Doxorubicin, ifosfamide, and dacarbazine (AID) with mesna uroprotection for advanced untreated sarcoma: a phase I study

The regimen of doxorubicin (DOX), ifosfamide (IFF), and dacarbazine (DTIC) (AID) for previously untreated inoperable or metastatic sarcoma has acceptable toxicity with significant activity. Twenty patients received 79 courses of DOX (60-75 mg/m2) with or without DTIC (900 mg/m2) by continuous infusion over 72 hours with escalating doses of IFF and mesna uroprotection. Nineteen patients were evaluable for toxicity. Myelosuppression was dose-limiting. The maximum tolerated dose was DOX at 60 mg/m2, DTIC at 900 mg/m2, and IFF at 7500 mg/m2 per course. Of the 79 courses analyzed, 33 (42%) resulted in wbc counts less than 1000/microliter; 14 (18%) were complicated by fever and neutropenia, and three by sepsis. There were no toxic deaths. Relative platelet sparing was observed and nadirs were brief. In contrast to bolus-dose DTIC divided over 5 days, DTIC by continuous infusion did not add significantly to gastrointestinal toxicity. Nausea and vomiting was well controlled by antiemetics. Mucositis occurred sporadically. Unlike our phase II study of IFF alone, no CNS or renal toxicity was observed. No cardiac toxicity was encountered, although only four patients have received greater than 450 mg/m2 of cumulative DOX. One episode of DOX extravasation occurred despite a long iv line that extended to the axilla. No serious tissue damage was observed, perhaps due to the dilute solutions of DOX used. Partial responses were seen in eight of 18 evaluable patients (44%) and in six of 11 patients at or near the phase II level. Two additional patients with minimal response have continued tumor regression. The median number of courses before partial response was four (range, one to five). The median duration of response has not been reached (3+ to 10+ months). An inoperable primary has been rendered surgically resectable in one patient. Activity in previously untreated sarcomas should be further evaluated in a randomized phase III study against a standard DOX-containing combination.     

Patient expectations of radiology in noninteractive encounters

Open-ended interviews with 107 patients documented specific patient expectations of radiologic procedures during which there was no direct radiologist-patient interaction. Patient expectations could be classified into those related to the facility and those related to interactions with radiology staff. Among facility-related expectations, waiting time far outweighed all other concerns. Interpersonal skills were the predominant expectation of radiology staff. The role of the radiologist in fulfilling patient expectations was less clear. Only 10% of unprompted patients cited the radiologist as a factor in their expectations. When patients were specifically prompted to discuss the radiologist's role, communication skills, accuracy of interpretation, and interpersonal skills were the predominant concerns.     

Pacemaker backup-mode reversion and injury during cardiac surgery

Both electrocautery and internal defibrillation are routinely used in cardiac operations. The cases of 5 patients are presented in whom backup-mode reversion or injury of permanently implanted pulse generators occurred during a cardiac procedure. The theoretical explanations for backup-mode reversion and generator or tissue injury are discussed, and recommendations are made for the management of patients with a pacemaker who are to undergo a cardiac operation.     

Pulmonary embolism after hip or knee replacement: postoperative changes on pulmonary scintigrams in asymptomatic patients

Serial pulmonary imaging has proved to be effective in the evaluation of patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. A clinical dilemma arises in asymptomatic patients whose postoperative pulmonary images differ from the preoperative images. The authors prospectively evaluated 403 patients with serial imaging to determine the significance of changed postoperative images in asymptomatic patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty. Twenty-two (5.5%) patients had significant changes on postoperative images. Seventeen were asymptomatic; all but one underwent pulmonary angiography. Documented pulmonary emboli were demonstrated in 100% of patients whose postoperative images changed to indicate a high probability of pulmonary embolism, 71% whose images changed to a moderate probability, and 0% whose images changed to indeterminate probability. Overall, pulmonary emboli occurred in 76% of all asymptomatic patients with significantly change postoperative images. Asymptomatic pulmonary embolism is a significant occurrence after total hip or knee repair, and a changed lung scan with appropriate clinical evaluation is an accurate indicator of pulmonary emboli in asymptomatic postarthroplasty patients.     

US-guided percutaneous biopsy: use of a screw biopsy stylet to aid needle detection

Insertion of a screw biopsy stylet into a thin-walled biopsy needle greatly enhances detection of the needle during ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy. This technique is helpful when precise needle-tip localization is needed for biopsies of small lesions.     

Doxorubicin chemotherapy in the treatment of soft-tissue sarcoma. Combined results of two randomized trials

In 1978, there were initiated two independent randomized, prospective trials of adjuvant doxorubicin hydrochloride (Adriamycin) following primary therapy for soft-tissue sarcoma. The virtual identity of these two protocols permits their combination for analysis. A total of 75 patients (42 men, 33 women) with soft-tissue sarcoma (stages IIB to IVA) were randomized, after receiving optimal regional therapy, to receive either doxorubicin hydrochloride (450 mg/m2) (37 patients) or observation (38 patients). Follow-up has ranged from 16 to 80 months (median, 49 months). Twenty-five patients (33%) died, and two patients receiving doxorubicin developed cardiotoxicity. No significant differences in local control, metastasis-free survival, disease-free survival, and overall survival were observed for the two treatment arms. Despite temporary prolongation of disease-free survival with doxorubicin in some subgroups, we conclude that there is no advantage to the use of adjuvant doxorubicin in the treatment of soft-tissue sarcoma.     

Anti-Sc1 in pregnancy

Anti-Sc1 was detected in a gravida-2 patient at 12 weeks' gestation. At 29 weeks, the antibody was found to be of the IgG3 subclass with a titer of 16, score 36, by the indirect antiglobulin test, and it produced 7 percent lysis by antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay, a finding that suggested an unaffected fetus. The titer remained constant throughout the pregnancy, as did the IgG subclass and activity in the ADCC assay. At delivery of the full-term infant, the cord hemoglobin was 13.5 g per dL and the direct antiglobulin test was positive (3+) with anti-IgG. The infant did not require transfusion. A sample taken 9 weeks after delivery showed 44 percent lysis in the ADCC assay. The anti-Sc1 titer was 32, score 65.