[Cancer plan, living during and after the disease]. / Plan cancer, vivre pendant et après la maladie.

Cancer is one of the first cause of mortality in industrialised countries. In France, the national mobilisation plan against cancer is one of the five national strategic plans forming part of the 2004 public healthcare law. The 1st Cancer Plan (2003-2007) was thereby established, followed by the 2nd Cancer Plan (2009-2013), which notably includes a specific measure to support patients during and after the disease.

EPO in cancer anemia: benefits and potential risks.

Anemia has an incidence both on the quality of life and the evolution of cancer. Anemia may result in cancer from either a bone marrow infiltration of cancer cells or a cytotoxic effect of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, or both. EPO is a glycoprotein which stimulates erythrocyte formation by bone marrow progenitory cells. Recombinant EPO has considerably improved treatment of anemic patients, by increasing hemoglobin serum levels and reducing the need for blood transfusion. The quality of life of cancer patients is thus improved and several studies highlight the beneficial role of EPO on the clinical outcome. A preclinical background and some clinical data suggest however a detrimental role of EPO in cancer by a possible stimulation of tumor growth. There is a need of more clinical trials in order to assess the effects of EPO on tumors and their treatment.

Independent risk factors for anemia in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: results from the European Cancer Anaemia Survey.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a hitherto unavailable risk factor model for accurately predicting anemia development in cancer patients before chemotherapy (CT) administration. METHODS: 2,070 nonanemic patients from the European Cancer Anaemia Survey (ECAS) with hemoglobin (Hb) > or =12 g/dl at enrollment who received their first CT during ECAS and underwent at least two CT cycles were divided randomly into split half (SH) 1 and SH2 (n = 1,035 each). The model was developed on SH1 using logistic regression to simultaneously evaluate predictive factors, and was validated using SH2 and an additional similar subpopulation of 5,901 ECAS patients. Anemia risk values were assigned to the predictive factors and the sum of the predictive factors gave the total anemia risk score; lower-, higher-, and highest-risk cutoff points of the total anemia risk score were determined. RESULTS: Variables ultimately identified as significant predictive factors for anemia were: lower initial Hb (< or =12.9 g/dl in females, and < or =13.4 g/dl in males); having lung or gynecologic cancer versus gastrointestinal (GI)/colorectal cancer; cancer at any other site versus GI/colorectal cancer; treatment with platinum CT, and female gender. CONCLUSION: Using this evidence-based risk model, nonanemic patients who are at the highest risk of developing anemia prior to receiving CT can be identified clinically, allowing appropriate anemia management to be planned.

French multicenter phase III randomized study testing concurrent twice-a-day radiotherapy and cisplatin/5-fluorouracil chemotherapy (BiRCF) in unresectable pharyngeal carcinoma: Results at 2 years (FNCLCC-GORTEC).

BACKGROUND: Unresectable carcinomas of the oropharynx and hypopharynx still have a poor long-term prognosis. Following a previous phase II study, this phase III multicenter trial was conducted between November 1997 and March 2002. METHODS: Nontreated, strictly unresectable cases were eligible. Twice-daily radiation: two fractions of 1.2 Gy/day, 5 days per week, with no split (D1-->D46). Total tumor doses: 80.4 Gy/46 day (oropharynx), 75.6 Gy/44 day (hypopharynx). Chemotherapy (arm B): Cisplatin 100 mg/m2 (D1, D22, D43); 5FU, continuous infusion (D1-->D5), 750 mg/m2/day cycle 1; 430 mg/m2/day cycles 2 and 3. RESULTS: A total of 163 evaluable patients. Grade 3-4 acute mucositis 82.6% arm B/69.5% arm A (NS); Grade 3-4 neutropenia 33.3% arm B/2.4% arm A (p < 0.05). Enteral nutrition through gastrostomy tube was more frequent in arm B before treatment and at 6 months (p < 0.01). At 24 months, overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and specific survival (SS) were significantly better in arm B. OS: 37.8% arm B vs. 20.1% arm A (p = 0.038); DFS: 48.2% vs. 25.2% (p = 0.002); SS: 44.5% vs. 30.2% (p = 0.021). No significant difference between the two arms in the amount of side effects at 1 and 2 years. CONCLUSION: For these unresectable cases, chemoradiation provides better outcome than radiation alone, even with an "aggressive" dose-intensity radiotherapy schedule.

