Isolated central nervous system (CNS) relapse of multiple myeloma 11 years after autologous stem cell transplantation: a case report.

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) relapse in the central nervous system (CNS) confers an adverse prognosis, usually occurring in a short period after stem cell transplant and with a short overall survival. Isolated CNS relapse is so rare that there is no current standard treatment.

Case Description: We present a 59-year-old male with an isolated CNS MM relapse, who had received autologous stem-cell transplant (ASCT) and thalidomide maintenance 11 years prior.

[Molecular hemato-oncology and new specific treatment strategies for leukemia].

Leukemia-associated fusion genes are detected in a significant proportion of newly diagnosed cases, where genes encoding transcription factors are usually found at one of the breakpoints. Activated fusion proteins such as Pml-Raralpha have been shown to inhibit cellular differentiation by recruitment of nuclear corepressor complexes, which maintain local histone deacetylase (HDAC) in a variety of hematologic lineage-specific gene promoters. This HDAC-dependent transcriptional repression appears as a common pathway in the development of leukemia and could constitute an important target for new therapeutic agents.

A closer look at specific therapeutic strategies in leukemia.

Leukemia-associated fusion genes are detected in a significant proportion of newly diagnosed cases, where genes encoding transcription factors are usually found at one of the breakpoints. Activated fusion proteins, such as PML-RARalpha and AML1-ETO, have been shown to inhibit cellular differentiation by recruitment of nuclear corepressor complexes, which maintain local histone deacetylase (HDAC) in a variety of hematologic lineage-specific gene promoters. This HDAC-dependent transcriptional repression appears as a common pathway in the development of leukemia and could represent an important target for new therapeutic agents.

[Safety and efficacy of total dose intravenous iron infusion in the treatment of iron-deficiency anemia in adult non-pregnant patients].

Introduction: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) has a prevalence of 20-24.5% in Mexico, which is similar to other developing countries. Although the treatment of choice is oral iron therapy, several factors limit its efficacy.

[Experience with 22 bone marrow donors].

We describe our experience of the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Mexico City in the management of 22 healthy donors of the allogeneic bone marrow transplantation program. Twenty three bone marrow products were harvested from the 22 healthy donors (7 male, 15 female) with a median age of 26 (range 16 to 47). All were seronegative for HIV, HBV and HCV.

Chemotherapy-associated oral mucosal lesions in patients with leukaemia or lymphoma.

In order to determine the incidence rate of oral lesions associated with chemotherapy, as well as well as its association with clinical and laboratory parameters and potential risk factors, 50 in-patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or leukaemia under chemotherapy were followed from January 1993 to May 1994. Basal and weekly oral examinations were performed. Clinical and laboratory data were registered.

Misoprostol prophylaxis for high-dose chemotherapy-induced mucositis: a randomized double-blind study.

From April 1993 to September 1993, 15 patients with lymphoid or solid neoplasms underwent 16 non-cryopreserved peripheral stem cell transplantation courses using the ICE (ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide) program. They were randomized in a double-blind clinical trial to received oral misoprostol or placebo for mucositis prophylaxis. The active drug or placebo administration began jointly with chemotherapy at day -4 and was continued until day 16.

[Prevention of myelotoxicity in a case of bone marrow transplantation using granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor along with ganciclovir].

We report the first experience of the use of GM-CSF as prophylaxis of ganciclovir induced severe bone marrow suppression in a CMV seropositive patient with acute myeloid leukemia who underwent a complete remission after an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from an identical HLA sibling who also was CMV seropositive. A successful bone marrow engraftment was documented by day 14. Once peripheral blood counts stabilized, the patient received ganciclovir 5 mg/kg TIW.

Peripheral neuroectodermal tumor of the chest wall in a patient treated for Hodgkin's disease.

The occurrence of second malignancies after treatment for Hodgkin's disease is a well recognized phenomenon. In this report we describe a case of a 22-year-old male who developed a peripheral neuroectodermal tumor of the chest wall four years after completing successful treatment with combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy for Hodgkin's disease.

[Response to treatment and survival of adults with acute leukemia classified with immunophenotyping and cytochemistry].

We studied the response to treatment and survival of 30 adults with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and 19 with acute non lymphoid leukemia (ANLL) classified on basis of immunophenotype (monoclonal antibodies) and cytochemistry. For the ALL cases 70% corresponded to common ALL (CALLA positive), 23% to B lymphocytes and 7% to T cells. We had 68% of the ANLL patients classified as myeloid, 21% as hybrid (positive both myeloid and lymphoid markers) and 11% as undifferentiated.