Post-election survey data: Local democracy and the 2018 local elections in the Czech Republic.

This article presents unique survey data focused on local democracy, political attitudes and political participation. The main aim of the research was to understand the relationships between political values, political participation, political knowledge and voting behavior at the local level. The survey was held at autumn 2018 after local elections in the Czech Republic.

Results of a survey of the role of multidisciplinary team coordinators for colorectal cancer in England and Wales.

Objective: Over the last 6 years, multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) have been established and play a key role in organizing the delivery of cancer care in the UK. There are no published data on the roles of their co-coordinators. To seek the views of colorectal multidisciplinary team co-ordinators (MDTCs) on what they do and how they do it.

The systemic inflammatory response predicts overall and cancer specific survival in patients with malignant lymphoma.

Background: The value of C-reactive protein concentrations in the assessment of prognosis in patients with advanced lymphoma has not been clearly defined.

Material/methods: Patients with a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n = 108) and Hodgkin's lymphoma, (n = 39) and who had measurements of C-reactive protein were studied retrospectively and the data was reviewed over 8 years.

Results: Median survival, from the time of sampling, was 7.

A cancer research (UK) randomized phase II study of idoxifene in patients with locally advanced/metastatic breast cancer resistant to tamoxifen.

Idoxifene is a novel selective oestrogen receptor modulator (SERM) which had greater binding affinity for the oestrogen receptor (ER) and reduced agonist activity compared with tamoxifen in preclinical studies. In a randomized phase II trial in 56 postmenopausal patients with progressive locally advanced/metastatic breast cancer we assessed whether idoxifene showed evidence of activity compared with an increased 40 mg/day dose of tamoxifen in patients who had previously demonstrated resistance to the standard 20 mg/day dose of tamoxifen. Of 47 patients eligible for response (25 idoxifene, 22 tamoxifen), two partial responses and two disease stabilizations (SD) for >6 months were seen with idoxifene (overall clinical benefit rate 16%, 95% CI 4.

A phase II trial of bryostatin-1 administered by weekly 24-hour infusion in recurrent epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

Bryostatin-1 is a macrocyclic lactone whose main mechanism of action is protein kinase C modulation. We investigated its activity as a weekly 24-h infusion in recurrent ovarian carcinoma. In all, 17 patients were recruited and 11 had chemotherapy-resistant disease as defined by disease progression within 4 months of last cytotoxic therapy.

A phase I and pharmacokinetic study of capecitabine in combination with epirubicin and cisplatin in patients with inoperable oesophago-gastric adenocarcinoma.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and maximum tolerated dose of capecitabine when used in combination with epirubicin and cisplatin (ECC) in patients with oesophageal or gastric adenocarcinoma. Response rate, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were also determined, and the effect of previous oesophago-gastric surgery or concurrent oesophago-gastric cancer on the absorption and metabolism of capecitabine was evaluated.

Patients And Methods: Patients with inoperable oesophago-gastric adenocarcinoma received up to six cycles of epirubicin (50 mg/m(2) i.

Non-infusional 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin and cisplatin in the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

To reduce the Hickman line-associated morbidity of continuous infusion 5-fluorouracil combined with epirubicin and cisplatin (ECF) and to investigate the need for infusional regimens, we conducted a retrospective study in patients with advanced gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Thirty-six patients, with histologically proven irresectable gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma were given: 60 mg/m2 cisplatin on day 1, 35 mg/m2 doxorubicin on day 1 and 500 mg/m2 5-fluorouracil on days 1 and 8 (NIACF) every 3-weeks. A median of 3 cycles was administered.

A phase II study of epirubicin, cisplatin and raltitrexed combination chemotherapy (ECT) in patients with advanced oesophageal and gastric adenocarcinoma.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of epirubicin, cisplatin and ralitrexed (Tomudex). ECT, in patients with advanced oesophageal or gastric adenocarcinoma. Efficacy was assessed primarily as response rate and secondarily in terms of toxicity, time to progression and survival.

A phase II trial of bryostatin 1 in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Bryostatin 1 is a naturally occurring macrocyclic lactone with promising antitumour and immunomodulatory function in preclinical and phase I clinical investigations. In this phase II study, 17 patients with progressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of indolent type (NHL), previously treated with chemotherapy, received a median of 6 (range 1-9) intravenous infusions of 25 microg/m(2) bryostatin 1 given once weekly over 24 hours. In 14 evaluable patients no responses were seen.

Metastatic extragonadal seminoma associated with cardiac transplantation.

A 37-year-old man who had successfully undergone cardiac transplantation for dilated cardiomyopathy presented with a history of severe pain over his left shoulder, rib cage and thoracic spine. Clinical examination revealed the presence of bony tenderness over these sites, but there was no other clinical evidence of malignancy. Further investigations suggested the presence of multiple bony metastases.

Primary treatment of low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma using an all oral anthracycline-containing regimen, chlorambucil, idarubicin, dexamethasone (CID)--a phase II study.

Purpose: The majority of patients with low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (LGNHL) are in the older age groups and are thus less able to tolerate aggressive treatment. Chlorambucil, alone and in combination, has been widely accepted as the initial treatment of choice for many years. The availability of an anthracycline which could be given orally in combination with chlorambucil and steroid led us to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of this novel regimen.

