Concomitant Statin Use Has a Favorable Effect on Gemcitabine-Erlotinib Combination Chemotherapy for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

PURPOSE: Erlotinib-gemcitabine combined chemotherapy is considered as the standard treatment for unresectable pancreatic cancer. This study aimed to determine the clinical factors associated with response to this treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 180 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer who received ≥2 cycles of gemcitabine-erlotinib combination therapy as first-line palliative chemotherapy between 2006 and 2014. "Long-term response" was defined as tumor stabilization after >6 chemotherapy cycles. RESULTS: The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 3.9 and 8.1 months, respectively. On univariate analysis, liver metastasis (p=0.023) was negatively correlated with long-term response. Locally advanced stage (p=0.017), a history of statin treatment (p=0.01), and carcinoembryonic antigen levels <4.5 (p=0.029) had a favorable effect on long-term response. On multivariate analysis, a history of statin treatment was the only independent favorable factor for long-term response (p=0.017). Prognostic factors for OS and PFS were significantly correlated with liver metastasis (p=0.031 and 0.013, respectively). A history of statin treatment was also significantly associated with OS after adjusting for all potential confounders (hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.26-0.92; p=0.026). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that statins have a favorable effect on "long-term response" to gemcitabine-erlotinib chemotherapy in unresectable pancreatic cancer patients. Statins may have a chemoadjuvant role in stabilizing long-term tumor growth.

Waiting times for surgical and diagnostic procedures in public hospitals in Mexico / Tiempos de espera para procedimientos quirúrgicos y diagnósticos en hospitales públicos de México

Objective. A retrospective evaluation of waiting times for elective procedures was conducted in a sample of Mexican public hospitals from the following institutions: the Mexican Institute for Social Security (IMSS), the Institute for Social Security and Social Services for Civil Servants (ISSSTE) and the Ministry of Health (MoH). Our aim was to describe current waiting times and identify opportunities to redistribute service demand among public institutions. Materials and methods. We examined current waiting times and productivity for seven elective surgical and four diagnostic imaging procedures, selected on the basis of their relative frequency and comparability with other national health systems. Results. Mean waiting time for the seven surgical procedures in the three institutions was 14 weeks. IMSS and ISSSTE hospitals showed better performance (12 and 13 weeks) than the MoH hospitals (15 weeks). Mean waiting time for the four diagnostic procedures was 11 weeks. IMSS hospitals (10 weeks) showed better average waiting times than ISSSTE (12 weeks) and MoH hospitals (11 weeks). Conclusion. Substantial variations were revealed, not only among institutions but also within the same institution. These variations need to be addressed in order to improve patient satisfaction.

Objetivo. Se llevó a cabo una evaluación retrospectiva de los tiempos de espera para procedimientos electivos en una muestra de hospitales públicos en México de las siguientes instituciones: Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE) y Secretaría de Salud (SS). El propósito era describir la situación actual en materia de tiempos de espera e identificar oportunidades de redistribución de la demanda de servicios entre instituciones públicas. Material y métodos. Se analizaron los tiempos de espera y la productividad para siete procedimientos quirúrgicos y cuatro procedimientos diagnósticos seleccionados sobre la base de su frecuencia relativa y comparabilidad con otros sistemas de salud nacionales. Resultados. El tiempo de espera promedio para los siete procedimientos quirúrgicos en las tres instituciones fue de 14 semanas. Los hospitales del IMSS y el ISSSTE mostraron un mejor desempeño (12 y 13 semanas) frente a los hospitales de la SS (15 semanas). El tiempo de espera promedio para los cuatro procedimientos diagnósticos fue de 11 semanas. Los hospitales del IMSS mostraron un tiempo de espera promedio mejor (10 semanas) que los hospitales del ISSSTE (12 semanas) y la SS (11 semanas). Conclusión. Se identificaron variaciones importantes no sólo entre instituciones sino también al interior de cada una de ellas. Estas variaciones deben atenderse para así mejorar la satisfacción de los usuarios de los servicios.

