Second-line chemotherapy of platinum compound plus CPT-11 following ADOC chemotherapy in advanced thymic carcinoma: analysis of seven cases.

Background: Optimal chemotherapeutic regimen in thymic carcinoma remains uncertain and the efficacy of second line chemotherapy has not been established either.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of an irinotecan plus cisplatin or carboplatin (IP) regimen as a salvage treatment for patients with unresectable thymic carcinoma that progressed after cisplatin, doxorubicin, vincristine and cyclophosphamide (ADOC) chemotherapy. Seven patients with histologically confirmed thymic carcinoma that was resistant to or who had relapsed after initial chemotherapy with ADOC were treated with IP.

Usefulness of bronchoscopic microsampling to detect the pathogenic bacteria of respiratory infection.

Background: Bronchoscopic microsampling (BMS) is a method in which a device consisting of a wire with a polyester probe at the tip is used to collect bronchial epithelial lining fluid with bronchoscopy. In this study, we bacteriologically investigated sample collection using BMS to incorporate BMS into diagnosis of respiratory infection.

Methods: Strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), were used for experiments.

Phase I trial of bi-weekly paclitaxel and gemcitabine as second-line therapy for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.

A phase I study was conducted to evaluate the maximum tolerated dose, feasibility, and efficacy of bi-weekly-administered paclitaxel and gemcitabine in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had previously been treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. In a dose-escalation study, 18 patients, under 75 yr old, with unresectable NSCLC that had relapsed or was resistant after platinum-containing chemotherapy with performance status of 0-2 were enrolled. Patients were treated with paclitaxel and gemcitabine bi-weekly.

[A case of bronchial arterial aneurysm associated with recurrent massive hemoptysis].

A 69-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of massive hemoptysis. Bronchial arteriography showed no abnormal findings. Bronchoscopic findings revealed a small, reddish elevated lesion on the posterior surface of the left upper lobe bronchus.

[Four cases of Klebsiella pneumonia].

Typical Klebsiella pneumonia with mucous sputum is known as an opportunistic nosocomial infection. However, computed tomographic study of limiting in Klebsiella pneumonia is rare. We report three types of chest computed tomography (CT) findings for Klebsiella pneumonia.