Effect of chronic peritoneal fluid eosinophilia on peritoneal membrane function.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of long-term persistent peritoneal fluid eosinophilia on the peritoneal membrane as reflected by a change in dialysis function. This was a prospective study undertaken at a community-based peritoneal dialysis unit, where thirty-one patients were enrolled over a 9-month period. Chronic, long-term peritoneal fluid eosinophilia was noted in 12/31 (38.7%) patients. Significant differences were not noted between values of creatinine clearance, D/P urea and Kt/V, compared to their baseline values. This study shows that long-term peritoneal fluid eosinophilia does not significantly affect peritoneal membrane function in patients on maintenance peritoneal dialysis.

Comparison of survival. Chemotherapeutically treated and untreated older patient with acute myeloid leukemia.

Survival of older patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia treated with chemotherapy was compared with those given only supportive care. The treated group was younger and had better survival. The benefits which measure in months must be balanced against socioeconomic cost, toxicity of therapy, patient wishes, and evolving information about the standards of management in the older leukemia patient.

Cancer drug therapy.

The chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer has evolved into a major treatment modality. Better results than ever before are being recorded with the integration of this approach into the early and total management of cancer. Although complex and toxic, these drugs and their combinations are contributing in new ways to the treatment of more and more patients. More than 50% of those people afflicted with cancer in 1991 became long-term survivors. Most of these survivors are destined to be followed on a long-term basis by their family doctor.

Fixed drug eruption from pamabrom.

A young woman presented with recurrent skin lesions that were predominantly perioral. Fixed drug reaction was diagnosed based on her history of intermittent ingestion of Pamprin, a common menstrual symptom reliever, and characteristic erythematous, pigmented, edematous patches. After oral challenge with two of the three ingredients in Pamprin, a diagnosis of fixed drug reaction to pamabrom was made. Pamabrom is a mild diuretic present in several over-the-counter and prescription menstrual symptom relievers. This is the first reported case of fixed drug reaction to pamabrom.

Antibodies to mouse mammary tumor virus-related antigen in sera of patients with breast carcinoma.

Sera from patients with breast carcinoma, benign breast disease, malignancies other than breast carcinoma, and healthy female controls were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence for the presence of antibodies directed toward antigens of mouse mammary tumor. Sera from 56 to 137 (40.9%) patients with breast carcinoma were positive. Positive reactivity was also found in sera from 5 to 27 (18.5%) patients with benign breast disease, in 7 of 60 (11.7%) patients with malignancies other than breast carcinoma, and in 2 of 56 (3.6%) female controls. In the group of patients with breast carcinoma a correlation was noted between age and the probability of detection of these antibodies. Histopathologic examination of breast cancers indicated that antibodies to antigens in mouse mammary tumors were more often found in patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the mucinous type than with other types of breast tumors. No correlation was demonstrable between the incidence of detection of these antibodies and the stage of the disease. Immunochemical analyses indicated that the antibody activity was present in IgG and IgM classes of immunoglobulins. The human antibodies to antigens in mouse mammary tumors could be removed from patients' sera by absorption with disrupted mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) but not with gp52 or gp34 (52,000 and 34,000 dalton polypeptides) of MMTV, or with Rauscher mouse leukemia virus (MLV).

Benign mass lesions after therapy for Hodgkin's disease.

Two patients with stage 2A Hodgkin's disease were treated with chemotherapy followed by radiation therapy. After treatment, both patients had mass lesions. Resection and histologic examination of these lesions showed only fibrosis, necrosis, and inflammation. Benign mass lesions occurring after therapy for Hodgkin's disease have not been previously described.

A methodological approach to the prediction of anticancer drug effect in humans.

Tumor cells from animals and humans were treated with drugs under tissue culture conditions. Tumor cells from the sensitive L1210 model were studied first. A dose-response curve was derived between drug exposure and subsequent cytotoxicity in L1210. The concentration of drug and duration of exposure were factors critical to the subsequent development of in vitro cytotoxicity. The in vitro dosage which effected 50% leukemic cell death in L1210 cells correlated with reported in vivo drug levels. Other tumor models and human neoplastic cells were studied at this dosage level. A good correlation was noted in these studies between the in vivo responsiveness and the in vitro chemotherapy results in both animals and humans. It was suggested by these results that it may be possible to predict cancericidal drug activity for individual neoplasms by assaying the tumor cells in vitro for drug sensitivity.

Melanoma in a patient treated for psoriasis.

Psoriasis, ultraviolet light, and coal tar have been associated with the development of cutaneous malignancy. We have described a 32-year-old psoriatic man who developed a melanoma after 16 years of treatment with ultraviolet light and coal tar. This is the only case of melanoma occurring in a patient treated for psoriasis reported in the world literature.

5-Flourouracil in hepatocellular carcinoma: report of twenty-one cases.

Twenty-one patients with biopsy-proven hepatocellular carcinoma were treated with oral or intravenous 5-Fluorouracil according to a randomized treatment schedule. Twenty-one patients were evaluable for response and toxicity. The two groups were comparable in distribution of pretreatment characteristics. There were no objective responses in either group. This is the largest reported group of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with 5-Fluorouracil. Toxicity occurred in 46% of patients treated, but was tolerable. In contrast to previous reports, we have found that weekly 5-Fluorouracil given orally or intravenously is not of significant value in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Bleomycin (NSC-125066) therapy of responsive solid tumors.

110 patients with far advanced head and neck squamous or testicular carcinoma were treated with bleomycin given by intravenous (i.v.) or intramuscular (i.m.) injection according to a randomized assignment. While responses were observed more frequently in patients treated by the intramuscular route, no superiority can be attributed clearly to intramuscular therapy. Responses were seen in 6.2% of head and neck squamous carcinoma patients (5/81; i.m. 3/38, 8%; i.v. 2/41, 5%) while 14% of testicular tumors responded (4/29; i.m. 4/13, 29%; i.v. 0/16, 0%). Toxicity was, in general, manageable.

Treatment of advanced lymphomas with bleomycin (NSC-125066).

88 patients with far-advanced lymphomatous malignancy were treated with Bleomycin given by either intramuscular (i. m.) or intravenous (i. v.) injection according to a randomized treatment assignment. Response occurred most frequently in Hodgkin's disease (i. m. 7/24; i. v. 4/18), least often in histiocytic lymphomas (i. m. 0/8; i. v. 1/8), and with intermediate frequency in lymphocytic lymphomas (i. m. 3/16; i. v. 0/14). While toxicity was common (70%), severe toxicity was unusual (8%) with severe pulmonary toxicity occurring in four patients (three i.m.; one i.v.). All three drug associated deaths occurred in i. m. patients. Unexpected life-threatening pericarditis occurred in two i. m. treated patients. Although response and drug related deaths occurred more often in the i. m. patients, the comparison with i. v. patients was not statistically different.