Phase II study of 10-ethyl-10-deaza-aminopterin (10-EdAM; CGP 30 694) for stage IIIB or IV non-small cell lung cancer

Summary Thirty-one patients with stage IIIB or IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with intravenous 10-EdAM on a weekly basis. The starting dose was 80 mg/m², with subsequent doses adjusted depending on evidence of toxicity. There were 20 men and 11 women with a median age of 58 years (range, 33–75). Response was evaluated in 30 patients, 5 with evaluable but not measurable tumors and 25 with measurable indicator lesions. There were no complete remissions; 3 patients achieved partial remission. Nine patients had a minor response, 6 showed no change, and 12 had progressive disease. Median survival for all 31 patients was 43 weeks (range, 12–65+). During the first 3-week period, the 10-EdAM dose was reduced or withheld in 19 patients (because of stomatitis in 12, SGPT elevation in 3, skin rash in 2, and granulocytopenia in 2), escalated in 11 patients, and unchanged in 1 patient. A mean of 34–88 mg/m²of 10-EdAM (median, 50) was given per week during the first 5-week period. Myelotoxicity was infrequent and there was no significant nephrotoxicity. Considering the modest side effects of this treatment and the conservative dose-modification schedule which mandated substantial dose reductions, we conclude that 10-EdAM is a promising antitumor agent for NSCLC.     

Prognostic Factors in Elderly Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is predominantly a disease of the elderly; the median age of incidence is 64 years, and 60% of all cases are over 60. With improved chemotherapy regimens and maximal supportive care, remission rates of up to 60% may be achieved in selected elderly patients. Whilst intensive chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for fit patients, it may be inappropriate for debilitated patients with poor prognosis disease in whom supportive care or palliative chemotherapy may be more suitable. AML in the elderly exhibits biological differences from AML in younger patients, and elderly patients may be unable to withstand the rigors of the intensive treatment regimens given to younger patients.     

胎肝细胞输注对癌症病人化疗中外周血白细胞变化干预的序贯试验研究

本文自１９９１年１月以来．进行了静脉输注胎肝细胞悬液干扰化疗药物降白副反应的医学序贯试验。实验组病人静脉输注４～６月胎龄胎肝细胞悬液１６００～４０００ｍｌ（浓度５～７×１０９个／Ｌ），对照组按常规方法升白。通过２８例病人的序贯试验发现化疗期间输注胎肝细胞悬液的病人骨髓抑制发生延迟，持续时间短，程度减轻，从而为化疗正常进行提供基本条件。结论；胎肝细胞悬液输注可干扰化疗药物降白副反应的发生。     

Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Surface Antigen Expression and Prognosis in Myeloma: Australian Leukaemia Study Group Study

The Australian Leukaemia Study Group myeloma study (MM1) aimed to determine the prognostic significance of clinical and immunophenotypic markers in patients with multiple myeloma. All patients were treated with standard dose melphalan and prednisone. Seventy-four patients were entered and the median survival was 27 months. Serum beta 2-microglobulin (βM) and albumin levels were the only significant clinical factors influencing survival (p = 0.007 and p = 0.008, respectively). Patients with raised levels of CD38+ lymphocytes at presentation had a significantly shorter survival than patients with normal levels (p = 0.01, logrank test, median 19 months vs 33 months). CD38 antigen expression was independent of β2M but patients with raised levels of CD38 had significantly lower levels of albumin than patients with normal levels (p = 0.001) which may explain their poorer survival. Salmon and Durie stage was not associated with antigen expression. No other B-cell antigens (CD10, CD19, CD20, CD21, CD22, CD23, FMC1 or FMC7) or plasma cell antigens tested (PCA-1) were found to be associated with prognosis. Patients who achieved plateau phase had a better prognosis than those who did not (p = 0.04 in a landmark analysis). Patients who achieved plateau phase following an objective response appeared to have a better prognosis than those who were in plateau phase at presentation (p = 0.09 in a landmark analysis). Light chain isotype suppression (LCIS) was not associated with a significant survival advantage and did not correlate with any known prognostic indicator. We conclude that phenotypic analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes for CD38 antigen at diagnosis may be useful as a prognostic indicator in patients with myeloma.     

