Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: Chemo-radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis represents a therapeutic challenge frequently encountered in cancer patients. This side effect causes significant morbidity and may delay or interruption of treatment plan, cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX2) is an inducible enzyme primarily expressed in inflamed and tumoral tissues. COX-2 inhibitors have shown promise to reduce chemoradiation induce toxicities. We conducted a phase III, randomized double blind clinical trial to evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of celecoxib, a selective COX2 inhibitor, administered concurrently with chemoradiation for locally advanced head and neck cancer. Here in we report the first report about the role of COX-2 inhibitor in acute toxicicities.

Methods: Patients with stage III/IV (locally advance) head and neck carcinoma who referred to department of radiation-oncology were eligible. Patients were treated with chemotherapy with cisplatin concurrently with radiation (60-70Gy). Celecoxib (100mg qid) was started at the first day of radiotherapy and was given for a total of 8 weeks. Acute toxicities were evaluated every week by WHO scale.

Results: One hundred twenty two patients were enrolled into the study, (61 patients for each group). In repeated mesurment analysis of variance there is a significant difference in the time of onset of grade II acute toxicities between the two groups The mucositis, dysphagia, epidermitis and oral pain score changed significantly over the typical five weeks in two groups but these changes were more sever in placebo group (p=0.0001). In the analysis of the overall changes in the following laboratory parame-ters: WBC, hemoglobin and platelet showed that these parameters decreased over time in both groups without a significant difference between groups.

Conclusion: The results of these study showed that the use of a COX-2 inhibitor (celecoxib) that is a safe and inexpensive drug may reduce acute toxicities of chemoradiation specially mucositis in head and neck carcinoma.

Background: Treatment of cervical carcinoma is routinely performed with Low Dose Rate (LDR) brachytherapy, but Brachytherapy in our department is done with Medium Dose Rate (MDR) due to the technical characteristics of the machine available here. Thus we decided to evaluate the results of this treatment in our department in a prospective study.

Methods: Between March 2006 and July 2008, 140 patients with histologic diagnosis of cervical carcinoma referred to Tehran Cancer Institute were treated with external beam radiotherapy (44-64 Gy to whole pelvis) and MDR brachytherapy (8-30 Gy to Point A) with a dose rate of 2.2±0.3 Gy/h.

Results: 121 patients were followed up for a median time of 18 months (range: 9-39 m). There were 11%(6/54) local recurrence for surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy group 25%(16/65) for radical radiotherapy group, and 19%(23/121) for all patients. Rectal and bladder complications incidence for all patients were 10%(12/121) and 13%(16/121) respectively. High grade complication was shown only in one patient in radical radiotherapy group. In this study 3-years disease free survival and overall survival were 73% and 92% respectively, and disease stage (p=0.007) and overall treatment time (p=0.05) were the significant factors affecting disease free survival.

Conclusions: Results of this series suggest that the use of external beam radiotherapy and MDR brachytherapy with about 20% dose reduction in comparison with LDR can be an acceptable technique with regard to local control and complications.

Background: Colorectal cancer is the third common cancer world wide and the forth in Iran. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer. In this study we evaluate the efficacy a cox-2 inhibitor on pathologic response, sphincter preservation and acute toxicity during neoadjuvant chemoradiation.

Methods: Thirty-six patients that have adenocarcinoma of rectum was enrolled (up to 15 cm of anal verge). The patients were undergone Endometrial Ultrasound (EUS), abdomino-pelvic and chest CT for staging. Then received neoadjuvant concurrent chemo radiation (xeloda 825 mg/m2 bid in combination with celecoxib 100 mg qid and 50-50.4Gy/25-28f). Surgery was done 4-8 weeks after chemoradiation. During the chemoradiation the patients was observed for the probable complication one year. Tumor regression grade was reported.

