 750 mg/m2, 50 mg/m2, and 240 mg/m2, respectively. In the rNHL group, all patients had previously received C, most (81%) had received D, and a minority (16%) had received E. RESULTS Objective response occurred in 30 patients with rNHL (52%; 95% confidence interval, 39% to 65%); 10 patients had a complete response (CR) (17%; 95% confidence interval, 7% to 27%). Eleven patients (19%) remain progression-free (median follow-up, 22 months; range, 10+ to 38+), and six patients (10%) are disease-free (median follow-up, 25 months; range, 10+ to 38+). Among 10 patients with uNHL, eight (80%) had a CR, and none have relapsed (median follow-up, 11 months; range, 9+ to 24+). Toxicity was primarily hematologic. Two treatment-related deaths (3%) occurred, both attributable to infection in the relapsed or resistant group. CONCLUSION Infusional CDE produced a CR in substantial proportion of patients who had previously been exposed to at least two of the agents administered as an IV bolus, suggesting a schedule-dependent effect in favor of the infusional administration of certain cytotoxic agents in patients with lymphoid neoplasms. In addition, infusional CDE was effective and tolerable in patients with poor-prognosis NHL when used as initial therapy, and merits further study in that setting.
Preoperative chemoradiation followed by transhiatal esophagectomy for carcinoma of the esophagus: final report.
Authors: Forastiere A A , Orringer M B , Perez-Tamayo C , Urba S G , Zahurak M 
Published: February 2017

PURPOSE In 1990 we published the results of an intensive 3-week preoperative chemoradiation regimen for locoregional esophageal cancer that suggested improved survival compared with historical controls. We now report the long-term results at a median follow-up of 78.7 months. PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-three patients with locoregional squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus or cardia were treated with fluorouracil (5-FU), cisplatin, and bolus vinblastine concurrent with radiation administered over 21 days. Transhiatal esophagectomy was performed on day 42. RESULTS Forty-one patients (95%) completed the preoperative treatment, and 36 (84%) had a potentially curative resection. Ten of 41 (24%) had no tumor in the resected esophagus and nodal tissues (path-negative group). The median survival duration of all 43 patients registered on study was 29 months; 34% were alive at 5 years. By histology, median survival durations were 32 months for 21 adenocarcinoma patients and 23 months for 22 squamous cell patients, with corresponding 5-year survival rates of 34% and 31%, respectively. Analysis of the 36 patients who underwent a potentially curative resection demonstrated median survival durations of 32 and 44 months and 5-year survival rates of 36% and 43%, respectively, for adenocarcinoma and squamous cell histologies. Path-negative (complete response [CR]) patients had a median survival duration of 70 months and 60% were alive at 5 years, while those patients with residual tumor in the resected esophagus had a median survival duration of 26 months and 32% were alive at 5 years (P = .114 by the log-rank test and P = .04 by the Wilcoxon test). CONCLUSION The results of this regimen appear improved over those reported with surgery alone, with an approximate doubling of the 5-year survival rate. Thirty-two percent of patients with residual tumor in the esophageal specimen are long-term survivors, which suggests a benefit from esophagectomy. A randomized trial is in progress to compare this preoperative regimen with immediate surgery.
Alternating combination VCMP/VBAP chemotherapy versus melphalan/prednisone in the treatment of multiple myeloma: a randomized multicentric study of 487 patients.
Authors: Bladé J , San Miguel J F , Alcalá A , Maldonado J , Sanz M A , García-Conde J , Moro M J , Alonso C , Besalduch J , Zubizarreta A 
Published: February 2017

