ABSTRACT
Background: The goal of this study is to determine the efficacy and toxicity of a non-platinum based chemotherapy combination using irinotecan associated to bolus 5-FU as first line treatment in advanced gastric cancer. Materiel and methods: Retrospective analysis of a population of patients treated for metastatic and locally advanced gastric cancer with irinotecan and 5-FU as upfront chemotherapy. Results: Thirteen patients were enrolled. The median age was 56 years. Seven patients were males and six were of females. Ten patients had a metastatic disease and three patients had a locally advanced disease. Patients received a total number of 43 cycles of chemotherapy. Overall response rate was 38,4%, median time to progression (TTP) was 3 months, and median overall survival was 4 months. Three patients (23,1%) presented grade 3 /4 neutropenia complicated with an infectious episode with fever in two cases, three patients (23,1%) required blood transfusion for a grade 4 anemia, and one patient (7,6%) was hospitalized for a severe episode of diarrhea. Conclusion: Three weekly irinotecan and bolus 5-FU is an interesting combination as first line treatment of advanced gastric cancer; designed clinical trials are needed to confirm the activity of this combination
Subject(s)
Neoplasm Staging , Stomach NeoplasmsABSTRACT
Introduction: Biphasic Pulmonary blastoma (BPB) is classified as one of the rare primary lung malignancies. It is composed of a mixture of epithelial and mesenchymal tissues resembling embryonic lung tissue. BPB is considered to be distinct from other lung tumors based on pathological features, clinical course and prognosis. Presentation of Case: The authors report an atypical case of BPB in a 27 -year-old man presented with complaints of dyspnea and left-sided chest pain for the previous four months. A chest radiograph showed the presence of an opaque left hemithorax, and the mediastinum was pushed toward the left. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest revealed a mixed solid and cystic process with variable contrast enhancement measuring 15,4 x 13,7 cm occupying the totality of the left hemithorax, pleural effusion, and a collapsed left lung, with contralateral mediastinal shift. A transthoracic needle pleural biopsy yielded a diagnosis of BPB.A general examination shows a peritoneal effusion. One month after diagnosis, the tumor grew rapidly, and therefore he was treated only by palliative care. He died from respiratory failure one month later. Although BPB is rare, this entity is increasingly described. Conclusion: The purpose of presenting this case report is to raise awareness among clinicians to consider this clinical entity as a differential diagnosis when a pleural mass is identified. Histological examination is the most reliable and conclusive method of diagnosing BPB and differentiating it from other primary or metastatic lung malignancies.