Malignant melanoma brain metastases. Review of Roswell Park Memorial Institute experience.

One-hundred twenty five of 700 patients with malignant melanoma treated at Roswell Park Memorial Institute from 1972 to 1978 were found to have brain metastases. Seventy-three percent of the patients had multiple brain metastases. Male to female ratio was 1.9:1. The median survival of the untreated group of patients was 3 weeks as compared with that of 6 weeks for the patients maintained on steroids only, 9 weeks for those who received radiotherapy, 11 weeks for the patients treated with intraarterial chemotherapy, and 26 weeks for the patients who underwent successful surgical excision of a solitary lesion.

Intraarterial 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) and systemic chemotherapy for malignant gliomas: a follow-up study.

Twenty-five adults who harbored malignant gliomas received 72 courses of intraarterial 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) (100 mg/m2) and 67 courses of systemic vincristine (1.0 mg/m2) and procarbazine (100 mg/m2) as induction therapy (BVP) followed by 106 courses of systemic 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea (methyl-CCNU) (130 mg/m2), vincristine, and procarbazine as maintenance therapy (MVP). With a 6-week interval between each treatment, the median and range for the number of courses of BVP were 3 and 1 to 4 and those for MVP were 3 and 0 to 14, respectively. Fifteen patients (60%) responded to both BVP and MVP, and 10 (40%) did not. The overall median survival time was 12.7 months (range, 1.8 to 48.5+ months). Two of 3 patients who had recurrent gliomas responded and survived for 37+ to 45+ months. Seven of 10 who had nonirradiated glioblastomas responded and survived for 9 to 22 months. Four who had nonirradiated anaplastic astrocytomas all responded and survived for 38+ to 48.5+ months. Two who also received radiotherapy (1 glioblastoma and 1 primitive neuroectodermal tumor) benefited and survived for 16.9 and 28.5+ months. All who did not respond favorably died within 8 months. During the infusion of BCNU, complications included transient orbital and head pain, periorbital and scleral erythema in all patients, and a focal seizure in 1 (4%). During the 6-month induction periods, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 1 (4%), deep vein thrombosis occurred in 9 (36%), pulmonary emboli occurred in 8 (32%), upper respiratory infections occurred in 6 (24%), pneumonia occurred in 9 (36%), and herpes zoster occurred in 1 (4%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Experience with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for relief of intractable pain in cancer patients.

Sixty patients with intractable cancer pain were subjected to transcutaneous electrical stimulation for pain control. Evaluation, after two weeks of treatment, revealed: 17 (28.3%) excellent response, 22 (36.2%) fair and 21 (35.0%) no relief. Re-assessment after 3 months revealed 9 (15%) excellent responses, 11 (18.3%) fair and 40 (67%) failures. Extremity and trunk pains appeared to be most rewarding to patient pain, so far as pain relief is concerned. Perineal and pelvic pains were most difficult to control, only 5 of 12 (41%) cases obtained some short term relief. Pain location and sources correlated with treatment results.

Use of intrathecal and epidural morphine for pain relief in patients with malignant diseases: a preliminary report.

The results of a preliminary study involving the treatment of various malignant pain disorders by intrathecal (I.T.) or epidural (E) morphine sulfate (M.S.) injections in 18 patients are reported. Fourteen (78%) patients obtained satisfactory analgesic effects and 4 (22%) failed. The overall duration of pain relief was modest and ranged from 10 to 72 hours; the intrathecal route provided a slightly longer duration (median: 48 hours; range: 15-72 hours) of analgesia than that of the epidural route (median: 20 hours; range: 10-72 hours). Minor and transient complications occurred in 10 (55%) patients.

Transsphenoidal stereotaxic cryohypophysectomy for the management of pain in disseminated prostatic carcinoma.

Nineteen adult males with disseminated carcinoma of the prostate gland associated with intractable pain were subjected to a transsphenoidal stereotaxic cryohypophysectomy. Growth hormone (GH) assays following insulin-induced hypoglycemia were obtained once during the preoperative and twice during the postoperative period. In the postoperative assays, a 73% or greater suppression of GH levels correlated with significant clinical remission and extended survival. In all patients who had as much as 73% reduction in GH level, pain relief occurred within 4 days or less after surgery. This study shows that subtotal hypophysectomy may be adequate to achieve satisfactory clinical remission and pain control. GH assay is a useful index of the adequacy of hypophysectomy.

Phase II study--intra-arterial BCNU therapy for metastatic brain tumors.

Thirty-one patients with metastatic brain tumors (MBT) from lung cancer and ten patients with MBT from melanoma received BCNU, 100 mg/m2, every four weeks by intracarotid and/or vertebral artery infusion into each involved site. Twenty-five patients with lung cancer and all melanoma patients are currently evaluable. Twelve patients with lung cancer had complete and partial responses lasting from 1 to 14 months. Four of them with the histologic diagnosis of small cell carcinoma, one with large cell carcinoma and one with squamous cell carcinoma showed complete response. None of the patients with melanoma MBT experienced any response. All of the patients had periorbital erythralgia and/or occipital pain during the infusion. Four patients manifested mild focal seizures during the infusion or 6 to 24 hours after the treatment. Transient confusion with disorientation was observed in two patients 4 and 24 hours, respectively, after a BCNU infusion. Two patients developed reversible thrombocytopenia after the fifth course of the IA chemotherapy. Median survival of patients with MBT from lung carcinoma was 4 months, with two of them still alive at 10 and 14 months, respectively. Only one patients of the 25 with lung carcinoma died from MBT. Failure to control the primary disease resulted in the deaths of a vast majority of the patients.

Chemotherapy of nonirradiated malignant gliomas. Phase II: study of the combination of methyl-CCNU, vincristine, and procarbazine.

Twenty-eight adult patients with nonirradiated malignant gliomas of the brain were administered a combination of methyl-CCNU (130 mg/m2, p.o., day 1), vincristine (2 mg/m2, i.v., day 1) and procarbazine (100 mg/m2, p.o., days 2 to 15) (MVP), scheduled to be given at successive 6 week intervals. Nineteen (67.9%) were not responsive to MVP and 9 (32.1%) were. Of 16 who had previous partial resection of their tumors, 8 (50%) responded to MVP and 8 (50%) did not. Of 12 who had previous biopsy, only 1 (8.3%) responded. Overall 1-year survival rate for the 28 patients was 28.6%. Major side effects of MVP were leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, pulmonary emboli, and thrombophlebitis, detected mainly during the first 20 to 24 weeks of treatment.

Traumatic vertebral arteriovenous fistula associated with cervical spine fracture.

A case of a traumatic vertebral arteriovenous fistula associated with a high cervical fracture-dislocation is reported. The fistula was not suspected clinically but was fortuitously diagnosed by brachial arteriography carried out for a deteriorating level of consciousness. The patient's complex injuries were managed by conservative treatment of the fracture-dislocation and later by ligation of the proximal and distal vertebral artery for trapping of the fistula. The indications and the various surgical procedures for the treatment of vertebral arteriovenous fistula are discussed. The report emphasizes the value of cerebral angiography in head and neck injuries.