We reviewed therapeutic effects and harmful side effects in 33 patients with advanced or recurrent breast cancer who underwent treatment with Anastrozole 1 mg/day in our department. The patients ...ranged in age from 40 to 83 years old (median, 59). The Performance Status was 0-2, and there was 1 case of advanced breast cancer and 32 cases of recurrent breast cancer. The duration of disease was from 5 to 233 months (median, 50 months). The estrogen and/or progesterone receptor-positive rate was 72.7%. Metastatic sites were in multiple organs in 9 cases, in the lung only in 1 case, in bone only in 12 cases, and in soft tissue only in 10 cases. First-line therapy was used in 10 cases, second-line therapy in 6 cases, and above third-line therapy in 17 cases. There was a complete response in 3 cases, partial response in 5 cases, no long change in 13 cases, no change in 9 cases, and progressive disease in 3 cases. The response rate was 24.3%, The response period ranged from 2 to 22 months (median, 8 months), and clinical benefit was achieved in 63.7%. The clinical benefit rates for first-line were 60%, second-line 83.3% and above third-line therapy 58.8%. The response rate for patients with breast cancer resistant to Anthracyclines and/or Taxanes was 20%. Time-to-progression ranged from 2 to 28 months (median, 11 months), and overall survival ranged from 7 to 30 months (median, 15 months). The most frequent harmful side effects were rise in total cholesterol, general fatigue, hot flashes and arthralgia (9.1%). In this study, we confirmed the availability and safety of Anastrozole, which was suggested to be a useful drug in salvage therapy for patients having resistance to Anthracyclines and/or Taxanes, not only but also useful as a first- or second-line therapy.
Irinotecan hydrochloride has been administered to patients with breast cancer resistant to anthracyclines and/or taxanes in our department. A retrospective analysis of the efficacy and toxicity of ...irinotecan therapy was conducted to clarify its clinical usefulness. A total of 35 consecutive patients with advanced or recurrent breast cancer were treated with irinotecan between June 1996 and March 2002. The patients ranged in age from 37 to 66 years old (median, 52). The most frequent metastatic lesion was in the liver. The number of previous chemotherapy was 2 to 7 regimens (median, 3). Ninety-one percent and 97% of the tumors were anthracycline- and taxane-resistant, respectively. The weekly dose of irinotecan was 40-160 mg/body (median, 100), and the total dose was 40-6, 110 mg/body (median, 840). An objective response rate of 6% and a clinical benefit rate of 23% were obtained. The median time-to-progression and overall survival were 3 months and 8 months, respectively. Severe toxicity (grade 3 or 4) was observed in 34% of the patients for a decrease in the white blood count, in 26% for neutropenia, in 17% for nausea/vomiting and in 6% for diarrhea. Although this study suggests that irinotecan is a clinically useful treatment of anthracycline- and/or taxane-resistant breast cancer, its anti-tumor effect was not satisfactory. The activity of first-line irinotecan therapy or the combined use of irinotecan with other agents should be investigated in clinical studies.
Our department recently began using paclitaxel in treating patients with breast cancer. Retrospective analysis was conducted to clarify its clinical usefulness. Forty-one patients with metastatic ...breast cancer were treated with paclitaxel between November 2000 and September 2002. Hospital records of the patients, except for one unsensored patient, were retrospectively reviewed. Characteristics of the patients were as follows: age, 36-81 Y (median, 56); 8 stage IV and 32 recurrent diseases; most frequent dominant site of metastasis was the liver (22 patients, 55%); number with previous chemotherapy was 0-5 (median, 2); anthracycline-based treatment and docetaxel treatment were previously performed in 21 (53%) and 15 (38%) patients, respectively; weekly dose of paclitaxel was 30-150 mg/body (median, 100); and total dose administered was 600-6, 480+ mg/body (median, 1,820). Objective response and clinical benefit rates were 35% and 80%, respectively. Median duration of response, time-to-progression and overall survival were 27+, 33+ and 41.5 weeks, respectively. Common adverse events were sensory neuropathy (45%) and nausea/vomiting (37.5%). Most were graded as 1 or 2. Various agents, such as hormonal agents and trastuzumab, were administered with paclitaxel in 26 patients (65%). No significant difference was observed in efficacy or toxicity among patients treated with paclitaxel alone or paclitaxel plus other agents. Paclitaxel seems to be a feasible, safe and active agent for patients with metastatic breast cancer.
The surface waves of a magnetic fluid under a horizontal non-uniform alternating magnetic field is investigated experimentally and analytically. While the frequency of the wave on a magnetic fluid is ...usually the same as that of the applied magnetic field, in the case of the iron nitride magnetic fluid, which is newly developed and has very high susceptibility and magnetization, the frequency of the wave is twice that of the applied magnetic field. This is confirmed by the linear stability theory. The shape of the surface, the motion inside of the fluid and the disturbed magnetic field are presented.
Stability of the surface of a magnetic fluid under a horizontal non-uniform alternating magnetic field is investigated experimentally and analytically. Several modes of interfacial waves of the same ...frequency as that of the applied magnetic field are observed, and the critical strength of the magnetic field at each frequency were obtained. The linear stability theory shows that the system is destabilized with the increase in the magnetic susceptibility and the gradient of the magnetic field, which is in accord with the experimental result. The iron nitride magnetic fluid, which is newly developed and has very high susceptibility and magnetization, was tested under the same condition as W-35 and HC-50. The small disturbance occurred even at very weak magnetic field, and the steady wave was formed in the uniform magnetic field.
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