Etoposide/vincristine-based chemotherapy with or without carboplatin in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: a prospective randomized phase III trial.

In the treatment of small cell lung cancer, carboplatin/etoposide/vincristine (CEV) is one of the most active regimens. In contrast, the etoposide/vincristine (EV) combination also has produced acceptable results in patients with extensive disease. To evaluate the efficacy and survival of patients treated with EV in comparison to those treated with more intensive CEV chemotherapy, a prospective, randomized, phase III trial was performed.

Carboplatin/etoposide/vincristine therapy in small cell lung cancer.

Carboplatin is one of the most active agents in untreated small cell lung cancer (SCLC; 14% complete response, CR; and 61% CR + partial response, PR). The combination carboplatin/etoposide/vincristine (CEV) (phase II trial) led to an overall remission rate of 84% in patients with limited disease, with 52% CR. The median survival time with this combination was 13 months in patients with limited disease and 9.

[Churg-Strauss syndrome].

The Churg-Strauss syndrome, or allergic angiitis and granulomatosis of the lungs, is one of the systemic vasculitides with predominantly involvement and an unclear genesis. The clinical picture is characterized by a combination of intrinsic bronchial asthma, eosinophila with elevated IgE, and systemic vasculitis of the small blood vessels. Apart from the lungs, other organ systems may also be involved.

[Tuberculous encephalitis--a complication of lung tuberculosis].

On the basis of a number of cases, the symptomatology and the diagnostic work-up of encephalitis tuberculosa are presented. All the patients had neurological findings, which in some cases were masked. Although computed tomography of the head and CSF examination provide sensitive, but nonspecific findings, the diagnosis would not have been established without a detailed knowledge of the clinical picture.

[Polychemotherapy of non-small cell bronchial cancer with mitomycin C, ifosfamide and vindesine].

The results of antineoplastic polychemotherapy in non-small-cell carcinomas of the lungs revealed on overall remission rate of 42.1%, with a distribution from limited to extensive disease of approximately 32% to 58%. Severe undesired side effects of the treatment were not observed, the duration of remission was, on average, 78 days, and the survival period 101 days.

[Determination of tumor markers NSE and CEA in patients with various lung diseases, especially carcinomas].

Serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) are two very good tumor markers for diagnosis and for monitoring response to therapy in patients with lung carcinoma. Especially, NSE has a high sensitivity and specificity for early detection of small-cell lung cancer and for management of these patients.