The co-dispersion index for the measurement of fiber type distribution patterns

There is a need for a practical and statistically manageable quantitative index of fiber type co-dispersion in skeletal muscle to allow investigation of the distribution of motor units in normal muscle and their rearrangement in pathological states. A new measure for this purpose, the Co-Dispersion Index (CDI), is introduced. This measure is based on contingency table analysis of nearest-neighbor relationships between muscle fibers. The CDI has a continuous range of values from -1 to +1, in which larger negative values indicate a greater tendency toward regular intermixing of fibers of different types, and larger positive values a greater segregation of fiber types. CDI evaluation overcomes the limitations of previously published quantitative methods for co-dispersion measurement and is well correlated with subjective human estimates of fiber type grouping.

Combination chemotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma with doxorubicin and streptozotocin

Twenty-three patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma were given doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 I.V. day 1 and streptozotocin 0.5 g/m2 I.V. days 1-5 every 3 weeks. This regimen was chosen because of the activity of doxorubicin and nitrosoureas in hepatocellular carcinoma and the ability to administer both drugs in full doses. Twelve patients were fully ambulatory, 14 had normal serum bilirubin, 11 had pathologic proof of cirrhosis, and 11 had no known extrahepatic tumor dissemination. Partial responses lasting 10 and 14 months occurred in two patients (9%), one had stable disease for 15 months, 12 had documented tumor progression within 4 months, and eight died within 6 weeks of the start of chemotherapy. Median survival of all patients was only 3 months (range 0.3-27), but eight (35%) lived more than 1 year. Of these eight, two responded to doxorubicin and streptozotocin, another two to subsequent chemotherapy, and four had no tumor response whatever. More than 90% of the intended doses of doxorubicin and streptozotocin was administered, with severe leukopenia in three patients, moderate thrombocytopenia in one, and moderate proteinuria in nine. There were no drug-related deaths. Various physical, radiologic, and biochemical parameters were employed in detecting tumor response and progression. Initially abnormal physical examination of the liver, hepatic radionuclide and computed tomographic (CT) scans, and serum alpha-fetoprotein levels improved in both responding patients. Tumor progression was detected by physical examination (7/12), radionuclide (10/12) and CT liver scan (3/7), rising alpha-fetoprotein (5/12), and rising carcinoembryonic antigen (3/8). Physical examination and radionuclide liver scan together documented all tumor response and progression. The combination of doxorubicin and streptozotocin has only modest activity in hepatocellular carcinoma and appears no more active than doxorubicin alone.

Superior vena cava syndrome due to non--small-cell lung cancer. Resolution with chemotherapy alone

Three patients with superior vena cava syndrome due to non--small-cell lung cancer were treated with chemotherapy alone. Symptomatic relief began within three days of treatment and substantial resolution of the syndrome occurred in all three patients. One patient had complete remission of tumor and the other two had more than a 50% tumor reduction within the first month of therapy. These are the first case reports indicating that combination chemotherapy may be effective as initial management of the superior vena cava syndrome due to non--small-cell lung cancer.

Small-cell carcinoma of lung: reinduction therapy after late relapse

Some patients with small-cell carcinoma of lung can be expected to achieve long-term disease-free survival. However, relapses may occur even after 2 years. Information on the treatment of these patients is sparse, although response rates to "salvage" therapy in patients with progressive disease while receiving treatment are poor. We report six patients who had relapses after more than 2 years in complete remission. Five patients were retreated with chemotherapy including some or all of the drugs in the initial treatment, and four had responses with a median duration of 10 months (range, 2 to 18 months). Thus retreatment with chemotherapy similar to the initial treatment can occasionally achieve second responses persisting up to 1 year or longer. The high incidence of patients who have relapses after 2 years confirms previous data on relatively slow growth rates in small-cell carcinoma.

Chemotherapy-induced pulmonary toxicity in mice bearing L1210 leukemia

Fatal pulmonary toxicity can be consistently produced in L1210 leukemia-bearing mice by single therapeutic doses of cyclophosphamide, BCNU, and mitomycin C but not by adriamycin. Lung toxicity is principally determined by an existing tumor burden at the time of drug administration. Thus when any of the four chemotherapeutic agents was given 5 days after L1210 transplantation there was no mortality. Pulmonary pathology in these mice was equivalent to that noted in normal mice receiving identical drug treatment or to that noted in untreated L1210-bearing mice sacrificed 7, 8, or 10 days after tumor transplantation. When chemotherapy was delayed to day 7 after L1210 transplantation for mitomycin C or to day 8 after transplantation for BCNU and cyclophosphamide, more severe pulmonary toxicity was found. Mortality within the first 5 days of treatment was 38, 50, and 80%, respectively. Pulmonary pathology included moderate to severe vascular congestion and interstitial pneumonitis, diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage often involving the entire pulmonary parenchyma, pulmonary edema, and alveolar cell metaplasia. A unique finding, associated with cyclophosphamide treatment, was the occurrence of perivascular-intramural edema of the walls of medium-size pulmonary vessels. It is hypothesized that stasis within the pulmonary capillary circulation, resulting from advanced tumor growth and from drug treatment, may contribute to the development of chemotherapy-related toxicity.

