Bidirectional Approach with PIPAC and Systemic Chemotherapy for Patients with Synchronous Gastric Cancer Peritoneal Metastases (GCPM).

Background: This study evaluated the efficacy of pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) with systemic chemotherapy as a bidirectional approach for gastric cancer (GC) patients with synchronous peritoneal metastases (SPM).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of a prospective PIPAC database was queried for patients who underwent a bidirectional approach between October 2019 and April 2022 at two high-volume GC surgery units in Italy (Verona and Siena). Surgical and oncological outcomes were analyzed.

Use of broad-spectrum antibiotics impacts outcome in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

We carried out a retrospective cohort study on patients with advanced cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) to determine whether antibiotics affect treatment outcome. Sixty consecutive patients were identified, and 17 received systemic antibiotics within 2 weeks before and/or after first dose of ICI. Antibiotic-treated patients were significantly younger ( = 0.

Peripheral monocytes and neutrophils predict response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

We carried out a retrospective cohort study on patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) to identify the peripheral blood count parameters associated with response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). There were 17 males and 15 females. Their median age was 64.

A rare presentation of acute heart failure secondary to aggressive uterine leiomyosarcoma metastatic to the myocardium initially diagnosed as hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

Uterine sarcoma is the cause of 3-9% of all uterine malignant neoplasms and has a 2-fold higher incidence in black women as compared to white women. Cellular atypia and abundant mitoses (≥10 per 10 high power fields) as seen in this patient are associated with an increased risk for metastases. Metastases to the heart are infrequently reported with a handful of cases in the literature.

A rare case of the upper extremity diffuse large B-cell lymphoma mimicking soft tissue sarcoma in an elderly patient.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with about 30% of new cases presenting with extranodal disease. Lesions originating from soft tissues of the upper extremities are extremely rare and may mimic other malignancies like sarcoma. We present a case of an elderly patient with right upper extremity (RUE) mass which was proven to be DLBCL instead of sarcoma.

Pericardial synovial sarcoma: challenges in diagnosis and management.

Introduction: Pericardial synovial sarcoma is an extremely rare tumor with poor prognosis. Timely diagnosis and aggressive multimodal management improves patient outcome. We present our experience of diagnosis and management of a young patient with monophasic synovial sarcoma arising from pericardium.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue in stage IIIB inflammatory breast cancer.

Background: Despite the advances in breast cancer care, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) has a poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with thiotepa, mitoxantrone and carboplatin (TMJ regimen) in women with TNM stage IIIB IBC.

Patients And Methods: Between 1991 and 1998, twenty-eight patients with stage IIIB IBC underwent an autologous stem cell transplant after undergoing chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiation.

Phase II trial of a single weekly intravenous dose of ranpirnase in patients with unresectable malignant mesothelioma.

Purpose: A multicenter phase II trial of ranpirnase (Onconase; Alfacell Corp, Bloomfield, NJ) as a single agent was conducted to further assess the safety and clinical efficacy of this novel antitumor ribonuclease. Patients with unresectable and histologically confirmed malignant mesothelioma (MM) were eligible.

Patients And Methods: One hundred five patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 to 2 were enrolled onto the study.

High-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation for patients with stage IV breast cancer without clinically evident disease: correlation of CD34+ selection to clinical outcome.

Forty-five patients with metastatic breast cancer without clinically evident disease were treated with thiotepa 750 mg/m2, mitoxantrone 40 mg/m2 and carboplatin 1000 mg/m2 followed by stem cell transplantation to determine the safety and efficacy of CD34+ selection of peripheral blood stem cells. Of these, 15 patients' (group I) stem cells were processed through Baxter Isolex 300 device for CD34+ selection, whereas 30 patients (group II) received unmanipulated stem cells. Toxicity, progression-free survival and survival were compared between these two groups.

Phase II clinical trial of didemnin B in patients with recurrent or refractory anaplastic astrocytoma or glioblastoma multiforme (NSC 325319).

The activity of didemnin B, a natural product derived from the Caribbean Tunic was assessed in 16 patients with Glioblastoma multiforme. Didemnin B was administered intravenously by a short infusion at a dose of 4.3 mg/m2 and subsequently escalated to 6.

Clinical pharmacokinetics of amonafide (NSC 308847) in 62 patients.

Amonafide (A) demonstrates dose-related increases in area under the curve (AUC) and Cmax values. Total body clearance for A (ranging from 44.2 to 53.

Relationship between response rate and median survival in patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung-cancer - comparison of onconase(r) with other anticancer agents.

