Chemotherapy in a Patient with Prior History of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

We described a 67 years old small-cell lung cancer patient with a prior history of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) who was treated with successful chemotherapy. It is probably safe to administer chemotherapeutic agents for some cancer patients with prior history of ITP, but it is important to prevent or minimize the toxicities of these chemotherapeutic agents

Letter to the Editor UDC: 616.24-006:616.592-006:616.714.1

kin metastasis to the scalp is very rare. This report describes metastasis to the scalp as the first manifestation of an unsuspected occult neoplasm. An 80-year-old woman presented with a four-week history of a slowly growing, non-ulcerated round solitary nodule in the scalp of the right temporal. The lesion was 2 cm in diameter, painless, and movable. Skin biopsy revealed metastasis from the lung adenocarcinoma. The chest film on admission revealed a large mass in the left upper lobe. CT scans showed extensive metastases to brain, liver, bone and both adrenal glands. Because of decreasing performance status of the patient, she received 250 mg gefitinib once daily. Although the response was evaluated as no change, she had symptomatic relief. The patient died of her disease 11 months later the diagnosis of skin metastasis. Skin metastasis occurs primarily near the primary lesion of interna

Pancoast's Syndrome due to Metastatic Carcinoma from the Stomach

We describe here a case of Pancoast's syndrome due to metastatic carcinoma from the stomach. Although obtaining a tissue diagnosis is often difficult with apical lesions, transbronchial or percutaneous needle biopsy is the procedure of choice since a certain number of these cases are potentially curable

Response to Gefitinib in Pericardial Effusion Due to Lung Cancer

We described a 70 years old patient with pericardial effusion due to adenocarcinoma of the lung, in whom gefitinib, which is an oral selective inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor of tyrosine kinase, demonstrated a marked antitumor effect. We recommend possible consideration of a treatment with gefitinib for female patients with pericarditis carcinomatosa due to lung adenocarcinoma, even if they have a poor performance status and are not indicated for other intensive therapy

Letter to the Editor UDC: 616.24-006.4: 615..849:681.3:616.071

ung and bone are two of the most common sites of metastasis from lung cancer (1,2). At the time of initial diagnosis in certain of patients, metastases seem to be confined to these two organs. In order better to understand the etiology of such specific metastases, a review of patients with synchronous spread to lung and bone from primary lung cancer was undertaken. From 1976 to 2002, 1067 patients were admitted to the University of Tsukuba Hospital for pathologically proven primary lung cancer. TNM staging (3) was performed by computed tomographic (CT) scanning of the thorax and abdomen and a head CT scan or brain magnetic resonance imaging, as well as bone scintigraphy. Fifty (4.7%) patients had synchronous spread to lung and bone at the time of initial diagnosis; the median age was 67 years; and 31 of them were men. Histologically, there were 36 (72.0%) adenocarcinomas, six (12.0%) squamous cell carcinomas, five (10.0%) small cell carcinomas, and three (6.0%) others. Despite the presence of metastases, 27 (54.0 %) patients had a good performance status (PS 0-1) and TN staging (3) was no