Therapeutic switching: from antidermatophytic essential oils to new leishmanicidal products

This study examined whether the antidermatophytic activity of essential oils (EOs) can be used as an indicator for the discovery of active natural products against Leishmania amazonensis. The aerial parts of seven plants were hydrodistilled. Using broth microdilution techniques, the obtained EOs were tested against three strains of dermatophytes (Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum gypseum and Microsporum canis). To compare the EOs antifungal and antiparasitic effects, the EOs activities against axenic amastigotes of L. amazonensis were concurrently evaluated. For the most promising EOs, their antileishmanial activities against parasites infecting peritoneal macrophages of BALB/c mice were measured. The most interesting antifungal candidates were the EOs from Cymbopogon citratus, Otacanthus azureus and Protium heptaphyllum, whereas O. azureus, Piper hispidum and P. heptaphyllum EOs exhibited the lowest 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values against axenic amastigotes, thus revealing a certain correspondence between both activities. The P. hispidum EO was identified as the most promising product in the results from the infected macrophages model (IC50: 4.7 µg/mL, safety index: 8). The most abundant compounds found in this EO were sesquiterpenes, notably curzerene and furanodiene. Eventually, the evaluation of the antidermatophytic activity of EOs appears to be an efficient method for identifying new potential drugs for the treatment of L. amazonensis.

Study on adherecce to capecitabine among patiens with colorectal cancer and meetastatic breast cancer / Estudo de aderência a capecitabina em pacientes com câncer colorretal e câncer de mama metastático

Context Capecitabine, an oral drug, is as effective as traditional chemotherapy drugs. Objectives To investigate the adhesion to treatment with oral capecitabine in breast and colorectal cancer, and to determine any correlation with changes in patient’s quality of life. Methods Patients with colorectal cancer or breast cancer using capecitabine were included. The patients were asked to bring any medication left at the time of scheduled visits. The QLQ-C30 questionnaire was applied at the first visit and 8-12 weeks after treatment. Results Thirty patients were evaluated. Adherence was 88.3% for metastatic colon cancer, 90.4% for non-metastatic colon cancer, 94.3% for rectal cancer and 96.2% for metastatic breast cancer. No strong correlation between adherence and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 functional or symptom scale rates had been found. There was no statistically significant correlation between compliance and the functional and symptom scales of the questionnaire before and after chemotherapy, with the exception of dyspnea. Conclusions Although no absolute adherence to oral capecitabine treatment had been observed, the level of adherence was good. Health professionals therefore need a greater focus in the monitoring the involvement of patients with oral treatment regimens. Patients with lesser degrees of dyspnea had greater compliance. .

Contexto A capecitabina, uma droga oral, é tão eficaz quanto as drogas quimioterápicas tradicionais. Objetivos Investigar a adesão ao tratamento oral com capecitabina para câncer de mama e colorretal e determinar qualquer correlação com as mudanças na qualidade de vida do paciente. Métodos Pacientes com câncer colorretal ou de mama em uso de capecitabina foram incluídos. A cada consulta os pacientes trouxeram a medicação restante. O questionário de qualidade de vida QLQ- C30 foi aplicado na primeira visita e 8-12 semanas após o tratamento. Resultados Trinta pacientes foram avaliados. A adesão foi de 88,3% para o câncer de cólon metastático, 90,4% para o de cólon não-metastático, 94,3% para o de reto e 96,2% para o de mama metastático. Com exceção da dispnéia, não houve forte correlação entre adesão e as taxas European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 em relação a escala funcional ou de sintomas no início ou após quimioterapia. Conclusões O nível de adesão foi bom, embora não houvesse adesão absoluta ao tratamento com capecitabina oral. Os profissionais de saúde, portanto, precisam dar maior atenção a pacientes em regimes de tratamento oral. Os pacientes com menor grau de dispneia tiveram maior adesão. Neoplasias colorretais, terapia .

