A phase 2 study of moderate dose interleukin-2 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in patients with metastatic or unresectable renal cell carcinoma.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) has been shown to produce durable complete remission in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). A phase 2 study was conducted to evaluate the potential therapeutic synergy as well as the toxic side effects of the concurrent administration of IL-2 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in patients with advanced stage disease. Twenty-one patients with unresectable or metastatic RCC having an Eastern Oncology Cooperative Group performance status of 0 or 1 were enrolled.

Unusual cutaneous involvement during plasma cell leukaemia phase in a multiple myeloma patient after treatment with thalidomide: a case report and review of the literature.

We report the case of a 54-year-old African-American male with IgG multiple myeloma (MM) with disease resistant to multiple chemotherapy regimens and immunomodulatory treatment with thalidomide. In spite of achieving a partial remission of short duration, his disease accelerated to peripheral plasmacytosis and subsequent development of cutaneous plasmacytomas. The malignant plasma cells derived from the dermal lesions were CD45+, CD38+, CD138+ and matched the immunophenotype of the plasmacytes during the leukaemic phase.

Rituximab for the treatment of refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP): report of three cases.

Three patients (one with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura [ITP] and two with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura [TTP]) were treated with rituximab (anti-CD20 chimeric antibody) at a dose of 325 mg/m2 administered weekly after they failed standard therapies. The patient with ITP who did not respond to steroids and anti-D antibody administration achieved augmentation of her platelet counts up to 180 x 10(3)/microL after four doses of rituximab. Six months later, when her counts started to decrease, she received maintenance therapy with an additional course of 4 standard doses of antibody that resulted in consolidation of her platelet counts around 100 x 10(3)/microL.

Metastatic choriocarcinoma in a middle-aged man presenting as a right thigh mass with venous thrombosis: a case report.

Choriocarcinoma is a highly aggressive beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (betaHCG)-producing germ cell tumor. In men, it is a rare neoplasm and can arise in the testes or in various extragonadal locations such as the retroperitoneum, mediastinum, and pineal body. We present a highly unusual case of a middle-aged man with primary metastatic betaHCG-producing choriocarcinoma of the right thigh along with right lower-extremity venous thrombosis.