Does leucovorin alter the intratumoral pharmacokinetics of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)? A Southwest Oncology Group study.

Purpose And Design: We previously documented that there was an association between the intra-tumoral pharmacokinetics (TPK) of 5-FU and response to therapy with 5-FU and leucovorin (p < .0001). Since we have shown that other modulators of 5-FU, such as methotrexate, interferon and neutrexin alter its TPK, it was of interest to determine if the modulating effect of leucovorin would also alter the tumoral PK of 5-FU.

Enhancement of fluorouracil uptake in human colorectal and gastric cancers by interferon or by high-dose methotrexate: An in vivo human study using noninvasive (19)F-magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Purpose: To study whether two modulators, high-dose methotrexate (MTX) and interferon alfa-2a (IFNalpha-2a) will alter the intratumoral pharmacokinetics of fluorouracil (5-FU).

Patients And Methods: Five patients, two with gastric cancer and three with colorectal cancer, who had metastatic tumor nodules in their livers were studied dynamically in vivo after 5-FU injection. In a magnetic resonance imaging unit, noninvasive (19)F-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to detect (19)F signals from 5-FU and its metabolites.

Inflammatory breast cancer: 10-year follow-up of a trial of surgery, chemotherapy, and allogeneic tumor cell/BCG immunotherapy.

A 10-year follow-up analysis has been performed on the cohort of 13 previously reported inflammatory breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy, surgery, and allogeneic tumor cell/BCG vaccine. Follow-up of this duration is uncommon in the literature. Data indicate an apparent plateau of the survival curve at about 5 years, with 4 of 13 patients (31%) still alive after 10 years.

Association of intratumoral pharmacokinetics of fluorouracil with clinical response.

In-vivo fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMRS) allows non-invasive, real-time, chemical identification of specific fluorinated compounds inside human tumours after administration of fluorouracil (5-fluorouracil). Kinetic measures of the administered drug and metabolites allow estimation of the tumoral half-life of fluorouracil. We studied 57 patients by 19F NMRS immediately after they had received 600 mg/m2 fluorouracil intravenously.

Liposomal daunorubicin treatment of HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma.

Compared with conventional chemotherapy, use of liposomes loaded with therapeutic agents is less toxic and more effective in experimental tumours in vivo. We have assessed efficacy and toxicity of liposomal daunorubicin (40 mg/m2 every 2 weeks) in 25 patients with HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma of poor prognosis. In 24 evaluable patients, there were 2 complete remissions (8.

Human tumor fluorouracil trapping: clinical correlations of in vivo 19F nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy pharmacokinetics.

We previously reported that fluorouracil (5FU) accumulation and metabolism in human livers and tumors can be studied by in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMRS). We have extended these observations by evaluating the pharmacokinetics of 5FU in the tumors of 11 patients with carcinoma of the breast, colon, endometrium, cervix, and kidney, using 19F-NMRS in a 1.5 Magnetom (Siemens Medical Systems, Cerrito, CA) magnetic resonance imaging unit (MRI).

Preliminary report: imaging of Kaposi sarcoma and lymphoma in AIDS with indium-111-labelled liposomes.

Kaposi sarcoma and malignant lymphoma were successfully imaged with high purity liposomes containing indium-111 in two patients with AIDS. Gamma camera images of the patient with Kaposi sarcoma showed four discrete lesions along the left foot and calf with no foci along the right foot, and no uptake into clinically enlarged but non-neoplastic lymph nodes. The spread of the Kaposi sarcoma was proximal along the leg.

Reversal of cancer chemotherapeutic resistance by amphotericin B--A broad phase I-II pilot study.

In order to determine if it was possible to reverse clinically evident chemotherapeutic drug-resistance, 51 evaluable patients received chemotherapy (in doses and schedules on which they had previously demonstrated tumor progression) together with amphotericin B (AMB). AMB was given in 1-, 2-, or 4-day courses. There was 1 complete response (2%), and 5 partial responses (10%).