A dose-finding study of raltitrexed (tomudex) with cisplatin and epirubicin in advanced gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

The standard treatment for advanced gastro-oesophageal cancer in the UK is epirubicin, cisplatin and continuous infusion 5-fluoruracil by an indwelling central venous catheter (ECF), which has significant morbidity. Raltitrexed (tomudex), a specific inhibitor of thymidylate synthase with a long plasma terminal half-life (50-100 h) has activity in gastro-intestinal tract malignancy. To reduce the Hickman line-associated morbidity of ECF; we have conducted a dose-finding study of tomudex combined with epirubicin and cisplatin.

Therapeutic implications of the sentinel lymph node in breast cancer.

Immunohistochemistry of histologically negative axillary lymph nodes in breast-cancer patients resulted in upstaging of the sentinel lymph node in eight (14%) of 52 patients. The resulting information altered clinical management in six of these patients. Thus, this technique may affect clinical decision-making in breast-cancer patients.

Randomized multicentre trial of filgrastim as an adjunct to combination chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease. West of Scotland Lymphoma Group.

This study was intended to ascertain whether the adjunctive administration of filgrastim (r metHuG-CSF, Amgen) would influence the dose intensity of chemotherapy or the morbidity of myelosuppression in patients receiving MOPP or MOPP/EVAP hybrid chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease. In a prospective randomized trial, two regimens for the treatment of Hodgkin's disease were compared. The substudy described here randomized patients receiving either regimen to receive filgrastim on the days when chemotherapy was not administered.

Clinical trials of nimodipine as a potential neuroprotector in ovarian cancer patients treated with cisplatin.

Our previous randomised trial in patients with advanced ovarian cancer indicated a significant response and survival advantage for those receiving high-dose (100 mg/m2) as compared with low-dose (50 mg/m2) cisplatin in combination with cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m2). However, this was accompanied by more toxicity; peripheral neuropathy was troublesome, with 32% of patients experiencing > or = WHO grade 2 at the cisplatin dose of 100 mg/m2. Nimodipine is a calcium-channel antagonist that has provided protection from cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity in a rat model system.

Mature results of a randomized trial of two doses of cisplatin for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Scottish Gynecology Cancer Trials Group.

Purpose: In 1992, we reported the first results of a randomized study in ovarian cancer, comprising two doses of cisplatin and indicated a significant difference (P = .0008) in median survival. Four years later, we now describe the results of this trial.

Management of cyclophosphamide-induced emesis over repeat courses.

This paper describes the only published study to date which prospectively evaluates the efficacy of a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist over repeated courses of cyclophosphamide chemotherapy. The combination of ondansetron and dexamethasone was significantly superior to metoclopramide and dexamethasone over 6 courses of chemotherapy given for the treatment of breast cancer. Importantly, patients given ondansetron benefited from a superior quality of life over the six courses of treatment.

A pilot study of combination therapy with interferon-alpha-2a and 5-fluorouracil in metastatic carcinoid and malignant endocrine pancreatic tumours.

Background: In view of the encouraging single agent response rates to interferon and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in malignant carcinoid and endocrine pancreatic tumours and the theoretical benefits of combination therapy with 5-FU and interferon in other tumours a study was designed to look at the feasibility of this combination, given for 12 months, in these tumours.

Patients And Methods: Patients were treated with 5-FU 750 mg/m2 by intravenous bolus every week and 3 Mega Units of recombinant interferon-alpha-2a subcutaneously 3 times per week increasing, as tolerated, to 6 then 9 MU. Fifteen patients were entered into the study.

Bioavailability of subcutaneous 5-fluorouracil: a case report.

The optimal schedule for the administration of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in the management of advanced colorectal cancer remains to be determined. It has been suggested that this drug may be given by the subcutaneous route and that following a short infusion the bioavailability is similar to that observed after intravenous administration. We report the results we obtained in a patient treated with an intravenous bolus of 5-FU followed by a 22-h subcutaneous infusion.

Pamidronate infusions as single-agent therapy for bone metastases: a phase II trial in patients with breast cancer.

Pamidronate is a potent biphosphonate which modulates tumour-induced osteolysis (TIO) by inhibiting osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. In a phase II trial, 69 breast cancer patients with symptomatic progressive bone metastases were given infusions of pamidronate 60 mg over 1 or 4 h every 2 weeks for a maximum of 13 infusions or until progressive disease (PD) at any site. No other systemic anticancer therapy was allowed.

Tropisetron alone or in combination with dexamethasone for the prevention and treatment of emesis induced by non-cisplatin chemotherapy: a randomized trial.

This study compared the efficacy and tolerability of tropisetron (Navoban, Novaban) alone or in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of emesis induced by moderately emetogenic non-cisplatin chemotherapy. In total, 126 patients with cancer, who had never received chemotherapy and who required at least two courses of moderately emetogenic non-cisplatin chemotherapy each lasting for a minimum of 5 days, were recruited into the study. Patients were randomized to receive tropisetron, 5 mg o.

Phase II trial of temozolomide in low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Temozolomide, an imidazotetrazine derivative, was given to 18 patients with low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) at a dose of 750 mg m-2 orally, divided over five consecutive days, escalated to 1000 mg m-2 over 5 days (i.e. 200 mg m-2 day-1) if no significant myelosuppression was noted at day 22 of the 28 day cycle.

Wheeze in a heart transplant patient with lymphoma.

We report a case of wheeze in a heart transplant patient who was receiving chemotherapy for a transplant-associated lymphoma. The patient was in severe respiratory distress; there were no radiological abnormalities. A diagnosis of invasive bronchopulmonary aspergillosis was made by bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage.