Search

The combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin is one of the most active chemotherapy regimens against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine combined with cisplatin in a 3-week cycle regimen for patients with operable, early stage NSCLC. Gemcitabine at a dose of 1000 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle for 3 cycles, followed by cisplatin at a dose of 75 mg/m(2) on day 1 was administered to patients with previously untreated, operable, early stage (IB-IIIA) NSCLC. A total of 47 patients (46 male, mean age 56.0+/-8.0 years) who met the eligibility criteria were enrolled. The pathological complete response rate was 5.3% of operated patients and 4.3% of total patients. At visit 4, 57.1% of the patients had partial response, 38.1%, stable disease and 4.8%, progressive disease. The main toxicities - leukopenia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia - were usually clinically asymptomatic and did not require hospitalization. Non-hematological toxicities were minimal and manageable. Disease free and 12-month overall survival rates were over 70% and 80%, respectively. This study demonstrates that the administration of gemcitabine and cisplatin combination for 3 cycles is effective and tolerable for patients with operable, early stage NSCLC. Low toxicity profile and promising survival outcome suggest that this regimen has an encouraging activity in this subset of patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the degree of technetium-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) uptake and its retention in delayed imaging in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) was correlated with the response to multiagent chemotherapy and to investigate if there was a relationship between the survival time of patients with SCLC and Tc-99m MIBI SPECT tumor uptake parameters at the time of diagnosis., Methods: Between 1998 and by December 2004, 40 patients with SCLC were studied with Tc-99m MIBI SPECT at the time of diagnosis. The patients were classified by a follow-up CT as good responders (complete or partial remission) and poor responders (stable disease or progressive disease). Following i.v. administration of 740 MBq Tc-99m MIBI, SPECT imaging at 30 minutes (early) and 2 hours (delayed) was performed. Regions of interests were placed over the tumors and contralateral normal lung tissue on one transverse section. The uptake ratio of the lesion to that in the contralateral normal lung was obtained from early images (early ratio; ER) as well as delayed images (delayed ratio; DR). The retention index (RI%) was measured as: RI% = [(DR-ER)/ER] x 100. Tc-99m MIBI tumor uptake parameters were compared with chemotherapeutic response and survival time., Results: Of 40 patients, 29 patients were good responders (72.5%) and 11 patients were poor responders (27.5%). RI% of Tc-99m MIBI SPECT in the group of good response was significantly higher than in that with poor response (p < 0.05). On the other hand, there was no significant difference between the two groups with respect to ER or DR values. Four of 40 patients were still alive with disease (10%). The patient survival time varied from 1 to 70 months (mean survival time = 12.9 +/- 13.4 months). There was no significant difference between the survival time of patients with respect to ER or DR of Tc-99m MIBI SPECT imaging. When median RI% was accepted as a cut-off value (-3.85%), patients with higher RI% values had a longer survival time (12 months) when compared with those with low RI% (8 months), p < 0.05., Conclusion: Our results suggest that Tc-99m MIBI SPECT could accurately predict the chemotherapy response in patients with SCLC. RI% of Tc-99m MIBI SPECT is recommended to differentiate patients with a poor response to chemotherapy and good responders, and RI% of Tc-99m MIBI SPECT appears as the only parameter that may be useful in predicting the survival of patients with SCLC.

Objective: Cisplatin-gemcitabine (PG) and cisplatin-etoposide (PE) combinations are active regimens for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The present study aimed to compare PG with PE in the treatment of patients with stage IIIB and IV NSCLC., Methodology: We conducted a prospective, multicentre trial. A total of 166 patients were enrolled into the study and received either gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m(2)) on days 1, 8 and 15 plus cisplatin (80 mg/m(2)) on day 2 every 4 weeks, or etoposide (100 mg/m(2)) on days 1, 2 and 3 plus cisplatin (80 mg/m(2)) on day 1 every 3 weeks., Results: The overall response rate was superior in the PG group (54.8%vs 39.0%, P=0.045). There was no significant difference in survival between the two groups, with respective median and 1-year survival of 38 weeks and 33.3% for the PG group, and 34 weeks and 23.2% for the PE group. There was also no statistical difference for time to progression between the two groups. Neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were seen more frequently in the PG group (grade 3 neutropenia, 33.3%vs 15.9%, P=0.012; grade 3 thrombocytopenia, 27.4%vs 3.7%, P<0.001 and grade 4 thrombocytopenia, 10.7%vs 1.2%, P=0.018)., Conclusion: PG is an active chemotherapy regimen and has a better response rate than PE in advanced NSCLC, although there was no difference in time to progression and overall survival. A higher incidence of haematological toxicity was seen with PG than with PE.

Penetrating, perforating, and avulsive fragmentation injuries present a unique surgical challenge for oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the Iraqi theater of operation. Maxillofacial injuries encountered in Operation Iraqi Freedom I and Operation Iraqi Freedom II have presented injury patterns not encountered previously in other large-scale armed conflicts. Current literature in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery does not cover adequately the concerns that are inherent to care and treatment planning at an echelon III facility. This article addresses clinical and surgical practice guidelines that were developed by oral surgeons in theater and from feedback they received from higher echelons of care.

Improvised explosive devices have created a new class of casualties that presents a unique surgical challenge for oral and maxillofacial surgeons. The injury pattern and severity are different from those seen in conventional trauma patients. Because of battlefield circumstances, patients are sometimes delayed significantly in their transport to a trauma center, and they frequently arrive at a trauma center with hypotension, hypothermia, and acidosis. Definitive care is delayed while the hemodynamic status and life-threatening injuries are stabilized. Hospital triage protocols must be well established in advance to prepare a timely response to the mass casualty event. Proper resource use is an ever-evolving challenge for hospital staff during these times.

The aim of the study was to investigate the success of a smoking cessation program among the smoking relatives of patients with serious smoking-related disorders and to determine whether having a relative with such a disorder influences the rate of success of the program. The relatives of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer who wanted to quit smoking were included in the smoking cessation program (group I, n = 34). During the same period, the same number of subjects with relatives free of any smoking-related diseases were included as a control group (group II, n = 34). Intensive behavioral therapy and motivational support was given to all subjects. Nicotine replacement therapy was administered to 10 subjects (29.4%) in group I and 14 subjects (41.2%) in group II. The subjects were evaluated in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th and 12th week and subsequently every 3 months for a year in the outpatient clinic and proactive telephone interviews were performed periodically. In group I, 23.5% of subjects had a relative with COPD, 61.8% had relatives with lung cancer, and 14.7% had relatives with both COPD and lung cancer. The rate of quitting smoking was 79.4 and 73.5% on the 15th day and 41.2 and 38.2% at the end of the 1st year in groups I and II, respectively (p > 0.05). We observed that having a relative with serious smoking-related disorders did not motivate smokers to quit smoking., (Copyright 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The Turkish version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire version 2.0 (EORTC QLQ-C30 v.2.0) has started to be used in clinical trials recently. The objective of the study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 v.2.0 and the correlation between the Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) and the EORTC QLQ-C30. Two hundred and two lung cancer patients were included in the study between January and March 2000. All the subscales met the minimal standards of reliability (Cronbach's alpha > or = 0.70). Only the role functioning scale differed among the three disease stages of patients (local, locoregional and metastatic). There was no statistically significant difference among therapy types. All interscale correlations were statistically significant (P < 0.01). The strongest correlations were found among the physical functioning, role functioning and fatigue scales. Social functioning was closely related with physical, role, emotional and cognitive functioning. The weakest correlations were between nausea/vomiting and the other scales. Global quality of life (QOL) was substantially correlated with most of the scales except cognitive functioning. The coefficients for the correlation between the items differed between 0.12 and 0.97 and all the subscales were strongly correlated with the scales which they formed. The highest correlation between the EORTC QLQ-C30 and KPS was for physical functioning (r = 0.62, P < 0.05). The Turkish version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 is a valid (by means of interscales validity) and reliable instrument for Turkish lung cancer patients and can be used in clinical studies but needs supporting by the reference data on the QOL of the Turkish population.

Objective: To assess smoking habit and awareness of smoking as a potential cause of disease among relatives of patients with serious smoking-related disorders., Design and Setting: A survey using a face-to-face interview-assisted questionnaire at the Ege University Hospital between October 1998 and March 1999., Subjects: We interviewed 242 relatives of patients with serious smoking-related disorders, of whom 56.6% were female and 43.4% male. The mean age was 41.2 +/- 13.2 years (15-75). One relative per patient completed the questionnaire and the chosen relative took care of the patient during his illness and accompanied him during hospital visits., Main Outcome Measures: We assessed the relationship between smoking habit and the perception of smoking as a potential cause of illness by the relatives. Statistical analysis was performed by chi(2) test., Results: The prevalence of smoking among relatives was 37.6% [49.5% males (n = 105) and 28.5% females (n = 137), p = 0.0003] and an additional 20.2% were ex-smokers. Of the relatives, 86.4% knew that the diseases were directly related to smoking, and 37.8% of these people were smokers and 21.5% ex-smokers. Only 7.2% reported that they had quit smoking after being influenced by the diseases of the patients. The decision to quit was statistically unrelated to the awareness of smoking as the cause of disease. Of all the relatives, 69.2% had tried to quit at least once, 86.8% considered quitting, and 89.0% considered using professional help for smoking cessation., Conclusion: The findings show that even though this group of smokers is aware of the harmful effects of smoking they cannot successfully quit smoking; however, the majority reconsider quitting and receiving professional help., (Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel)

