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Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas include malignant conditions developing within lymphoid tissue, both lymph nodes and extranodal lymphoid tissue. Due to its rich lymphatic supply, the cervico-facial region is frequently involved: 10 to 15% of all NHL (1, 2, 8, 15), i.e. a similar incidence to primary GI involvement (4). The cervical glands and lymphatic structures of the Waldeyer ring are most often and most classically involved. The nasosinusal cavities may be involved, producing diagnostic problems which have to be resolved by the specialist (6). Between 1972 and 1989, 20 cases of NHL involving the bony cavities of the face were seen at the Centre Antoine-Lacassagne. These include the 15 cases reported below involving the naso-sinusal cavities.

The subunit composition of phosphofructokinase from normal and malignant blood cells has been investigated by means of immunologic, electrophoretic, and chromatographic methods. Immunoprecipitation tests were performed with three specific antisera recognizing each of the basic subunits of human phosphofructokinase: muscle, M-type; liver, L-type; and fibroblast, F-type. Mature polymorphonuclear cells contain mainly L-subunits, while lymphocytes and platelets contain hybrids formed of L and F subunits; these hybrids can be electrophoretically separated. Red cell phosphofructokinase is composed of L and M subunits, as judged by its reactivity with anti-L and anti-M-type antisera. The various M-L hybrids composing red cell phosphofructokinase could be only separated by chromatography on DEAE-Cellulose. Lymphocytes from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoblasts from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia contain phosphofructokinase forms similar to those from normal lymphocytes, while the immature granulocytic cells (leukemic myeloblasts and myeloid cells of chronic myeloid leukemia) are characterized by a reinforcement of enzyme inhibition by anti-F-type antiserum. Lymphoid lines in culture (Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced or malignant lymphoma-derived lines) are characterized by the indistinctive expression of all three basic subunits, similar to that found in some fetal tissues. This article represents the first description of the isozymic nature of phosphofructokinase in platelets and white blood cells and of its changes with malignancy and cell culture. This enzyme might represent a useful marker in the characterization of the leukemic cells.

In 1980, 27 patients with inoperable lung cancer (26 non-oat cell, one oat cell) were treated by split-course irradiation (40 Gy/10 fractions) plus concomitant low-dose chemotherapy (doxorubicin 10 mg/m2). Twenty-four of the 27 patients received the entire treatment course. Fifteen of the 27 patients were administered various chemotherapy protocols after a period of one month. Median survival was 16 weeks despite a 60% response rate. The lungs were the main site of complications (13 cases of radiation pneumonitis for the 24 patients), which occurred primarily when an objective response was obtained. These complications partially explain the poor results. Injection of doxorubicin during irradiation appears to have been a determining factor.

The authors report on 5 Hodgkin's disease (HD) patients with a mediastinothoracic ratio greater than or equal to 0.35 treated by ABVD chemotherapy (adriamycin, bleomycin, vindesine, DTIC) and irradiation. All 5 patients developed complications and there was 1 death. Administration of adriamycin and bleomycin in combination with irradiation may have been responsible for this poor treatment tolerance. Use of such protocols, and especially use of ABVD after mediastinal irradiation, should probably be avoided in the management of patients with massive mediastinal involvement.

Isozymic heterogeneity of human phosphofructokinase was investigated by means of ATP inhibition, immunoneutralization by antihuman muscle-type and antiliver-type phosphofructokinase antisera, solubility in (NH4)2SO4 solutions, and starch gel and polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis. The enzymes studied by these methods were purified from various normal and malignant human adult tissues by chromatography on blue Dextran Sepharose 4 B columns. From the results of these studied we suggest that three basic phosphofructokinase isozymes could exist: muscle-type, fibroblast-type, and liver-type isozymes. Muscle-type isozyme is the single form found in adult muscle, and is involved in the enzymes from heart, brain, red cell, and testis. Fibroblast-type isozyme is found mainly in the placenta, fibroblasts kidney, and some malignant tissues. Liver-type phosphofructokinase seems to be very definitely the predominant form in mature polymorphonuclear cells, platelets, and liver. Testis and red cell phosphofructokinase enzymes definitely include msucle-type aand liver-type subunits, associated in various hybrid forms.

This retrospective study covered 44 patients treated by abdominoperineal amputation (17 normal postoperative cases, 25 relapses, 2 abscesses) and 13 patients with disease recurrence after resection of a colorectal cancer. Twenty-nine of the 38 relapses occurred in less than two years. Recurrent lesions after abdominoperineal amputation (25 cases) were convex and generally larger than 3 cm in diameter; 13 of these lesions invaded contiguous structures. Endoscopic findings were positive for 11 of the 13 post-resection relapses whereas CT was positive in only 9 of the 13 cases (but included the 2 cases not diagnosed by endoscopy). 13 cases were punctured under CT guidance, but results were positive in only 11 cases. Endoscopy remains the first examination that should be performed for the follow-up of colic resections, but CT should be performed systematically when monitoring patients who have undergone abdominoperineal amputation.

