A phase II trial of carboplatin in untreated patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer

Article Abstract:

Small cell lung cancer often spreads rapidly, and many patients have widespread disease at the time of diagnosis. Combinations of chemotherapeutic agents may yield a response rate of up to 80 percent among patients with extensive small cell lung cancer, but the responses are generally brief and fewer than 5 percent of the patients will survive two years. Two preliminary studies have indicated that the chemotherapeutic drug carboplatin may be effective against small cell lung cancer. In these studies, cycles of carboplatin therapy were given every four weeks. Since small cell lung cancer often has a rapid course, four weeks may be a longer delay than is prudent; a study was conducted to confirm the effectiveness of carboplatin and to determine if chemotherapeutic cycles scheduled every three weeks might provide an advantage. Twenty-five previously untreated patients with small cell lung cancer were given carboplatin as a single infusion every three weeks; most patients in the study received three cycles. A total of 13 patients (52 percent) responded to the chemotherapy; three patients, or 12 percent, achieved complete responses. The median survival time was eight months. Three patients were long-term survivors, but two of these patients suffered relapses and are currently disease-free after salvage chemotherapy 33 and 43 months after the beginning of treatment. One patient is alive at 27 months with metastatic disease (spread of the cancer) in the liver. The results of the study confirm some effectiveness of carboplatin in the treatment of as yet untreated patients with small cell lung cancer, and indicate that the drug should be evaluated further, perhaps in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Dosage and administration, Chemotherapy, Lung cancer, Carboplatin

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Prospective quality-of-life analysis after palliative photoablation for the treatment of malignant dysphagia

Article Abstract:

Patients with advanced cancer of the stomach or esophagus can develop difficulty in swallowing or an inability to swallow (dysphagia). Unfortunately, when the cancer is this advanced, there is generally little or no hope for survival, and therefore only palliative treatment may be offered. In most clinical studies of cancer treatment, the outcome is measured in terms of survival. However, this would be inappropriate for treatments that are not intended to prolong survival, but to improve the quality of the life remaining. A study was conducted to determine whether laser photoablation was useful in improving the quality of life for 40 patients with dysphagia as a result of cancer growth (malignant dysphagia). In this procedure, a powerful beam of infrared laser light is used to destroy cancerous tissue protruding into the esophagus. The cancer in the surrounding tissue is unaffected, but the malignant tissue interfering with swallowing may be obliterated. This procedure caused only minimal discomfort for the patients, and there were no fatalities linked to the procedure itself. Significant improvements were achieved in swallowing, and most patients could eat normal meals. Some patients ate soft meals, but were no longer restricted to liquid diets. The average survival of the patients in this study was 16 weeks; the majority of patients died at home. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Care and treatment, Evaluation, Palliative care, Quality of life, Cancer, Cancer treatment, Lasers in surgery, Laser surgery, Deglutition disorders

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