Role of neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation in locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer: A feasibility study at tertiary care centre.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer has an extremely poor prognosis and prolonged survival is achieved only by resection with macroscopic tumor clearance. There is a strong rationale for a neoadjuvant approach, since a relevant percentage of pancreatic cancer patients present with non‑metastatic but locally advanced disease. The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NACRT) on tumor response, down staging and resection, toxicity and any survival advantage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective pilot study was carried out from January 2009 to June 2011 in which 15 patients of locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer were included. All patients were treated with NACRT protocol with oral Capecitabine and 3D conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) of 30 Gy in 10 fractions. The patients were restaged 3 to 4 weeks after the completion of NACRT and explored for resection. RESULTS: Out of 15 patients, fourteen were evaluable. Four patients underwent surgery, 5 had partial response but remained unresectable, 2 patients had stable disease and 3 had progressive disease. Most of the toxicities were slight and were in grade 1 to 2. None of the patients developed grade 3 or 4 gastrointestinal or hematological toxicity. The median survival was 15 months for resected patients and 8.6 months for unresected patients, respectively. The 2 year actuarial overall survival was 34.6%. CONCLUSION: All patients with locally unresectable pancreatic cancer should be offered chemoradiation therapy, in hopes of down staging the tumor for possible resection and achieving higher survival.

Long-Term Outcome of Photodynamic Therapy with Systemic Chemotherapy Compared to Photodynamic Therapy Alone in Patients with Advanced Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients with cholangiocarcinoma usually present at an advanced stage, and more than 50% of cases are not resectable at the time of diagnosis. Recently, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been proposed as a palliative and neoadjuvant modality. We evaluated whether combination of PDT and chemotherapy is more effective than PDT alone. METHODS: In total, 161 patients with cholangiocarcinoma diagnosed between February 1999 and September 2009 were evaluated. Sixteen patients were treated with PDT and chemotherapy (group A), and 58 were treated with PDT (group B). RESULTS: The median survival was 538 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 475.3 to 600.7) in group A and 334 days (95% CI, 252.5 to 415.5) in group B (p=0.05). Lymph node metastasis status, serum bilirubin of pretreatment, tumor node metastasis stage, treatment method (PDT with chemotherapy vs PDT alone), time to PDT and the number of PDT sessions were prognostic factors with statistical significance in the univariate analysis. A multivariate analysis showed that PDT with chemotherapy and more than two sessions of PDT were significant independent predictors of longer survival in advanced cholangiocarcinoma (hazard ratio [HR], 2.23; 95% CI, 1.18 to 4.20; p=0.013 vs HR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.044 to 3.083; p=0.034). CONCLUSIONS: PDT with chemotherapy results in longer survival than PDT alone.

A spheroid-based 3-D culture model for pancreatic cancer drug testing, using the acid phosphatase assay

Current therapy for pancreatic cancer is multimodal, involving surgery and chemotherapy. However, development of pancreatic cancer therapies requires a thorough evaluation of drug efficacy in vitro before animal testing and subsequent clinical trials. Compared to two-dimensional culture of cell monolayer, three-dimensional (3-D) models more closely mimic native tissues, since the tumor microenvironment established in 3-D models often plays a significant role in cancer progression and cellular responses to the drugs. Accumulating evidence has highlighted the benefits of 3-D in vitro models of various cancers. In the present study, we have developed a spheroid-based, 3-D culture of pancreatic cancer cell lines MIAPaCa-2 and PANC-1 for pancreatic drug testing, using the acid phosphatase assay. Drug efficacy testing showed that spheroids had much higher drug resistance than monolayers. This model, which is characteristically reproducible and easy and offers rapid handling, is the preferred choice for filling the gap between monolayer cell cultures and in vivo models in the process of drug development and testing for pancreatic cancer.

Linfoma de Hodgkin con compromiso hepático tratado con esquema gemcitabina, dexametasona y cisplatino como puente para terapia estándar: Caso clínico / Hodgkin lymphoma with hepatic involvement treated with dexametasone, gemcitabine and cisplatin as a bridge to standard therapy: Report of one case

Background: The initial presentation of Hodgkin lymphoma with liver involvement is rare. In these patients, the standard first-line therapy with ABVD (Adriamycin, Bleomycine, Vinblastine, Dacarbazine) imply an additional risk for liver toxicity. We report a 64-year-old woman who presented with jaundice, choluria, malaise and weight loss. In the initial evaluation she had jaundice and palpable groin lymph nodes. An obstructive biliary disease was ruled out with magnetic resonance imaging studies. A lymph node biopsy showed a Hodgkins lymphoma, Mixed-cellularity subtype. Considering the liver dysfunction, an alternative scheme of chemotherapy with dexamethasone, gemcitabine and cisplatin (GDP) was administered. After 4 cycles, a significant improvement in liver hepatic function tests was reached and a conventional chemotherapy (ABVD) was begun. While the literature provides some low toxicity protocols for patients with liver involvement, favorable results of our clinical case report allows us to postulate GDP as an alternative for salvage therapy in these patients.

Combination of gemcitabine and carboplatin in urothelial cancer patients unfit for cisplatin due to impaired renal or cardiac function

PURPOSE: Combination of gemcitabine and carboplatin is the accepted treatment for metastatic urothelial cancer patients unfit for cisplatin-based chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gemcitabine 1000 mg/m² (days 1, 8) and carboplatin AUC-4.5 (day 1) were given every 21 days to 23 patients with creatinine clearance < 60 mL/min, cardiac ejection fraction < 45% or active ischemia. Patient characteristics included: median age 73 (56-86) years; primary site: bladder 17 (73%), upper tract 6 (27%) patients; Bajorin's prognostic groups: good 6 (26%), intermediate 11 (48%) and poor 6 (26%) patients. Data was retrospectively documented. Patients were followed until they expired. RESULTS: We obtained objective responses in 8 (34.7%) patients, (95% CI, 16.3-57.2%), including one patient with complete response. The median progression-free survival was 4 (0.2-16.5+) months and the overall survival 8.6 (0.2-45.3+) months. At time of analysis, 4 patients (17%) remained disease free; 3 of them underwent resection of residual disease. Toxicity included: infection in 9 (39%) patients; among them, one died from pneumonia; bleeding > grade 2 in 3 (13%) patients and fatigue grade 3 in 2 (9%) patients. Hematologic toxicity included grade 4 thrombocytopenia in 2 (9%) patients and grade 4 neutropenia in 3 (13%) patients. Five (22%) patients discontinued therapy due to toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Combination of gemcitabine and carboplatin demonstrated clinical activity in patients with advanced urothelial cancer unfit for cisplatin. It was associated with considerable toxicity. Resection of residual disease is feasible in this population.

Lapatinib for treatment of advanced or metastasized breast cancer: systematic review / Lapatinib no tratamento do câncer de mama avançado ou metastático: revisão sistemática

Context and objective: Around 16 percent to 20 percent of women with breast cancer have advanced, metastasized breast cancer. At this stage, the disease is treatable, but not curable. The objective here was to assess the effectiveness of lapatinib for treating patients with advanced or metastasized breast cancer. Design and setting: Systematic review of the literature, developed at Centro Paulista de Economia da Saúde (CPES), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp). Method: Systematic review with searches in virtual databases (PubMed, Lilacs [Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde], Cochrane Library, Scirus and Web of Science) and manual search. Results: Only one clinical trial that met the selection criteria was found. This study showed that lapatinib in association with capecitabine reduced the risk of cancer progression by 51 percent (95 percent confidence interval, CI: 0.34-0.71; P < 0.001), compared with capecitabine alone, without any increase in severe adverse effects. Conclusion: The combination of lapatinib plus capecitabine was more effective than capecitabine alone for reducing the risk of cancer progression. Further randomized clinical trials need to be carried out with the aim of assessing the effectiveness of lapatinib as monotherapy or in association for first-line or second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer.

Contexto e objetivo: Aproximadamente 16 por cento a 20 por cento das mulheres com câncer de mama têm doença avançada com metástases. Neste estágio, a doença é tratável, porém incurável. O objetivo foi avaliar a efetividade do lapatinib no tratamento de pacientes com câncer de mama avançado ou metastático. Tipo de estudo e local: Revisão sistemática da literatura desenvolvida no Centro Paulista de Economia da Saúde (CPES), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp). Método: Revisão sistemática com busca em bases de dados virtuais (PubMed, Lilacs [Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde], Cochrane Library, Scirus and Web of Science) e busca manual. Resultados: Foi encontrado apenas um ensaio clínico que preencheu os critérios de seleção. Este estudo mostrou que o lapatinib em associação com a capecitabina reduziu em 51 por cento o risco de progressão da doença (intervalo de confiança, IC 95 por cento: 0,34-0,71; P < 0,001) quando comparado com a capecitabina isolada, sem aumento de efeitos adversos graves. Conclusão: A combinação de lapatinib e capecitabina foi mais efetiva do que a capecitabina isolada na redução do risco de progressão da doença. Ensaios clínicos aleatórios devem ser realizados com o objetivo de avaliar a efetividade do lapatinib como monoterapia ou em associação no tratamento primário ou secundário do câncer de mama avançado.

Gemcitabine, Etoposide, Cisplatin, and Dexamethasone in Patients With Refractory or Relapsed Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To date, an effective salvage chemotherapy regimen for the treatment of refractory or relapsing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has not been discovered. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine, etoposide, cisplatin, and dexamethasone in relapsed or refractory NHL patients. METHODS: All patients had histologically proven relapsed or refractory NHL. Treatments consisted of gemcitabine 700 mg/m2 by continuous i.v. on days 1 and 8; etoposide 40 mg/m2 by i.v. on days 1-4; cisplatin 60 mg/m2 by i.v. on day 1; or dexamethasone 40 mg by i.v. on days 1-4 (GEPD) every 21 days. The primary end point was the patient response rate following two cycles of treatment. After two cycles, stem cells were harvested using mobilizing regimens (ESHAP or GEPD plus filgrastim), and this was followed by autologous stem cell transplantation or four additional cycles of GEPD. RESULTS: Between January 2005 and January 2006, 20 patients (13 males and 7 females) were enrolled in the study. The median age was 53 (range 16-75) years. The most common histology was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n=10). The median follow-up duration was 5.2 (range 1.0-16.0) months. After two cycles, the overall response rate was 50.0% (10/20), including two complete responses and eight partial responses. The doselimiting toxicity was myelosuppression. Grade IV neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 13 (65.0%) and 6 patients (30.0%), respectively. The median number of CD34-positive cells collected was 6.0 (range, 2.8-11.6)x10(6)/kg. Of the 17 patients < 66 years of age, 4 (23.5%) proceeded to autologous stem cell transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: GEPD chemotherapy in patients with refractory or relapsed NHL was effective as a salvage therapy and helpful for stem cell harvest followed by autologous transplantation.

Definitive Chemoradiotherapy with Capecitabine and Cisplatin in Patients with Esophageal Cancer: A Pilot Study

We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with capecitabine and cisplatin in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Eighteen patients with esophageal cancer were enrolled on the study. The chemotherapy during CRT consisted of two cycles of intravenous cisplatin of 60 mg/ m2 on day 1 and oral capecitabine 825 mg/m2 twice daily from day 1 to 14 at 3-week intervals. The radiotherapy (2.0 Gy fraction/day to a total dose of 60 Gy) was delivered to the primary tumor site and regional lymph node. After concurrent CRT, 2 cycles of capecitabine (1,000 mg/m2 b.i.d from days 1 to 14) plus cisplatin (60 mg/m2 on day 1) were added every 3 weeks. All patients completed the planned treatment. After the chemoradiotherapy, 12 complete responses (CR, 66.7%) and 6 partial responses (PR, 33.3%) were confirmed. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia only occurred in 2 patients, plus no treatment-related death was observed. At a median follow-up duration of 14.9 months, the estimated overall survival and progression-free survival rate at 2-yr was 70.7% and 54.4%, respectively. Concurrent CRT with capecitabine and cisplatin was found to be well-tolerated and effective in patients with esophageal cancer.

