Magnetic circular dichroism of 3d5/2 --> 2p3/2 resonant inelastic X-ray scattering at the Ho L(III)-edge in Ho3Fe5O12.

Magnetic Circular Dichroism (MCD) of Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS) of 3d(5/2) --> 2p(3/2) decay (Ho Lalpha1) was measured at the Ho L(III)-edge in Ho3Fe5O12. The MCD-RIXS, in which the intermediate state has the 2p4f(n+1) configuration due to the quadrupolar transition of 2p --> 4f, was also observed at the pre-edge region of the Ho L(III)-edge. The obvious superposition of two peaks, which comes from the high-energy off-resonant Raman scattering and the fluorescence, could be found in both the RIXS and the MCD-RIXS when the energy of the incoming X-ray was 7eV higher than the white line. The dependence of the integration of the MCD-RIXS spectra on the incident x-ray energy could roughly reproduce the MCD of X-ray absorption spectra (XAS).

[Prognostic factors in unresectable lung cancer].

Seventy-seven prognostic factors influencing survival time in patients with unresectable lung cancer treated from 1964 to 1983 at Aichi Cancer Center Hospital were analyzed using univariate analysis by log rank test and multivariate analysis by proportional hazard model of Cox. Statistical significance using univariate analysis was identified in 19 factors in small cell lung cancer patients, and in 40 factors in non-small cell lung cancer patients. The string prognostic factors determined by multivariate analysis were, in the order of importance, serum LDH level, chest pain, peripheral lymphocyte count, bone marrow metastasis, brain metastasis, age, and performance status in small cell lung cancer patients. These 7 factors had a p value of less than 0.01. On the other hand, they were the number of metastatic sites, performance status, serum albumin level, serum LDH level, sex, BUN level, N category according to TNM staging system in non-small cell lung cancer patients, with a p value of less than 0.001. The most important prognostic factors were serum LDH level in small cell lung cancer, and the number of metastatic sites and performance status in non-small cell lung cancer. A metastasis to bone marrow or brain was a more important prognostic factor than overall M category in small cell lung cancer patients, and the number of metastatic sites rather than clinical stage classification or TNM staging system in non-small cell lung cancer patients with respect to staging system. Accurate evaluation of the treatment results in unresectable lung cancer patients must take the strong prognostic factors into account.

[Cyclic alternating combination chemotherapy of small cell carcinoma of the lung].

Twenty-six consecutive previously untreated patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung were treated with cyclic alternating combination chemotherapy. COAM consists of cyclophosphamide 140 mg/m2 i.v. day 1 through 5, vincristine 1.3 mg/m2 i.v. day 1 and 15, ACNU 50 mg/m2 i.v. day 1, methotrexate 7 mg/m2 i.v. day 1 through 5 repeated at 4 week intervals. VAP consists of VP-16 100 mg/m2 p.o. day 1 through 5, adriamycin 30 mg/m2 i.v. day 1, procarbazine 100 mg/m2 p.o. day 1 through 14 repeated at 4 week intervals. The order of alternating course was determined by the time of entry into the study. There were 12 complete and partial responses (86%) among 14 patients treated with COAM-VAP including 6 complete responses (43%), whereas there were 12 responses (100%) including 4 complete responses (33%) among 12 patients treated with VAP-COAM. There was no significant difference between patients receiving COAM-VAP and VAP-COAM with respect to response, duration of response, and survival. Overall median survival was 9.8 months. There was no significant difference between patients with and without distant metastasis with respect to response, duration of response and survival. Two patients were alive at 24 months. The addition of second combination chemotherapy did not increase the response rate. Most patients had mild or moderate leukopenia. Four patients developed interstitial pneumonia.

[Current status in the treatment of inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)].

Advances in the treatment of inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been falling behind the recent results obtained for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) which had been considered the more malignant type with the shortest survival time. Recently, however, with the introduction of cisplatin, the results of combination chemotherapy for NSCLC have shown a degree of advancement so that an average response rate of 40% and a median survival time (MST) of 8-10 months can be obtained. Our method of combination chemotherapy, PPM (cisplatin, peplomycin, mitomycin C), resulted in an overall response rate of 44% (40% squamous, 29% adeno, 64% large) and an MST of more than 23.3 months in responders. With PFM (cisplatin, 5FU, mitomycin C), response rate was 35% and an MST of 18.7 months was obtained for adenocarcinoma responders. It can therefore be said that we have achieved a new degree of success in the treatment in NSCLC.

Comparison of clinico-epidemiological features of lung cancer patients with and without a history of smoking.

In order to study the characteristics of lung cancer in smokers and nonsmokers, clinico-epidemiological features of 943 lung cancer patients treated in the Aichi Cancer Center Hospital from 1964-77 were analyzed according to their smoking histories. About 70% of both male and female patients who smoked fell in Group I (squamous cell, small cell and large cell carcinomas), while of those who did not smoke, 50% of the male and 36% of the female patients fell in Group I. The mean age of the patients who smoked was about 60 yr and that of the nonsmokers was 55 yr in both men and women. It was estimated that about 70% of the Group I tumors originated from main, segmental or subsegmental bronchi, but half of the Group II tumors (adenocarcinoma) originated from peripheral bronchi in both smokers and nonsmokers. One-third of the tumors were seen in the apical and subapical segments of the upper lobes regardless of the smoking history. There was no difference between the survival rates for the patients with and without a history of smoking.

