1,720,992 research outputs found
Involved-field irradiation in combination with total-body irradiation (TBI) does not increase short-term toxicity compared to TBI alone in patients with advanced-stage low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma
No full textPurpose: High-dose therapy (HDT) is currently under investigation for patients with advanced Low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). We report on the toxicity of a modified HDT that combines total-body irradiation (TBI) with involved-field irradiation (IF-RT) for patients with bulky disease or residual lymphomas >2 cm after induction chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: 41 patients received HDT which consisted of high-dose cyclophosphamide and fractionated TBI (6 x 2 Gy) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. Eleven patients received IF-RT prior to TBI, three patients had already received another radiotherapy treatment prior to HDT. Results: After a medium follow-up of 19 months we observed an overall survival rate of 100%, and a relapse-free survival rate of 78%. Severe toxicity was observed only in one patient who developed a myelodysplastic syndrome, and another patient who showed signs of pneumonitis. About two thirds of the patients claimed minor toxicity of grade I-II according the LENT-SOMA scale, predominantly as a decrease in concentration, reduced sexual functioning, and musculo-skeletal pain. Correspondingly, Laboratory tests showed grade I-II changes of blood counts, Liver enzymes, hormone levels, and lung function. There was no excess toxicity in the patients who received IF-RT additional to TBI. Conclusions: HDT including TBI and prior IF-RT is feasible without excess morbidity. Careful follow-up is required to detect myelodysplastic syndrome or endocrine changes of ovarian or testicular function
Effects of amifostine in a patient with an advanced-stage myelodysplastic syndrome
No full textWe report on a 63-year-old man with myelodysplastic syndrome at the stage of a refractory anemia with an excess of blasts in transformation (NMS-RAEB-T), first diagnosed in December 1996. After a period of stability, with no need for transfusions, the MDS progressed into acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in August 1998 with the emergence of a cytogenetic abnormality (11q-). Two courses of chemotherapy were given, resulting in prolonged pancytopenia; however, no clearance of bone marrow (BM) blasts was achieved. At that time, severe infections and daily epistaxis occurred. Frequent transfusions of packed red blood cells (RBC) and platelets (2-3/week) were necessary. After 2 months of persisting severe pancytopenia, we started a therapy with amifostine: 4 x 250 mg intravenously (i.v.) weekly for 1 month, followed by a maintenance therapy with 500 mg once weekly. After 2 weeks of amifostine therapy, hematopoiesis began to improve. In the subsequent 2 months, the patient became completely independent of the platelet transfusions; the transfusion frequency of RBC was permanently reduced (2 RBC transfusions/month) and a significant decrease of BM blasts was achieved. After 30 weeks of amifostine therapy, the morphology of the MDS switched to a chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML)-like appearance, with continuously increasing leukocytes, so that we discontinued amifostine therapy for 1 month to exclude a possible side effect of amifostine. At that time, leukocytes further increased to 74,000/mul; thus, we decided to perform a cytoreductive chemotherapy (hydroxycarbamide) and continued weekly amifostine infusions. During 1 year of amifostine therapy, the patient had a good quality of life, with no need for hospitalization and a complete cytogenetic remission. We conclude that, in this case, amifostine had two effects: a significant improvement of impaired hematopoiesis and a slowing down of disease progression. Thus, amifostine might be a therapeutic option in older patients with advanced MDS
Does external scintigraphy allow for predictions with respect to the toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of Herceptin (R) therapy of HER2/neu expressing breast cancer?
No full textDoes external scintigraphy allow for predictions with respect to the toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of Herceptin (R) therapy of HER2/neu expressing breast cancer?
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Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Cytogenetic subgroups in acute myeloid leukemia differ in proliferative activity and response to GM-CSF
No full textThe current study was undertaken to search for differences in the biology of cytogenetic subgroups in patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML), In addition, factors influencing the metabolism of cytosine arabinoside (araC) as the key agent of antileukemic activity were assessed. Bone marrow aspirates from 91 patients with newly diagnosed AML in whom karyotypes were successfully obtained were analyzed: (1) for spontaneous proliferative activity by H-3-thymidine (H-3-TdR) incorporation; (2) proliferative response to GM-CSF by in vitro incubation of blasts for 48 h with or without GM-CSF (100 U/ml) followed by an additional 4-h exposure to H-3-TdR (0.5 mu Ci/ml); and (3) parameters of araC metabolism comprising H-3-araC uptake in vitro and the activities of polymerase alpha (poly a), deoxycytidine kinase (DCK) and deoxycytidine deaminase (DCD), According to the results of chromosome analyses four cytogenetic subgroups were discriminated: (1) normal karyotypes (n=38); (II) favorable karyotypes [t8;21), t(15;17), inv(18)](n=16); (III) unfavorable karyotypes [inv (3), -5, 5q-, t(6;9), +8, t (9;11), complex abnormalities] (n=20); (IV) karyotypes of unknown prognostic significance (n=17). Proliferative activity of leukemic blasts was significantly higher in favorable karyotypes (group II) as compared to cases with unfavorable cytogenetics (group III) with median values and range for H-3-TdR uptake in group II of 2.48 pmol/10(5) cells (0.28-25.8) and in group III of 0.51 pmol/10(5) cells (0.04-7.6) (P = 0.0096). The respective values in group I and group IV were 0.7 pmol/10(5) cells (0.0-6.7) and 0.98 pmol/10(5) cells (0.0-4.0), respectively. Inversely, response to GM-CSF, as defined by an increase in H-3-TdR incorporation >1.5- fold over control values after 48 h of GM-CSF exposure, was significantly lower for patients with a favorable karyotype (group II) as compared to group I (P=0.04) and group III (P= 0.013). No significant differences between karyotype groups I, 11, III and IV were found for H-3-araC incorporation, nor for the activities of poly a, DCK and DCD, These data demonstrate differences in the biology of cytogenetic subgroups in AML which may partly explain the well established differences in clinical outcome
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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