The clinical behavior of "mixed" small cell/large cell bronchogenic carcinoma compared to "pure" small cell subtypes

Biopsy specimens from 19 previously untreated lung cancer patients were prospectively diagnosed as small cell carcinoma with a large cell component. The patients were thoroughly staged and received intensive combination chemotherapy. They represented 12% of all small cell carcinoma cases eligible for aggressive chemotherapy protocols during a 5.5 year period. To determine whether the clinical behavior of this "mixed" histologic variant differed from the other histologic subtypes of small cell lung cancer, we compared these 19 patients to a concurrent group of 103 patients with only small cell cancer in their diagnostic biopsies given equivalent therapy. The "mixed" histology patients were comparable to the "pure" small cell group in age, performance status, extent of disease, and frequency of bone marrow, liver, bone, and central nervous system metastases. Their complete plus partial response rare (58%) was significantly less than the response rate for the "pure" small cell patients (91%), their complete response rate was also lower (16 versus 46%), and their overall survival was significantly shorter (median, 6 versus 10.5 months) Mixed histology small cell/large cell carcinoma represents a distinct pathologic variant of small cell carcinoma of the lung, associated with lower response rates and shorter survival than the "pure" small cell subtypes. Since combination chemotherapy yields some complete responses and long-term disease-free survival in these patients, however, aggressive treatment with potentially curative intent should be considered in their management.

ICRF-159 in advanced gastric cancer. Absence of activity

ICRF-159, and EDTA derivative antitumor agent, was given to 21 patients with advanced gastric cancer in a weekly dose of 3000 mg/m2. Of the 21 patients, 11 had failed prior drug therapies and 10 were previously untreated. No patient achieved an objective partial response (actual response less than 15% with 95% confidence level). One previously treated patient had a minor response lasting 12 weeks and four patients (three previously untreated) had stable disease lasting 4-8 weeks. Toxicity was acceptable, consisting of mild nausea and moderate myelosuppression. Median survival after treatment was 17.5 weeks in previously untreated patients and 9 weeks in previously treated patients. We conclude that ICRF-159 is inactive in advanced gastric cancer when given on a weekly schedule.

Discrimination and consistency of five myosin ATPase stains in human normal and Duchenne dystrophic muscle

Limitations in the ability of the human visual system to assess accurately the relative staining densities of individual fibers in muscle tissue stained for myosin. ATPase can complicate the objective evaluation of fiber type populations. In this study a novel approach is employed which utilizes human visual capabilities to provide accurate fiber classification. Using this approach, the ability of five ATPase staining techniques to discriminate fiber type categories in single samples of human normal and Duchenne dystrophic skeletal muscle is evaluated, as is the consistency of the fiber type classifications between stains. While no major discrepancies in fiber typing were observed in the sample of normal muscle, significant differences in classification, along with a decrease in the ability to discriminate fiber types were noted in the sample of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. For the most part, these discrepancies were resolved by a re-interpretation of the staining characteristics of fibers in one stain.

Lack of efficacy of high-dose methotrexate by 30-hour infusion in patients with progressive small cell carcinoma of the lung

Seventeen patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL) refractory to at least one combination chemotherapy regimen were treated with a high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) program consisting of 1500 mg/m2 of MTX by iv infusion at a constant rate over 30 hrs following a priming dose of 50 mg/m2 of MTX iv. Administration of calcium leucovorin was begun at the end of the infusion. Treatment was repeated every 2 weeks. No complete or partial responses were observed, and the median time to tumor progression was 4 weeks. Hematologic toxicity was much more severe than anticipated, with five patients having thrombocytopenic bleeding requiring platelet transfusions. This HDMTX regimen was both ineffective and unexpectedly toxic in our heavily pretreated patients with SCCL. Literature review discloses little evidence that HDMTX programs have superior activity to standard doses of MTX in this disease.

