Gemcitabine and cisplatin in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: national cancer institute Cairo experience

The aim of the present study is to document the antitumor activity of the combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin for the treatment of advanced NSCLC, assess the nature and severity of the side effects and elicit the impact of the combination chemotherapy on progression free survival and overall survival. From August 1997 to August 2001 we conducted a phase II study of gemcitabine and cisplatin in 60 chemonaive patients [21 stage IIIB and 39 stage IV]. For the first 34 cases, gemcitabine was given at a dose of 1,000 mg/m[2] IV on days 1, 8 and 15 with cisplatin 100 mg/m[2] on day 15, every 28 days. In the following 26 patients, the regimen was modified to gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m[2] days 1 and 8 and cisplatin 80 mg/m[2] day 1, every 21 days. Patients included 53 males and 7 females [median age. 52 years [range, 28-69]]. Twenty-nine had adenocarcinoma, 18 large-cell carcinoma and 13 squamous-cell carcinoma. Thirty-one patients had a performance status [PS] of 2 and 22 presented with weight loss. All patients were evaluable for response. Three patients achieved a complete response [CR] and 22 had partial response [PR], giving an overall response of 41.7%, with a median duration of 10 months [range, 4-46 months]. The time to progression [TTP] was 8 months [range, 2-46 months], with a median overall survival of 9 months [range, 2-46 months]. The one-year survival rate was 30.3% for the entire study population, 44% for responders, and statistically improved in patients with a PS of 1 and those with no weight loss. A total of 255 cycles were administered [median, four cycles/patient]. Myelosuppresion was significant [but manageable] with grade 3/4 neutropenia in 32.6% of cases, anemia in 18.6% and thrombocytopenia in 20.4%, Nonhematologic toxicity was limited to grade 3/4 nausea and vomiting in 28.8% of cases and impaired liver enzymes in 13.6%. Inspite of the relatively poor prognostic characteristics in the study population, gemcitabine and cisplatin was an effective combination with tolerable, manageable toxicity in advanced NSCLC

Australia antigen and anti-australia antibody in lymphomas, leukemias and breast cancer

The sera of 90 lymphoma and 60 leukemic patients were studied for the presence of either HBsAg or anti-HBs using counter-electrophoresis. In addition, the study included 40 breast cancer patients and 20 normal healthy subjects as controls. The findings indicated a close and specific association between hepatitis B infection and leukemia. The frequency of exposure in leukemia patients was 17% compared to 5% in the other groups. Acute leukemia cases with positive HBsAg or anti-HBs reactions indicated a group with very bad prognosis. The causal relationship of hepatitis B virus to certain types of leukemias was discussed