Results of chemo-radiotherapy and prognostic factors of small cell lung cancer.

We studied the therapeutic results and prognostic factors in 63 cases of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) experienced in our hospital over the past eight years. In the group initially treated with combination chemotherapy using COMP-VAD, the survival period was significantly prolonged. Use of adjuvant radiotherapy from the beginning had no effect on improvement in the survival period, but the period until local recurrences tended to be prolonged. Prognostic factors influencing survival were analyzed by the log rank test and generalized Wilcoxon test and multivariate analysis by the proportional hazard model of Cox. Statistical significance using univariate analysis was found for six factors (PS, clinical stage, LDH, albumin, treatment protocols, treatment response). The strong prognostic factors determined by multivariate analysis were, in the order of importance, chemotherapy protocol, initial PS, and treatment response.

[The usefulness of 99mTc-PMT cholescintigraphy in the diagnosis of bile leakage or biloma].

5 cases (6 lesions) of bile leakage or bilomas were experienced. All cases showed high accumulative areas in the lesions of bile leakage using 99mTc-PMT cholescintigraphy, while US and CT studies showed no specific findings of fluid-filled areas. Cholescintigraphy demonstrated communications between the injured biliary systems and other spaces very clearly. Even if the needle aspiration failed to get a characteristic bile, which were sometimes seen in bilomas complicated with infection or bleeding, cholescintigraphy was useful for the accurate diagnosis. It is also useful for monitoring the bile drainage.

[Esophago-bronchial fistulas in adult].

Esophago-bronchial fistulas in adult are rare and for the most part are due to a malignant tumor. The authors present two cases of benign Esophago-bronchial fistula which were discovered accidentally by esophagography. One case was considered to be congenital. Esophagography is the most useful for diagnosis of this disease.

[The influence of radiotherapy on T lymphocyte subpopulations analyzed by monoclonal antibodies].

The effect of therapeutic irradiation upon the lymphocyte subpopulation has been investigated in patients with cervical uterine cancer. The influence of radiotherapy was studied on lymphocyte subpopulations analyzed by monoclonal antibodies such as anti-Leu 2a, anti-Leu 3a, anti-Leu 4, anti-Leu 12, and anti-Leu 11a by a FACS analyzer, and by the PHA (phytohemagglutinin) response in 29 patients with cervical uterine cancer. The absolute counts of the various lymphocyte subpopulations were seen to remarkably decrease during radiation therapy, however, their percentages remained unchanged. As for 17 patients with cervical uterine cancer who each received a radical operation, the Th/Ts (T helper T/suppressor) ratio was seen to slightly decrease during radiation therapy. In contrast, in the remaining 12 patients with cervical uterine cancer who each received radiotherapy alone, the Th/Ts ratio was found to be higher than the former cases. This suggests that this phenomenon might be caused by the presence or absence of a tumor.