Hee-Sook Park

Phase Ii study of docetaxel and cisplatin combination chemotherapy in metastatic or unresectable localized non-small-cell lung cancer

AbstractMethods. Newly diagnosed, chemotherapy-naive patients with histologically confirmed NSCLC (measurable stage IIIB/IV NSCLC; Karnofsky performance status, 70–100; adequate bone marrow, renal, hepatic, and cardiac function) were eligible for the study. Docetaxel 75 mg/m2 was administered IV over 1 h, followed immediately by cisplatin 75 mg/m2, given IV over 30 min, with cycles repeated every 3 weeks, for up to six or nine cycles.nResults. Thirty-nine patients were enrolled and treated. Their median age was 59 years (range, 32–71 years) and median performance status, 90 (range, 70–100). Histologically, 23 patients (59%) had adenocarcinoma, 12 (30.8%) had squamous cell carcinoma, and 16 patients (41%) had stage IV disease. Thirty-seven patients were eligible for inclusion. In the 39 patients evaluable for safety, significant grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia (82%), nausea (10.3%), fatigue (10.3%), and diarrhea (7.7%). Of the 33 patients evaluable for response, 16 patients (48.5%) achieved a partial response and 7 showed progressive disease. Median overall survival time in all eligible patients was 10.5 months.nConclusion. Docetaxel/cisplatin produced promising response rates that compare favorably with those of current standard platinum combinations, with manageable toxicity. Further investigations of this first-line combination in NSCLC are warranted.

Solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma of the liver without systemic monoclonal gammopathy.

Extramedullary plasmacytoma of the liver is a very rare tumor. Although a few cases of extramedullary plasmacytoma of the liver have been reported, we could not find any report on truly localized extramedullary plasmacytoma of the liver in the literature. The patient was a 63-yr-old man who exhibited a solitary liver mass on dynamic computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Histologically, the tumor was composed of mature plasma cells with mild atypia. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated monoclonal IgG and Kappa light chain expression. Bone marrow examination revealed no abnormalities. There was no evidence of a monoclonal protein in the serum and urine, lytic bone lesions, anemia, renal insufficiency, and hypercalcemia. The patient was treated with 5,000 cGy of radiotherapy, and the tumor disappeared 6 months after treatment.

Measurements of Thermal Diffusivity for Thin Slabs by a Converging Thermal Wave Technique

The measurement of thermal diffusivity for thin slabs by a converging thermal wave technique has been studied. Temperature variation at the center of the heat source ring that is produced by a pulsed high-power laser is detected by an infrared detector. A computer program based on the finite difference method is developed to analyze the thermal diffusivity of the slabs. Materials of both high thermal diffusivity (CVD diamond wafer) and low thermal diffusivity (stainless-steel foil) have been used for the measurements. The measurements have been performed by varying the size and the thickness of specimen. The converging thermal wave technique has proved to be a good method to measure the thermal diffusivity of a CVD diamond without breaking the wafer into small specimens. The technique can be applied for a small slab if the diameter of the slab is two times larger than that of the heat source ring. The sensitivity of thickness in measuring the thermal diffusivity is low for ordinary CVD diamond. The use of the converging thermal wave technique for nonhomogeneous, nonuniform, and anisotropic materials has been accomplished by applying the finite difference method.