ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Bevacizumab has been demonstrated to prolong survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer when used in combination with chemotherapy. We investigated the efficacy of chemotherapy administered in our general hospital for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer after the introduction of FOLFOX/FOLFIRI (+/-bevacizumab) therapy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The subjects in this study were 34 patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer, who received either FOLFIRI (+/- bevacizumab) or mFOLFOX6 (+/-bevacizumab) therapy in this hospital. The subjects were divided into a bevacizumab combination regimen group (those who received the regimen as first-line treatment), and a non-bevacizumab combination regimen group (those who did not receive the regimen as first-line treatment). Comparisons were made with regard to anticancer efficacy, progression-free survival time, and overall survival time. RESULTS: Comparison between the bevacizumab combination regimen group and the non-bevacizumab combination regimen group, revealed no significant difference due to the small number of relevant patients. However, the former showed a slight advantage over the latter in terms of anti-cancer efficacy and progression-free survival time. CONCLUSION: Bevacizumab is expected to contribute to the prolongation of survival in patients in our general hospital.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antibodies, Monoclonal/administration & dosage , Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology , Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/administration & dosage , Bevacizumab , Camptothecin/administration & dosage , Camptothecin/analogs & derivatives , Camptothecin/therapeutic use , Colorectal Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Colorectal Neoplasms/immunology , Female , Fluorouracil/administration & dosage , Fluorouracil/therapeutic use , Hospitals, General , Hospitals, Public , Humans , Leucovorin/administration & dosage , Leucovorin/therapeutic use , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Metastasis , Neoplasm Staging , Organoplatinum Compounds/administration & dosage , Organoplatinum Compounds/therapeutic use , Survival Rate , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Little evidence is available regarding long-term survival of patients with gallbladder cancer that is discovered at the time of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Therefore the present study was performed to evaluate long-term outcomes of this disease. Of 1546 patients who underwent LC for benign gallbladder disease between January 1992 and January 2002, 8 patients (0.5%) had cancers that were found during or after LC. The median follow-up period was 55 months (range: 36-142 months). The gallbladder was resected without perforation in all cases. During surgery there was a suspicion of malignancy in 6 of 8 cases. Frozen section analysis showed that 2 had TNM stage Tis tumors, 2 had T1a tumors, and 2 had T2 tumors. Two patients with T2 tumors were immediately converted to extended cholecystectomy. The final pathology revealed another 2 tumors, and demonstrated that 3 patients had Tis tumors, 3 had T1a tumors, and 2 had T2N0M0 tumors. None of the patients underwent additional surgery. All patients survived with no evidence of recurrence during the median follow-up of 55 months. In conclusion, before and during LC, we have not overlooked T2 or more advanced tumor, which requires additional procedures for curative resection. This might result in good survival. We consider that an intensive preoperative work-up and meticulous inspection of the opened gallbladder should be mandatory to detect gallbladder cancer in patients who undergo LC. At present, this is not routinely practiced.
