picibanil and Nasopharyngeal-Neoplasms

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Clinical Trials as Topic; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Fluorouracil; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; Male; Mouth Neoplasms; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Picibanil; Proteoglycans; Tegafur

The purpose of this study was to determine the appropriate conditions for percutaneous sclerotherapy of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma using fibrin glue combined with OK-432 and bleomycin. Three patients with juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma were treated with an injection of fibrin glue combined with OK-432 and bleomycin. No major complications occurred in any of the patients. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 14 months. The following outcomes were obtained: one lesion was completely involuted and two lesions were mostly involuted. All of the patients had normal liver and kidney function. Additionally, none of the patients presented with hematologic toxic effects or signs of pulmonary involvement. Percutaneous sclerotherapy using fibrin glue combined with OK-432 and bleomycin provided a simple, safe, and reliable alternative treatment for juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.

Topics: Adolescent; Angiofibroma; Antineoplastic Agents; Bleomycin; Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; Humans; Injections, Intralesional; Male; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Picibanil; Sclerotherapy; Tissue Adhesives; Young Adult

In the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), radiation has been the treatment of choice, because it is effective for locoregional disease. However, the results of radiotherapy for NPC have revealed that local relapse and/or distant metastases occur frequently, and consequently the five-year survival rate is as low as around 30%. Since 1982, we have adopted chemotherapy initially applied prior to radiotherapy (= pre-radiation chemotherapy) for the treatment of NPC in order to achieve better results. The chemotherapy mainly consists of a combination of cisplatin and peplomycin. Twenty-one previously untreated patients with NPC were evaluable. Three complete and fifteen partial remissions were achieved, with an 86% response rate to the chemotherapy. The treatment involving a combination of pre-radiation chemotherapy and radiotherapy resulted in local relapse in one patient and distant metastases in two patients with an 87.5% survival rate according to the Kaplan-Meier method. Immunotherapy is also indispensable in the treatment of NPC. Our present multimodality treatment for NPC consists of a combination of pre-radiation chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by long-term administration of a biologics such as OK-432.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Bleomycin; Cisplatin; Combined Modality Therapy; Cyclophosphamide; Doxorubicin; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Humans; Male; Methotrexate; Middle Aged; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Peplomycin; Picibanil; Radiotherapy Dosage; Vincristine

The prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is very poor, due to the extreme failure of the immuno-surveillance mechanism in such cases. As an immunotherapeutic agent, OK-432 was administered to NPC patients. Cases were divided into two groups. One was given OK-432 for less than 6 months (short-term group), while a long-term group, was treated with OK-432 for over 6 months. These two groups were evaluated for immunological activity and prognosis. As immunological parameters, the numbers of white blood cells and lymphocytes were counted, and delayed skin reactivities with Su-PS and PPD were determined. No influence on the number of white blood cells and lymphocytes could be observed in either of the two groups. However, the skin tests showed better improvement of immunity in the long-term group than in the short-term cases. Furthermore, these reactivities correlated well with the clinical status of NPC patients. As to the absolute number of lymphocytes, improvement in the long-term NPC group was delayed in comparison to that of another head and neck carcinoma group given long-term OK-432 treatment. The prognosis of the long-term administered group was apparently better than that of the short-term group. Long-term administration of OK-432 is therefore indispensable for the treatment of NPC cases, because of the extreme decline of their immunity.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Biological Products; Female; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Picibanil; Prognosis; Tuberculin Test

Clinically, the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is very poor. It is considered that this depends on three factors. The first is the difficulty of early detection of this disease, because the symptoms of this cancer are latent. The second factor is the specificity of the histological character. The third is most important. This cancer cases fall into the extreme failure category of the immuno-surveillance mechanism. Immuno-responsiveness is extremely depressed. Immunological status has been examined and the clinical evaluation of immunotherapy with OK-432 (streptococcal preparation) and lymphocyte transfer has been made. Results are as follows: 1) Deficiencies of cellular immunity could be recognized through the various immunological parameters, such as subsets of peripheral blood lymphocytes. 2) Immunotherapy is indispensable in this cancer, for the above-mentioned reasons. Better results could be obtained with nonspecific immunotherapy, using OK-432. On the other hand, new immunotherapy, using immunologically enforced lymphocytes with Interleukin-2 prevented micrometastasis, one of the worst characteristics of this cancer. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a systemic disease. Therefore immunotherapy is indispensable for the treatment of this cancer.

Topics: Adult; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Biological Products; Cell Line; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Interleukin-2; Killer Cells, Natural; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Middle Aged; Mitomycin; Mitomycins; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms; Picibanil; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic