Rearrangement of ALL1 (MLL) in acute myeloid leukemia with normal cytogenetics

Approximately 45% of adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have normal cytogenetics and therefore lack structural abnormalities that can assist in the localization and characterization of molecular defects. The partial tandem duplication of the ALL1 (MLL) gene has been found in several such cases of AML, yet its frequency and clinical significance are unclear. We performed Southern analysis of the ALL1 gene in pretreatment samples from 98 AML patients with normal cytogenetics. Eleven of 98 such patients (11%; 95% confidence interval, 6-19%) showed rearrangement of ALL1 at diagnosis. The partial tandem duplication of ALL1 was responsible for ALL1 rearrangement in all such cases examined, making it a frequent molecular defect in adult AML patients with normal cytogenetics. Furthermore, patients with ALL1 rearrangement had a significantly shorter duration of complete remission when compared to patients without ALL1 rearrangement (P = 0.01; median, 7.1 versus 23.2 months). This defect defines for the first time a subset of AML patients with normal cytogenetics who have short durations of complete remission and thus require new therapeutic approaches.

Mucormycosis of the mandible after dental extractions in a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia

Mucormycosis is a fulminant fungal infection that occurs most often in diabetic and immunocompromised patients including those with hematologic malignancies. In this case, a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia developed mucormycosis in a recent mandibular extraction site. The successful management of this patient demonstrated that early diagnosis, aggressive surgical and medical treatment and resolution of the underlying disease could improve the prognosis for survival. A case is made for the role of smoking as an initiator of mucormycosis, and treatment considerations for controlling periodontal and pulpal disease before chemotherapy are discussed.

Monosomy X as a recurring sole cytogenetic abnormality associated with myelodysplastic diseases

Solitary loss of the X chromosome is associated with Turner syndrome and not hematological disorders. We describe five patients with non-constitutional loss of the X chromosome as the sole cytogenetic abnormality in their bone marrow. Three of the five patients had myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), one case had AML M-6 with evidence suggestive of an evolving MDS, and the last patient had a dysplastic marrow. A review of the literature identified sporadic reports of an association of monosomy X and several hematologic disorders, as well as a few solid tumors. In this series of patients, monosomy X as a sole non-constitutional cytogenetic abnormality in bone marrow is associated with myelodysplastic diseases. In addition, fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis with an X centromere probe indicated that monosomy X was present in erythroid precursors, myeloblasts, promyelocytes, myelocytes, metamyelocytes, granulocytes, and monocytes, while mature lymphocytes presented with two copies of the X chromosome. The molecular cytogenetic evidence supports the diagnosis of a myelodysplastic disorder in these cases and documents the potential role of FISH in hematological disease.

Combination cisplatin and carboplatin in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Twenty-three patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who had received no prior chemotherapy were treated with carboplatin 350 mg/m2 followed by cisplatin 50 mg/m2 every 28 days. Twenty-one of 23 patients were evaluable for response and toxicity. Eight patients (38%) achieved complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) with 2 CR and 6 PR. The overall median survival was 8.4 months (range 19 days-56+ months). The major toxicity was hematological with grade III/IV granulocytopenia in 32% and grade III/IV thrombocytopenia in 32%. There was very little nonhematological toxicity and no nephrotoxicity. There were no therapy-related deaths. The combination carboplatin/cisplatin is tolerable in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, with objective responses in 38%; however, the response rate was not superior to single-agent carboplatin or cisplatin. Further studies with a higher dose of cisplatin should be considered.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor after initial chemotherapy for elderly patients with primary acute myelogenous leukemia. Cancer and Leukemia Group B

BACKGROUND

Elderly patients with primary acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) are less likely to enter remission than younger adults, in part because of a higher mortality rate related to severe myelosuppression. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has been shown to shorten the duration of neutropenia and decrease infectious complications when administered after chemotherapy to patients with lymphomas and solid tumors.