Infusion chemotherapy with cisplatinum and fluorouracil in the treatment of locally-advanced and metastatic gallbladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) has a poor prognosis. Chemotherapy is traditionally considered to be ineffective. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatinum (CDDP) in patients with inoperable GBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 65 patients with inoperable GBC received palliative chemotherapy with CDDP and 5-FU. All the patients had clinically measurable disease as well as adequate bone marrow, hepatic, and renal function. Response was assessed after three cycles of chemotherapy. RESULTS: A total of 19 patients had locally advanced unresectable cancer and 46 patients had metastatic cancer. There were 39 females and 26 males, with a median age of 50 years. A total of 212 chemotherapy cycles were administered to the patients. Response evaluation after three cycles of chemotherapy revealed complete response in five patients [7.69%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 2.87-16.22], partial response in 17 patients (26.15%; 95% CI: 16.57-37.81), stabilization of disease in 9 patients (13.85%; 95% CI: 6.96-23.88), and progression in 21 patients (32.30%; 95% CI: 21.80-44.35). At 6 months 44.6% patients were alive and 18.5% patients were alive at 12 months. The median overall survival was 5.7 months and the median time to disease progression was 3.1 months. This chemotherapy combination was well tolerated. There were no chemotherapy-related deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Infusion chemotherapy with CDDP and 5-FU appears to have a fair amount of activity in patients of inoperable GBC, with acceptable toxicity. Tumor shrinkage following treatment with this regimen enabled surgical resection in two patients. We believe that this promising combination must be tested against gemcitabine-based combinations in patients with inoperable GBC.

Preoperative chemoradiation for locally advanced rectal cancer with capecitabine 2,000 mg/m2/day.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the efficacy and the tolerability of preoperative chemoradiation with high dose Capecitabine. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Fifteen patients with locally advanced resectable rectal cancer were treated with Capecitabine 2,000 mg/m2/day, orally 7 days/week concurrent with whole pelvic irradiation 45 Gy in 25 fractions/5 weeks. Patients underwent surgery in the following 4-6 weeks. RESULTS: After complete treatment, 11 patients (73%) underwent surgery. Ten patients (66%) had sphincter preservative surgery; three of them had primary tumors located in the lower rectum. Five patients had grade 2 and one patient had grade 3 diarrhea. No grade 4 toxicity was reported. CONCLUSION: Preoperative Capecitabine 2,000 mg/m2/day concurrent with whole pelvic irradiation were effective and well tolerated The potential dose limiting toxicity effect was the diarrhea.

Highly elevated serum CA 125 in a lady with ascites and retroperitoneal mass--a diagnostic dilemma.

BACKGROUND: Cancer antigen 125 (CA 125), a widely used tumor marker for monitoring epithelial ovarian cancer, is also found to be raised in non-gynecological tumors and non malignant disease involving peritoneum. We report a case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who presented with peritoneal and pleural effusions with a very high level of serum CA 125. CASE: Fifty four years female presented with gross ascitis, bilateral moderate pleural effusions, right retroperitoneal mass and a very high serum CA 125 level (4462.60 u/ml). She was initially evaluated to rule out ovarian malignancy but her biopsy from retroperitoneal mass came out to be diffuse large B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. CONCLUSION: In a female patient with ascitis with high serum CA 125 level, a differential diagnosis of lymphoma should not be overlooked unless cytology comes positive for epithelial carcinoma cells.

