M-VECa has a low level of gastrointestinal, renal, neurologic, and otologic toxicity, but is apparently less effective than M-VEC in the treatment of recurrent or metastatic bladder cancer. However, a larger, randomized Phase III trial is needed to confirm these results.

No abstract

The association between nasal cancer and various occupations was investigated in a case-control study in the provinces of Verona and Vicenza (northeastern Italy) and Siena (central Italy). Cases of malignant epithelial neoplasm of the nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses diagnosed in the years 1982-1987 in the hospitals of Verona, Legnago, Bussolengo, Vicenza, and Siena comprised the study. Controls were patients admitted to the same hospitals as the cases, with any diagnosis except chronic rhino-sinusal disease and nasal bleeding. Age, gender, residency, and date of admission were taken into account by matching. Cases and controls, or their next of kin, were interviewed or required to fill in a mailed questionnaire; the overall response rate was 70%. Altogether, 78 cases and 254 controls provided information on occupational history. Significantly increased risks were associated (in males) with work in the wood industry (odds ratio [O.R.]: 5.8; 90% confidence interval [C.I.]: (2.2-16) and in the leather industry (6.8; 1.9-25). Textile workers, furnacemen, construction workers, and workers with possible exposure to organic dusts showed increased risks even if statistical significance was not reached.

No abstract

The development of ototoxicity was evaluated using auditory brainstem response (ABR) in cancer patients randomized to receive a cisplatin-based chemotherapy (cisplatin dose: 70 mg/m2) or a carboplatin-based chemotherapy (carboplatin dose: 250 mg/m2). The ABR measurements were performed in a sound-treated room using 2000 clicks of alternating polarity at an intensity of 100 dB PESPL presented to the patients at a rate of 21 clicks per second. Of 59 patients, 21 (9 in the cisplatin group and 12 in the carboplatin group) met our pre-established criteria and were included in the ototoxicity study. Two patients of the cisplatin group developed evidence of clinically occult ototoxicity after two cycles of chemotherapy; the latency of wave V of the ABR increased significantly from 5.874 to 6.336 msec and from 5.826 to 6.458 msec in both patients; these patients had a hearing loss detected by conventional audiometry (125 to 8,000 Hz) after five and six cycles of chemotherapy, respectively. None of the 12 examined carboplatin patients developed ABR-measured ototoxicity or abnormal audiograms during treatment. Our results suggest that ABR might prove to be useful in detecting early hearing deterioration from cisplatin.

No abstract

We propose that the observed phenotypical constellation may represent an unrecognized variant of intrauterine growth restriction.

36 patients with advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the maxillary sinuses formed the basis of this review. There were 16 T3 and 20 T4. Treatment consisted of radiotherapy alone in 21 cases and radiotherapy followed by systemic chemotherapy in 15 cases. The median survival for all analysed patients was 19 months and the 3-year and 5-year estimated survivals were 30% and 17%. The respective 3-and 5-year survival probabilities were 19% and 9% for patients treated with radiotherapy alone and 40% and 27% for patients treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy (p= 0.01). Our findings seem to suggest that the addititon of systemic chemotherapy to radiotherapy may imporve overall survival in advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the maxillary sinuses.