Salvage Chemotherapy with R-DHAP in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

This analysis reports on 72 patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma who were treated with R-DHAP salvage chemotherapy regimen followed by high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. The overall remission rate was 58.3%.

Increase of in vivo antitumoral activity by CD40L (CD154) gene transfer into pancreatic tumor cell-dendritic cell hybrids.

Objectives: Fusion of dendritic cells (DC) with tumor cells is an approach in immunotherapy combining antigenicity and capacity of antigen presentation to activate T cells for the induction of tumor-specific cytotoxic immunity. Although there have been reports of clinical benefit, response rates have been limited and further improvements are warranted.

Methods: We used murine DC and a novel protocol for an effective fusion of those cells with the murine pancreatic cell line Panc02.

Capecitabine and irinotecan with and without bevacizumab for advanced colorectal cancer patients.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy and safety of cape-citabine plus irinotecan +/- bevacizumab in advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

Methods: Forty six patients with previously untreated, locally-advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) were recruited between 2001-2006 in a prospective open-label phase II trial, in German community-based outpatient clinics. Patients received a standard capecitabine plus irinotecan (CAPIRI) or CAPIRI plus bevacizumab (CAPIRI-BEV) regimen every 3 wk.

A randomized comparison of immediate versus delayed application of G-CSF in induction therapy for patients with acute myeloid leukemia unfit for intensive chemotherapy.

We randomized 66 elderly patients with AML unfit for conventional chemotherapy to receive GCSF from d6 or from d12 after induction-chemotherapy with cytarabine/idarubicin. There was no difference in duration of neutropenia (17 days vs. 19 days, p=0.

Phase II clinical trial for prevention of delayed diarrhea with cholestyramine/levofloxacin in the second-line treatment with irinotecan biweekly in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma.

Background: Irinotecan is an established therapeutic option in colorectal cancer. An essential side effect of irinotecan treatment is the induction of severe WHO grade 3-4 delayed diarrhea in up to 25% of treated patients. The aim of the study is the prevention of delayed diarrhea with cholestyramine/levofloxacin.

Self-expanding metal stents for malignant esophagogastric obstruction: experience with a new design covered nitinol stent.

Background And Aims: Dysphagia is the most common disabling symptom in patients with inoperable esophagogastric carcinoma. Self-expanding metal stents are highly effective in the palliation of these patients.

Methods: In 35 patients with inoperable carcinoma of the esophagus or the stomach, with recurrent tumor or complications after transhiatal esophagectomy or gastrectomy or with esophageal stenosis caused by pulmonary cancer, a self-expanding nitinol stent was placed to reduce dysphagia.

Influence of immunomodulatory drugs on the cytotoxicity induced by monoclonal antibody 17-1A and interleukin-2.

Patients treated with monoclonal antibodies and cytokines for cancer receive often co-medication, which may influence treatment efficacy. Therefore, we investigated with a flowcytometric cytotoxicity assay the effect of several immunomodulatory drugs on antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), interleukin-2 (IL-2) induced cytotoxicity and IL-2-induced-ADCC. We found that dexamethasone markedly inhibited the IL-2 induced cytotoxicity and the IL-2-induced-ADCC.

DHAP in combination with rituximab vs DHAP alone as salvage treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a matched-pair analysis.

The addition of rituximab to chemotherapy in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has been shown to improve outcome in first-line therapy. However, in patients with relapsed or refractory disease, the value of adding rituximab to salvage chemotherapy is less clearly defined. This study performed a matched-pair analysis of patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL by comparing the combination of dexamethasone, high-dose cytarabine and cisplatin (DHAP) with rituximab to DHAP alone.

Dexamethasone, high-dose cytarabine, and cisplatin in combination with rituximab as salvage treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

We designed a multicenter Phase II trial to prospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of rituximab with the DHAP regimen (dexamethasone, high-dose cytarabine, cisplatin) in patients who relapsed after or were resistant to a CHOP-like regimen. A total of 53 patients with relapsed or resistant aggressive B-cell NHL were analyzed. The overall response rate was 62.

[Acute liver failure and hemolysis in a 16-year-old woman. First manifestation of Wilson's disease].

History And Clinical Findings: A 16-year-old previously healthy female patient was admitted with progressive weakness and jaundice. There was no history of journeys to far-away countries. The patient was on oral contraceptives but no other medication, there were no signs of drug abuse.

Effects of recombinant adenovirus-mediated expression of IL-2 and IL-12 in human B lymphoma cells on co-cultured PBMC.

BACKGROUND: Modulation of the immune system by genetically modified lymphoma cell vaccines is of potential therapeutic value in the treatment of B cell lymphoma. However, the anti-tumor effect of any single immunogene transfer has so far been limited. Combination treatment of recombinant IL-2 and IL-12 has been reported to be synergistic for inducing anti-tumor responses in solid tumors but the potential of IL-2/IL-12 gene modified B cell lymphoma cells has not been explored yet.

Allogeneic dendritic cells fused with tumor cells: preclinical results and outcome of a clinical phase I/II trial in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Therapeutic vaccination with dendritic cells (DC) can lead to tumor regression in animal models and has shown promising results in the first clinical trials of metastatic renal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. In vitro data and results of a clinical phase I/II trial using DC tumor fusions in patients with progressive metastatic renal cell carcinoma are presented here. In addition to toxicity and feasibility, complex immune monitoring was a point of interest.

Therapeutic vaccination against metastatic renal cell carcinoma by autologous dendritic cells: preclinical results and outcome of a first clinical phase I/II trial.

In this study we have presented in vitro data and results of a preliminary clinical trial using dendritic cells (DC) in patients with progressive metastatic renal cell carcinoma. DC precursor cells were obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). DC were pulsed with autologous tumor cell lysate if available.