Charge storage and the oxygen evolution reaction in mixed Ni-Li oxides.

Electronic and catalytic properties of mixed oxides of Ni-Li are studied at room temperature with NMR and with electrochemical techniques in alkaline solutions. Our Li(x)Ni(1-x)O (0.04 < or = x < or = 0.

Mitomycin C and vinorelbine in pretreated breast cancer.

Aims And Background: Vinorelbine, a new semi-synthetic vinca alkaloid, has demonstrated high activity as a single agent in pretreated metastatic breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: To evaluate the activity of the combination vinorelbine-mitomycin C and to reduce the incidence of side effects, in particular myelotoxicity, patients with metastatic breast cancer pretreated with 1 or more chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease were treated according to the following schedule: mitomycin C, 10 mg/m2 day 1, and vinorelbine, 25 mg/m2, days 1, 8 and 15, every 28 days.

Results: Twenty-seven patients were enrolled and were evaluable for activity and side effects.

Prognostic factors in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma submitted to chemoembolization.

The prognosis of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma is poor. Encouraging response rates have been reported with chemoembolization, but no survival advantage has been demonstrated. Assessment of the impact of the treatment modality on prognosis is complicated by a poor understanding of the prognostic factors in the disease.

Phase II study of estramustine, oral etoposide, and vinorelbine in hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

Hormone-refractory prostate cancer is characterized by a low response rate following second-line therapy. Encouraging results have been reported in Phase II studies with estramustine associated with vinblastine or etoposide. Vinorelbine is a new semisynthetic vinca alkaloid that has demonstrated activity in prostate cancer.

Activity of combination chemotherapy in brain metastases from breast and lung adenocarcinoma.

Brain metastases represent a common complication of breast and lung cancer, with an overall incidence exceeding 30-40% of cases. Results achieved with radiotherapy are disappointing, with a median survival of a few months, and no clear activity has been observed with chemotherapy. The aims of this study were to assess the activity and feasibility of a new chemotherapeutic approach according to the following schedule: lomustine, 80 mg/m2 day 1; carboplatin, 80 mg/m2 days 1, 8, 15, 22; vinorelbine, 20 mg/m2 days 1, 8, 15, 22; L-leucovorin 250 mg/m2 days 1, 8, 15, 22; and fluorouracil, 500 mg/m2 days 1, 8, 15, 22.

Intermittent continuous infusion of fluorouracil and low-dose oral leucovorin in pretreated breast cancer: a pilot study.

Aims And Background: There is evidence that fluorouracil (FU), when administered by protracted venous infusion, has antitumor activity in pretreated breast cancer. The aims of the study were to assess, in a population of heavily pretreated breast cancer patients (> or = 2 lines of chemotherapy previously administered), the feasibility and activity of a new combination of oral L-leucovorin and continuous FU infusion.

Methods: Patients were treated with the following combination: oral L-leucovorin, 5 mg/m2 days 1 through 14, plus FU, 250 mg/m2 days 1 through 14, with cycles repeated every 21 days.

A randomized phase II trial of cisplatinum plus mitomycin-C plus vinorelbine and carboplatin plus vinorelbine in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Vinorelbine represents one of the most active agents in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with response rates of 14-33%. We therefore evaluated the activity and tolerability of two novel vinorelbine-containing regimens in stage IIIB-IV NSCLC. Fifty-two patients were enrolled in a randomized phase II study of cisplatinum (100 mg/m(2)) day 1, mitomycin-C (8 mg/m(2)) day 1, and vinorelbine (25 mg/m(2)) days 1 and 8 (Arm A); and carboplatin (400 mg/m(2)) day 1, in combination with vinorelbine (25 mg/m(2)) days 1 and 8 (Arm B).

Intra-arterial chemotherapy followed by chemo-embolisation in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma is related to a poor prognosis. Encouraging response rates and survival have been reported with intra-arterial (i.a.

Intermittent continuous infusion of fluorouracil, low-dose oral leucovorin and oral etoposide in advanced gastric cancer.

Gastric carcinoma is considered moderately chemosensitive, but a 'standard' chemotherapy regimen has not yet been found. Encouraging results in terms of activity and tolerability have been reported with a combination of i.v.

Carboplatin and vinorelbine in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Many lung cancers are diagnosed in patients over 70 years of age, but there are little published data on chemotherapy in elderly patients. We therefore activated a phase II study in order to assess the tolerance and activity of carboplatin (80 mg/m(2)) and vinorelbine (25 mg/m(2)) administered weekly in patients aged greater than or equal to 70 with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Twenty-five patients (22 males, 3 females; performance status ECOG, 0-2; median age, 75 years, range 70-85) were included in the study and are assessable for response and side effects.

Phase II study of oral L-leucovorin, 120-hour fluorouracil infusion and carboplatin in advanced pancreatic cancer.

Background: No effective chemotherapy has been developed for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Encouraging results have been reported with the combination of cisplatin and fluorouracil infusion. The aim of the study was to test the activity of oral L-leucovorin, carboplatin and fluorouracil infusion in untreated pancreatic cancer patients.

