Adjuvant chemotherapy in surgicallyresect able locally advanced colorectal carcinoma: fluoro-uracilbiomodulationby folinicacid versus interferon

Surgical curative resection of locally advanced colorectal cancer [stage B2 and C] is unfortunately followed by high risk of recurrent malignancies. Ultimate control requires effective adjuvant therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate efficiency of two regimens of modulation of adjuvant 5 fluorouracil [5 FU] by folinic acid versus interferon after surgical resection of locally advanced colorectal carcinoma. 105 patients with histologically proven colorectal carcinoma [stage B2 and C only] were included in this study. Patients were subjected to surgical treatment with operative resection followed by randomization into 3 groups, each of 35 patients. Group A received 5 FU alone, group B received in addition calcium leucovarin [L V], while group C received interferon in addition to 5 FU. Patients were followed up for a median of three years. All groups were comparable as regard age, sex, histological type, stage and clinical presentation. Three years overall and disease- free survival were relatively higher in patients of group B and C, that received 5 FU modulators. Also recurrence rate was less in group B and C than in group A, but not reaching a significant level. The clinical stage of the disease was the most important prognostic factor followed by the histopathological differentiation of the tumour. Most of patients tolerated chemotherapy with transient mild to moderate degree toxicities. Hematological and gastro intestinal toxicities were comparable in the 3 groups in group C there was mild toxicities related to interferon

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer [NSCLC]

This study included 12 patients with locally advanced histologically proven non-small cell carcinoma of the lung who presented to Kasr El-Aini Center of Oncology and Nuclear Medicine [NEMROCK] from the first of August to the first of December, 1993. Patients received 3 cycles of neoadjuvant Carboplatin [300 mg/m [2]] I.V. bolus on day 1] and VP16 [120 mg/m [2] I.V. infusion over 30 minutes day 1 to day 3] followed by radiation therapy [45 Gy to the primary and mediastinum followed by 15 - 20 Gy boost to the primary]. 92% of cases were males with a mean age of 52 +/- 15 years, history of cigarette smoking has been observed in 58.4%. Adenocarcinoma was the most frequent pathological type [50%] followed by squamous cell [41.6%] and large cell carcinoma [8.4%]. Eleven cases were considered evaluable for assessment of treatment response with a median follow up of 9 months. The overall response rate was 64%. One case showed complete response [CR], 6 showed partial response [PR] and were considered responders while 4 showed no change [NC] and considered non-responders. Squamous cell carcinoma was statistically better than adenocarcinoma [80% of the former showed PR versus 33% of the latter]. In this study, the responders showed a better total actuarial survival than the non-responders