顺铂、氟脲嘧啶、潘生丁(DFP)联合化疗治疗晚期食管癌—附125例不同给药剂量疗效分析

采用不同剂量DFP(DDP-5-FU-PST)联合化疗,随机分4组治疗晚期食管癌125例,CR18例,PR55例,MR26例,S12例,P14例,缓解率(CR+PR)58.4％(73/125例),总有效率(CR+PR+MR)79.2％(99/125例)。不同给药剂量疗效有所差别,以DDP分次剂量30～50mg/m~2,总剂量420～450mg;5-FU分次剂量750mg/m~2。总剂量15g疗效较好,缓解率60～83.33％。中数生存时间7.8月,1年生存率16％(20/125例)。108例(86.4％)有厌食、恶心、呕吐,24例(19.2％)白细胞和血小板减少,2例在用5-FU时出现心脏毒性,无肝肾功能损害。     

光动力学疗法与局部化疗联合治疗进展期食管贲门癌

作应用光动力学疗法（ＰＤＴ）对进展期食管贲门癌５５例进行治疗，并对其中１５例联合应用内镜下局部注射抗癌药物。对每一患均先静脉滴注血卟啉衍生物（ＨＰＤ）５ｍｇ／ｋｇ，于用药后２４，４８和７２ｈ分别用波长６３０ｎｍ的铜蒸汽激光照射肿瘤部位。联合治疗组除ＰＤＴ治疗外，于每次光照前肿瘤局部注射５－Ｆｕ２５０～５００ｍｇ。结果：联合治疗组的近期显效率高于单纯ＰＤＴ组（Ｐ〈０．０５）。病例随访６～１６月，     

78例胃窦癌的治疗分析

自１９８８年２月至１９９２年８月期间手术治疗的７８例胃窦癌患者进行了回顾性分析，手术后肿瘤复发的情况，与十二指肠断端有无癌细胞残存密切相关，并发现于幽门环下切断十二指肠少于３ｃｍ者有癌细胞残存达３４％，切除十二指肠达３ｃｍ者，无论肿瘤分化程度如何，恶性程度高低，切除断端均无癌细胞残存，手术后辅以化疗，对于病人的预后有一定提高。本组随访到的５９例病人中，接受化疗的３３例，在２年３个月至６年１个月内死亡７例（２１．２％），未接受化疗的２６例，在５个月至３年８个月内死亡的２６例，在５个月至３年８个月内死亡９例（３５％）。     

Controversies in tuberculosis

Tuberculous infection among children continues to be a significant cause of morbidity. The symptom complex are so variable among children that the final diagnosis often rests on the laboratory tests. Proper interpretation of the tests, specially tuberculin test and radiographic studies, are necessary for establishing correct diagnosis. The usefulness of tuberculin test in both unimmunized and BCG vaccinated children is highlighted. BCG accelerated response as a test should be reserved for identifying serious form of pulmonary disease or CNS tuberculosis when the tuberculin test is negative. Radiographic assessment may be sensitive in some instances but not always specific and hence needs cautious interpretation. Tuberculosis among BCG vaccinated children though not uncommon, needs proper documentation. Current trends in the management of tuberculosis including CNS forms are briefly outlined.     

艾灸对宫颈癌放疗患者血象影响的观察

目的 探讨艾灸减轻放疗对宫颈癌患者血液系统损伤的作用。方法 61例宫颈癌患者分为艾灸治疗组、对照组，观察艾灸对宫颈癌放疗患者血象的影响。结果 艾灸能提高宫颈癌放疗患者的红细胞（P＜0．05）、血色素（P＜0．01）及血小板数，减轻放疗对白细胞的损害（P＜0．01）。结论 艾灸具有抗放疗对宫颈癌（肿瘤）患者血液系统损害的作用，起到抗肿瘤、增强机体免疫功能、有利机体康复的作用。     

Review of clinical and haematological response to low-dose cytosine arabinoside in acute myeloid leukaemia

15 patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) were treated with low-dose cytosine arabinoside (LD ARA-C). 2 patients had complete remissions, which lasted for 8 and 3 months, and 5 patients had a partial remission. 46% of the patients thus responded to LD ARA-C. This included 1 responding patient who had not previously responded to therapy with 6-mercaptopurine, thioguanine, or vinblastine. The 2 patients with complete remission did not show LD ARA-C-induced hypoplasia of bone marrow, although 1 had hypoplastic AML before therapy. Leukaemic cells from 1 patient showed in vivo maturation from M1 to M3 after LD ARA-C treatment. The present results, together with the published data, indicate that: a. LD ARA-C treatment, although it may have some toxic effects, is an effective treatment for some patients with AML, especially those with hypoplastic AML; b. Response to LD ARA-C can be obtained after one or several courses of treatment; c. LD ARA-C-induced remissions are sometimes obtained even in patients who fail in more conventional treatments; d. LD ARA-C-induced remissions can be achieved without bone marrow hypoplasia, and induction of hypoplasia by itself does not always result in complete remission; e. LD ARA-C can induce in vivo maturation of leukaemic cells. It is suggested that induction of remission in AML patients by LD ARA-C may result from either differentiation of leukaemic blast cells, cytotoxicity to leukaemic blasts, or both mechanisms acting together.