Feasibility of intra-arterial chemotherapy followed by chemoembolization, every 28 days, in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Encouraging response rates and survival have been reported with intra-arterial (i.a.) chemotherapy and chemoembolization, but limited data are available on the association of the two treatment modalities.

Pleurectomy, intrapleural cisplatin and interferon followed by systemic carboplatin plus interferon in malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma has a dismal prognosis and median survival rarely exceeds 12 months. Since multimodality therapy initially showed promising results, we tested the feasibility of a new approach consisting of pleurectomy, immediately followed by intrapleural chemotherapy with cisplatin (100 mg/m(2) day 1) and alpha-interferon (12x10(6) U/m(2) days 1 and 2), followed by 4 cycles of carboplatin, 350 mg/m(2), repeated every 3 weeks and associated to alpha-interferon (3x10(6) U/x3/week). Fourteen patients have been submitted to the protocol and are evaluable for side effects.

Prognostic value of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Recent studies indicate that evaluation of cell proliferation in mallignant tumors may have prognostic value, but limited data are available on its expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. We therefore evaluated the prognostic tool of PCNA antigen expression on paraffin-embedded sections of 54 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and concomitant cirrhosis. According to the number of positive cells, the PCNA expression ranged between 0.

Double modulation with methotrexate and L-leucovorin of weekly 24- hour fluorouracil infusion in fluorouracil-refractory colorectal cancer.

No effective second-line therapy has been developed for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer progressive after than fluorouracil(FU)-containing chemotherapy. Encouraging results have been reported with weekly 24-hour FU infusion. The aim of this study was to test the activity of weekly FU infusion plus modulation with methotrexate and L-leucovorin in pretreated colorectal cancer patients.

A dose-escalating study of carboplatin combined with vinorelbine in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Platinum compounds and vinorelbine have been demonstrated to be active in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aims of the study were to assess tolerability and feasibility of increasing doses of carboplatin (level 1: 300 mg/ m2 on day 1, level 2: 350 mg/m2 on day 1, level 3: 400 mg/m2 on day 1) in combination with a fixed dose of vinorelbine (25 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8) in advanced NSCLC. Forty-two patients entered the study and were evaluable for toxicity and response.

Weekly carboplatin in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is frequently diagnosed in patients over 65 years old, but limited data are available on tolerance and effectiveness of chemotherapy in this subset of patients. A total of 21 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were treated with weekly carboplatin following failure of first-line chemotherapy. Median age was 73 years (range, 66-85).

Surgery followed by intracavitary plus systemic chemotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Aims And Background: Malignant mesothelioma is associated with a median survival of 4 to 12 months. Data from the literature indicate that single modality treatment (surgery or intrapleural and/or systemic chemotherapy) does not significantly affect survival.

Methods: We therefore evaluated a combined approach consisting of surgery (pleurectomy + diaphragmatic or pericardial resection), intrapleural chemotherapy with cisplatin (100 mg/m2) and cytarabine (1,000 mg/m2) for 4 h immediately after pleurectomy, and systemic chemotherapy consisting of epirubicin (60 mg/m2) and mitomycin-C (10 mg/m2) day 1 every 4 weeks for 4 cycles.

Mitoxantrone, fluorouracil plus L-leucovorin, and vinorelbine in pretreated advanced breast cancer.

The combination chemotherapy including mitoxantrone, fluorouracil and leucovorin has proven to be effective and well-tolerated in advanced breast cancer (ABC). No data are available on the association with navelbine, a new vinka alkaloid, which has demonstrated high activity in ABC. The trial was designed to evaluate feasibility and efficacy of the association of vinorelbine to mitoxantrone, fluorouracil and L-leucovorin in patients who failed a previous regimen for ABC or who relapsed within 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Feasibility and tolerance of Cisplatin and Fluorouracil infusion in elderly patients with squamous-cell carcinoma.

Many head and neck and esophageal cancers are diagnosed in patients over 65 years old, but limited data are available on the tolerance of elderly patients to chemotherapy protocols designed for adults. We therefore retrospectively evaluated tolerance of cisplatin (100 mg/m(2) day 1) plus fluorouracil (1,000 mg/m(2)/day as a 120 h infusion) in a group of patients over 65 years of age with squamous cell carcinoma (n=20, group A) and compared it with a second group of younger patients (n=20, group B). Baseline patient characteristics were well balanced between the 2 groups.

Megestrol acetate in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aims And Background: No consolidated medical treatment has yet been established for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A possible interference of hormones in the pathogenesis and cellular growth of HCC has been suggested.

Methods: To evaluate the activity and tolerance of progestins in HCC, patients were treated with megestrol acetate orally at a dose of 160 mg daily until progression of disease or grade III-IV toxicity was observed.

Clinical development of new fluoropyrimidines: a major improvement in colorectal cancer treatment?

Aims And Background: Colorectal cancer represents an increasing problem and is responsible for about 16,000 deaths per year in Italy. Fluorouracil represents the most widely used agent, but therapeutic responses have remained consistently discouraging. The overall response rates for fluorouracil as a single agent range from 5% to 15%, and the addition of biochemical modulators, although able to improve response rate, has not been shown conclusively to prolong survival.