Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0043352 (xerostomia)
 4,250 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Retelliptine dihydrochloride (SR 95325 B, NSC D-626717-W) is an ellipticine derivative having a very high level of antitumor activity in resistant murine solid tumor models. We studied in a Phase I trial escalating doses of retelliptine using a single 2-hour IV infusion schedule. Data from other Phase I studies allowed a starting dose of 80 mg/m2 and a rapid dose escalation. Included were 15 patients (M/F = 13/2) with a median age of 55 (range: 17-72). There were 22 courses delivered at the following dose levels: 80, 180, 700, 900, 1,200, and 1,500 mg/m2. Primary tumor types were kidney (6 patients), colon (3 patients), pancreas (2 patients), and others (4 patients). Mild dose-related visual troubles (blurring, accommodation troubles, oculomotor paresis) occurred in 9/11 patients starting from 700 mg/m2. Asymptomatic EKG anomalies, including significant prolongation of PR and QRS intervals occurred at 1500 mg/m2 (in 3/3 patients) marking the maximum tolerated dose. Both visual and EKG anomalies were spontaneously reversible few minutes to few hours after the end of infusion. Other possible drug-related toxicity occurred sporadically such as somnolence, bronchospasm, dry mouth, and vomiting (2 patients each). There were no significant laboratory anomalies. Neither drug-related deaths nor objective complete or partial responses were observed. The recommended dose for Phase II trial using the 2-hour intravenous infusion schedule is 1,200 mg/m2.
 ...
PMID:Phase I study of retelliptine dihydrochloride (SR 95325 B) using a single two-hour intravenous infusion schedule. 819 11

Symptom occurrence has been shown to predict treatment course and survival in cancer patients. The M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Brain Tumor Module (MDASI-BT) was recently validated as a tool for primary brain tumor patient self-report of symptoms. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the MDASI-BT in patients with brain metastases. Data collection included demographic and clinical factors, and the MDASI-BT (0-10 scale). Construct validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, and known-group validity was evaluated by detecting group differences due to disease severity and treatment approach. For reliability, Cronbach's alpha values were computed for each subscale. A sample of 124 patients participated, of which 53.2% were women. Participants were primarily white (79.8%) and married (78.2%), and a variety of solid tumor malignancies were represented. Factor analysis revealed six underlying constructs, including affective symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, focal neurologic deficits, constitutional and gastrointestinal symptoms, and interference with life. The solution with these factors explained 68.4% of the variance. Mean symptom scores were 1.2 and 2.6, and mean interference scores were 1.8 and 4.3 for patients with good and poor Karnofsky scores, respectively (P<0.001). These subscales were also sensitive to opioid analgesic use, with group differences of 1.5 and 2.2 (P<0.001). Cronbach's alpha was 0.9 for each of the two subscales. Fatigue, sleep disturbance, drowsiness, distress, and dry mouth were the most severe symptoms. The MDASI-BT demonstrated validity and reliability in brain metastases patients and can be used to identify and monitor symptom occurrence in relation to treatment course and survival.
 ...
PMID:Clinical utility of the MDASI-BT in patients with brain metastases. 1867 20

Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of anticancer treatment. However in spite of technical evolutions, important rates of failure and of toxicity are still reported. Although numerous pre-clinical data have been published, we address the subject of radiotherapy-stem cells interaction from the clinical efficacy and toxicity perspective. On one side, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been recently evidenced in most of solid tumor primary locations and are thought to drive radio-resistance phenomena. It is particularly suggested in glioblastoma, where CSCs were showed to be housed in the subventricular zone (SVZ). In recent retrospective studies, the radiation dose to SVZ was identified as an independent factor significantly influencing overall survival. On the other side, healthy tissue stem cells radio-destruction has been recently suggested to cause two of the most quality of life-impacting side effects of radiotherapy, namely memory disorders after brain radiotherapy, and xerostomia after head and neck radiotherapy. Recent publications studying the impact of a radiation dose decrease on healthy brain and salivary stem cells niches suggested significantly reduced long term toxicities. Stem cells comprehension should be a high priority for radiation oncologists, as this particular cell population seems able to widely modulate the efficacy/toxicity ratio of radiotherapy in real life patients.
...
PMID:Targeting stem cells by radiation: From the biological angle to clinical aspects. 2762 58