OBJECTIVETo explore the antitumor effect and toxicity of pegylated liposomal daunorubicin (PL-DNR) on leukemia.

METHODSPL-DNR was prepared by dry lipid hydration and remote loading, and its physicochemical indexes were analyzed. The inhibiting effect of PL-DNR on leukemia cells was observed in terms of in vitro cytotoxicity experiment. The therapeutic effect in vivo was assessed by tumor inhibition in leukemia L1210-bearing mice. Apoptosis in cardiomyocytes was detected using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling method (TUNEL staining).

RESULTSThe average diameter of PL-DNR was (110 ± 10)nm and the encapsulation efficiency was 94.21%. The in vitro cytotoxicity experiment showed that the inhibiting ability of PL-DNR in the treatment groups was continuously enhanced as the experiment proceeded. The in vivo pharmacodynamic experiment also indicated obvious tumor-inhibiting effect of PL-DNR. At the end of the experiment, the tumor volume of the PL-DNR group was (433.71 ± 234.77)mm(3), significantly smaller than that of (1 293.77 ± 381.26) mm(3) in the DNR group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the tumor weight of the PL-DNR group was (0.66 ± 0.29)g and that of the DNR group was (1.25 ± 0.43)g (P < 0.05). The myocardial toxicity experiment showed that the median apoptosis index of cardiomyocytes in the PL-DNR group was 13.83%, significantly lower than that of 42.67% in the DNR group (P < 0.05), indicating a lower toxicity of PL-DNR to the myocardium.

CONCLUSIONCompared with the free DNR, PL-DNR can improve the therapeutic effect on leukemia and reduce the.

Animals ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; therapeutic use ; Apoptosis ; Daunorubicin ; therapeutic use ; Leukemia ; therapy ; Mice

Aged ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Epirubicin ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged

The prevalence rate of pterygium in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is as high as 15%. Recurrence rates up to 50% are encountered after primary excision. In a country such as PNG where resources in terms of funds and manpower are limited, a simple procedure had to be identified to reduce this alarmingly high rate of pterygium recurrence. This article compares the results of a randomized masked study involving the single intraoperative application of 0.02% mitomycin C solution in 65 eyes undergoing surgery for recurrent pterygium using the bare sclera technique with a similar group of 65 patients in which the drug was not used. The results indicate that a single intraoperative application of mitomycin C solution was enough to reduce the recurrence rate of pterygium to 3% in the treated group as compared to 48% in the untreated group at the end of a 12-month follow-up. In the study it was also seen that, in PNG, pterygia were more common in females and that recurrences tended to occur early and were obvious in the first few weeks following surgery.
Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - therapeutic use ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intraoperative Care ; Mitomycin - therapeutic use ; Papua New Guinea ; Prevalence

Change in tumor volume after chemotherapy appears to have a prognostic significance for the outcome of osteosarcoma. A newly developed volume measurement method based on three-dimensional summation with a proved reproducibility was utilized to measure osteosarcoma tumor volume. This retrospective analysis included 38 patients with biopsy- proven, nonsurface, skeletal high-grade osteosarcoma. The treatment was started by using three cycles of preoperative chemotherapy with cisplastin (100 mg/m2) and adriamycin (30 mg/m2). The tumor volume was measured before and after preoperative chemotherapy using three-dimensional magnetic resonance image measurement. The percentage of tumor necrosis was assessed by pathologic exam. After three cycle of postoperative chemotherapy, the patients were followed up at regular interval. For the 23 good responder patients, the mean survival time was 73.2 months (95% confidence interval 61.9 - 84.5 months), and for the 15 poor responder patients, the mean survival time was 50.8 months (95% confidence interval 38.6 - 63.1 months) (p < 0.05). For the 14 patients with increased tumor volume after chemotherapy, the mean survival time was 47.5 months (range: 36.3 - 58.6 months) and for the 24 patients with stable or decreased tumor volume, the mean survival time was 74.3 months (range: 63.79 - 84.88 months) (p < 0.05). Among the various factors, histopathologic response and tumor volume change after chemotherapy predicted disease free survival (p < 0.05). Change in the tumor volume that was measured with a reproducible method and the histopathologic response after chemotherapy were the important predictors of disease free survival for osteosarcoma patients.
Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use ; Bone Neoplasms/drug therapy/*mortality/*pathology ; Cisplatin/therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Osteosarcoma/drug therapy/*mortality/*pathology ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of Chinese drugs combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and to investigate the prognostic relevance of the main parameters in AML treated with integrative medicine.

