Induction chemotherapy followed by concomitant radiotherapy and weekly cisplatin versus the same concomitant chemoradiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a randomized phase II study conducted by the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG) with biomarker evaluation.

Background: Concomitant administration of radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy with cisplatin (CCRT) is considered standard treatment in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer (LA-NPC). The role of induction chemotherapy (IC) when followed by CCRT in improving locoregional control remains controversial.

Patients And Methods: Totally, 141 eligible patients with LA-NPC were randomized to either three cycles of IC with cisplatin 75 mg/m(2), epirubicin 75 mg/m(2) and paclitaxel (Taxol) 175 mg/m(2) (CEP) every 3 weeks followed by definitive RT (70 Gy) and concomitant weekly infusion of cisplatin 40 mg/m(2) (investigational arm, 72 patients) or to the same CCRT regimen alone (control arm, 69 patients).

Randomized phase II study of temozolomide and radiotherapy compared with radiotherapy alone in newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

Purpose: Surgery remains the standard treatment for glioma, followed by radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy. Despite multidisciplinary approaches, the median survival time for patients with glioblastoma multiform (GBM) remains at less than 1 year from initial diagnosis. Temozolomide (TMZ), an oral alkylating agent, has shown promising activity in the treatment of malignant gliomas.

Protective effect of amifostine during fractionated radiotherapy in patients with pelvic carcinomas: results of a randomized trial.

Purpose: To evaluate whether pretreatment with amifostine can reduce treatment-induced toxicity in patients with pelvic malignancies undergoing radiotherapy (RT).

Methods And Materials: A total of 205 patients with pelvic malignancies (rectal, 32; bladder, 47; prostate, 40; gynecologic, 86) were randomized to receive RT (Group 1, n = 95) or RT plus amifostine (Group 2, n = 110). The patient characteristics for both treatment groups were well balanced.

Randomized phase III trial of radiation treatment +/- amifostine in patients with advanced-stage lung cancer.

Purpose: This multicenter trial investigated whether daily pretreatment with amifostine (A) could reduce the incidence of acute and late lung toxicity and esophagitis without affecting antitumor efficacy of radiation in advanced lung cancer.

Patients And Methods: Radiotherapy (XRT) patients (n = 146) received a daily fraction of 2 Gy/5 days/week to a total of 55-60 Gy +/- amifostine 340 mg/m(2) administered daily 15 min before irradiation. Acute and late toxicities were graded from 0 to 4 according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer system.

Expansion of hematopoietic stem cells in vitro as a model system for human tissue engineering.

The authors have taken a new approach to finding optimal conditions for stimulating conservative division of single isolated CD34(+)lin(-) hematopoietic stem cell candidates from human umbilical cord blood. The approach required the design and development of a novel multi-well single cell combinatorial culture system. This system incorporates the use of a multi-well tissue culture plate in which each well receives a single hematopoietic stem cell candidate.