METHODS

We randomly assigned 388 patients 60 years of age or older who had newly diagnosed primary AML to receive placebo or GM-CSF (5 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day intravenously over a period of six hours) in a double-blind manner, beginning the day after the completion of three days of daunorubicin (45 mg per square meter of body-surface area per day) and seven days of cytarabine (200 mg per square meter per day by continuous intravenous infusion). If leukemia cells persisted in the marrow three weeks after the initiation of chemotherapy, further daunorubicin (two days) and cytarabine (five days) were administered. GM-CSF or placebo was given daily until the neutrophil count was at least 1000 per cubic millimeter, there was evidence of the regrowth of leukemia, or severe toxic effects attributable to the study infusion occurred. Patients who had a complete remission were then randomly assigned to receive one of two intensification regimens.

RESULTS

Of 388 patients (median age, 69 years), 193 were randomly assigned to receive GM-CSF and 195 to placebo. The rate of complete remission was 51 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 44 to 59 percent) among those assigned to GM-CSF and 54 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 47 to 61 percent) among those assigned to receive placebo (P = 0.61). The reasons for failure (early death, death during marrow hypoplasia, and persistent leukemia), the incidence of severe or lethal infection, and the incidence of the regrowth of leukemia (2 percent overall) were similar in the two groups. The median duration of neutropenia was slightly shorter (P = 0.02) in the patients who received GM-CSF (15 days) than in those who received placebo (17 days), but the clinical importance of this result was minimal because the growth factor failed to lower the treatment-related mortality rate or improve the rate of complete remission.

CONCLUSIONS

GM-CSF, in the dose and schedule we used, does not stimulate the regrowth of leukemia, but it also does not decrease the severe myelosuppressive consequences of initial chemotherapy or improve the response rate in patients 60 years of age or older with primary AML. It should not be recommended for use in such patients.

Phase I study of continuous infusion 6-thioguanine in patients with acute leukemia

6-Thioguanine (6-TG) was administered as a continuous i.v. infusion for 7 days to 24 patients with relapsed or refractory acute leukemia or in the blast phase of chronic granulocytic leukemia. The daily dose of 6-TG was escalated from 37.5 mg/m2 to 160 mg/m2. Stomatitis was dose-related and dose-limiting with a maximum tolerated dose of 120 mg/m2 daily. Cutaneous reactions were dose-related but not dose-limiting. The recommended dose for phase II trials in acute leukemia is 120 mg/m2 per day as a continuous infusion for 7 days. There were two complete and four partial remissions among all patients. At the suggested phase II dose of 120 mg/m2 there were two complete remissions and one partial remission in five evaluable patients.

GM-CSF and asparaginase potentiate ara-C cytotoxicity in HL-60 cells

In preparation for a clinical trial using GM-CSF on days 4-10 of sequential high-dose cytarabine (ara-C) and asparaginase (ASNase) on days 1-3 and 8-10, potential interactions between the protein synthesis inhibitor ASNase and GM-CSF were evaluated. Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) can stimulate acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells to proliferate in vitro and in vivo. Log phase HL-60 cells were exposed to ara-C (10 microM x 3 h) and/or ASNase (10 U/ml during the last 2 h of ara-C). Ara-C and/or ASNase was removed and cells were incubated with or without GM-CSF (10 ng/ml). After 24, 48 and 72 h of GM-CSF there was no significant difference in the S phase fraction of cells exposed to ASNase prior to GM-CSF. Soft agar cloning efficiency was determined after retreatment with ara-C +/- ASNase 24 h into the GM-CSF incubation. GM-CSF enhanced cytotoxicity for all combinations, although this effect was of borderline significance (P = 0.0621); addition of ASNase to the treatment regimen significantly (P = 0.0229) enhanced cytotoxicity without any evidence of a negative interaction with GM-CSF. In addition, ara-C metabolism was assessed during simultaneous exposure to ara-C (10 microM x 3 h) +/- ASNase (10 U/ml the last 2 h) +/- GM-CSF (10 ng/ml beginning 24 h prior to ara-C). Ara-C incorporated into DNA (P = 0.0302) and ara-CTP formation (P = 0.0084 and P = 0.0003 at 2 and 3 h timepoints, respectively) were both increased significantly by GM-CSF, with modest non-significant increases with ASNase exposures. Neither ASNase nor GM-CSF inhibited the effects of the other in this in vitro model. Therefore, when appropriately scheduled, both GM-CSF and ASNase may potentiate ara-C cytotoxicity.

Intensive postremission chemotherapy in adults with acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer and Leukemia Group B

BACKGROUND

About 65 percent of previously untreated adults with primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) enter complete remission when treated with cytarabine and an anthracycline. However, such responses are rarely durable when conventional postremission therapy is administered. Uncontrolled trials have suggested that intensive postremission therapy may prolong these complete remissions.

METHODS

We treated 1088 adults with newly diagnosed AML with three days of daunorubicin and seven days of cytarabine and randomly assigned patients who had a complete remission to receive four courses of cytarabine at one of three doses: 100 mg per square meter of body-surface area per day for five days by continuous infusion, 400 mg per square meter per day for five days by continuous infusion, or 3 g per square meter in a 3-hour infusion every 12 hours (twice daily) on days 1, 3, and 5. All patients then received four courses of monthly maintenance treatment.

RESULTS

Of the 693 patients who had a complete remission, 596 were randomly assigned to receive postremission cytarabine. After a median follow-up of 52 months, the disease-free survival rates in the three treatment groups were significantly different (P = 0.003). Relative to the 100-mg group, the hazard ratios were 0.67 for the 3-g group (95 percent confidence interval, 0.53 to 0.86) and 0.75 for the 400-mg group (95 percent confidence interval, 0.60 to 0.94). The probability of remaining in continuous complete remission after four years for patients 60 years of age or younger was 24 percent in the 100-mg group, 29 percent in the 400-mg group, and 44 percent in the 3-g group (P = 0.002). In contrast, for patients older than 60, the probability of remaining disease-free after four years was 16 percent or less in each of the three postremission cytarabine groups.

CONCLUSIONS

These data support the concept of a dose-response effect for cytarabine in patients with AML who are 60 years of age or younger. The results with the high-dose schedule in this age group are comparable to those reported in similar patients who have undergone allogeneic bone marrow transplantation during a first remission.

Tamoxifen versus high-dose oral medroxyprogesterone acetate as initial endocrine therapy for patients with metastatic breast cancer: a Piedmont Oncology Association study

PURPOSE

To determine in a prospective randomized trial whether high-dose orally administered medroxy-progesterone acetate (MPA) was superior to tamoxifen in patients with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer who had received no prior endocrine therapy in either the adjuvant or advanced setting.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients initially received either tamoxifen 20 mg/d orally or MPA 1 g/d orally. At the time of disease progression, patients were crossed over to the other regimen. Eligibility required patients to be age > or = 18 years, performance status 0 to 3, and estrogen receptor (ER)- or progesterone receptor (PR)-positive or unknown.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty-two eligible patients were entered and 166 were assessable for response. Complete plus partial response rates for tamoxifen and MPA were 17% and 34%, respectively (P = .01). Patients with bone metastases had a significantly higher partial response rate with MPA compared with tamoxifen (33% v 13%). Median time to treatment failure was 5.5 months for tamoxifen and 6.3 months for MPA (P = .48). The median survival duration was 24 months for tamoxifen and 33 months for MPA (P = .09). Multivariate analysis showed that treatment significantly influenced response rate, but not time to treatment failure or survival. After treatment failure following MPA, six of 42 patients (14%) treated with tamoxifen responded, compared with six of 49 (12%) treated with MPA following tamoxifen. Both agents were associated with minimal toxicity, but 35% of patients on MPA gained more than 20 lb as opposed to only 2% on tamoxifen.

CONCLUSION

In this trial, initial treatment with MPA of endocrine-naive metastatic breast cancer patients was associated with a significantly higher response rate but not with improvement in time to treatment failure or survival, when compared with initial treatment with tamoxifen. Further randomized trials in patients with bone metastases are warranted to determine if high-dose progestin therapy is superior to tamoxifen in these patients.

Leukemic infiltration of the esophagus

BACKGROUND

Leukemic infiltrates of the esophagus have been described occasionally in autopsy series, but there are no reports of antemortem diagnosis.