METHODSForty AML patients hospitalized at the authors hospital were treated with Chinese drugs and chemotherapy. The routine examination, immunophenotype and karyotype analyses were carried out. The clinical efficacy was observed and the prognostic factors were analyzed.

RESULTS(1) Clinical efficacy: Twenty patients had complete remission (CR), with the CR rate being 50.0%. Among these patients, the CR rate was 73.9% (17/23) in de novo AML and 17.6% (3/17) in secondary or refractory AML, respectively. The median disease free survival (DFS) was 6 months (2-32 months) and median overall survival (OS) was 7 months (1-36 months). (2) Analysis of prognostic factors: Aging (> 60 years) and hepatosplenomegaly or extramedullary leukemia did not affect the treatment outcome. Patients with lower white blood cell (WBC) counts (<4.0x10(9)/L) had a significantly higher CR rate (P<0.01). Secondary or refractory AML was associated with a lower CR rate and shorter OS (P<0.01,P<0.05). Expression of CD34 was an adverse factor for obtaining CR (P<0.05) and survival in both DFS and OS (P<0.05,P<0.01). The expression of CD56 was significantly associated with a lower CR rate (P<0.05), but did not affect DFS and OS. Twenty-three (57.5%) out of 40 cases had chromosomal abnormalities. The CR rate was decreased and both DFS and OS shortened stepwise from the cases with favorable cytogenetics to those with intermediate and unfavorable cytogenetics (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe combined treatment of Chinese drugs with chemotherapy has a predominant effect in de novo AML. Secondary or refractory AML, expression of CD34 and CD56, and unfavorable cytogenetics were the main factors of poor prognosis in AML.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Cytarabine ; therapeutic use ; Daunorubicin ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Etoposide ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Integrative Medicine ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mitoxantrone ; therapeutic use ; Prognosis ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Twenty four eyes from 23 neovascular glaucoma (NVG) patients, who underwent trabeculectomy with 0.2 or 0.4 mg/ml MMC in least the previous 6 months, were examined in order to evaluate the mid-term effects of a trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (MMC) in NVG. Success defined when an intraocular pressure (IOP) < 22 mmHg and > 5 mmHg with or without medication was observed. The mean IOP was reduced from 46.8+/-12.9 mmHg preoperatively to 18.2+/-12.0 mmHg at the last follow-up (mean = 25.8 months). The overall success rates at 1-, 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-months after surgery were 71%, 58%, 50%, 29%, 29% respectively. The number of anti-glaucoma medications administered was significantly reduced from 2.6+/-0.7 preoperatively to 0.9+/-1.0 postoperatively (Wilcoxon signed rank test, p = 0.005). In addition both the intraoperative MMC concentration and application time had no influence on lowering the IOP (logistic regression analysis, p = 0.228, 0.910, respectively). There was a similar incidence of postoperative complications in both the success and failure group. These results suggest that a trabeculectomy with MMC is an effective surgical procedure in NVG patients and the MMC concentration is not crucial for reducing the IOP postoperatively.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/*therapeutic use ; Female ; Glaucoma, Neovascular/*drug therapy/*surgery ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Mitomycin/*therapeutic use ; Time Factors ; *Trabeculectomy ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the diagnosis and treatment of infantile congenital subglottic hemangioma. METHOD: Nine patients with recurrent stridor, feeding difficulties and laryngeal obstruction were diagnosed as congenital subglottic hemangioma with bronchial endoscopy. The lesions were unilateral in 7 cases and bilateral in 2 cases. Eight cases were treated by intralesional Pingyangmycin injection after tracheotomy. Patients were discharged with metal trachea and were followed up endoscopically 2 weeks thereafter. A second treatment would be required if the tumor reduced in size but not disappeared completely. Plugging tubes and extubation would be done when the tumor disappeared completely. One case with unilateral lesion underwent power-assisted tumor resection without tracheotomy. RESULT: Hemangioma vanished completely in 6 patients with unilateral subglottic hemangioma who were treated with single stage procedure. Tumor size was found reduced significantly after one procedure and vanished completely after a second procedure in 2 cases with bilateral subglottic hemangioma. All of the 8 cases were extubated successfully. The patient recovered thoroughly in two weeks after power-assisted tumor resection. CONCLUSION Intralesional Pingyangmycin injection after tracheotomy can relief the airway obstruction quickly, shorten the nature course of hemangioma, shorten the period of wearing trachea, has no complication such as subglottic stenosis and is thought to be a safe and effective therapy for large size hemangioma. Power-assisted tumor resection under good total anesthesia without tracheotomy combined with well hemostasis is effective, less injure, and suitable for small size hemangioma.
Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; therapeutic use ; Bleomycin ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Glottis ; Hemangioma ; congenital ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Infant ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; congenital ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Male ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo assess the efficacy of vinorelbine (NVB)-based regimens in patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC) pretreated with anthracyclines and taxanes.