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major problem in lung cancer. Tc-99m methoxyisobutyl isonitrile (MIBI) has been demonstrated to be a non-invasive marker to diagnose MDRI related P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) expression in various solid tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the degree of Tc-99m MIBI uptake and its retention on delayed images and the response to chemotherapy in lung cancer. Twenty-three patients (1 woman and 22 men, age range 40-67 years) with lung cancer (9 small cell and 14 non-small cell) were examined with Tc-99m MIBI imaging before chemotherapy. After i.v. administration of 740 MBq Tc-99m MIBI, planar and SPECT imaging at 30 minutes and 2 hours was performed. Tumor to normal lung uptake ratio (T/N) and percent retention were measured. Response to chemotherapy was evaluated according to follow-up CT and grouped as complete responders (CR), partial responders (PR) and non-responders (NR). Clinical follow-up and CT evaluation revealed that 12 patients had partial remission, 4 patients had complete remission and 7 patients had no-remission after chemotherapy. Statistically, there was no significant correlation between early (30 min), delayed (2 hr) T/N ratios and percent retention of Tc-99m MIBI with chemotherapeutic response of the lung cancer among the three groups (p > 0.05). Results of the current study imply that Tc-99m MIBI uptake and the retention index may not correlate with chemotherapy response in lung cancer, so that the accuracy of this method needs to be verified in a larger series with additional investigation at the molecular level.

Background: Lung cancer is the most common neoplasm in Turkey, but there is not enough data on the characteristics of this mortal illness in our country., Objectives and Methods: The Turkish Thoracic Society, Lung and Pleural Malignancies Study Group (TTS-LPMSG) conducted a national retrospective hospital-based study to determine the pattern of lung cancer in Turkey., Results: A total of 11,849 lung cancer patients were studied between 1994 and 1998, 90.4% were male and 9.6% were female. The majority of patients were smokers (77.9%) or ex-smokers (10.8%). The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 58.4 years (20-84) and 56.7% of the patients were aged between 46 and 65 years. The most common histological types were squamous cell (45.4%), small cell (SCLC; 20.5%) and adenocarcinoma (20.2%). The majority of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer were diagnosed with metastatic disease (40.4%). Of the patients with SCLC patients, 37.9% had limited stage disease and 62.7% extensive stage disease at diagnosis., Conclusion: The results of the largest data so far collected in Turkey show that the vast majority of patients with lung cancer are male, squamous cell is the most common histological type, and only a small proportion of patients are diagnosed at an early stage., (Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel)

Introduction: A phase-II study was planned to test the effect of external beam radiotherapy in combination with endobronchial brachytherapy on the local control and survival of stage-III non-small cell lung cancer patients., Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with stage-III non-small cell lung cancer have been treated with 60 Gy external beam radiotherapy and 3 x 5 Gy HDR endobronchial brachytherapy to control tumor and to prolong survival., Results: Therapy regimen was found to be very effective for the palliation of major symptoms, palliation rates were 42.8% for cough, 95.2% for hemoptysis, 88.2% for chest pain and 80.0% for dyspnea. There was a 76.7% tumor response (53.3% complete, 23.3% partial) verified by chest CT scans and bronchoscopy. However, median locoregional disease free survival was 9+/-4 months (95% CI: 1-17) and it was only 9.6% at 5 years. Major side effects were radiation bronchitis (70.0%), esophagitis (6.6%) in the acute period and bronchial fibrosis (25%), esophagial fibrosis (12.5%) and fatal hemoptysis (10.5%) in the late period. Median survival was 11+/-4 months (95% CI: 4-18),and 5-year actuarial survival was 10%. Locoregional disease free survival (P=0.008) and the overall survival was longer (P<0.001) in the patients younger than 60, survival was also improved in the patients with complete response (P=0.019). There were no major complications during catheterisation; early side effects were quite tolerable but severe late complications were around 10%., Conclusions: It is concluded that endobronchial brachytherapy in combination with external irradiation provides a good rate of response, however does not eradicate locoregional disease and does not prolong survival except for some subgroups such as younger patients.