Results: From 36 surgery patients, Total Mesorectal Excision (TME) was done in 30 patients. Pathologic complete response was seen in eight of 30 patients (26.7%). Tumor regression grade was calculated in three and five grade system: in three grade system 17 patients had grade 1 (60.7%), eight patients had grade 2 (28.6%) and three patients had grade 3 (10.7%). In five grade system of tumor regression eight patients had grade 1 (28.6%), nine patients had grade 2 (32.1%), eight patients grade 3 (28.6%), three patients had grade 4 (10.7%). T down staging was 43.3%. N downstaging was 30.8%. No patient had skin reaction or cardio-vascular complication.

Conclusion: Based on our study results, Celecoxib in combination with neoadjuvant chemoradiation is safe and is associated with low complications. This combination can promote pathologic complete response, TRG and T and N downstaging in Rectal adenocarcinoma.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the mid-term outcomes of concurrent total correction of Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) after pulmonary valve (PV) replacement and its relation to QRS duration and MRI results.
Methods:  In this study, 51 patients with TOF who had the TOF surgery and PV replacement enrolled the study. Demographic data, MRI results such as, right ventricular end diastolic volume, right ventricular end systolic volume, systolic and diastolic indexes noted. Moreover, QRS duration and the patients' cardiac functional class were evaluated immediately before and 6 months after the surgery.
Results:  From 51 patients, 27.5% were female and 72.5% were male. The mean age of participants was 23.48 (SD=5.82) years. Functional class changes were statistically different (P<0.001) comparing the status before and after the surgery. The mean QRS duration before surgery was 130.20 (SD=16.89) ms which was in significant contrast with post-surgical states, 122.45 (SD=16.90) ms (P<0.001). Mean QRS duration before and after surgery was statistically lower in asymptomatic patients (P=0.028 and P=0.025, respectively). There was a statistical relationship between pre-surgical systolic and diastolic indexes to post-surgical functional class as asymptomatic patients had lower systolic and diastolic indexes (P=0.005 and P=0.028, respectively).
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that QRS duration before and after surgery can be an indicator to evaluate the cardiac function after surgery for Tetralogy of Fallot. Moreover, systolic and diastolic indexes are factors affecting the good prognosis of patients therefore, PVR surgery needs to be done before the deterioration of systolic and diastolic indexes and cardiomegaly.

Background: Measurements of mitral valve area (MVA) are essential to determine the severity of mitral stenosis (MS) and adopt the best management strategies. The aim of the present study was to compare MVA determined by two-dimensional (2D) planimetry to MVA measured by continuity equation (CE) in patients with moderate to severe MS.
Methods: We evaluated 73 consecutive patients with the diagnosis of MS scheduled for balloon mitral valvuloplasty or with moderate to severe rheumatic MS admitted at the echocardiography clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital in 2010. Using 2D images of mitral valve obtained from paraesternal short axis view, 2D planimetry of the mitral orifice area was performed by an experienced cardiologist. MVA by CE was calculated from aortic forward stroke volume divided by transmitral time-velocity integral.
Results: The mean value of MVA by 2-D planimetry was 1.0±0.3 cm2. The average values of MVA measured by PHT and CE were 1.0±0.3 cm2 and 0.9±0.4 cm2, respectively. The MVA determined by planimetry correlated well with CE (r=0.832, standard error of estimation [SEE]= 0.166, P<0.001). The mean values of MVA calculated by CE highly correlated with those calculated by 2-D planimetry in patients presenting with both non-significant (r=0.701) and significant (r=0.761) AIs.
Conclusion: When planimetry is not feasible, such as in severe calcification of mitral valve or after percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty, CE could be an alternative method for MVA measurement in comparison with PHT.

