[Effects of hydro alcoholic ginger extracts on the body weight, testis weight and spermatogenesis in male rats undergoing chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide]

Cyclophosphamide is used as an anti cancer medicine in chemotherapy. This is an alkalizing medicine and causes the binding of DNA strands, breaking of DNA and control of protein synthesis and RNA. The side effects of this medicine include lack of appetite, nausea, reduction in activity of sexual lymph nodes, causing amenorrhea, azoospermia and oligospermia. Ginger includes many compounds, some of which are shogaols, gingerols, pyrogallols and sesquiterpenes. Ginger has anti nauseating, anti cancer, anti oxidant effects and eliminates free radicals. This medicine is used along with cyclophosphamide to reduce its destructive side effects in the body. For 21 days, the rates were fed with ginger and cyclophosphamide. After 21 days, the animals were weighed and rendered unconscious. Their testes were removed and tissue samples were provided from their tests. The results showed that cyclophosphamide alone reduces body weight, testes weight and spermatogenesis as compared to the control group. In other experimental groups that were fed with ginger and cyclophosphamide, increased dosage of ginger increased the body weight, the testes weight and spermatogenesis in comparison to other experimental groups. It seems that compounds present in ginger are anti tumoral and control the production of active metabolites. Therefore, if administered together with Cyclophosphamide, it can be useful and effective in patients undergoing chemotherapy

Combination chemotherapy with epirubicin and vinorelbine in metastatic breast cancer

Anthracyclines and vinorelbine have shown good response rates as single agent chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer. A pahse I study has shown improved results by combining these two drugs. On the basis of this we carried out a phase II study in Oncology Department, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, in which the efficacy and side effects of epirubicin-vinorelbine as first-line chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer evaluated. The purpose of this phase II study was to observe the effects of combination of epirubicin and vinorelbine in metastatic breast cancer as first-line chemotherapy in our population. From July 2000 to June 2001, chemo naive patients with metastatic breast cancer were given combination chemotherapy comprising epirubicin 100 mg/m2 i.v. infusion on day 1 and vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 i.v infusion on day 1 and 8. A total of six cycles were given to all patients with 3 weekly intervals. Patients with grade 3 and 4 neutropenia were also given G-CSF support. Seven out of 26 patients were pre menopausal and 73.07% were post menopausal. All patients had WHO performance status of > 3. Four [15.38%] out of 26 patients had complete response [CR] and 53.84% had partial response [PR] making and overall response of 69.22 and. Stable disease was observed in 5[19.23%] patients whereas 3 [11.53%] had progressive disease. Neutropenia was the most common side effect observed which was grade 4 in 6[23.07%] patients and grade 3 in 10 [38.46%] patients. Other side effects were mild to moderate. As first line chemotherapyv in treatment of metastatic breast cancer, the combination of epirubicin and vinorelbine is an active and cost effective regimen, with less side effects and excellent tolerability