METHODS

Case reports are presented for three patients with acute myeloid leukemia in whom leukemic infiltration of the esophageal mucosa was diagnosed histologically and cytologically by endoscopic examination. Autopsies of patients with leukemia from 1976-1988 were reviewed.

RESULTS

The autopsy review of 207 patients with leukemia showed evidence of leukemic infiltration in the esophagus in 7.2% of cases. The only clinical factor identified to be significantly associated with esophageal involvement by leukemic cells was a high initial leukocyte count. Esophageal involvement was associated with leukemic infiltration of other soft tissues and organs.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the etiology of dysphagia in patients with acute leukemia is usually related to infection, reflux, chemotherapy toxicity, or benign strictures, the frequency of esophageal leukemic infiltration in this autopsy series suggests that this diagnosis must be considered. Esophageal leukemia is usually associated with widely disseminated soft tissue and visceral infiltrates.

Rapid intravenous infusion of amphotericin B: a pilot study

PURPOSE

The administration of amphotericin B in the conventional prolonged infusion over 4 to 6 hours is complicated by the acute toxicities of fevers and chills in 50% to 90% of patients and the chronic toxicities of increased creatinine levels and hypokalemia in 60% to 80% of patients. To determine the safety and toxicity of rapid infusions, we conducted a prospective, nonrandomized study in patients with clinical indications for antifungal therapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty-five granulocytopenic adults with acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes were enrolled in a phase I trial using four sequentially shorter infusion durations: a standard infusion over 4 hours (n = 3) and shortened infusion durations at 3 hours (n = 3), 2 hours (n = 4), and 1 hour (n = 15). Toxicity was assessed by daily examinations of study subjects by one of the study investigators, by documentation of all infusion-related fevers and chills, and by daily monitoring of serum levels of creatinine, potassium, magnesium, and aspartate aminotransferase.

RESULTS

Temperatures greater than 38 degrees C occurred in 16 of 25 (64%) patients, but only two had temperatures exceeding 40 degrees C. Chills were observed in 13 of 25 (56%) patients, but only one had severe symptoms. Serum creatinine increased more than 0.5 mg/dL (44.20 mumol/L) above the pretreatment baseline in 17 of 25 (68%) patients, and the absolute creatinine level was greater than or equal to 2.0 mg/dL (176.8 mumol/L) in 10 of 25 (40%) patients. Serum potassium levels dropped below the normal limit of 3.5 mEq/L (3.5 mmol/L) in all patients, but no patient had potassium levels below 2.5 mEq/L (2.5 mmol/L). Intravenous potassium supplementation was administered to all patients and exceeded 100 mEq/d in 12 of 25 (48%) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Rapid infusions of amphotericin B are safe, are associated with similar toxicity as prolonged infusions, and facilitate inpatient care by decreasing nursing time needed for administration and minimizing scheduling conflicts with other necessary intravenous medications. Shorter infusions also facilitate outpatient and home administration of amphotericin B.

Granuloma annulare and disseminated herpes zoster

A 71-year-old man was admitted to the Wake Forest University/Baptist Hospital Medical Center on February 1, 1989, with pharyngitis and a cutaneous eruption that began that day. The past history was significant for a diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) made in 1984, and for longstanding hypertension, severe coronary artery disease, and prostatic hypertrophy. The patient had required no therapy for his CLL until August, 1988, when he developed hemolytic anemia and was treated with oral chlorambucil, 4 mg/day, and a tapering course of prednisone. By December, 1988, the prednisone therapy had been discontinued, but the patient required hospital admission for pneumococcal pneumonia, which responded well to intravenous antibiotic therapy. One day prior to the current admission the patient complained of persistent fevers, sore throat, productive cough, and headache. He noted a new cutaneous eruption on the day of admission in February, 1989. The past history was positive for occasional herpes stomatitis. The patient did not know if he had previously been infected with varicella. Skin examination revealed multiple (greater than 20), single, and grouped vesicles in a generalized distribution involving the bilateral trunk, head, neck, arms, and legs. The heaviest involvement was on the right posterior auricular area and on the neck. A Tzanck preparation obtained from an early lesion was positive for multinucleated giant cells. Viral culture was negative at 24 hours and at 1 week. A skin biopsy of an early vesicular lesion was performed and revealed intraepidermal vesicles with acantholysis and giant cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Leukapheresis induced changes in cell cycle distribution and nucleoside transporters in patients with untreated acute myeloid leukemia

