Phase II study of tariquidar, a selective P-glycoprotein inhibitor, in patients with chemotherapy-resistant, advanced breast carcinoma.

Background: The primary objective of this study was to determine whether addition of the selective P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitor tariquidar (XR9576) to chemotherapy could induce an objective tumor response in patients who previously were resistant to the same agents. The secondary objectives were to evaluate P-gp expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC), to determine functional activity of the P-gp transporter before and after administration of tariquidar with serial technetium-99m ((99m)Tc)-sestamibi scans, and to correlate those parameters with clinical response.

Methods: Seventeen women with Stage III-IV breast carcinoma were included in the study who progressed (n = 13 women) or had stable disease (n = 4 women) on doxorubicin-containing or taxane-containing chemotherapy regimens.

Solitary plasmacytoma in the setting of Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is an intriguing disorder characterized by the accumulation of specialized dendritic cells called Langerhans cells in several diverse tissues and body sites. It has been cited in numerous case reports to be associated with a wide variety of malignant neoplasms. Although many hypotheses have been suggested, the basis for such associations remains essentially unknown.

A phase II study of DT fusion protein denileukin diftitox in patients with fludarabine-refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Purpose: Patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have a poor prognosis. We tested the safety and efficacy in these patients of a diphtheria fusion protein DAB(389)IL2 (denileukin diftitox) directed against the interleukin 2 receptor that is expressed by CLL cells.

Experimental Design: DAB(389)IL2 was administered by 60 min i.

Cefepime versus ticarcillin and clavulanate potassium and aztreonam for febrile neutropenia therapy in high-dose chemotherapy patients.

An open labeled randomized trial comparing the efficacy and cost of empirically applied cefepime (C) as monotherapy versus combination therapy consisting of ticarcillin and clavulanate potassium and aztreonam (T/A) was performed in febrile neutropenic patients following high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) +/- radiation, with or without peripheral blood stem cell support. Over a 28-month period, 126 patients were screened and included in the study. Using afebrile status following 3 days of therapy as a primary endpoint, both regimens produced comparable clinical response rates (C = 55% vs.

DAB389IL2 (ONTAK) fusion protein therapy of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Despite multiple new therapeutic options for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), the prognosis of patients with relapsed disease is poor. After first-line therapy with fludarabine, alkylating agents, rituximab or combinations of these agents, most patients relapse within a few years. While second-line therapy with alemtuzumab, or other combinations of the above agents, have produced remissions, most of these are partial responses lasting months rather than years.

Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy and Langerhans cell histiocytosis express the cellular adhesion molecule CD31.

Context.-We investigated expression of the adhesion molecule CD31 in sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SHML) and Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) because (1) SHML and LCH cells express a variety of cellular adhesion molecules and (2) SHML has been characterized as a reactive histiocytic proliferation, and tissue macrophages (histiocytes) are known to express CD31. Objective.