PURPOSE To determine whether combination chemotherapy with alternating cycles of vincristine, cyclophosphamide, melphalan, and prednisone (VCMP) and vincristine, carmustine (BCNU), Adriamycin (doxorubicin; Farmitalia, Carlo-Erba Laboratories, Spain), and prednisone (VBAP) is better than the standard melphalan-prednisone (MP) regimen in multiple myeloma (MM). PATIENTS AND METHODS From January 1985 to December 1989, 28 institutions of the Spanish Cooperative Group for Hematological Malignancies Treatment, Spanish Society of Hematology (PETHEMA) entered 487 eligible patients with symptomatic MM into the study. Patients were randomized to receive either MP or alternating courses of VCMP and VBAP. Logistic regression and the Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between patients' characteristics and response rate and survival, respectively. RESULTS Among 449 patients who were assessable for response, the overall response rate to MP was 51.8% (31.5% objective response plus 20.3% partial response) as compared with 62.7% (45.2% objective response plus 17.5% partial response) to VCMP/VBAP (P = .025). Also, a significantly higher proportion of objective responses was observed with combination chemotherapy (45.2% v 31.5%; P = .004). The factors associated with an unfavorable response rate in the overall series were low platelet count, treatment with MP, high creatinine level and immunoglobulin, (IgG) monoclonal (M)-component. No significant differences were found when survival rates of both groups of patients were compared. However, patients with IgA myeloma treated with VCMP/VBAP survived significantly longer than those who received MP (median, 20.2 v 38.4 months; P < .005). CONCLUSION These results indicate that combination chemotherapy improves response rate in MM. However, this does not result in a significantly different survival rate, except for patients with IgA myeloma, who survive significantly longer with combination chemotherapy.
Combination chemotherapy with or without thoracic radiotherapy in limited-stage small-cell lung cancer: a randomized trial of the Southeastern Cancer Study Group.
Authors: Johnson D H , Bass D , Einhorn L H , Crawford J , Perez C A , Bartolucci A , Omura G A , Greco F A 
Published: February 2017

PURPOSE The primary objective of this randomized prospective study was to compare the survival of limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients treated with chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus thoracic radiotherapy (TRT). A secondary objective was to determine the effect of consolidation chemotherapy on survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS This multiinstitutional phase III study included 386 patients with limited-stage SCLC. All patients received cyclophosphamide 1,000 mg/m2, doxorubicin 40 mg/m2, and vincristine 1 mg/m2 (CAV) every 3 weeks for six cycles. Irradiated patients received 30 Gy in 10 fractions during weeks 1 and 2 of chemotherapy. Fifteen Gy in five fractions was administered during week 7 (total dose, 45 Gy). Following CAV, responding patients were randomized to receive two cycles of consolidation chemotherapy (cisplatin 20 mg/m2/d for 4 days plus etoposide 100 mg/m2/d for 4 days) or observation. RESULTS Complete (46% and 38%; P = .14) and overall response rates (67% and 64%; P = .58) were not statistically significantly different. Although not significantly different, median (14.4 v 12.8 months) and 2-year survival (33% v 23.5%) rates favored the irradiated patients. Grade 4 hematologic toxicity was greater in irradiated patients (60% and 39%; P < .001). Patients given consolidation chemotherapy experienced superior median (21.1 v 13.2 months; P = .028) and 2-year survival (44% v 26%; P = .028) rates. CONCLUSION The concurrent use of TRT and CAV chemotherapy as administered in this study failed to improve the survival of limited-stage SCLC patients compared with CAV alone. Life-threatening hematologic toxicities were more frequent with combined-modality therapy. The survival of limited-stage patients treated with CAV (with or without TRT) was improved with two cycles of cisplatin and etoposide consolidation therapy. Whether similar survival results could be achieved with cisplatin and etoposide alone requires additional study.
Maintenance chemotherapy in small-cell lung cancer: long-term results of a randomized trial. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Lung Cancer Cooperative Group.
Authors: Giaccone G , Dalesio O , McVie G J , Kirkpatrick A , Postmus P E , Burghouts J T , Bakker W , Koolen M G , Vendrik C P , Roozendaal K J 
Published: February 2017