Bone marrow leukemia cells from eight adults with untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were evaluated before and after three daily leukaphereses to determine if mechanical cytoreduction can modulate the cell cycle distribution. The percentage of cells in S-phase and the proliferative fraction (PF = %S + %G2M) were determined by flow cytometry after dual labeling with bromodeoxyuridine and propidium iodide. Prior to pheresis the median %S and PF were 5.4 and 15.4%, respectively. The median change in %S was +2.5% (range -5.5 to +18.8) with increases greater than or equal to 3.7% in 4/8 patients. The median change in PF was +6.1% (range -13.8 to +25.3) with an increase of greater than or equal to 3.6% in 6/8 patients. The median absolute changes of 2.5 and 6.1% represent increases of 47% for %S and 40% for PF compared to the day 1 (pre-pheresis) median values. As the number of nucleoside transporters in the cell membrane [nitrobenzylmercaptopurine riboside (NBMPR) binding sites] has been related to the percentage of cells in S-phase and to cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) cellular pharmacology, these were also measured before and after leukapheresis. Changes in the number of NBMPR binding sites varied widely with a median increase of 365 sites per cell (range -26,061 to +10,396). The change in NBMPR sites was significantly and positively correlated with changes in %S (r = 0.829, p = 0.042). These data suggest that mechanical cytoreduction by leukapheresis can increase the fraction of leukemia cells in S-phase and the PF in some patients with AML. The increase in %S is accompanied by an increase in NBMPR binding sites per cell. These changes in leukemia cell characteristics would be expected to result in an increase in efficacy of ara-C or other S-phase specific agents.

Interrupted versus continuous chemotherapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The Piedmont Oncology Association

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer is palliative, and the optimal duration of therapy is unknown. We designed a trial to determine whether continuous treatment is superior to stopping treatment after a brief induction period and resuming treatment when the disease progresses.

METHODS

We treated 250 women with metastatic breast cancer with six courses of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and fluorouracil given every three weeks. At the completion of this induction period, women whose disease either regressed or remained stable were randomly assigned to receive either continued treatment with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (maintenance therapy) or no further treatment (observation) followed by treatment with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil when disease progression became evident (reinduction).

RESULTS

The combined rate of complete and partial responses after initial therapy was 30 percent (71 of 233 patients who could be evaluated; 95 percent confidence interval, 25 percent to 37 percent). In another 42 percent (98 patients), the disease remained stable. A total of 145 patients were randomized. Seventy-one were randomly assigned to the maintenance-therapy group, and 74 to the observation group. The median time to progression was 9.4 months for patients in the maintenance-therapy group and 3.2 months for patients in the observation group (P less than 0.001). After reinduction therapy, the median time to progression was 3.5 months. The median length of survival from the time of initial therapy was 14.8 months for all 250 patients; it was 21.1 months for the 71 patients in the maintenance-therapy group and 19.6 months for the 74 patients in the observation group (P = 0.67). Maintenance therapy was the most important determinant of the time before progression (P less than 0.001), but it was not associated with prolonged survival. The changes in performance status were similar in the patients in both groups, but nausea, vomiting, and mucositis were significantly more frequent in the maintenance-therapy group.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with breast cancer who received induction chemotherapy for 18 weeks, subsequent continuous chemotherapy was associated with a significant prolongation of the time before progression as compared with those receiving no further therapy; overall survival, however, was not significantly different in the two groups.

