Effect of radiotherapy on serum ferritin in cancer breast patients

This study included 20 infiltrating duct carcinoma patients, who were tested for serum ferritin before and after post operative radiotherapy. We followed the radiotherapy regimen of NEMROCK. Their values were compared to those of 20 normal controls. Cancer breast patients had significantly higher values of serum ferritin when compared to the control. This was found in both the pre treatment and post treatment groups. However, two to three months after completing radiotherapy, serum ferritin significantly dropped to a level below the pre treatment value. Our results prove that serum ferritin may be used as a reliable marker of tumor burden during the the follow-up of cancer breast patients. It can also be used to assess the radiotherapy effect on the tumor

Prospective non-randomized trial for the evaluation of anti-estrogen agent [tamoxifen] in the palliation of patients with unrespectable hepatocellular carcinoma

This is a prospective non-randomized trial including 14 patients suffering from unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma who attended Kasr El Aini Center for Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Mcdicine [NEMROCK], from January 1991 till January 1994. All patients received the anti-estrogen Tamoxifen [TAM], as a palliative treatment. The maximum survival was 24 months [two patients], and the minimum survival was three months [five patients]. The maximum duration of subjective response was 18 months, and the minimum duration of subjective response was two months. There was an objective response evidenced by a drop of the median level of serum alpha-fetoprotein. The drop in serum alpha fetoprotein was maintained for 6 months in 12 patients and in two patients, it was maintained for 18 months

Trace elements in breast cancer

Copper, zinc, iron and manganese were evaluated in sera of 20 female cancer breast patients and 20 control females of matching age. Serum copper, iron, copper/zinc ratio and manganese were found to be significantly higher in the cancer breast group when compared to the normal controls. Serum zinc was found to be insignificantly lower in the cancer breast group. Serum iron had the highest sensitivity and specificity among the studied trace elements

value of booster dose for local residual primary lesion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Twenty two patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma with a documented residual lesion in the nasopharynx at 66 GY [clinically and/or pathologically] were studied. Booster dose 10-14 Gy was given in 14 patients while 8 patients did not receive the boost. The value of booster dose was reflected favourably upon the overall response rate and its duration and on the disease free survival rates. Among 14 patients received the boost, 3 have partial remission for a median 18 months and 11 patients have complete remission for a median 30 months. For the 8 patients left unboosted only one patients maintained a complete remission for 30 months; 3 patients have partial remission for a median 15 months and 4 patients with stationary disease for 12 months. The total local recurrence, rates of both groups of patients were 21.4% [3/14] and 87.5% [7/8], respectively. Local recurrence was relatively high among patients with primary well to moderately differentiated epitheliomas than poorly to un-differentiated ones, even in boosted patients. The disease-free survival rate for the whole study group was 50% at 36 months with a median follow-up period and overall survival of 27 and 14.5 months for the patients with and without primary boosting, respectively. Disease free-survival rate was significantly higher for the boosted than non-boosted patients [80% and 13% at 20 months, respectively], and with 73% disease free-survival at 36 months for the boosted patients. From this-study, we believe that booster dose for residual lesion in the nasopharynx [better pathologically proved] is necessary to improve the local control and the disease-free survival of patients