[Use of microwaves for enhancing or restoring antigens before immunohistochemical staining]. / Utilisation des micro-ondes pour aviver ou restaurer les antigènes avant la réaction immunohistochimique.

In the proposed protocol, the slides are deparaffinized, rehydrated, placed in 0.01 M, pH 6 citrate buffer and irradiated 3 x 5 minutes in a microwave oven (power output = 650 Watts) before immunostaining. This enables a positive staining for some antibodies and an enhancement of staining intensity for most antibodies.

[Chemotherapy in 143 advanced epithelial cancers of the ovary. Experience at the Hôtel-Dieu of Quebec and Hôpital Saint-Antoine (Paris)]. / La chimiothérapie dans 143 cancers épithéliaux avancés de l'ovaire. Expérience de l'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec et de l'Hôpital Saint-Antoine (Paris).

Results of initial chemotherapy in 143 patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer are presented. Twenty-five patients were treated with alkylating agents, their median survival was 13 months and 15% were alive at 4 years. Nineteen received Cyclophosphamide-Methotrexate-5 Fluorouracil with or without Hexamethylmelamine, median survival was 22 months and 4 years survival was 20%. Forty-eight were treated with Adriamycin and Cisplatinum, their objective response rate proven by second-look laparotomy was 54.4% (26.1% complete response), median survival was 23 months and 35% were alive at 4 years. Thirty-one received Hexamethylmelamine, 5 Fluorouracil, Adriamycin and Cisplatinum with a median survival of 18 months and 4 years survival of 15%. Twenty had various other chemotherapy regimens, their median survival was only 8 months. Recent advances in the therapy of ovarian carcinoma are also discussed.

Adriamycin and cis-platinum in advanced ovarian cancer.

Forty-eight patients with stage III and IV ovarian epithelial carcinoma were treated with single doses of adriamycin (ADM) 50 mg/m2 and cis-platinum (DDP) 50 mg/m2 every month for nine courses. The pathologically proven response rate was 52.2%, with 22.7% complete response and 29.5% partial response. Median survival was 22 months for all patients, 25 months in stage III and 15 months in stage IV. This study confirms that ADM-DDP is a valuable drug regimen in advanced ovarian carcinoma but further progress is needed to improve the cure rate, which remains low.