Summary The ECOG Scale of Performance Status (PS) is widely used to quantify the functional status of cancer patients, and is an important factor determining prognosis in a number of malignant conditions. The PS describes the status of symptoms and functions with respect to ambulatory status and need for care. PS 0 means normal activity, PS 1 means some symptoms, but still near fully ambulatory, PS 2 means less than 50%, and PS 3 means more than 50% of daytime in bed, while PS 4 means completely bedridden. An inter-observer variability study of PS assessment has been carried out to evaluate the non-chance agreement among three oncologists rating 100 consecutive cancer patients. Total unanimity was observed in 40 cases, unanimity between two observers in 53 cases, and total disagreement in seven cases. Kappa statistics reveal the ability of the observers compared to change alone and were used to evaluate non-chance agreement. Overall Kappa was 0.44, (95% confidence limits 0.38-0.51). The Kappa for PS 0 was 0.55 (0.44-0.67), while those for PS 1, 2, 3 and four were 0.48 (0.37-0.60), 0.31 (0.19-0.42), 0.43 (0.32-0.55), and 0.33 (0.33-0.45), respectively. If one observer allocated patients to PS 0-2, then another randomly selected observed placed the patients in the same category with a probability of 0.92. For patients with PS 3-4 the probability that the same category would be chosen was 0.82. Overall, the non-chance agreement between observers was only moderate, when all ECOG Performance Status groups were considered. However, agreement with regard to allocation of patients to PS 0-2 versus 3-4 was high. This is of interest because this cut-off is often used in clinical studies.
Seventy-seven calcium balance and 47Ca turnover studies were performed in normal volunteers (n = 15) and in patients with osteoporosis (n = 12), primary hyperparathyroidism (n = 8), osteogenesis imperfecta (n = 5), medullary carcinoma of the thyroid (n = 4), thyrotoxicosis (n = 2) and intestinal bypass for obesity (n = 11). After intravenous injection of 20 microCi of 47Ca two retention curves of 47Ca were obtained: R1(t) directly measured on a whole-body counter and R2(t) calculated from the cumulated daily excretions of 47Ca in urine and faeces. The data were fitted to a modification of the continuously expanding exchangeable calcium pool model. Dermal calcium loss was estimated from the serum 47Ca specific radioactivity curve and the constantly increasing difference between the two retention curves. The median dermal calcium loss in 77 studies was 1.50 mmol 24 h-1 1.73 m-2 (range 0.13-4.60). The dermal calcium loss might be overestimated by redistribution of tracer or by eventual insufficient collection of urine and faeces. The possible influences of these errors have been evaluated. Patients with primary hyperparathyroidism had a greater (P less than 0.02) dermal calcium loss (2.64 mmol; range 0.80-4.50) than a control group (1.38 mmol; range 1.25-2.34).
Summary One hundred and forty-five patients with limited stage small cell lung cancer were included in a randomized trial to evaluate the effect of chemotherapy with or without chest irradiation. Seventy-six patients were allotted chemotherapy alone while 69 patients received the same chemotherapy plus radiotherapy, 40 Gy in split-course, administered in weeks 6 and 10 after the initiation of chemotherapy. The chemotherapy consisted of lomustine, cyclophosphamide, vincristine and methotrexate. Patients treated with chemotherapy alone survived for a median of 52 weeks compared to 44 weeks in patients receiving the combined regimen (P=0.055). After exclusion of five early deaths and one patient refusing the irradiation plus 14 completely resected patients, the remaining 65 patients receiving chemotherapy alone and the 60 patients treated with chemotherapy plus radiotherapy were included in a new analysis. The difference in survival duration which could be ascribed to treatment with or without chest irradiation thereby diminished (P=0.24). Eighteen months' disease-free survival was obtained in 9.2% of the 65 patients and in 9.8% of the 60 patients. The complete remission rates were 37% and 46%, respectively, (P=0.33) and the median durations of complete remission were 40 weeks and 52 weeks (P=0.67). Treatment failure of the primary tumour occurred in 85% of patients treated with chemotherapy alone in contrast to 61% of patients receiving the combined regimen (P=0.005). Seventy-nine of these patients underwent autopsy at which no residual chest disease was observed in 17% and 37%, respectively (P=0.045). The combined regimen was more toxic than chemotherapy alone resulting in significantly greater dose reductions and more pronounced thrombocytopenia. Lung and pericardial fibrosis was responsible for four deaths among the complete responders in the radiotherapy group.The combined regimen thus tended to be more efficacious with respect to tumour control at the expense, however, of increased toxicity which per se, eliminated a potential improvement of the overall therapeutical results.
Six of 796 patients treated with intensive combination chemotherapy for small cell carcinoma of the lung developed overt acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) (three patients) or preleukemia with severe refractory cytopenia and clonal cytogenetic abnormalities in bone marrow cells (three patients). The latent period to development of preleukemia or leukemia was less than two years in four of the six patients. The cumulative risk of preleukemia and leukemia according to a Kaplan-Meier estimate was 14.0% +/- 6.9% (mean +/- SE) four years after the start of treatment. The relative risk of overt ANLL was 77, since three cases were observed v 0.039 cases expected, based on the age- and sex- specific incidence of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia in the general Danish population. The risk of secondary solid tumors was not increased. The possible causes of the exceptionally early appearance and very high cumulative risk of leukemic complications found in the present study, as compared to previous experience in other malignant diseases, is discussed, including the implications for future therapy of patients with small cell lung cancer.
Six of 796 patients treated with intensive combination chemotherapy for small cell carcinoma of the lung developed overt acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) (three patients) or preleukemia with severe refractory cytopenia and clonal cytogenetic abnormalities in bone marrow cells (three patients). The latent period to development of preleukemia or leukemia was less than two years in four of the six patients. The cumulative risk of preleukemia and leukemia according to a Kaplan-Meier estimate was 14.0% +/- 6.9% (mean +/- SE) four years after the start of treatment. The relative risk of overt ANLL was 77, since three cases were observed v 0.039 cases expected, based on the age- and sex- specific incidence of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia in the general Danish population. The risk of secondary solid tumors was not increased. The possible causes of the exceptionally early appearance and very high cumulative risk of leukemic complications found in the present study, as compared to previous experience in other malignant diseases, is discussed, including the implications for future therapy of patients with small cell lung cancer.
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