Epirubicin,Cisplatin and Protracted Venous Infusion 5-Fluorouracil Chemotherapy for Advanced Salivary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

AimsAdenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumour that usually arises in the salivary glands. Initial management is surgery often combined with adjuvant radiotherapy. Chemotherapy is reserved for treatment of symptomatic recurrence. We evaluated the combination of epirubicin, cisplatin and protracted venous infusion 5-fluorouracil (ECF) in the management of ACC.Materials and methodsPatients referred for treatment of advanced, symptomatic ACC were considered. The drugs given were epirubicin 50 mg/m² 3-weekly, cisplatin 60 mg/m² 3-weekly and protracted venous infusion 5-fluorouracil 200 mg/m²/day.ResultsEight patients (median age 46 years) received a median of five cycles of chemotherapy. All patients had had previous surgery, seven had had previous radiotherapy and one had had previous chemotherapy. One patient showed a partial response (duration 34 months) and five showed stable disease (median duration 13.6 months [6.8–15.9+ months]). Median survival was 27 months (3.5–62.3 months).ConclusionsThe activity of ECF in ACC of the head and neck seems to be similar to the combination of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil and single-agent epirubicin.     

Variability in childhood allergy and asthma across ethnicity, language, and residency duration in El Paso, Texas: a cross-sectional study

Background  

We evaluated the impact of migration to the USA-Mexico border city of El Paso, Texas (USA), parental language preference, and Hispanic ethnicity on childhood asthma to differentiate between its social and environmental determinants.     

Priority setting: what constitutes success? A conceptual framework for successful priority setting

Background  

The sustainability of healthcare systems worldwide is threatened by a growing demand for services and expensive innovative technologies. Decision makers struggle in this environment to set priorities appropriately, particularly because they lack consensus about which values should guide their decisions. One way to approach this problem is to determine what all relevant stakeholders understand successful priority setting to mean. The goal of this research was to develop a conceptual framework for successful priority setting.     

Pulmonary neuroendocrine/carcinoid tumors

Neuroendocrine tumors are a unique malignant neoplasm that can arise from the respiratory tree. Although well‐differentiated bronchial neuroendocrine tumors (also called carcinoid tumors) are reported to account for approximately 25% of all neuroendocrine tumors, they represent only 1% to 2% of all lung cancers. The epidemiology, clinical behavior, and treatment of neuroendocrine carcinoid tumors differ significantly from other lung malignancies. In this article, the recent data regarding these tumors were reviewed with attention to the treatment modalities used. Although conventional cytotoxic therapy has not been reported to demonstrate much promise in this entity over the past 4 decades, newer molecular targeted agents including those that targeted angiogenesis and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway have shown encouraging results in early phase trials for advanced carcinoid tumors. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.     

Antigenic type-specificity of swine isolates of Streptococcus equisimilis

Isolates of a Lancefield Group C organism, Streptococcus equisimilis, of sow reproductive tract and young swine joint origin were found to possess type-specific antigens. Capillary precipitin and immunodiffusion tests, done with acid extracts and cross-absorbed rabbit antisera, revealed four serotypes among 62 of 64 isolates. Extracts of two swine isolates of S. equisimilis and other Lancefield Group C strains including S. equi, S. zooepidemicus and three previously established types of S. equisimilis of human origin did not react with any of the four type-specific sera. Antigens responsible for type-specificity were heat-stable and sensitive to trypsin.     

Moxifloxacin versus ofloxacin plus metronidazole in uncomplicated pelvic inflammatory disease: results of a multicentre, double blind, randomised trial

OBJECTIVE: This multinational, multicentre, prospective, randomised, double blind, parallel group, non-inferiority study compared the efficacy and safety of moxifloxacin monotherapy with ofloxacin plus metronidazole in women with uncomplicated pelvic inflammatory disease. METHODS: Women from hospitals throughout 13 countries received a 14 day course of either oral moxifloxacin, 400 mg once daily (n = 384), or oral ofloxacin, 400 mg twice daily plus oral metronidazole, 500 mg twice daily (n = 365). RESULTS: Of the 741 patients in the intent to treat (ITT) population, 564 (74.2%) were valid for the per protocol (PP) analyses; 112 (19.9%) of these were included in the microbiologically valid population (MBV). Clinical resolution rates in the PP population at the test of cure visit (TOC, 5-24 days post-therapy, primary efficacy end point) were 90.2% (248/275) for moxifloxacin and 90.7% (262/289) for ofloxacin plus metronidazole (95% CI: -5.7% to 4.0%). At follow up (28-42 days post-therapy), resolution rates in the PP population were 85.8% (236/275) and 87.9% (254/289) for moxifloxacin and comparator, respectively (95% CI: -8.0% to 3.1%). Bacteriological success rates in the MBV population at TOC were 87.5% (49/56) for moxifloxacin and 82.1% (46/56) for comparator (95% CI: -8.3% to 18.8%). Against Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, bacteriological success rates with moxifloxacin were 88.5% (23/26) and 100% (13/13) and for comparator 85.7% (18/21) and 81.8% (18/22), respectively. Drug related adverse events occurred less frequently with moxifloxacin (22.5% (85/378)) versus the comparator (30.9% (112/363)) (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: In uncomplicated PID, once daily moxifloxacin monotherapy was clinically and bacteriologically as efficacious as twice daily ofloxacin plus metronidazole therapy and was associated with fewer drug related adverse events.     

Antianaphylactic agents. 1. 2-(Acylamino)oxazoles.

The synthesis and biological properties of 35 2-(acylamino)oxazoles are described. The majority of the compounds inhibit the release of slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A) in vitro from sensitized guinea pig chopped lung. In addition, several of the compounds inhibited the release of SRS-A from passively sensitized human chopped lung and protected guinea pigs from the effects of anaphylaxis in a modified Herxheimer test.