[Study of unmatched cases and controls: hyperhomocysteinaemia and chronic ischaemic cardiopathy].

Objective: To evaluate the extent of the association between hyperhomocysteinaemia and chronic ischaemic heart disease.

Design: Unmatched, case-control (1:3) study.

Setting: Pintores Health Centre, Area 10, Primary Care, Madrid, Spain.

Phase I-II study of gemcitabine and fluorouracil as a continuous infusion in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Purpose: To determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicities, and efficacy of gemcitabine combined with fluorouracil (5-FU) in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Patients And Methods: Patients with measurable, locally advanced, nonresectable or metastatic pancreatic cancer were candidates for the study. 5-FU was given via protracted venous infusion (PVI) at a fixed dosage of 200 mg/m2/d, and gemcitabine was administered weekly for 3 consecutive weeks every 4 weeks.

Cisplatin/paclitaxel vs cisplatin/teniposide for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. The EORTC Lung Cancer Cooperative Group. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer.

A total of 332 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer were randomized by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Lung Cancer Cooperative Group (EORTC) to receive one of two cisplatin (Platinol)-based chemotherapy regimens: Paclitaxel (Taxol) 175 mg/m2 given by 3-hour infusion followed by cisplatin 80 mg/m2 on day 1; Or cisplatin 80 mg/m2 on day 1, followed by teniposide (Vumon) 100 mg/m2 given on days 1, 3, and 5. Cycles were repeated every 3 weeks. Preliminary analysis of the results of this phase III trial shows that hematologic toxicity was decidedly more severe in the group treated with cisplatin/teniposide than in those given paclitaxel/cisplatin.

Phase II study of Mitonafide in advanced and relapsed colorectal cancer.

Background: This study investigated the antitumoral activity in colorectal cancer and toxicity of a 5-day continuous infusion of a new cytostatic agent, Mitonafide, that had previously shown to be neurotoxic when administered as a short daily x 5 days infusion.

Patients And Methods: Seventeen chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced or relapsed colorectal cancer and measurable disease entered the study. All but one received a 120-hour (5-day) continuous infusion of Mitonafide at a starting dose of 200 mg/m2/day every 3 weeks.

Improving treatment of chemotherapy-induced neutropenic fever by administration of colony-stimulating factors.

Background: Several randomized trials have tested the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in relieving chemotherapy-induced bone marrow suppression. However, the use of CSFs in the treatment of neutropenic fever remains virtually unexplored.

Purpose: This study evaluated the benefits of adding CSF therapy to the standard antibiotic treatments given to cancer patients for chemotherapy-induced neutropenic fever.

Leiomyosarcoma of the soft tissues in a patient with nevoid basal-cell carcinoma syndrome.

A 57-year-old man was admitted with complaints of progressive anorexia, weight loss and right flank pain. He had been treated for basal-cell carcinoma of the skin 19 years before. On physical examination, eight moles in the face, back and left thigh were found along with palmar pits.

Ovarian and extragonadal malignant germ-cell tumors in females: a single-institution experience with 43 patients.

Unlabelled: From 1978 to 1992, 276 patients (pts) with MGCT were treated in our institution. Forty-three of the pts were female (15.5%).

CMV front-line chemotherapy in transitional bladder carcinoma.

Background: Despite standard treatment, surgery and/or radiotherapy, most patients with muscle invasive bladder carcinoma die early of distant metastasis. CMV chemotherapy has demonstrated a high response rate with moderate toxicity in advanced bladder carcinoma. In an attempt to eradicate undetectable metastatic disease and to avoid cystectomies, 36 patients were given up-front CMV.