S-phase fraction is not correlated with nucleoside transport in acute myeloid leukemia cells

The expression of nucleoside carrier [nitrobenzylmercaptopurine riboside (NBMPR) binding] sites has been related to proliferative fraction in cell lines and in patient myeloid and lymphoid blasts. This correlation was examined in patients with untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Bone marrow blasts were incubated with 8 microM bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) and dual-labeled with propidium iodide and anti-BrdUrd monoclonal antibody. Flow cytometry was used to determine the percentage of cells with detectable BrdUrd incorporation into DNA (%S) and the proliferative fraction (PF = %S+%G2M) in 63 patients; NBMPR binding sites were quantitated in samples from 29 patients. The median %S was 6.1% (range 0.6-25.9%) and the median PF was 13.0% (range 2.4-36.1%), with a median of 7243 NBMPR binding sites per cell (range 1716-27247). In contrast to a previous report which included bone marrow and peripheral blood blasts, %S in marrow blasts did not correlate with NBMPR binding sites per cell (r = 0.005, p = 0.979). Similarly, PF did not correlate with NBMPR sites per cell (r = 0.190, p = 0.325). This lack of correlation between leukemia cell proliferation and NBMPR binding sites per cell suggests that DNA synthesis in AML blasts depends primarily on de novo nucleoside synthesis rather than the usage of salvage pathways.

Effect of dose on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of cytarabine

In summary, there are compelling laboratory and clinical data indicating that higher doses of ara-C than are currently used in SDaC protocols constitute optimal therapy. The cellular pharmacokinetics of ara-C are optimized at extracellular drug concentrations in the 10 to 15 mumol/L range. At these concentrations, transport rates are no longer rate-limiting, and ara-C phosphorylation capacity is saturated. The prime determinants of ara-C effect then shift to multiple intracellular events including anabolism to nucleotides, catabolism via deamination by Cyd-dCyd deaminase and dCMP deaminase, half-life of ara-CTP, the extent of incorporation into DNA, and the half-life of ara-CMP residues in DNA. It is postulated that at these high doses an additional effect of ara-C occurs on the cell membrane through affects on membrane phospholipid synthesis. This effect may contribute to the brisk cell lysis associated with HiDaC treatment. When administered as repetitive doses of 3 g/m2 over a 1- to 3-hour period, systemic deamination of ara-C gives rise to high plasma concentrations of ara-U. This metabolite has a long plasma half-life and, at least in the mouse, is concentrated in the liver and kidneys. High concentrations in these organs retard the further catabolism of ara-C and thus increase the systemic AUC providing a longer exposure period to the drug. A similar mechanism may obtain in patients treated with HiDaC. The observed decreased clearance of ara-C when administered in gram versus milligram doses and the long-terminal gamma-phase in plasma clearance of the drug associated with HiDaC usage quite probably reflects this effect of ara-U in patients. Additionally, by some as yet unknown mechanism, high concentrations of ara-U cause accumulation of leukemia cells in S-phase, the phase of the cell cycle wherein ara-C is maximally effective. This effect of ara-U may add to the cytokinetic effects initiated by rapid cytoreduction, which summate in the observed enhancement of the proliferative fraction of residual leukemia cells on day 8. The effect of a second course of therapy at this time is thereby enhanced. These dose-related and metabolite-drug interactions that occur when ara-C is given at high doses constitute a means for "self-potentiation" and may thus contribute to its overall therapeutic efficacy.

High- versus standard-dose megestrol acetate in women with advanced breast cancer: a phase III trial of the Piedmont Oncology Association

One hundred seventy-two patients with advanced breast cancer were randomized to receive oral standard-dose megestrol acetate (MA), 160 mg/d or high-dose MA, 800 mg/d. All but two patients had one prior trial of tamoxifen therapy for either metastatic disease (74%) or as adjuvant treatment (26%). Pretreatment characteristics were similar for both arms. High-dose MA resulted in a superior complete plus partial response rate (27% v 10%, P = .005), time to treatment failure (median, 8.0 v 3.2 months, P = .019), and survival (median, 22.4 v 16.5 months, P = .04) when compared with standard-dose therapy. These differences remained significant after adjustment for other covariates. Thirty-four patients were given high-dose MA after failure of standard-dose MA treatment, and none responded. Weight gain was the most distressing side effect, with 13% of standard-dose and 43% of high-dose patients gaining more than 20 lbs. Four major cardiovascular events occurred in patients receiving high-dose treatment and one in patients given standard doses. Other toxicity was modest. High-dose MA may represent a significant improvement in secondary endocrine therapy for advanced breast cancer patients refractory to initial endocrine treatment, but its use on a regular basis should be reserved until these results are confirmed by other clinical trials.

