Advanced Hodgkin's disease is usually treated with six or more cycles of combination chemotherapy. Spontaneous regression of the cancer is very rarely reported in patients with Hodgkin's disease. We present an unusual case of a patient with Hodgkin's disease who experienced complete remission with a single cycle of chemotherapy, followed by pneumonia. The case was a 36-year-old man diagnosed with stage IVB mixed cellularity Hodgkin's disease in November 2000. After treatment with one cycle of COPP-ABV (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone, doxorubicin, bleomycin, and vinblastine) chemotherapy without bleomycin, the patient developed interstitial pneumonia and was cared in the intensive care unit (ICU) for two months. Follow-up chest computerized tomography (CT), performed during the course of ICU care, revealed markedly improved mediastinal lymphomatous lesions. Furthermore, follow-up whole body CT and 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography showed complete disappearance of the lymphomatous lesions. Four years later, the patient is well and without relapse. This report is followed by a short review of the literature on spontaneous regression of Hodgkin's disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of spontaneous remission of Hodgkin's disease in Korea.
Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/*administration & dosage ; Bleomycin/*administration & dosage ; Cyclophosphamide/*administration & dosage ; Doxorubicin/*administration & dosage ; Hodgkin Disease/*complications/*drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Pneumonia/*complications ; Prednisone/*administration & dosage ; Procarbazine/*administration & dosage ; Remission, Spontaneous ; Vinblastine/*administration & dosage ; Vincristine/*administration & dosage

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Child, Preschool ; Cyclophosphamide ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neuroblastoma ; drug therapy ; Topotecan ; administration & dosage ; Vincristine ; administration & dosage

AIMTo study on the release profile in vitro and biodistribution in mice of the compound liposomes carried with vincristine sulfate (VCR) and mitoxantrone chlorhydric acid (MTO).

METHODSThe release behaviors of the VCR and MTO from compound liposomes were studied in vitro. HPLC was developed for the determination of the contents of VCR and MTO in tissues in mice.

RESULTSThe release time of VCR from compound liposome was 24 h and that from free drug (in control solution) was 6 h. The release of MTO from compound liposome was 0.05% after 288 h and release time of MTO from free drug (in control solution) was 12 h. The liposomes and free drugs were injected intravenously at same dose to mice. The elimination half-life time (T 1/2) in plasma of liposomal and free VCR were 0.16 h and 0.14 h, and the AUCs (0 - 48 h) of them were 2.69 (ug x g(-1)) x h and 1.58 (ug x g(-1)) x h, respectively. The elimination half-life times (T 1/2) in plasma of liposomal and free MTO were 21.6 h and 0.05 h and the AUCs (0 - 48 h) of them were 17.06 (ug x g(-1)) x h and 0.42 (ug x g(-1)) x h, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe compound liposome with high entrapping efficiency and small particle size could be prepared by pH-gradients method and reverse evaporation technique. Two drugs were sustained-released from the compound liposome. Mice tail intravenous injection of compound liposomes showed that compound liposome prolonged the retention time and improved the concentration of MTO and VCR in the blood circulation system compared to control. In the mean time, compound liposome reduced the concentration of the MTO and VCR in heart, lung, kidney etc. These observations indicated that compound liposome could improve anticancer activity and reduce side effect.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Liposomes ; Male ; Mice ; Mitoxantrone ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Solubility ; Tissue Distribution ; Vincristine ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of drug properties on the encapsulation effiency (EE) and drug release of transfersomes for a proper transfersome preparation.

METHODTo prepare the transfersomes of colchicines (CLC), vincristine sulfate (VCR) and mitoxantrone hydrochloride (DHAD) with the same materials and methods, and then measure their EE. To find out the relationship between drug properties like solubility, molecular weight and charges, and EE. To performe the drug release experiments of various types of transfersomes in vitro, and compare their differences.

RESULTVCR and DHAD are lipophilic or hydrophilic, owing positive charges and large molecular weight, as a result, their EE are high, while CLC is amphipathic, neutral, and of small molecular weight, its EE is very low. As DHAD can insert into the membrane of transfersome, the drug release of DHAD-T in vitro is much slower than that of VCR-T.

CONCLUSIONTo prepare transfersomes with high EE, drugs that are lipophilic or hydrophilic, high molecular weight and opposite charges to the membrane should be chosen. Interaction between drugs and membrane will influnce the rate of drug release.

Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Colchicine ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Deoxycholic Acid ; Drug Carriers ; Gout Suppressants ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Mitoxantrone ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Phosphatidylcholines ; Solubility ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Vincristine ; administration & dosage ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo summarize the management of infant vascular tumors with Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP) and to evaluate the effect of drug combined with sclerotherapy.

METHODSFrom Feb. 2007 to Nov. 2014, 25 cases with KMP, who underwent drug therapy combined with sclerotherapy, were retrospectively studied. Oral corticosteroids (2 mg/kg per day) was used as the first-line therapy on all of the patients and intravenous vincristine (1.5 mg/m2 every week) was added when the platelet counts didn't recover obviously after 2-3 weeks. After the recovery of the platelet counts, the patients were admitted for sclerotherapy (average, 4.56 sessions per case) with 100% alcohol (1-3 ml per session), Lauromacrogol (1.25-5 ml per session) and betamethasone (0.25-1 ml per session). All the patients were followed up for 42 months ( range, 9 months to 6.5 years). Therapeutic outcomes were assessed by evaluating platelet counts, size of lesion, function of trunk and limb.