The role of systemic cytotoxic therapy for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. The response rate (RR) and the median survival time (MST) are the two most frequently used parameters for the assessment of efficacy of the anti-cancer therapies. The relationship between the previously reported RRs and MSTs from published chemotherapy trials in patients with advanced NSCLC was examined using linear regression analysis.

Phase I-II trial of high dose Ara-C, carboplatinum, etoposide and steroids in patients with refractory or relapsed lymphomas.

Thirty-three patients, including 20 with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) and 13 patients with Hodgkin's disease, were treated with a combination of high dose Ara-C 3 gm/m2 over 3 h, carboplatinum 300 mg/m2 over 15 min, etoposide 300-750 mg/m2 continuous infusion over 24 h and solumedrol 1250 mg. Probantheline was given prophylactically. The etoposide dose was escalated from 300 mg/m2 to 600 mg/m2 to 750 mg/m2.

TMJ: a well-tolerated high-dose regimen for the adjuvant chemotherapy of high risk breast cancer.

Following local treatment and doxorubicin-containing standard chemotherapy, 42 patients with surgical Stage II or IIIA breast cancer containing ten or more involved axillary nodes and 13 patients with Stage IIIB disease were treated with high-dose chemotherapy (TMJ) consisting of thiotepa (750 mg/m2), mitoxantrone (40 mg/m2), and carboplatin (1000 mg/m2), with autologous bone marrow (ABM) and peripheral stem cell (PSC) transplant, followed by irradiation and/or hormone therapy. Sargramostim (GM-CSF) support was given to most patients. The median time to transfusion independence was two weeks.

Incidence and treatment of tumor lysis syndrome in patients with acute leukemia.

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a complication associated with electrolyte abnormalities that is observed in patients with acute leukemia who are receiving intense doses of chemotherapy. Forty-one patients with acute leukemia were treated with high-dose combination chemotherapy and were evaluated for TLS. A grading system developed for the evaluation of these patients was applied.

Propantheline prevention of mucositis from etoposide.

Mucosal toxicity is dose limiting for etoposide. This may be related to the direct effects of etoposide on the mucosa. Twelve patients receiving etoposide 1800 mg/m2 as part of a myeloablative pre-transplant regimen were randomized to receive propantheline 30 mg or placebo orally every 6 h for six doses.

Homoharringtonine in combination with cytarabine for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia.

Homoharringtonine (HHT) is one of several cephalotaxine alkaloids that has shown clinical efficacy in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In a phase I trial we evaluated cytarabine 100 mg/m2 by continuous infusion daily for 7 days in combination with four dose levels of HHT ranging from 1.5-5 mg/m2 by continuous infusion daily for 7 days to see if an effective regimen could be developed.

Homoharringtonine is safe and effective for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia.

Homoharringtonine (HHT) is a cephalotaxine alkaloid with reported efficacy in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In a phase II trial, we evaluated HHT 5 mg/m2 by continuous infusion daily for 9 days in patients with relapsed or refractory acute leukemia and blastic phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia (BLCML). Sixty-six patients were entered.

A phase I pharmacokinetic study of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor administered by a 5-day continuous infusion.

Nineteen patients with advanced cancer were entered into a phase I clinical trial of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) which was designed to determine the pharmacokinetic profile, safety, and maximal tolerated dose (MTD) of the recombinant human cytokine in vivo. TNF was administered by continuous infusion for 24 hours followed by pharmacokinetics and a 120-hour infusion repeated every 3 weeks. The initial dose was 40 micrograms/m2 and was ultimately escalated to 200 micrograms/m2.

Humoral antimelanoma immunity: induction by mouse antiidiotypic mAb, MK2-23 and association with survival of patients with advanced melanoma.

This study has shown that a mouse antiidiotypic mAb bearing a mirror image of HMW-MAA can break tolerance to a well-defined self HMW-MAA and can induce humoral anti HMW-MAA immunity in patients with melanoma. Furthermore, the induction of an immune response to a well-defined melanoma-associated antigen has been shown to be associated with a favorable clinical response. If this association reflects a cause-effect relationship between the two parameters, the anti HMW-MAA immunity induced by mouse antiidiotypic mAb MK2-23 may effect immune destruction of melanoma cells and may interfere with the metastatic potential of those cells because of the suggested role of HMW-MAA in this phenomenon.

Higher cure rates in acute leukemia: now more probable with increasingly effective induction therapy.

Traditional therapy of acute myelogenous leukemia has not cured more than 10% of patients and, of acute lymphoblastic leukemia not more than 30% of adults. In part, this is due to the lack of agents effective enough to induce remissions of such quality that cure is possible. The introduction of mitoxantrone and its use in high dose with high-dose cytarabine for induction therapy, raises the possibility of an increased cure rate of acute myelogenous leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia.