Phase II study of carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel combination chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a Kansai Clinical Oncology Group study.

The objective of this phase II study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel combination chemotherapy in previously untreated, advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients received paclitaxel at a dose of 70 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, 15, and carboplatin with the target dose of area under the curve (AUC) of 6 on day 1 every 28 days. Forty-six patients were enrolled. A median of four cycles (range, 1-13) were administered. Complete response was observed in one patient (2.2%) and partial response in 23 patients (50%), yielding an overall intent-to-treat response rate of 52.2% (95% confidence interval, 37.8-66.6%). The median survival time was 395 days and 1-year survival rate was 51.4%. Toxicities were mild. Twelve patients (26%) had grade 3 and three patients (7%) had grade 4 neutropenia. Grade 3 thrombocytopenia was seen in four patients (8%). Massive hematoemesis due to duodenal ulcer was observed in one patient, but no other patients experienced grade 3 or more non-hematological toxicities. There was no treatment-related death. Carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel combination chemotherapy is an efficacious and feasible regimen in patients with advanced NSCLC, and this treatment will be a reasonable alternative to the conventional triweekly regimen of paclitaxel and carboplatin.

Dynamic activity-induced manganese-dependent contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DAIM MRI).

Activity-induced manganese-dependent contrast (AIM) MRI is a hemodynamic-independent functional MRI method that used manganese ion as an MR-detectable contrast agent. In AIM, MnCl(2) is infused intra-arterially after the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is opened with a hyperosmolar agent. Upon functional stimulation of the brain, Mn(2+) accumulates in the active region(s) by entering active cells through voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels, causing local signal increases in T(1)-weighted images. The contrast of AIM MRI depends strongly on the depth of anesthesia, and the low levels used in somatosensory stimulation studies can lead to significant nonspecific accumulation of manganese ion throughout the brain. The purpose of this study was to produce an AIM functional map of somatosensory stimulation, which separates the stimulation-specific signal increase from the nonspecific activation due to light anesthesia. A dynamic AIM (DAIM) paradigm was developed, which used sequential MR scans during MnCl(2) infusion, prior to and following functional stimulation of the brain. Stimulation-specific functional maps were produced using time-course analysis. The new method was tested during glutamate administration and electric stimulation of the rat forepaw. It was shown that DAIM maps are better confined to the specific region of brain activated by somatosensory stimulation as compared to AIM MRI.