Search

In October 1984, a prospective pilot study aiming to evaluate the feasibility and to preliminarily test the efficacy of the chemotherapy-surgery sequence in locally advanced bladder carcinoma was started at our institutions. Chemotherapy consisted of adriamycin 50 mg mq and cisplatin 50 mg mq on day 1 and fluorouracil 500 mg mq and teniposide 100 mg mq on days 1 and 8; chemotherapy was repeated every 3 weeks for three cycles and followed by surgery (radical cystectomy; TUR if radical surgery medically contraindicated). The characteristics of the 28 patients so far treated include: T3b in 26 patients, local relapse after surgery in two, nodal metastases in seven. Twenty-five patients were male and three female, median age was 61 yr (range 42-75). Clinical response following chemotherapy was: complete remission (CR) in five patients, partial remission (PR) in 15, stable disease (SD) in three, progression (PRO) in two. Three patients are not evaluable. Treatment was moderately well tolerated. Thirteen patients underwent radical surgery, three exploratory surgery, three TUR; refusal in three patients, early death in two, too early in one. No evidence of disease was found in the surgical specimen of Five patients (three CR, two PR), microscopic residual disease in four PR patients, gross residual disease in 11 patients (one CR, six PR, two SD, two PRO). Actuarial median survival (all 28 patients) is 45% at 36 months. These preliminary results suggest that the combination of chemotherapy and surgery is feasible and may be effective in these poor prognosis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From August 1986 to September 1988, 76 eligible patients with advanced prostatic carcinoma, measurable or evaluable disease, no previous hormonal treatment, were treated with Buserelin at a dosage of 500 μg every 8 h for 7 days, followed by 400 μg intranasally three times a day. No concomitant antiandrogens were administered. In the 63 evaluable patients (11 patients not yet evaluable because of short treatment time, two lost to follow-up), three complete remissions, 28 partial remissions, 30 stable disease and two progressions were obtained (National Prostatic Cancer Project criteria). Median duration of response was 55+ weeks. Side effects were modest, mostly related to the endocrinological effects of Buserelin. Transient increase in serum testosterone levels was found in 37% of the evaluable patients, but transitory 'flare-up' was present in seven patients only. With a median follow-up time of 11.5 months, median survival has not been reached. In conclusion, this study confirmed the activity of Buserelin and the feasibility of its middle-term administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From February 1984 to February 1987, 29 patients with advanced, hormone-resistant prostatic carcinoma were treated with mitomycin-C at a dose of 20 mg/m2 every 6 weeks (15 mg/m2 in patients greater than 75 years old and in those who had undergone previous radiotherapy). In the 27 evaluable patients, there were no complete remissions (CR), 2 partial remissions (PR), 14 stabilizations (STAB), and 11 cases of progressive disease (PRO). Ten stabilized patients showed significant pain reduction. Toxicity was minimal. The actuarial median survival was 10.8 months. In this study, mitomycin C was not active in terms of CR + PR; however, a beneficial symptomatic effect was frequently observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]