[Randomized controlled study of OK-432 in the treatment of cancerous pleurisy].

A randomized controlled study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of intrapleural and systemic administration of OK-432, streptococcus preparation, in patients with cancerous pleurisy. A total of 53 patients were accessed to the study: 29 patients for the OK-432 group and 24 patients for the control group. Intrapleural instillation of 50 mg of adriamycin and a combination chemotherapy of MFC (mitomycin C 0.08 mg/kg, 5-FU 10 mg/kg, ara-C 0.8 mg/kg iv, weekly) were administered in both groups. In the OK-432 group intrapleural instillation of 2 units of OK-432 was administered daily until disappearance of pleural effusion; thereafter, 2 to 5 units of OK-432 were administered intradermally every other day. Patients with stage III in the OK-432 group survived significantly longer than those in the control group (P less than 0.05), but there was no significance between in patients with stage IV of both treatment groups. Also patients with PPD negative skin reaction at the time of beginning of treatment in the OK-432 group survived significantly longer than those in the control group (P less than 0.001), but there was no significance between both treatment groups in patients with PPD positive skin reaction at the time of beginning of treatment. Eighteen (62%) of 29 patients treated with OK-432 had a fever, but well tolerated.

[Chemotherapy for metastatic lung cancer].

The effects of chemotherapy for lung metastasis in 284 cancer patients using various anti-tumor drugs, including classic ones and modern active agents for the past 18 years, were presented. Lung metastasis for lung cancer was excluded. The response was achieved in cervical carcinoma of the uterus (17/62, 27%), endometrial carcinoma of the uterus (1/7, 14%), colorectal cancer (6/39, 15%), breast cancer (5/28, 18%) and stomach cancer (4/28, 14%). A high response was achieved in myosarcoma (5/12, 42%), testicular cancer (5/11, 45%) and also in ovarian cancer (3/10, 30%). Though there were few cases, a high response was achieved in malignant melanoma (2/3), choriocarcinoma (2/4) and esophageal cancer (1/3). In total patients the response rate was 20%. In these cases a complete response was achieved in 4 cervical cancers; one testicular cancer, ovarian cancer, esophageal cancer and renal cancer, respectively. However, the effect was temporary and no longterm survivor was observed except for one case of renal cancer treated continuously with interferon (3 X 10(6) units daily) and showing complete remission after 7 months of therapy. The effect of chemotherapy for lung metastasis was compared between nodular metastasis (NM) and lymphagiosis carcinomatosa (LC). In cervical carcinoma of the uterus, the response rate in NM (39%) was higher than in LC (11%). However, no difference was observed in breast cancer (NM 15%, LC 13%) nor in stomach cancer (NM 13%, LC 18%).

[Complement components, whole complement activity, and circulating immune complexes in neoplastic diseases].

Serum levels of complement components(cc), whole complement activity (CH 50), and circulating immune complexes (IC) were measured in 41 patients with neoplastic diseases. The level of cc was higher than in healthy controls; the levels of C1q, C1INA, C4, C3c, C3ACT, C5, and C9 were statistically higher. In patients with lung cancer, the levels of cc were correlated with the clinical stage as well as the performance status. Both the IC serum level and the incidence of high serum IC levels in lung cancer were higher in stage III and IV than in stage I and II. Serum CH 50 was higher than in healthy controls, but not correlated with the clinical stage.

[The effect of levamisole on non-resected lung cancer--the results of randomized controlled study].

The effect of levamisole in the treatment of 61 non-resected lung cancer-26 squamous cell ca., 8 adenocarcinoma, 13 large cell ca. and 14 small cell ca- was studied by a randomized controlled trial. Levamisole was given at a daily dose of 150 mg per body weight for 3 consecutive days every 2 weeks. The main therapy, combining polychemotherapy and radiotherapy of standard dose or low dose, was given to both levamisole and control groups. The survival rate of the levamisole group was superior to that of the control group, with median survival time of 52 weeks in the former and 36 weeks in the latter, and with significant difference (p less than 0.05) during 46th to 52nd weeks. Comparing between the selected cases, the levamisole group was significantly superior (p less than 0.05) to the control group in all course examined, with median survival time of 64 weeks in the former and 36 weeks in the latter. Levamisole was more effective in the group of squamous and adenocarcinoma than large and small cell carcinoma. In the group where PPD reaction was negative at the time of initiation of the treatment levamisole was more effective than in the group of PPD positive, and also more effective in non-responders to the main therapy than responders. No side effect such as agranulocytosis was observed. Summarizing the present study, an immunotherapy employing levamisole combined with chemo-radiotherapy for non-resected lung cancer could be said to be effective in prolongation of survival time.