Background: This study investigated compatibility between post chemoradiation magnetic resonance images and histologic findings after operation and chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Methods: In this prospective study, 63 patients referred to Cancer Institute of Emam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from October 2011 to October 2013 with locally advanced rectal cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiation (50.4 Gy external beam radiation with concomitant capecitabine 825 mg/m2 PO twice a day with or without 60 mg/m2 oxaliplatin weekly). Patients had an MRI before chemoradiation and MRI assessment were used to identify Tumor (T) and lymph node (N) staging by an experienced radiologist. Patients were recommended to repeat MRI after surgery but it was not obligatory. Findings of post chemoradiation MRI and histopathologic reports were compared. Downstaging was defined as at least one stage decrease in T or N in histopathologic report comparing to their first MRI, on condition of no sign of disease progression.

Results: 32 patients (50.79%) had T downstaging and 36 of them (57.14%) showed N downstaging: none had disease progression. In this study MRI had an accuracy of 55.5% for rectal tumor (T) restaging after chemoradiation comparing to pathology. MRI sensitivity for T restaging was 33.3% to 83.3%.  There was a higher possibility to have errors in restaging of T1-2 stages. Specificity of MRI for T restaging was higher than its sensitivity, 66.6%. In this study lymph node involvement (N) was determined according to morphology and size. MRI has an accuracy of 42.8% for detecting lymph node involvement. Its sensitivity and specificity for N restaging were 50% and 66.6% respectively. All patients had MRI before chemoradiation, although 21 of them repeated MRI after chemoradiation since it was not mandatory. 19 of these 21 patients underwent surgery.

Conclusion: Although MRI is a suitable imaging for staging locally advanced rectal cancer its use for restaging after chemoradiation is under question. According to this study, MRI accuracy rates for both T and N restaging were below the rates of previous studies.

Background: It is reported that high frequency of chromosomal aberrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes of individuals is a marker of cancer predisposition. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro frequency of chromosomal damage in lymphocytes of patients with head and neck cancer against gamma irradiation compared with those in healthy individuals.

Methods: In a case and control study, peripheral blood lymphocytes of 101 patients with head and neck cancer were collected before the onset of radiotherapy. Lymphocytes of 40 healthy individuals were also collected as controls. Head and neck cancer patients and the control group were consecutively recruited between April 2012 and February 2015 from Clinics of Cancer Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Lymphocytes of patients or control group were cultured and exposed to gamma radiation in G2- and G0- phase of the cell cycle. The induced chromosomal aberrations such as chromosome and chromatid breakages, chromosome and chromatid gaps, chromatid exchanges and micronuclei were scored in one-hundred metaphase cells of each individual. The mean of each chromosomal aberration was compared in patient and control groups. Early and late tissue reactions were scored during radiotherapy treatment or thereafter.

Results: There was no significant difference in demographic characterization between the two study groups. The frequency of radiation- induced G2 aberrations in lymphocytes of patients was significantly higher than in those of healthy donors (P= 0.001 for chromosomal breaks). The frequency of radiation-induced micronuclei in G0 assay was also higher in patients than in those in controls (P= 0.05). The results also indicate that there is no correlation between the two assays. No significant correlation was also observed between aberration frequencies in lymphocytes and the degree of both early and late normal tissue reactions.

Conclusion: The results indicate that the in vitro chromosomal radiosensitivity of peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with head and neck cancer against gamma irradiation was significantly higher than that in healthy individuals.

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease presenting with inflammation, tenderness and destruction of the synovial joints, resulting in severe disability and early death due to complication of disease. Previous diagnostic criteria are not useful for identifying patients who need early treatment. Thus, new diagnostic criteria for faster diagnosis of disease are introduced in 2010. The aim of this study was to compared 1987 ACR (American College of Rheumatology) criteria and 2010 ACR/EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) classification criteria for diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Cancer diagnosis is the biggest stress for the child and his family. Diagnosis and treatment of cancer in children can cause stress, which often has a negative effect on the health of parents. Psychological reactions such as anxiety, depression, denial and loss of confidence in parents observed that because of the fear of recurrence and future of children. This study aimed to determine the level of stress and anxiety and depression in parents of children with leukemia who were in the maintenance phase of treatment.

Conclusion: According to this study, in addition to the classic treatment of patients, parent’s mental performance should be paid attention.