PURPOSE The present study investigates the role of short chemotherapy (five cycles) versus prolonged (12 cycles) chemotherapy in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS Six hundred eighty-seven patients with SCLC were registered in a multicenter study to receive five cycles of chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide 1 g/m2 on day 1, doxorubicin 45 mg/m2 on day 1, and etoposide 100 mg/m2 on days 1, 3 and 5 (CDE), every 3 weeks. Four hundred thirty-four nonprogressing patients after five cycles of chemotherapy were randomized either to receive seven further cycles of the same chemotherapy or to follow-up. RESULTS The response rate of 585 assessable patients was 79%, with 36% attaining a complete response. Toxicity was mainly hematologic, with 16 toxic deaths (2.4% of all eligible patients), 13 of which were due to sepsis. Median survival time from registration of all patients was 326 days (396 and 267 days for limited and extensive disease, respectively) with 3.2% of patients alive at 5 years. No difference in survival between the two arms was observed, with the same number of 5-year survivors in both arms. The patients randomized to the maintenance arm had a progression-free survival (PFS) duration approximately 2 months longer than the patients randomized to follow-up (median of 177 days v 114 days from randomization; P = .0004). Among patients with a partial response who were randomized to receive maintenance chemotherapy, 12 achieved a complete response after 12 cycles. More patients in the follow-up arm than in the maintenance arm received subsequent treatment on progression and responded more frequently to that treatment. Twelve patients developed second malignancies (seven non-small-cell lung cancers). CONCLUSION Prolonged chemotherapy does not offer a better chance of cure than short chemotherapy (five cycles) and does not prolong survival in patients with SCLC. Short, combination chemotherapy appears to be a reasonable choice for standard treatment of SCLC and for attempts to improve the cure rate of this disease.
Randomized comparison of doxorubicin alone versus ifosfamide plus doxorubicin or mitomycin, doxorubicin, and cisplatin against advanced soft tissue sarcomas.
Authors: Edmonson J H , Ryan L M , Blum R H , Brooks J S , Shiraki M , Frytak S , Parkinson D R 
Published: February 2017

PURPOSE This three-armed phase III study in adults with advanced soft tissue sarcomas was planned as a comparison of objective regression rates, toxicity, and survival of patients receiving doxorubicin alone, ifosfamide plus doxorubicin, and mitomycin plus doxorubicin plus cisplatin. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between December 1987 and July 1990, 279 patients with histologically confirmed sarcomas were enrolled to receive treatment A (doxorubicin 80 mg/m2), treatment B (ifosfamide 7.5 g/m2 plus doxorubicin 60 mg/m2), or treatment C (mitomycin 8 mg/m2 plus doxorubicin 40 mg/m2 plus cisplatin 60 mg/m2). RESULTS Of 262 assessable patients, 74 (29%) achieved objective tumor regression. Objective regression occurred in 20% of the 90 patients who received doxorubicin alone (complete remission [CR] rate, 2%), in 34% of the 88 who received ifosfamide plus doxorubicin (CR rate, 3%), and in 32% of the 84 who received mitomycin plus doxorubicin plus cisplatin (CR rate, 7%). With grade 3 or greater myelosuppression in 53% of group A, 80% of group B, and 55% of group C, regimen B was significantly more myelosuppressive than either regimen A or C (P = .01) with two, three, and one treatment-related deaths, respectively. Synovial sarcomas were responsive to ifosfamide plus doxorubicin, especially among patients younger than 40 years of age. CONCLUSION Ifosfamide plus doxorubicin produced a significantly higher regression rate (P = .03) than did doxorubicin alone; however, this was achieved at a level of myelosuppression significantly more intense than that produced by the single agent or by the three-drug combination. Mitomycin, doxorubicin, and cisplatin also appeared to be more active than the single agent; however, at a myelosuppression level similar to that of doxorubicin alone, this trend (P = .07) did not attain the usual level for significance. No significant survival differences were observed.
Magnetic resonance imaging in the staging of solitary plasmacytoma of bone.
Authors: Moulopoulos L A , Dimopoulos M A , Weber D , Fuller L , Libshitz H I , Alexanian R 
Published: February 2017

PURPOSE To assess prospectively the role of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the staging of patients with a solitary bone plasmacytoma (SBP). PATIENTS AND METHODS Twelve consecutive patients with an apparent SBP underwent MR imaging of both the primary tumor and the thoracic and lumbosacral spine to seek additional foci of marrow involvement that might have been undetected by standard skeletal survey. All patients received megavoltage irradiation (total dose, 40 Gy) to the primary lesion. RESULTS MR imaging of the thoracic and lumbosacral spine showed additional foci of marrow replacement in four of 12 patients, with signal characteristics identical to those of the primary tumor. In all four patients, the abnormal protein persisted at greater than 50% of the pretreatment value following radiation treatment. In contrast, the myeloma protein disappeared or was reduced by greater than 50% in five of the six patients with secretory disease and without additional marrow abnormalities. One of four patients progressed to multiple myeloma 10 months after diagnosis with new lesions on conventional radiographs in the same areas as detected previously by MR imaging. CONCLUSION Four of 12 patients considered to have a SBP by standard criteria may have been understaged, because MR imaging showed additional marrow abnormalities consistent with myeloma. MR imaging of the spine may contribute to the initial staging of SBP, especially since some patients may be cured with radiotherapy.