Abdominal computed tomography in small cell lung cancer: assessment of extent of disease and response to therapy

Abdominal computed tomography (CT) was performed as part of the initial staging evaluation in 77 patients with small cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung. CT scans revealed mass lesions in 26 patients (34%). Abnormalities were confined to the liver in 15 patients and to retroperitoneal structures (lymph nodes, adrenal glands, psoas muscle region masses) in eight, and occurred in both areas in three. However, only three of 29 patients otherwise staged as having limited disease (confined to one hemithorax and regional nodes) had evidence of abdominal metastases on CT scan. Most (23/26) positive studies were in patients already known to have more extensive tumor dissemination. In 71 patients with pathologic confirmation of liver status, CT had a sensitivity of 63%, specificity of 91%, and overall accuracy of 85% in assessing the liver. Comparison of radionuclide liver scan findings with hepatic biopsies gave similar results. During therapy, 65 follow-up CT scans were obtained in 46 patients. Scan abnormalities improved or disappeared in 11/12 cases with tumor response documented in other ways, appeared or worsened in 5/13 cases of tumor progression that was diagnosed by other tests, and only rarely (2/65 scans) improved at the time of documented tumor progression, or vice versa. In only three patients, however, did CT scan provide the sole site of evaluable disease during treatment or detect either the only area of residual disease in a patient in otherwise complete remission or the initial evidence of tumor progression. Although abdominal CT scans in SCC can demonstrate metastatic dissemination not evaluable by other means, they provide relatively little therapeutically relevant information beyond that obtained with standard staging procedures.

Serum neuron-specific enolase: a marker for disease extent and response to therapy of small-cell lung cancer

Serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels in 94 newly diagnosed untreated patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) were compared with those in 30 adult controls. 38 of the SCLC patients had limited disease and 56 had extensive disease. Serum NSE was raised (greater than 12.0 ng/ml) in 69% of all patients (mean 52.35 +/- 11.56, range 4.1-850 ng/ml); it was raised in 15/38 (39%) of patients with limited stage disease and in 49/56 (87%) of those with extensive stage disease. Extensive stage patients had significantly higher mean NSE level (59 ng/ml) than did limited stage patients (13.8 ng/ml). Serum NSE was raised in 34/41 (84%) of patients with metastases at 1 or 2 sites and in all patients with metastases at 3 or more sites. Serial measurements in 23 patients receiving combination chemotherapy showed an excellent correlation between serum NSE and clinical response. Continuous cell-lines of SCLC, established from 10 of the patients in this study, all expressed high levels of NSE. These studies indicate that serum NSE may be a useful marker for staging and for monitoring response to therapy in patients with SCLC.

Possible enhancement of vincristine neuropathy by VP-16

Eleven consecutive patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung treated intensively with a combination chemotherapy regimen cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, VP-16, and vincristine experienced peripheral neuropathy. Four of the 11 patients had severe (Grade III) neuropathy, leaving them virtually bedridden; the remaining seven patients had mild to moderate neuropathy. Only 8 of the 14 patients treated less intensively with vincristine and VP-16 had Grade I and II neuropathy. Predisposing factors for severe neuropathy included advanced age and preexisting peripheral neuropathy. All patients' performance status declined and all lost much weight before developing neuropathy. From accumulated treatment experience of small cell carcinoma with vincristine alone or with vincristine, Adriamycin, cyclophosphamide combinations, the authors feel that the severe neuropathy observed was due to an interaction of vincristine and VP-16. This conclusion is supported by electron microscopic observation of electronopaque granular degeneration of the myelin lamellae of affected nerve fibers.

Erythroleukemia and other hematologic complications of intensive therapy in long-term survivors of small cell lung cancer

Eight patients with small cell bronchogenic carcinoma treated with intensive combination chemotherapy, with and without radiotherapy, have been followed for a minimum of two and a half years without relapse. One patient, after a prodrome of macrocytic sideroblastic anemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia, experienced erythroleukemia 34 months after starting chemotherapy, and cytogenetic studies revealed extensive chromosomal abnormalities. Another patient had persistent macrocytic anemia and pancytopenia two years after cessation of therapy. The remaining six patients had normal peripheral blood smears and cell counts. A significant incidence of preleukemia syndromes and acute leukemia appearing as late complications in intensively treated small cell lung cancer patients requires confirmation in larger series of long-term survivors. Prospective determination of marrow karyotype abnormalities may help to identify patients at greatest risk for developing secondary leukemia.

