ABSTRACT
The efficacy and toxicity of irinotecan (CPT-11) 350 mg/m(2) i.v. once every 3 weeks was assessed in 60 patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) showing failure to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment. The overall objective response rate was 13.6% (1 complete response and 4 partial responses) and 25 patients (42.4%) showed stable disease; the median time to disease progression was 4.4 months and the median survival was 10.5 months. The main non-hematological toxicities were alopecia (80.3% of patients), diarrhea (75.0%), and nausea/vomiting (71.7%); neutropenia was the main hematological toxicity. Grade 3 or 4 diarrhea appeared in 21 of 131 cycles (16.1%), whereas grade 3 or 4 neutropenia appeared in 78 cycles (25.0%). In conclusion, the present phase II study confirms that CPT-11 350 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks is active and well tolerated as second-line chemotherapy for CRC in 5-FU resistant patients.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/drug therapy , Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Camptothecin/analogs & derivatives , Camptothecin/therapeutic use , Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects , Fluorouracil/therapeutic use , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Alopecia/chemically induced , Camptothecin/adverse effects , Camptothecin/pharmacology , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Diarrhea/chemically induced , Drug Administration Schedule , Female , Fluorouracil/administration & dosage , Humans , Infusions, Intravenous , Irinotecan , Liver Neoplasms/secondary , Lung Neoplasms/secondary , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Metastasis , Neutropenia/chemically induced , Spain , Treatment Outcome , Vomiting/chemically inducedABSTRACT
During two years (1997-1999) an investigation of possible infections of chlamydial etiology in outpatients with follicular conjunctivitis was carried out, through the use of specific assays. Fifty-seven selected patients with presumptive inclusion conjunctivitis were diagnosed by means of ophthalmoscopic examination and bilateral tarsal-conjunctiva swabbing for microorganisms. The possible presence of Chlamydia trachomatis was tested by immunofluorescence microscopy and isolation in cell culture of McCoy line. Of the 57 conjunctivitis patients screened, 37 (65%) proved to be positive by cell culture (CC) and 27 (47%) by direct immunofluorescence (IFD). A good agreement between the two assays was observed, where the CC was more sensitive than IFD. Of these 37 patients with chlamydial conjunctivitis, 23 (62%) were women, with over one-third of them ranging in age from 45 to 65 years. Their clinical records revealed an evolution period of 1 to 12 months. Eighteen (78%) of these women reported previous genital pathology, while 4 (29%) of the 14 men had a history of urethritis by Chlamydia trachomatis. A high frequency of follicular conjunctivitis by Chlamydia (65%) in the screened patients was observed, without any evidence of urogenital signs and symptoms at the moment of the study.
Subject(s)
Chlamydia trachomatis/isolation & purification , Conjunctivitis, Inclusion/microbiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Cell Culture Techniques , Conjunctivitis, Inclusion/diagnosis , Female , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
During two years (1997-1999) an investigation of possible infections of chlamydial etiology in outpatients with follicular conjunctivitis was carried out, through the use of specific assays. Fifty-seven selected patients with presumptive inclusion conjunctivitis were diagnosed by means of ophthalmoscopic examination and bilateral tarsal-conjunctiva swabbing for microorganisms. The possible presence of Chlamydia trachomatis was tested by immunofluorescence microscopy and isolation in cell culture of McCoy line. Of the 57 conjunctivitis patients screened, 37 (65
) proved to be positive by cell culture (CC) and 27 (47
) by direct immunofluorescence (IFD). A good agreement between the two assays was observed, where the CC was more sensitive than IFD. Of these 37 patients with chlamydial conjunctivitis, 23 (62
) were women, with over one-third of them ranging in age from 45 to 65 years. Their clinical records revealed an evolution period of 1 to 12 months. Eighteen (78
) of these women reported previous genital pathology, while 4 (29
) of the 14 men had a history of urethritis by Chlamydia trachomatis. A high frequency of follicular conjunctivitis by Chlamydia (65
) in the screened patients was observed, without any evidence of urogenital signs and symptoms at the moment of the study.
