Radiotherapy for newly diagnosed malignant glioma in adults: a systematic review.

Purpose: A systematic review was conducted to develop guidelines for radiotherapy in adult patients with newly diagnosed malignant glioma.

Methods: MEDLINE, CANCERLIT, the Cochrane Library, and relevant conference proceedings were searched to identify randomized trials and meta-analyses.

Results: Pooling of six randomized trials detected a significant survival benefit favouring post-operative radiotherapy compared with no radiotherapy (risk ratio, 0.

Concurrent cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy and radiotherapy for breast carcinoma: a well tolerated adjuvant regimen.

Background: The current study was conducted to assess the toxicity of concurrent adjuvant cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) for early breast carcinoma.

Methods: In the current study, the authors reviewed the records of 680 consecutive breast carcinoma patients who received adjuvant CMF at the Princess Margaret Hospital between 1980-1990. Surgery was comprised of mastectomy in 64% of patients, breast conservation in 35% of patients, and was unknown in 1% of patients.

Long-term medical outcomes and quality-of-life assessment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia followed at least 10 years after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Purpose: Benchmark analysis of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) alive for more than 10 years after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) including data on disease status, bone marrow reserve, long-term complications, and quality of life (QOL).

Patients And Methods: Eighty-nine patients (46 in first chronic phase, 43 in advanced phase) received an allogeneic BMT for CML during the study period. Medical outcomes and QOL of patients were analyzed retrospectively.

Economic analysis of the TAX 317 trial: docetaxel versus best supportive care as second-line therapy of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Purpose: To determine the cost-effectiveness (CE) of second-line docetaxel compared with best supportive care (BSC) in the TAX 317 trial, a randomized clinical trial of second-line chemotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Methods: A retrospective CE analysis of the TAX 317 trial was undertaken, evaluating direct medical costs of therapy from the viewpoint of Canada's public health care system. Costs were derived in 1999 Canadian dollars, and resource use was determined through prospective trial data.

Assessment of coronary heart disease morbidity and mortality after radiation therapy for early breast cancer.

Purpose: To assess the risk of fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and radiation therapy (RT) for left-sided breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: A hospital-based retrospective cohort linkage study of all breast cancer patients registered at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), Toronto, Canada, between 1982 and 1988 who were treated with postlumpectomy RT was performed. Available identifiers for the study cohort were linked to two province-wide health files: the Canadian Institute for Health Information Hospitalization File and the Ontario Mortality Database.

Changes in relative light fluence measured during laser heating: implications for optical monitoring and modelling of interstitial laser photocoagulation.

Dynamic changes in internal light fluence were measured during interstitial laser heating of tissue phantoms and ex vivo bovine liver. In albumen phantoms, the results demonstrate an unexpected rise in optical power transmitted approximately I cm away from the source during laser exposure at low power (0.5-1 W), and a decrease at higher powers (1.

A structured review of quality of life instruments for head and neck cancer patients.

Background: Quality of life (QOL) is an important treatment outcome for head and neck cancer. Our purpose was to critically review published disease-specific QOL instruments.

Methods: Medline and Cancerlit were searched from 1966-1999.

Chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis. Prevention and management.

Oral mucositis is a frequent and potentially severe complication of chemotherapy which has a considerable impact on patient quality of life. While the management of other chemotherapy-related toxicities has improved, the incidence of mucositis is increasing. A critical review of the literature published between 1985 and 1999 reveals very few strategies or agents with proven efficacy, leaving few recommendations for the standard care in the prevention and treatment of mucositis at this time.

Anemia, hypoxia and transfusion in patients with cervix cancer: a review.

Background And Purpose: With the recent development of hemopoietic growth factors and alternatives to transfusion, there has been a renewed interest in the relationships between anemia, tumor hypoxia and treatment outcome in a number of human malignancies. This review is intended to provoke a reconsideration of these issues and their effect on clinical trials, aimed at improving treatment outcome in patients with cervix cancer.

Materials And Methods: Using data from the literature and from our own prospective series of tumor oxygenation in cervix cancer, we modeled the impact of anemia on tumor blood flow and hypoxia in animal models and human tumors, examined the relationship between anemia and hypoxia and treatment outcome in patients, and reviewed the impact of transfusion on tumor hypoxia and treatment outcome in cervix cancer.

A retrospective analysis of 52 cases of spinal cord glioma managed with radiation therapy.

Purpose: To describe the outcome of primary spinal cord glioma treated with radiation therapy after surgery and to identify variables predictive of outcome.

Methods And Materials: A chart review of 52 patients with a diagnosis of spinal cord non-ependymoma glioma at the Princess Margaret Hospital was conducted. Thirty-two patients (62%) were male and 20 (38%) were female.

Flow-cytometry-enhanced fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the spleen.

Objective: Flow cytometry is proving useful in the evaluation of lymphoproliferative disorders. In a case series, the authors investigated the safety of cross-sectional fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the spleen under sonographic guidance, and the usefulness of flow cytometry in analysis of biopsy samples.

Methods: Five patients underwent fine-needle biopsy with freehand sonographic guidance.

Quality of life and utility in irradiated laryngeal cancer patients.

Purpose: To determine quality of life (QOL) and health utility in irradiated laryngeal cancer survivors.

Materials And Methods: Over 6 months, consecutive follow-up patients at a comprehensive cancer centre completed the QOL questionnaire FACT-H&N and the time trade-off (TTO) utility instrument.

Results: Inclusion criteria were met by 339 patients, of whom 269 were eligible, 245 were approached, and 120 agreed to participate.

Results of radical radiotherapy for recurrent endometrial cancer.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine the overall survival (OS) and local control (LC) achieved in patients developing a locoregional recurrence of endometrial carcinoma and to define those prognostic factors that predict for improved LC and OS.

Methods: Between 1984 and 1988, 958 women were referred to Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) with a diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma. Of these, 58 were treated for recurrent disease with radical radiotherapy (RT).