Occupational analyses were conducted between 1971 and 1978 comparing 165 cases of testicular cancer in the Hannover region of Germany with 187 controls without neoplastic diseases admitted to the Hannover University Medical School during the same period. The results showed a significantly higher risk of metal workers developing seminomas and mixed seminomatous tumors compared to the controls (odds ratio 2.05; 1.17-3.58). There was a lack of risk for the nonseminomatous tumors as a whole group, and cases with a history of metal work may have a decreased risk for embryonal carcinomas. No definite single noxious substance responsible for the development of testicular tumors could be detected. In view of the results in animal experiments, cadmium and zinc are especially considered in the discussion.

Radiation therapy combined with the sensitizer razoxane is able to control a recurrent AAM for an unknown time. It remains open whether a radiation treatment alone would have had a similar effect.

No abstract

Purpose. Relatively few results are available in the literature about the radiation response of unresectable sarcomas in relation to their histology. Therefore, an attempt was made to summarize the present situation. Materials and methods. This report is based on a review of the literature and the author's own experience. Adult-type soft tissue sarcomas, chondrosarcomas, and chordomas were analyzed. Radioresponse was mainly associated with the degree of tumor shrinkage, that is, objective responses. Histopathologic responses, that is, the degree of necrosis, are only discussed in relation to radiation treatment reports of soft tissue sarcomas as a group. Results. Radiation therapy alone leads to major responses in about 50% of lipo-, fibro-, leiomyo-, or chondrosarcomas. The response rate is less than 50% in malignant fibrous histiocytomas, synovial, neurogenic, and other rare soft tissue sarcomas. The response rates may increase up to 75% through the addition of radiosensitizers such as halogenated pyrimidines or razoxane, or by the use of high-LET irradiation. Angiosarcomas become clearly more responsive if biologicals, angiomodulating, and/or tubulin affinic substances are given together with radiation therapy. Razoxane is able to increase the duration and quality of responses even in difficult-to-treat tumors like chondrosarcomas or chordomas. Conclusions. The available data demonstrate that the radioresponsiveness of sarcomas is very variable and dependent on histology, kind of radiation, and various concomitantly given drugs. The rate of complete sustained remissions by radiation therapy alone or in combination with drugs is still far from satisfactory although progress has been made through the use of sensitizing agents.

A total of 67 leukaphereses were performed with the IBM blood cell separator (BCS) on 50 healthy donors for the pu'pose of obtaining a clinically useful number of granulocytes for infusion into patients with acute leukemia and granulocytopenia accompanied by severe infection. The pretreatment of donors with dexamethasone and the addition of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) to the input line of the BCS significantly increased the total number of granulocytes collected, as compared to the total number of granulocytes harvested either by dexamethasone pretreatment only or by the absence of dexamethasone and HES. A mean of 2.03 X 1010, 1.58 X 1010, and 1.07 X 1010 total granulocytes was collected by the HES plus dexamethasone, by dexamethasone alone and with neither HES or dexunethasone, respectively. The efficiency of cell collection, as evidenced by the total number of granulocytes harvested per liter of blood processed, wag also significantly improved by the combined use of HES and dexamethasone. The results of the p r e n t study demonstratrs that a clinically useful number of granulocytes can be harvested and made available for supportive therapy to patients experiencing granulocytopenia causrd by malignant disease or its treatment. SEPSIS and other severe infections are the major contributors of morbidity and mortality in patients with acute leukemia.6. 9 Several supportive therapeutic techniques have evolved, such as treatment with antibiotic combinations, whole blood and platelet transfusions, and uricosuric therapy, in addition to conventional chemotherapy. Administration of leukocyte transfusions and sterilization of the gastrointestinal tract in germ-free units are presently under