Intensive remission chemotherapy followed by post-remission consolidation and maintenance therapies has achieved complete remission rates of 75% to 90% and 3-year survival rates of 25% to 50% in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). These results, although promising, are still less favorable than those achieved in childhood ALL. However, various novel experimental and clinical approac...

We designed a protocol (VAPA) that featured 14 mo of intensive postremission induction chemotherapy in an effort to improve remission durations for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). One hundred and seven patients under 50 yr of age were entered into this study. The rate of complete remission is 70%. A Kaplan-Meier analysis of patients entering remission predicts that 56% +/- 7% (+...

BACKGROUND & AIMS The benefit of mesalamine for maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease is controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of mesalamine in maintaining remission of quiescent Crohn's disease. METHODS Pertinent randomized clinical trials were selected using MEDLINE (1986-1997) database, reference lists from published articles or reviews. Fifteen randomi...

This paper presents a summary of the evidence review group report into the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of rituximab for the treatment of relapsed or refractory stage III or IV follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), in accordance with the licensed indication, based upon the evidence submission from Roche Products Ltd to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellenc...

Background: Adalimumab induced clinical remission after four weeks in patients with active Crohn’s disease in the CLASSIC I trial. Objective: To evaluate long term efficacy and safety of adalimumab maintenance therapy in Crohn’s disease in a follow-on randomised controlled trial (CLASSIC II). Methods: In the preceding CLASSIC I trial, 299 patients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease naive t...

Maintenance chemotherapy has failed to demonstrate any benefit [1, 2]. Corticosteroid maintenance was found to prolong the duration of response; however, the effect on survival was controversial [3, 4]. Interferon-a represented a great hope in the 1980s but metaanalysis of randomized trials showed a modest increase in progression-free survival (PFS) and a minimal benefit in overall survival (OS...

The Southeastern Cancer Study Group conducted a post-remission induction randomized trial in adult acute myelogenous leukemia to assess the efficacy of alternate drug therapy during consolidation and of immunotherapy during maintenance. Of 508 evaluable patients entered into the study, 335 (66%) achieved a complete remission treated with a 7-day infusion of cytosine arabinoside at a dose of 100...

BACKGROUND Adalimumab induced clinical remission after four weeks in patients with active Crohn's disease in the CLASSIC I trial. OBJECTIVE To evaluate long term efficacy and safety of adalimumab maintenance therapy in Crohn's disease in a follow-on randomised controlled trial (CLASSIC II). METHODS In the preceding CLASSIC I trial, 299 patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease naive ...

Lupus nephritis (LN) increases the morbidity and mortality of patients with SLE. This review compares the randomized, controlled trials that examined various maintenance regimens available to treat LN. Currently, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and azathioprine (AZA) are the most popular therapeutic agents used for long-term maintenance of LN. Long-term maintenance with MMF is recommended as the fi...

background and aims: sexual dysfunction is a common complaint among drug abusers in the treatment with methadone and buprenorphine. the aim of this study was to assess sexual dysfunction in patients undergoing methadone or buprenorphine for maintenance therapy. methods: this research was a cross-sectional study. a 3-parts questionnaire (demographic questions, international index of erectile fun...