study of pre and post chemoradiation 5-FU and gemcitabine for combined treatment of advanced unresected non metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma

To evaluate local effects and acute toxicities of involved field irradiation with concurrent gemcitabine [GEM], 5-flourouracil [5FU] for unresectable pancreatic carcinoma. Thirty patients with unresectable pancreatic carcinoma were treated between July 2002 and April 2004 with neoadjuvant combination chemotherapy 5FU [500 mg/m[2]] and GEM at 1000 mg/m[2] days 1, 8 and 15 [one cycle] followed by chemoradiotherapy [CCRT] using a combination of GEM 75mg/m[2] /week and bolus 5FU [500mg/m[2]] given concurrently days 1-3, at the beginning of each 20Gy of radiotherapy to a median radiation dose of 50.4 Gy in 1.8 Gy daily fractions to a standard pancreatic field. Eighteen males and 12 females were enrolled. Median age was 62.5 [range 47-74 years], ECOG PS 0/1 = 10/11 patients. As for the primary site, only five patients [16.7%] achieved a complete response at one year; however, seven additional patients attained >50% tumor reduction for an overall response rate of 40%. Grade 3 and 4 Leukopenia [33% and 6.7%], thrombocytopenia [40 and 16.7%], nausea/vomiting [20% and 0%]. Median survival time and survival at 1 year were 14 months and 62.5%, respectively, for the entire group. Involved-field irradiation with concurrent GEM/5FU was well tolerated without compromising locoregional effects. Further studies with other combinations of GEM and 5-FU are not compelling, and clinical trial resources should address other combinations and novel agents

Pathobiochemical studies on the effect of cytoxan, 5- fluorouracil and methotrexate [CMF] on the liver of mice

The effect of Cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate and Fluorouracil [CMF] on the liver enzymes and liver histopathology was investigated in experimental mice. The drugs were administered on single drug bases and in combination in two schedules, one-day pulse and/or once every other day for 5 doses. The toxicity was measured by determination of serum liver enzymes [5-Nucleotidase, Alkaline phosphatase and glucose-6-phosphatase]. Histopathological examination of mice liver showed that the initial changes that were observed by one day pulse administration was stronger than that observed after repeated small doses. However, the rate of recovery was much rapid after single administration. Among the enzymes tested it seems that serum alkaline phosphatase was the most sensetive one that reflects the pathological changes of the liver

Pathobiochemical studies on the effect of cytoxan, 5- fluorouracil and methotrexate [CMF] on mice intestine

The effect of cyclophosphamide, Methotrexate and Fluorouracil [CMF] was investigated on intestinal enzymes [5-nucleotidase, Alkaline phosphatase and Glucose-6-phosphatase] as well as on the histopathology of intestinal mucosa of mice. The drugs were given either as single agent or in combination in two dose schedule, a one day puls therapy or once every other day for 5 doses. Intestinal 5-nucleotidase is the most significantly elevated enzyme and no sign of recovery was observed 10 days after [CMF] administration. Histopathology of mice intestine showed that the initial changes that were observed by repeated small doses were more severe than those observed after single pulse administration, recovery of which needs more than ten days