Correlation of the proliferative index of residual leukemia with outcome in patients treated with sequential high dose ara-C and asparaginase

Therapy of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) with sequential high-dose ara-C and asparaginase (HiDAC----ASNase) on a day 1 and 8 schedule was designed to exploit potential recruitment of residual leukemia cells following initial cytoreduction from day 1 treatment. DNA flow cytometry was used to evaluate the proliferative index (%S + G2M) of bone marrow leukemia cells from pretreatment and day 8 marrow samples. The proliferative index on day 1, day 8, and incremental change (day 8 minus day 1) were analyzed for their correlation with bone marrow aplasia on day 15 and with the attainment of subsequent complete remission. Pretreatment (day 1) and the change in proliferative index did not correlate (p greater than 0.10) with day 15 marrow aplasia or with clinical outcome. However, the magnitude of the day 8 proliferative index did relate to the attainment of bone marrow aplasia on day 15 (p = 0.05) and the attainment of complete remission (p = 0.002). Recruitment of residual leukemia cells into the proliferative phases of the cell cycle may contribute to the unique efficacy of the day 1 and 8 schedule of HIDAC----ASNase. Additionally, the cytokinetics of residual leukemia after initial chemotherapy may be predictive of outcome and could be useful as a marker for the design of optimal therapeutic regimens.

Interaction of granulocytopenia and construction activity as risk factors for nosocomial invasive filamentous fungal disease in patients with hematologic disorders

A clinicoepidemiologic study was undertaken to investigate an apparent increase in frequency of nosocomial invasive filamentous fungal disease (NIFFD) in adult patients with acute leukemia hospitalized during a period of hospital construction, and to determine if a relationship existed between the construction activity and the acquisition of NIFFD. The first study goal, to determine the incidence of NIFFD before and during construction, was approached by calculation of incidence rates of NIFFD in patients with acute leukemia, comparing 1982 and 1983 (a baseline period free of construction) to 1986 (a year when construction activity was at its peak). The second study goal, to identify risk factors for the development of NIFFD, was accomplished by reviewing the autopsy records of all patients with underlying hematologic disorders accompanied by granulocytopenia who died in our hospital from 1982 through 1986. Patients with and without autopsy evidence of NIFFD were then compared by univariate and multivariate (logistic regression) analysis to identify potential risk factors for the acquisition of NIFFD. The incidence of NIFFD in patients with acute leukemia hospitalized during the period of hospital construction was significantly increased when compared to a baseline period without construction (11 per 139 versus 4 per 333, p less than .001). Review of all granulocytopenic patients autopsied over the five-year interval 1982 through 1986 revealed duration of granulocytopenia and hospitalization during construction to be risk factors for NIFFD by univariate analysis (p less than .005). Logistic regression showed duration of granulocytopenia to be highly significant independent risk factor (p less than .01) and construction activity to be a probable independent risk factor (p = .09).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A phase II trial of high-dose cytarabine and cisplatin in previously untreated non-small cell carcinoma of the lung. A Piedmont Oncology Association Study

Thirty-seven chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with cytarabine (3 g/m2 intravenously [IV] during 3 hours) after IV bolus cisplatin (100 mg/m2 repeated every 3 weeks). Aside from nausea and vomiting, the principal toxicity was hematologic, with Grade IV myelosuppression in 32% and Grade III in 14%. Four patients died while on study. One complete and four partial responses were observed for an overall response rate of 14%. Responses were limited to lymph node and lung metastases and occurred in two of 17 adenocarcinomas, two of 12 squamous cell carcinomas, and one of eight large cell carcinomas. At this dose, the plasma level of cisplatin is only 3 micrograms/ml and the plasma level of cytarabine is 10 to 50 micrograms/ml, compared with the levels of 10 micrograms/ml and 1000 micrograms/ml, respectively, required for in vitro synergy. The severity of myelotoxicity observed indicates that, even at these levels, cisplatin enhances cytarabine activity. The combination may prove useful in malignancies that are sensitive to cytarabine, but is not of benefit in cytarabine-resistant malignancies such as NSCLC.