RESULTSAll the 25 cases got obvious recovery in the platelet counts [average, (94.3 ± 18.5) x 10(9)/L] after drug therapy, of which 16 were treated by single oral corticosteroids for 4-7 weeks and 9 were treated by corticosteroids plus intravenous vincristine for 2-5 weeks. Meantime, 11 cases received platelet transfusions, of which 3 were coupled with gamma globulin intramuscularly. During the first admission, each of the 25 cases received 1-4 sessions of sclerotherapy (average, 2.6 sessions each case). One week after the sclerotherapy, the platelet counts returned to (167-312) x 10(9)/L (average, (258.5 ± 34.4) x 10(9)/L). The hemoglobin and blood coagulation function returned to normal within 1-5 weeks. Meanwhile the mental condition, appetite, body weight, sleeping were greatly improved. The size of the lesions decreased gradually after the combined therapy including 13 cases within 3-12 months and 13 cases within 13-36 months. Long term follow-up indicated that only 1 case need treatment for recurrent decrease of platelet counts, and all of the 25 cases kept the normal weight, height, immunity as well as the growing development.

CONCLUSIONSOral corticosteroids plus intravenous vincristine combined with sclerotherapy is a reliable management with high cure rate, short course and minor side-effect.

Administration, Oral ; Betamethasone ; administration & dosage ; Combined Modality Therapy ; methods ; Ethanol ; administration & dosage ; Glucocorticoids ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Infant ; Injections, Intravenous ; Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome ; blood ; therapy ; Platelet Count ; Polyethylene Glycols ; administration & dosage ; Retrospective Studies ; Sclerotherapy ; methods ; Vincristine ; administration & dosage

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Cyclophosphamide ; administration & dosage ; Doxorubicin ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; classification ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Prednisone ; administration & dosage ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Vincristine ; administration & dosage

Three dogs presented with refractory immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMT). All patients failed to respond to prednisone, which is considered a mainstay of immunosuppressive therapy. Vincristine-loaded platelets (VLPs), which act selectively on mononuclear phagocytes,were introduced. After the VLPs were transfused, two dogs responded quickly withimproved clinical signs while the third dogwith recurrent IMT was euthanized due to its deteriorating condition. This case report describesthe efficacy of VLP therapy in refractory IMT patients.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Dog Diseases/*therapy ; Dogs ; Female ; Male ; Platelet Transfusion/methods/*veterinary ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic/therapy/*veterinary ; Vincristine/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use

We analyzed the efficacy and toxicity of a modified Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 19802 regimen in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). From February 2002 to August 2005, 25 adults with untreated ALL were enrolled in the study. Compared to the original regimen, the modified CALGB 19802 regimen consisted of a 4-drug induction (cyclophosphamide, daunorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) instead of a 5-drug induction (L-asparaginase was added to the previous regimen). This was followed by high-dose methotrexate (1,000 mg/m(2)X3 days) and cytarabine (2,000 mg/m(2)X4 days) for the consolidation cycles. High-dose systemic and intrathecal methotrexate was given for central nervous system prophylaxis. Twentythree patients (92%) achieved a complete remission (CR), and two patients (8%) had refractory disease. With a median follow-up of 21.5 months, 10 patients (40%) were alive and continued to be in CR. The 3-yr probability of an event-free survival and the overall survival were 39.0% and 47.4%, respectively. Treatment related mortality and major grade 3 to 4 neurotoxicity occurred in 1 patient and 3 patients, respectively. The modified CALGB 19802 regimen demonstrated a high remission rate and a favorable survival rate.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/*therapeutic use ; Cyclophosphamide/*administration & dosage ; Daunorubicin/*administration & dosage ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/*drug therapy ; Prednisone/*administration & dosage ; Remission Induction ; Treatment Outcome ; Vincristine/*administration & dosage

Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Cyclophosphamide ; administration & dosage ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Panniculitis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Panniculitis, Nodular Nonsuppurative ; pathology ; Prednisone ; administration & dosage ; Vincristine ; administration & dosage

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the combination chemotherapy regimen with floxuridine, dactinomycin, etoposide, and vincristine (FAEV) as primary treatment for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN).

METHODSClinical data and outcome of the patients with GTN from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Totally 38 eligible patients had received at least one cycle of FAEV chemotherapy as primary treatment. The primary end points were response rate and toxicity of FAEV regimen.

RESULTSTotally 38 patients and 205 cycles of FAEV chemotherapy were included. Twenty-eight of these patients (73.6%) achieved serologic complete remission (SCR). Regimens were changed in 10 patients because of 5 with no response and 5 with intolerable toxicity. The most serious adverse events were greater than or equal to grade 3 neutropenia (31.6%), febrile neutropenia (7.9%), and greater than or equal to grade 3 thrombocytopenia (5.3%). During the follow-up, none relapsed.

CONCLUSIONFAEV is an effective regimen with manageable toxicity for patients with GTN as primary treatment, especially for patients with non-metastatic low or high risk GTN.

Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Dactinomycin ; administration & dosage ; Etoposide ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Floxuridine ; administration & dosage ; Gestational Trophoblastic Disease ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Vincristine ; administration & dosage ; Young Adult