Dr Mohammed Mahmoud Youssif

We evaluated the efficacy of epirubicin in a phase II trial in breast cancer, as well as its cardiac toxicity. The study was carried out on 40 female patients with advanced, metastatic, or recurrent breast cancer. The patients were grouped into two groups: group I received 30 mg/m2 epirubicin weekly, and group II 90 mg/m2 epirubicin every 3 weeks. Cardiac monitoring was by ECG, roentgenography, echocardiography and endomyocardial biopsies. Clinical results were 35.3% overall response in group I, and 50% overall response in group II. No untoward cardiac toxicities were encountered. We conclude that epirubicin is an effective agent in breast cancer with relatively little cardiac toxicity.

The photocurrent of the two-dimensional system for (CH 2) 2 (NH 3) 2MCl 4 (M = Co 2+ and Cu 2+) as a function of temperature, exposure time and returning time has been measured. The activation energy and photoconductivity values were calculated. Saturation of the photoconducting current was reached after exposure for about 25 min. The photocurrents showed a decrease in value with increasing temperature. The dielectric constant was measured, also as a function of temperature and frequency and the electric dipole moment was calculated at different temperatures. © 1991.

The photocurrent of the two-dimensional system for (CH 2) 2 (NH 3) 2MCl 4 (M = Co 2+ and Cu 2+) as a function of temperature, exposure time and returning time has been measured. The activation energy and photoconductivity values were calculated. Saturation of the photoconducting current was reached after exposure for about 25 min. The photocurrents showed a decrease in value with increasing temperature. The dielectric constant was measured, also as a function of temperature and frequency and the electric dipole moment was calculated at different temperatures. © 1991.

Seventy-one patients with T2 and T3 bladder cancer were randomized to receive either two courses of epirubicin 120 mg/m2 i.v. push every 21 days pro-operatively, and four additional courses post-operatively (group I = 34 patients), or radical surgery (group 11 = 37 patients). At a median follow-up of 24 months (range 22 months to 38 months) 25 patients from group I and 14 patients from group II are still alive and disease-free. The estimated two-year disease-tree survival percentages were 73.5 and 37.9%, respectively (P = 0.05). After initial chemotherapy, resected specimens were subjected to histopathologieal study of chemotherapeutic effects. Necrosis was detected in 95% of cases with squamous cell carcinoma and in 57.3% of cases with transitional cell carcinoma. We conclude that the benefit which was obtained by pre-operative and post-operative chemotherapy with epirubicin is promising and may represent a significant improvement in the treatment of patients with carcinoma of the bilharzial bladder.