Influence of tumor burden on red blood cell deformability in small cell lung cancer patients

Red blood cell deformability was measured in 54 newly diagnosed patients with small cell bronchogenic carcinoma and in 22 normal hospital employees. Twenty-one small cell cancer patients had disease confined to one hemithorax plus draining lymph nodes (one organ system), 15 had involvement of one additional metastatic site (two organ systems), 12 had two metastatic sites (three organ systems) and 6 patients had 4 organ systems involved. Patients with one or two organ system involvement had red cell deformability results comparable to the normal control group. Patients with tumor extension to 3 or 4 organ systems had significantly decreased deformability relative to patients with lesser tumor burdens. Based on the lowest deformability results in the control population small cell cancer patients were divided into those with normal or impaired red blood cell deformability. The latter patients were significantly more anemic and had higher red cell mean corpuscular volumes than their normal counterparts. Patients with impaired deformability also had significantly elevated blood glucose levels and significantly lower serum inorganic phosphorus and iron binding capacity. Since red cell deformability is the principal determinant of capillary blood flow abnormal deformability may result in decreased tumor oxygenation and decreased, and non-uniform, delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to tumor tissue.

Perirectal infections in patients with small cell lung cancer

Fifteen anorectal infections occurred in 6.4% of 188 intensively treated patients with small cell bronchogenic carcinoma. Granulocytopenia was present at onset in 13 episodes. In eight episodes, perirectal pain preceded any objective findings by two to 11 days. Ten infections resolved with recovery from granulocytopenia, but the five abscesses required incision. Septicemia accompanied four episodes; one patient died. Early recognition and therapy of this potentially fatal infection will become increasingly important as more patients with solid tumors receive intensive therapy.

Small cell carcinoma presenting as an extrapulmonary neoplasm: sites of origin and response to chemotherapy

Eight (4%) of 203 consecutive prospectively staged and treated patients with small cell carcinoma (SCC) had no evidence of pulmonary or mediastinal tumor on chest roentgenogram or at fiberoptic bronchoscopy at the time of diagnosis. There were two distinct clinical presentations in these SCC patients with exclusively extrapulmonary tumors. Four had discrete localized extrapulmonary neoplasms, presumably originating in these sites. In the other 4 cases with either regional or widely metastatic disease, no obvious primary tumor could be documented in the lungs or elsewhere. One complete and two partial responses to chemotherapy (duration 6 to greater than 11 mo) occurred in 6 evaluable patients. Two remaining patients were inevaluable for response because they received adjuvant chemotherapy after irradiation or excision of the primary tumor and are free of disease at 15 and 28 months. Results document two clinicopathologic entities of extrapulmonary SCC, more firmly establish that it can be responsive to chemotherapy, and encourage systemic therapy as part of initial treatment planning.

Phase II trial of cisplatin in small cell carcinoma of the lung

Eighteen patients with histologically documented small cell carcinoma of the lung who had failed initial combination chemotherapy regimens were treated with single-agent cisplatin in a dose of 100 mg/m2 every 3 weeks, with mannitol and fluid diuresis. Tumor regression was limited to one partial response (response rate, 6%; 95% confidence limits. 1%-27%). Significant toxic effects were gastrointestinal (severe nausea and vomiting in 12 of 14 patients) and hematologic (severe leukopenia in one patient and severe thrombocytopenia in three). The antitumor efficacy of high-dose cisplatin in heavily pretreated patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung appears to be marginal.

Small cell lung cancer: radionuclide bone scans for assessment of tumor extent and response

Radionuclide bone scans were performed before and during combination chemotherapy in 119 systematically staged patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung. Before therapy, 49 patients (41%) had positive scans. Scan positivity was significantly associated with the presence of metastatic tumor in the bone marrow, positive skeletal radiographs, and elevated serum alkaline phosphatase levels. Nonosseous distant metastases were significantly more likely to be detected as the number of areas of focal abnormalities on bone scan increased. The survival of patients with documented distant metastases in bone and nonosseous sites was significantly inferior to the survival of patients with limited disease, isolated osseous extensive disease, and extensive disease occurring only in nonbony sites. Of 36 patients with initially abnormal scans and tumor regression documented by other methods, scan findings improved in 24 (67%). In 26 (36%) of 72 scans in patients demonstrating disease progression in extraosseous sites, new areas of increased radionuclide uptake appeared. Improvement or worsening in follow-up scans was associated with nonbony tumor response or progression, respectively, 70% of the time. Serial bone scans provide reasonably accurate staging and prognostic information in patients with small cell lung cancer, although they are probably not sufficiently reliable to be used as the sole parameter in therapeutic decision-making.