Complete Remission of Unresectable Colon Cancer after Preoperative Chemotherapy Selected by Adenosine Triphosphate-Based Chemotherapy Response Assay

The adenosine triphosphate-based chemotherapy response assay (ATP-CRA) is a chemosensitivity test that offers the potential of selecting cancer treatments based on the responsiveness of individual tumors. We report a case of 47-yr-old male, presented with sigmoid colon cancer with multiple liver and peritoneal metastases, in which there was a complete response for the primary colon cancer after administration of preoperative chemotherapy selected by ATP-CRA. Oxaliplatin was the most sensitive drug based on the ATP-CRA where the specimen obtained by ultrasound- guided percutaneous liver biopsy was used. After twelve cycles of oxaliplatincapecitabine chemotherapy, abdominopelvic computed tomography revealed marked shrinkage of the liver metastases and positron emission tomography showed no uptake of (18)F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG) either in the liver or peritoneum except localized uptake in the sigmoid colon. The patient underwent an anterior resection and radiofrequency ablation of the liver metastases, which resulted in a macroscopic curative resection of the cancer cells. Histological examination revealed no residual cancer cells in the resected specimen of the sigmoid colon. This result suggested that preoperative chemotherapy chosen by ATP-CRA may be useful for treating advanced colon cancer with unresectable liver and peritoneal metastases.

Acral and palmo-plantar hyperpigmentation in a patient with disseminated hepatocellular carcinoma.

Capecitabine (5-fluorouracil prodrug) is being evaluated for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma, and is associated with a peculiar skin reaction called hand and foot syndrome (HFS). We describe one patient with HCC and drug-induced HFS.

Differential expression of autophagy in Hodgkin lymphoma cells treated with various anti-cancer drugs.

AIM: autophagy is a pivotal physiological process for survival during starvation, differentiation and normal growth control. It is defined as the process of sequestrating cytoplasmic proteins or even entire organelles into the lytic compartment (lysosome/vacuole). This study investigates the expression of autophagy in Hodgkin lymphoma cells treated with various anti-cancer drugs. METHODS: Hodgkin's lymphoma cells (HD-My-Z cells) were cultured with various anti-cancer drugs, such as bleomycin, adriamycin, gemcitabine and paclitaxel. Autophagy was detected by fluorescent pattern of light chain 3(LC3) proteins and the apoptotic cell death was determined by annexin V binding. RESULTS: autophagy was detected in HD-My-Z cells treated with gemcitabine, but not with bleomycin, adriamycin and paclitaxel. Adriamycin exhibited the strongest cytotoxic action, and the cytotoxic action of bleomycin and gemcitabine was less marked compared with adriamycin. Paclitaxel did not cause significant cell death in the cells. CONCLUSION: autophagy was differentially expressed in Hodgkin lymphoma cells treated with anti-cancer drugs and the expression did not correspond to the apoptotic cell death.

Phase II trial of neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with resectable bladder carcinoma

OBJECTIVES: Gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) is an active combination in the treatment of metastatic bladder cancer. We have prospectively analyzed the efficacy and tolerability of GC as neoadjuvant treatment of invasive bladder cancer MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this single-institution phase II trial, patients with muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma received three cycles of gemcitabine 1200 mg/m² on days 1 and 8 with cisplatin 75 mg/m² on day 1 prior to surgery. Radiologic response was evaluated by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. All patients were referred to surgery after chemotherapy completion RESULTS: Between June 2002 and March 2005, 22 patients (19 males) were enrolled. Median age was 63 years. Initial stage was II (T2) in 11 and III (T3-4) in 11 patients. Median follow-up is 26 months (4-43). Partial or complete radiologic response rate was documented in 13 out of 20 assessable patients (70 percent). One patient was excluded due to sarcomatoid carcinoma at definitive pathologic examination. Cystectomy was performed in 15 patients and pelvic radiotherapy in four patients. Nine out of 21 patients (43 percent) relapsed and four (19 percent) died due to disease progression. Complete pathologic response was observed in four patients (26.7 percent of 15). Median progression-free survival was 27 months (CI 95 percent not reached) with median overall survival of 36 months (CI 95 percent: 28.7 - 43.3). Grade III/IV toxicity was infrequent, with no deaths due to chemotherapy CONCLUSIONS: The combination of GC is effective and well-tolerated when used as neoadjuvant therapy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Longer follow-up is necessary to evaluate its impact on the overall survival of these patients.