[Study of unmatched cases and controls: hyperhomocysteinaemia and chronic ischaemic cardiopathy].

Objective: To evaluate the extent of the association between hyperhomocysteinaemia and chronic ischaemic heart disease.

Design: Unmatched, case-control (1:3) study.

Setting: Pintores Health Centre, Area 10, Primary Care, Madrid, Spain.

Phase I-II study of gemcitabine and fluorouracil as a continuous infusion in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Purpose: To determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicities, and efficacy of gemcitabine combined with fluorouracil (5-FU) in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Patients And Methods: Patients with measurable, locally advanced, nonresectable or metastatic pancreatic cancer were candidates for the study. 5-FU was given via protracted venous infusion (PVI) at a fixed dosage of 200 mg/m2/d, and gemcitabine was administered weekly for 3 consecutive weeks every 4 weeks.

Cisplatin/paclitaxel vs cisplatin/teniposide for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. The EORTC Lung Cancer Cooperative Group. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer.

A total of 332 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer were randomized by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Lung Cancer Cooperative Group (EORTC) to receive one of two cisplatin (Platinol)-based chemotherapy regimens: Paclitaxel (Taxol) 175 mg/m2 given by 3-hour infusion followed by cisplatin 80 mg/m2 on day 1; Or cisplatin 80 mg/m2 on day 1, followed by teniposide (Vumon) 100 mg/m2 given on days 1, 3, and 5. Cycles were repeated every 3 weeks. Preliminary analysis of the results of this phase III trial shows that hematologic toxicity was decidedly more severe in the group treated with cisplatin/teniposide than in those given paclitaxel/cisplatin.

Phase II study of Mitonafide in advanced and relapsed colorectal cancer.

Background: This study investigated the antitumoral activity in colorectal cancer and toxicity of a 5-day continuous infusion of a new cytostatic agent, Mitonafide, that had previously shown to be neurotoxic when administered as a short daily x 5 days infusion.

Patients And Methods: Seventeen chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced or relapsed colorectal cancer and measurable disease entered the study. All but one received a 120-hour (5-day) continuous infusion of Mitonafide at a starting dose of 200 mg/m2/day every 3 weeks.

Improving treatment of chemotherapy-induced neutropenic fever by administration of colony-stimulating factors.

Background: Several randomized trials have tested the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in relieving chemotherapy-induced bone marrow suppression. However, the use of CSFs in the treatment of neutropenic fever remains virtually unexplored.

Purpose: This study evaluated the benefits of adding CSF therapy to the standard antibiotic treatments given to cancer patients for chemotherapy-induced neutropenic fever.