A new and safe device for minimally invasive saphenous vein harvesting: results after 100 cases.

Purpose: : The saphenous vein is the most commonly used bypass conduit for coronary surgery. Endoscopic harvesting techniques are associated with significant reduction of wound complications but are time-consuming and expensive. The authors developed a device to perform minimally invasive harvesting of the saphenous vein-rapidly, inexpensively, and safely.

Safety of long-term administration of bisphosphonates in elderly cancer patients.

Background: To evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of the long-term treatment bone metastases with pamidronate in older patients.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-two ambulatory patients aged 70 or older were included in the study. The median age was 73 (range 70-77).

Vinorelbine and prednisone in older cancer patients with hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer. A phase II study.

Aims And Background: Prostate cancer is a common disease in older men. Since it is hormone resistant, no treatment may improve survival. In patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer, clinical benefit is an important treatment end point.

Phase I-II parallel study of docetaxel on a bimonthly schedule in refractory metastatic breast carcinoma.

Background: The 3-week schedule with docetaxel (DTC) 75-100 mg/2 is associated with severe neutropenia, gastro-intestinal side-effects and fluid retention in a significant proportion of patients, which may be of concern in more elderly or poor performance status patients. A phase I-II trial was carried out to test the feasibility and the activity of a new bimonthly schedule of DCT.

Patients And Methods: The trial included a phase I study which aimed at the identification of dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and maximal tolerated dose (MTD) of DCT on a bimonthly schedule.

Vinorelbine and cisplatin for the treatment of recurrent and/or metastatic carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Background: To test the clinical activity and toxicity profile of the combination regimen of vinorelbine and cisplatin in a series of patients with carcinoma of the cervix uteri with de novo metastatic disease or recurrent disease after previous therapy. The main aims of the study included analysis of objective response rates, toxicity, and time to progression.

Patients And Methods: Forty-two eligible patients were enrolled into the trial and treated with cisplatin 80 mg/m(2) on day 1 and vinorelbine 25 mg/m(2) on day 1 and 8.

Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin with vinorelbine in metastatic breast carcinoma. A phase I-II clinical investigation.

A multicenter phase I-II trial was carried out with the aim of identifying the dose-limiting toxicity and the maximum tolerated dose of vinorelbine (VNR) in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin at a dose of 20 mg/m(2) every 15 days in patients with metastatic breast carcinoma. In the phase I part of the trial, VNR was given at a dose of 20 mg/m(2) every 15 days to a group of 3 patients. In absence of unacceptable toxicity, VNR was escalated to 25, 30, and 35 mg/m(2) for subsequent groups of 3 patients, until the dose-limiting toxicity was reached.