Vincristine infusion with CHOP-CCNU in diffuse large-cell lymphoma

Phase I and II trials of vincristine infusion have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of this approach in the treatment of patients with refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Subsequently, a trial was designed to evaluate this technique in untreated patients. Repeated 5-day infusions of vincristine 0.25 mg/m2 per day were incorporated into a CHOP-CCNU regimen and administered to 24 patients with advanced diffuse large-cell lymphoma. Objective responses occurred rapidly and were observed in 18 (75%) patients in whom 13 (54%) were complete. Toxicity was generally mild to moderate and neurotoxicity appeared to be no worse than typically observed with bolus vincristine. Complete responses have been durable in most patients and 10 (77%) of the complete responders have not relapsed. At this time, 9 (38%) of the total patients remain alive and without evidence of disease from 3.8 to 7.3 years from the start of treatment. One patient died of disseminated gastric cancer at 3.3 years from the start of therapy and there was no evidence of lymphoma at exploratory laparotomy. Infusion of vincristine may be safely incorporated into multiagent chemotherapy programs of the CHOP type for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Its potential for protracted nonmyelosuppressive cell kill would appear attractive in designing future trials for this disease.

Bromodeoxyuridine incorporation into DNA of human leukemia cells is not concentration dependent

Leukemia blasts isolated from bone marrow aspirates of 44 adults with acute leukemia were incubated for 1 h with 0.008-32 microM bromodeoxyuridine (Brd-Urd). After dual labeling with monoclonal anti-BrdUrd antibodies and propidium iodide, the cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Percent labeled cells and intensity of labeling were similar over concentrations of BrdUrd ranging from 0.8-32 microM--a 40-fold range. Therefore, despite potential interpatient variability in nucleoside pharmacokinetics, commonly used doses of BrdUrd which are intended to achieve steady-state plasma concentrations in the 8.0 microM range can be expected to provide a reliable estimate of the S-phase fraction.

The safety of dental extractions in patients with hematologic malignancies

Dental disorders have been recognized as major sources of infection in patients with hematologic malignancies (HM). Management of severe dental infections usually includes dental extractions (DE), but the safety of extractions in patients with HM who are at risk for bleeding, sepsis, and poor wound healing has not been well established. In conjunction with an aggressive program of dental care, 142 DE were performed in 26 patients with acute leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myeloproliferative disorders. Granulocytopenia (less than 1,000 granulocytes/microL) was present during or within ten days following surgery in 14 patients. In these 14 patients (101 DE), the mean granulocyte count was less than 450/microL, with a median duration of granulocytopenia following surgery of 32 days (range, four to 169 days). Thrombocytopenia (less than 100,000 platelets/microL) occurred during or within two days following surgery in 13 patients (80 DE), with a mean platelet count of 63,500/microL. Transfusions were given for platelet counts less than 50,000/microL. All DE were performed without significant complications. Bleeding was minor to moderate and easily controlled with local measures; no patient required transfusion due to hemorrhage. Average maximum temperature 24 hours after DE was 37.7 degrees C. No episodes of bacteremia were documented within ten days of DE. Minor delay in wound healing was observed in two patients. We conclude that DE can be safely performed in patients with HM in combination with aggressive supportive care.

Low-dose ara-C therapy for acute myelogenous leukemia in elderly patients

Forty-four evaluable patients with untreated acute myelogenous leukemia received twice-daily subcutaneous injections of low-dose ara-C (10 mg/m2) for less than or equal to 42 days. The median age was 72 years (range 53-87); 42 of 44 patients were greater than or equal to age 60. Ten patients (23%) had complete responses with a median duration of 9.9 months. Median survival was 3 months (range 0.6-31.2+) for all patients, and 19.5 (range 7.9-31.2+) for patients who attained complete responses. Cytoreduction occurred slowly with low-dose ara-C and five of ten patients who achieved complete remission did not develop marrow aplasia. Toxicity was predominantly related to infections associated with granulocytopenia. Nonhematologic toxicity was limited. Low-dose ara-C as used in this trial results in a complete response rate and a duration of response similar to those achieved with other treatments in elderly patients, but with reduced toxicity.