To obtain more precise data on pulmonary doses in preparation for total body irradiation, the lung density of patients was systematically analyzed in treatment positions using data obtained by computed tomography (CT). With the patient supine, the lung density was not significantly different for the right and left lungs. In contrast, considerable differences were noted between the two lungs in lateral decubitus positions owing to variations in ventilation and perfusion. The relative electron density of lung was also found to decrease with age, dropping to pe = 0.160 at 71 years.

L (liver) type phosphofructokinase subunits purified from human leukocytes are slightly lighter than L subunits from liver and red blood cells. A mild treatment of red blood cell L4 enzyme with subtilisin converts its subunits into forms of similar molecular weight to leukocyte enzyme. From a kinetical point of view, subtilisin-treated L4 phosphofructokinase and leukocyte enzymes are characterized by a decrease of the allosteric properties as compared to non-treated red cell L4 phosphofructokinase.

The aim of this study was to test cisplatinum and 5-FU chemotherapy. Thirty-five patients with epidermoid or undifferentiated lung carcinoma were entered in a multicentric phase II trial, in an attempt to further define the activity and toxicity of this association. None of them had been previously treated by chemotherapy. The dosage schedule was cisplatinum 100 mg/m2 D1 and 5-FU 1 g/m2 D1 to D5 every 3 weeks for 3 courses before evaluation. There were CR: 2, PR: 10, for a total response rate of 35%. Median survival was 7 months. Tolerance was acceptable. We conclude that this association can be safely administered, but that the results are not superior to others previously reported. Further studies are required to define the activity of a cisplatinum, 5-FU and radiotherapy association.

The clinical and radiological responses after irradiation of brain metastases were compared in 50 patients. A complete response as evidenced by CT scan was achieved in 11 patients, whereas a clinical complete response was observed in 16 cases. There was only 35% agreement between the clinical and the radiological responses. In terms of patient survival, those in whom complete radiological response was obtained has a significantly longer survival time (p = 0.004). Therefore, in evaluating the treatment of brain metastases, it is preferable to determine both the clinical and the radiological responses. The latter seems to be more accurate and justifies the use of repeated CT scans in the follow-up of these patients.

ATP-depleted human red cells have been incubated in a glucose-containing medium with [32P]orthophosphate in the presence and in the absence of cyclic 3',5'-AMP and dibutyril cyclic 3',5'-AMP. Spectrin, pyruvate kinase, phosphofructokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and hemoglobin A1 have been purified and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Protein-bound radioactivity has been measured from the sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels and the trichloroacetic acid-precipitated proteins. In the cytosol, the most intense phosphorylation was found for pyruvate kinase whose, in the presence of cyclic AMP, specific radioactivity was comparable to that of the membrane protein and spectrin. In the absence of cyclic nucleotides it was five times less phosphorylated. Phosphofructokinase was only phosphorylated when the red cells were incubated with cyclic nucleotides; the extent of phosphorylation was four times less than for pyruvate kinase. Hemoglobin, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and a contaminant protein copurified with phosphofructokinase were not phosphorylated: the 'background' of the radioactivity found for these proteins was 100 times less than for pyruvate kinase and spectrin, and 20 times less than for phosphofructokinase (+cyclic AMP).

SISGRAD, the interactive computer system of the Antoine-Lacassagne Cancer Center Radiotherapy Department, has been operational since January 1982. It completes the computerized dosimetry system installed several years earlier and is fully integrated with the institution's central network. SISGRAD is in charge of surveillance of the radiotherapy treatments given by the Center's three radiotherapy units (1400 patients per year); it is also used for administrative purposes in the Department and physically connects all of the Department's operating stations. SISGRAD consists of a series of microcomputers connected to a common mass memory; each microcomputer is used as an intelligent console. SISGRAD was developed to guarantee that the treatments comply with prescriptions, to supply extemporaneous dosimetric data, to improve administrative work, and to supply banks with data for statistical analysis and research. SISGRAD actively intervenes to guarantee treatment quality and helps to improve therapy-related security factors. The present text describes the results of clinical use over a 4-year period. The consequences of integration of the system within the Department are analyzed, with special emphasis being placed on SISGRAD's role in the prevention and detection of errors in treatment prescription and delivery.

To evaluate the utility of bone scans for the follow-up of patients with small breast cancers (T less than or equal to 3 cm), the files for 133 patients whose disease was diagnosed between Jan. 1, 1979 and Dec. 31, 1980 were reviewed. At initial presentation, two of these patients already had bone metastases. During their disease course, 30 patients developed metastases and 16 of them had at least one bone metastasis. In 7 of these 16 cases, the bone metastasis was solitary; in 4 cases bone lesions were symptomatic. A total of 178 bone scans were performed during the follow-up of these 133 patients; 16 of these scans were positive, but only 4 examinations allowed the diagnosis of bone metastasis. Despite the slight prognostic value of initial bone scanning in this series, the technique is of little value unless it is combined with clinical examinations aimed at early detection of disease recurrence or metastasis. Except as part of clinical trial protocols, systematic bone scans appear unnecessary for the staging and follow-up of patients with small breast cancers.