METHODSClinical data of 48 patients diagnosed and treated for mTNBC between 2004 and 2012 at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were pretreated with anthracyclines and at least one taxane in neo-adjuvant, adjuvant or chemotherapy for mTNBC and patients should be having at least one measurable metastatic lesion. Totally, 48 patients were included in this study, of which 21 cases received first-line chemotherapy and 27 cases received second-line chemotherapy. Based on the regimen they received, 22 patients were treated with NVB plus platinum (NP), and 26 patients with NVB plus capecitabine (NX).

RESULTSAfter 70 months follow-up, in the total group of patients, the objective response rate was 20.8%, clinical benefit rate was 43.8%, median progression free survival (PFS) was 4.4 months and median overall survival (OS) was 15.5 months. In addition, the ORR was significantly better in the NP arm versus NX arm (33.8% vs.7.7%, P=0.029) as well as PFS was statistically improved in the NP arm than NX arm (5.3 m vs. 3.0 m, P=0.023). Similar trend was observed in the OS, although the difference was not statistically significant (27.7 m vs. 14.8 m, P=0.077). In all, the most frequently reported adverse events were G1/2 gastrointestinal toxicity (68.8%) and neutropenia (62.5%) . No significant difference was observed between the NP arm and NX arm (P>0.05). The percentage of patients who delayed chemotherapy administration in the NP arm and NX arm was 9.1% (n=2), and 3.8% (n=1), respectively.

CONCLUSIONSNVB-based combination chemotherapy demonstrates moderate efficacy in mTNBC patients pretreated with anthracyclines and one taxane with manageable toxicity. NP regimen shows potential superiority over NX regimen, and should be further verified in randomized phase III clinical trial in larger cohort.

Anthracyclines ; therapeutic use ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Capecitabine ; administration & dosage ; Cisplatin ; administration & dosage ; Disease-Free Survival ; Humans ; Neutropenia ; chemically induced ; Retrospective Studies ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use ; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Vinblastine ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use

In this study, it is to compare the effectiveness of prevention against and treatment of doxorubicin (DOX) induced cardiotoxicity by dexrazoxane and schisandrin B (Sch B) in rats. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the following 6 groups: normal saline group, DOX group, DOX+DEX group, DOX+Sch B (80 mg x kg(-1)) group, DOX+Sch B (40 mg x kg(-1)) group and DOX+Sch B (20 mg x kg(-1)) group. The results showed that Sch B could combat the increase of myocardial enzymes in peripheral blood, decrease of the enzyme activity of myocardial tissue antioxidant enzymes and disorders of systolic and diastolic function of heart in rats intravenously injected with doxorubicin (15 mg x kg(-1)). Sch B was better than DEX in protecting rat against DOX-induced the symptoms. Sch B could protect rat against DOX-induced acute cardiomyopathy and has clinical potential applications.
Animals ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; adverse effects ; Antioxidants ; metabolism ; Cardiomyopathies ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Cardiotoxicity ; drug therapy ; Cyclooctanes ; therapeutic use ; Dexrazoxane ; therapeutic use ; Doxorubicin ; adverse effects ; Heart ; physiopathology ; Lignans ; therapeutic use ; Myocardium ; enzymology ; Polycyclic Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

If a testicular cancer patient has a mass in the retroperitoneum, a metastasis is often the first suspicion, probably leading to improper diagnosis and overtreatment. Here we report a case of retroperitoneal schwannoma mimicking metastatic seminoma. A 29-year-old man, who had a history of seminoma, presented with a single retroperitoneal mass suspected to be a metastasis. Because the patient refused radiotherapy, 3 cycles of cisplatin, etoposide, and bleomycin were offered. Post-chemotherapy computed tomography scan revealed persistence of the retroperitoneal mass, with no change in tumor size or characteristics. Subsequently, retroperitoneal lymph node dissection was performed. The dissected tissue contained negative lymph nodes but a single mass in the attached fat. Pathology revealed retroperitoneal schwannoma, which was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Thus, clinicians should be aware of retroperitoneal schwannoma and its distinction from metastatic seminoma to avoid misdiagnosis and ensure proper treatment.
Adult ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; therapeutic use ; Bleomycin ; therapeutic use ; Cisplatin ; therapeutic use ; Diagnostic Errors ; Etoposide ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; Neurilemmoma ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Radiography ; Retroperitoneal Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; pathology ; secondary ; Retroperitoneal Space ; Seminoma ; secondary ; surgery ; Testicular Neoplasms ; surgery