Localized Kaposi''s sarcoma in a patient with pemphigus vulgaris

We report the case of a patient with a 13-year history of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) treated with immunosuppressive agents, prednisone and mycophenolate mofetil who had developed lesions of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) on a sole plaque of PV that had been previously treated with intralesional injections of steroids. The lesions were surgically removed and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) demonstrated human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) DNA. There were neither recurrences nor later dissemination of KS following gradual decrease of the immunosuppressive therapy. We suggest that the treatment with intralesional steroids may have influenced the local reactivation of a latent infection of the virus, determining the appearance of this localized KS.     

Flerobuterol: a potential antidepressant drug related to β-adrenergic agonists. Experimental profile in mice

The potential antidepressant effect of flerobuterol (dl-(fluoro-2 phenyl)-1 t-butylamino-2 ethanol), a new drug related to beta-adrenoceptor agonists, was evaluated and compared with imipramine and salbutamol using classical psychopharmacological tests in mice. Like imipramine and salbutamol, flerobuterol (0.5-32 mg kg-1, ip) fully prevented apomorphine (16 mg kg-1, sc)- and partly reversed reserpine- and oxotremorine-induced hypothermia. At higher doses (16-32 mg kg-1), flerobuterol enhanced the toxic effects of yohimbine. Unlike imipramine, flerobuterol and salbutamol did not reduce immobility duration in the behavioural despair test. Salbutamol and flerobuterol decreased locomotor activity. Flerobuterol did not induce mydriasis, did not prevent oxotremorine-induced tremors or salivary and lacrimal gland secretion and did not reduce reserpine-induced palpebral ptosis. Propranolol (8 mg kg-1, ip) but not alpha-methyl-paratyrosine (75 mg kg-1, ip) prevented the flerobuterol-induced antagonism of apomorphine-induced hypothermia. Our results suggest that flerobuterol demonstrates potential antidepressant activity, which could be related to beta-adrenoceptor activation in mice.     

Retrospective review of pemetrexed with or without platinum in malignant mesothelioma: The Australian 'Special Access Scheme' experience

Background: Pemetrexed and cisplatin have recently been shown to significantly improve survival compared with cisplatin alone. However, there are only limited data reflecting teaching hospital experience outside a clinical trial. Pemetrexed has only been available in Australia on a restricted basis since 2002. We reviewed our experience of patients treated on the Australian ‘Special Access Scheme’ at three major thoracic oncology units. Methods: Charts were reviewed for all patients enrolled on the scheme. Data was extracted on age, World Health Organization (WHO) performance status, histology, prior therapy, time from diagnosis to starting pemetrexed, chemotherapy (pemetrexed alone or with a platinum), cycle number, response rate, actuarial progression‐free and overall survival. Doses were cisplatin 75 mg/m² or carboplatin AUC = 5 and pemetrexed 500 mg/m² every 21 days. Results: 52 patients (32 male and 20 female) were reviewed. Median age was 58 years and 88% were WHO 0–1. Histology included 54% epithelial, 17% biphasic (epithelial and sarcomatoid) and 21% undefined. The median time from diagnosis to administration of pemetrexed was 145 days. Sixty‐five percent had minimal surgical intervention with video assisted thoracoscopy, pleurodesis and biopsy, while 19% had received prior palliative radiation. Seventy‐one percent were chemotherapy naïve, the remaining 29% having received previous platinum and/or gemcitabine regimens. Twenty‐three percent had pemetrexed alone, 35% in combination with carboplatin and 42% with cisplatin. The median number of cycles was 4 (range 1–13). The response rate was 33%. No toxicity was observed in 20% grade 3–4 toxicity in 10% (majority nausea/vomiting). The median progression‐free and overall survival times from starting pemetrexed were 184 days and 298 days, respectively. Conclusions: Pemetrexed‐based regimens are safe and effective in a community setting in malignant mesothelioma.     

HER-2/neu (c-erbB-2) evaluation in primary breast carcinoma by fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry with special focus on intratumor heterogeneity and comparison of invasive and in situ components.

We have studied the intratumor HER-2/neu heterogeneity in 78 consecutive and population-based primary invasive breast carcinomas. Within the invasive component, heterogeneity was detected in only 1 of 78 tumors. In 48 tumors (62%), we found both in situ and invasive components in analyzed tissue sections. Twelve of these 48 tumors had a difference of at least 2 arbitrary units in the in situ compared with the invasive part of the tumor with regard to the HER-2/neu status analyzed by HercepTest (immunohistochemistry). Eight of these 12 tumors were reanalyzed with fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry with and without a new Automated Cellular Imaging System. In this limited material, immunohistochemistry in combination with the Automated Cellular Imaging System seemed to have a better correlation with fluorescent in situ hybridization than immunostaining analyzed manually. In conclusion, HER-2/neu expression is not seldom heterogeneous in invasive compared with in situ components within a tumor. This finding should be considered in the choice of evaluation method. To avoid heterogeneity as a confounding factor in HER-2/neu analyses, detection methods such as immunohistochemistry and fluorescent in situ hybridization, which can provide evaluation in a preserved tissue architecture, should be used. Perhaps the intratumor HER-2/neu heterogeneity can explain some of the unexpected failures of trastuzumab therapy.     

Treatment planning in residential institutions

In child and youth care in the Netherlands, systematic planning of treatment is more and more considered to be a condition for effective and well founded treatment. Although workers are convinced of the benefits of treatment plans, treatment planning is not yet a natural and integrated part of residential care. There are several pressure points. In this article a model of treatment planning will be presented that contributes to an answer to these pressure points. The theoretical bases and the practical implications of this model will be discussed.