Yasuhiro Arai

Clinical application of recombinant human erythropoietin for treatments in patients with head and neck cancer

SummaryThe therapeutic effects of intravenous recombinant human erythropoietin (r-hEPO) administration on anemia induced by radiation therapy (3 cases), chemotherapy (18 cases) and combined therapies (5 cases) in patients with head and neck malignancies were examined. The effectiveness was evaluated by the changes in the hemoglobin concentration examined before and after the r-hEPO administration. The r-hEPO administration combined with anticancer therapies improved anemia induced by all three treatments. The therapeutic effectiveness of r-hEPO injection was also noted on anemia induced by all of four different chemotherapeutic regimens that have been ordinarily used for head and neck malignancies. Furthermore, the efficacy of the different dose schedules, 3000 IU (12 cases) or 6000 IU (14 cases), three times a week, was compared. Both of the r-hEPO dose schedules were effective for anemia, but the efficacy of 6000 IU was superior to that of 3000 IU. No significant changes were observed in the number of white blood cells and platelets and the results of biochemical examinations after the r-hEPO injection. There were no objective side-effects related to the r-hEPO administration. These results suggest that anemia induced by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy could be prevented by r-hEPO administration. The addition of r-hEPO to anticancer therapies would make it possible to pursue the planned therapeutic schedules, prevent the decrease of immunity after allogeneic blood transfusion and bring about an improvement in the prognosis of patients with malignancies.

Four cases of simultaneous triple primary cancers of the hypopharynx, esophagus, and stomach

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy of intensive chemotherapy for simultaneous triple primary cancers of the hypopharynx, esophagus, and stomach. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case study. METHODS: From April 2000 to March 2002, we treated 4 patients who had simultaneous triple primary cancers, including hypopharyngeal, esophageal, and gastric carcinomas. These 4 patients were designated as the objects for analysis, and the treatment modality for simultaneous multiple primary cancer cases was examined. RESULTS: In 3 of 4 patients, all 3 primary cancers could be controlled by intensive induction chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy for hypopharyngeal cancer and by endoscopic mucosal resection or argon plasma coagulation for esophageal and gastric carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment modality for simultaneous multiple primary cancers, including head and neck cancer, it is important to select intensive systemic chemotherapy and decide the order for treating each primary lesion in consideration of each patients curability and prognosis. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2005;132:788-93.)

Analysis of DNA ploidy using fresh frozen tissues of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

The DNA ploidy of fresh frozen tissues of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas was determined by flow cytometry to investigate whether DNA ploidy is correlated with various clinical and pathological parameters. The subjects were 51 patients who had been treated radically by our department. The DNA ploidy pattern was classified into three types, diploid, single aneuploid and multiploid, according to the DNA index and the DNA histogram. This is our original classification. No particular correlation could be detected between the DNA ploidy pattern and sex, age, primary tumour site or disease stage. The degree of tissue differentiation tended to be poorer in aneuploid tissues than in diploid tissues. The efficacy of chemotherapy was higher in aneuploid cases than in diploid cases. The recurrence rate was significantly lower in diploid cases than in multiploid cases. When disease stage, degree of histological differentiation, efficacy of the chemotherapy and the DNA ploidy pattern were subjected to multivariate analysis for correlation with the prognosis, the DNA ploidy pattern showed the highest correlation. The results suggest that the DNA ploidy as analyzed by flow cytometry can be used as an important prognostic factor.

Analysis of prognostic factors, including the incidence of second primary cancer, in patients with early stage laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated by radiation-based therapy

Background: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the efficacy of concurrent chemotherapy and analyze prognostic factors in the radiation-based therapy for early stage laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (ELSCC). n Methods: The records of 97 patients with ELSCC treated by radiation-based therapy from 2004 to 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Eighty-one patients were treated with the combined-agent regimens during the treatment. Of the 81 patients, 58 were treated with S-1 regimen and 23 with other regimens. Clinical factors, such as concurrent chemotherapy, non-glottic subsite and the incidence of second primary cancer (SPC) were analyzed for their association with survival. n Results: From the analysis of all patients, the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were found to be significantly poorer for patients with non-glottic cancer compared to those with glottic cancer (P Conclusions: Non-glottic subsite and SPC were associated with worsened survival. CCRT with S-1 can be a useful treatment option for stage II ELSCC.

Postoperative Bio-Chemoradiotherapy Using Cetuximab and Docetaxel in Patients With Cis-Platinum–Intolerant Core High-Risk Head and Neck Cancer: Protocol of a Phase 2 Nonrandomized Clinical Trial

Background We confirmed the safety of postoperative bio-chemoradiotherapy using cetuximab and docetaxel in a small number of patients with cis-platinum–intolerant core high-risk head and neck cancer. Objective To assess treatment efficacy, we planned a phase 2 study of postoperative bio-chemoradiotherapy for patients with cis-platinum–intolerant core high-risk head and neck cancer and will compare the results to those of previously collected radiotherapy data. Methods Patients who underwent definitive surgery for oral cavity, laryngeal, oropharyngeal, or hypopharyngeal advanced cancer, whose postoperative pathological results indicated core high risk for recurrence (eg, positive margin in the primary site or extranodal extension) and who were cis-platinum–intolerant, will undergo postoperative bio-chemoradiotherapy. The primary end point is 2-year disease-free survival. Results The expected 2-year disease-free survival is set at 55%, and the calculated sample size is 35 patients, according to a statistical analysis based on previous reports. Conclusions This treatment method is expected to improve the survival rate of patients with severe head and neck cancer. Trial Registration UMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000031835; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000036355 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/71fejVjMr)