Comple remission was obtained in two patients with hairy cell leukaemia and severe bone marrow insufficiency, using combined chemotherapy (rubidazone, arabinosyl cytosine, 6-mercaptopurine and cyclophosphamide). The remissions -- as demonstrated by normal blood cell counts and differentials and complete disappearance of hairy cells and fibrosis in bone marrow biopsies -- have now persisted for 6 and 3 months respectively. Intensive chemotherapy should be considered in patients who, after splenectomy, still have severe bone marrow depletion with persistent anaemia, neutropenia and/or life-threatening thrombocytopenia. Protected environment in a haematology intensive care unit is a prerequisite of intensive chemotherapy in such patients.

Eighty-five patients with nodular lymphoma diagnosed between 1968 and 1975 were followed up for long periods and were treated by either conventional methods (local radiotherapy and single drug chemotherapy) or by more intensive therapeutic regimens, such as initial combined M.O.P.P. therapy and maintenance treatment with chlorambucil with or without further courses of M.O.P.P. Long-term follow-ups have brought to light some interesting points concerning the prognosis. Dissemination of the disease and large-cell histological pattern were, as already known, unfavourable factors. Neither age nor sex, nor bone-marrow involvement seemed to have any influence. Obtaining complete remissions improved the prognosis, but intensifying the initial and maintenance treatments proved disappointing: the survival rate remained the same, and the incidence of drug induced leukaemias was high. Indeed, relapses appeared to be less responsive to treatment when the patient had initially received multiple chemotherapy. However, in view of the high death rate of the disease (one-third of the patients in this series died within the first 5 years), trying new therapeutic regimens in the hope of obtaining better results, as has been done in Hodgkin's disease, would be fully justified.

A 25-year-old woman developed hot flushes due to the artificial menopause induced by cytotoxic chemotherapy (MOPP) during five years for Hodgkin's disease. Plasma FSH levels were found to be greatly elevated while those af 17 beta-oestradiol were markedly diminished. Veralipride was prescribed as one tablet (100 mg) daily for 20 days. Hot flushes disappeared completely, and no recurrence was observed during the 4-month follow-up period after discontinuation of treatment. Tolerance was excellent. This result is in agreement with those of studies reported in the published literature, relating to the treatment of hot flushes and psychofunctional disorders associated with both the natural and artificial menopause.

In a phase II trial 2 N-Methyl-9-Hydroxy-Ellipticine (NMHE) was administered in weekly infusions of 100mg/m2 over 1 hour to patients with malignant metastases. Prior to injection, the drug was dissolved in 250 ml isotonic glucose. The results were evaluated in 67 patients. Objective regression was observed in 23 (34%) and was superior to 50% in 10 cases. Patients showing signs of regression under treatment were mostly those with breast cancer (10/24 cases), soft tissue sarcoma (3/9 cases) and renal cancer (2/8 cases). The main toxic effect was haemolysis (2 cases), probably due to an immunoallergic mechanism. Attention is drawn to the lack of bone marrow toxicity.

A 60-year-old male patient with small carcinoma of the lung was treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The tumour regressed, but two squamous cell carcinomas appeared in the contralateral lung. The first one was discovered after 3 months' treatment and developed slowly; the second one, diagnosed after 9 months' treatment, was rapidly progressive. The patient died 13 months after the beginning of treatment, and only the squamous cell carcinomas could be confirmed on autopsy. Such cases may reflect either selection of tumours that were present from the beginning of treatment, or development of other malignancies, or treatment-induced histological changes in the original tumour.