Comparison of accelerated hyperfractionated and conventional radiotherapy for high grade glioma

The objective of this study was to compare accelerated hyperfractionated radiotherapy with conventional fractionation in patients with high grade glioma regarding its effect on the survival complications, time, convenience and progression during treatment. Between March 1998 and February 2000, 36 patients with high-grade glioma [groups III and IV] were treated with either accelerated hyperfractionated radiotherapy [1.5 Gy twice daily to a total dose of 60 Gy, treatment time 4 weeks, n = 18] or with conventional radiotherapy [1.8-2 Gy daily to a total dose of 60 Gy, treatment time 6-6.5 weeks, n = 18]. The results showed that the median survival time [MST] was 14.4 months for AHF group and 13.5 months for CF group. The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 61.1% and 27.8% versus 55.6% and 22.2%. The median time to progression [MTP] was 13 months for AHF group and 10.9 months for CF group and the 2-year progression free survival was 22.2% versus 16.7%. Thus, there was no significant difference between the two groups

Effect of 5-fluorouracil plus vitamins A and E on methotrexate toxicity

The synergistic sequential administration of methotrexate [MTX] and 5-fluorouracil [5-FU] plus vitamins A and E was investigated in 60 mature albino rats. The animals were divided into six equal groups, five test groups and a control one that received distilled water. The results of the hematopoietic elements revealed non- significant differences between scheduling of MTX after a priming dose of 5-FU plus vitamins A and E or 5-FU plus vitamins A and E and the control; while BW and BM cellularity showed a very mild reduction with the group of prior administration of 5-Fu plus vitamins to MTX. The simultaneously treated group revealed a moderate reduction in BW and BM cellularity with a significant reduction in hematopoietic elements. However, a sequential treatment with MTX, followed by 5-FU plus vitamins A and E and MTX alone resulted in a marked reduction in BW and BM cellularity, together with an extremely highly significant reduction in hematopoietic elements

HLA-antigen association with cancer cervix: prognostic and genetic values

The present study was carried out on 26 patients with cancer cervix of various grades and histological types to investigate the possible association of HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DR in sera and paraffin embedded sections prepared from tumor tissue. Significant increase in frequency of HLA-B7, B14 and HLA-DR7 was detected in patient's sera compared to those of controls. HLA-DR antigen was expressed in tumor tissue in majority of patients. The intensity of immune expression varied inversely with the survival of patients and varied inversely with the degree of tumor differentiation and proportionally with the severity of associating immuno-competent cellular infiltrate. Despite the relatively little number of studied patient our data confirms an immuno-genetic base in susceptibility to the disease and points to HLA-antigen expression in tumor tissue as a negatively influencing factor, not to be forgotten during evaluating the prognosis of patients with cancer cervix

Cysteine: as a radio-protector against total body irradiation syndromes an experimental study

The radioprotective effect of cysteine on the haemopoietic and gastrointestinal syndromes, was investigated on forty five mature albino rats which divided equally into: two test groups and a control group. The rats of the two test groups were exposed to total body irradiation [2000 cGy]. Cysteine was given intraperitoneally[1 05 mg/gm.] to the rats of the second group, 15 minutes before exposure to the irradiation. Statistical analysis of the blood picture and jejunal crypts mitoses, showed a high significant decrease in the first group with a remarkable significant improvement in the second group [except for Hb concentration and RBCs count]. All these results are supported by the clinical observations, bone marrow cellularity and histopathological findings