Management of cancer-related anemia in patients with breast or gynecologic cancer: new insights based on results from the European Cancer Anemia Survey.

The incidence, prevalence, and treatment of anemia (hemoglobin [Hb] <12 g/dl) in women with breast cancer and gynecologic cancer were evaluated using data from the European Cancer Anemia Survey (ECAS). Adult patients with newly diagnosed treated or untreated disease, persistent/recurrent disease, and disease in remission were enrolled and followed for up to six chemotherapy cycles or six evaluation points within a 6-month period. At enrollment, 30.4% of breast cancer patients and 49.1% of gynecologic cancer patients were anemic. A significant correlation was shown between low Hb level and poor performance status (World Health Organization criteria) at enrollment for both breast cancer and gynecologic cancer patients. In all, 62.4% of breast cancer patients and 81.4% of gynecologic cancer patients were anemic at some time during the survey. The incidence of anemia, determined in a carefully defined population, was 59.8% for breast cancer patients and 74.8% for gynecologic cancer patients. Despite the high prevalence and incidence of anemia, only 26.3% and 42.7% of patients in the respective groups received anemia treatment. In breast cancer patients, the mean Hb trigger was 10 g/dl for epoetin treatment and 8.6 g/dl for transfusion; corresponding values for gynecologic cancer patients were 10.1 g/dl and 9.1 g/dl. Logistic regression analyses in the overall ECAS population identified five factors as significant and suitable predictors of anemia: lower initial Hb, having lung or gynecologic cancer versus gastrointestinal/colorectal cancer, any other cancer versus gastrointestinal/colorectal cancer, treatment with platinum chemotherapy, and being female. The ECAS data highlight the need for greater awareness of the adverse impact of anemia on cancer patients and for optimal anemia management to ensure maximal patient quality of life.

[Anemia in lymphoma]. / Anémie et lymphome.

Anaemia is frequently associated with lymphoma. Many causes are implicated and can sometimes be associated to each other so that the level of haemoglobin is often very low. In follicular lymphoma, the level of haemoglobin remains an independent predictive prognostic factor. Likewise, anaemia seems correlated to survival for both Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. However, therapeutic strategies to control anaemia remain somewhat unsatisfactory. Thus, recombinant erythropoietin might be an effective drug to increase the haemoglobin rate, limit the transfusional risk and improve patients' quality of life.

[Anemia in head and neck cancers]. / Anémie et cancers des voies aérodigestives supérieures.

Anemia is very common in head and neck cancer patients, and seems to be correlated with intratumoral hypoxia. Anemia is one of the main prognostic factors of locoregional recurrence and, in some studies, of poor survival. Blood transfusions and human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO) are the two main methods used in clinical practice to correct hemoglobin level during curative treatment. Blood transfusions were rarely evaluated, and did not influence locoregional control of patients treated with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. Retrospective studies evaluating combined treatment of rHuEPO and radiotherapy reported positive impact on locoregional recurrence and actuarial survival. Since the end of 2003, this approach is a matter for debate after the negative results of a prospective randomized study on progression-free survival concerning head and neck cancer patients treated with definitive or postoperative external radiotherapy with or without rHuEPO. Although many biases were reported against this publication, several questions are to be answered in the near future. Among them, erythropoietin receptor expression and activation on tumour cell seem to be the more appropriate explanation of these negative results. In October 2004, preliminary results of the RTOG 99-03 study have been presented at the Astro annual meeting in Atlanta. This prospective randomized trial was designed to determine if concurrent rHuEPO administration (40,000 units) with radiotherapy (with or without chemotherapy) could improve locoregional control in non-operative head and neck cancers. In the rHuEPO arm, haemoglobin level was significantly increased compared with control arm. However, the addition of concurrent rHuEPO to definitive radiotherapy did not improve locoregional control or survival for mildly/moderately anemic patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Future clinical trials using biological markers are thus imperative to target which patients could benefit from these molecules.

Cancer-related anemia: pathogenesis, prevalence and treatment.

Cancer-related anemia is a cytokine-mediated disorder resulting from complex interactions between tumor cells and the immune system. Overexpression of certain inflammatory cytokines results in shortened survival of red blood cells, suppression of erythroid progenitor cells, impaired iron utilization, and inadequate erythropoietin production. Numerous other factors may also contribute to the development of anemia in cancer patients. The European Cancer Anaemia Survey (ECAS) has provided the most current, comprehensive, prospectively collected data on the incidence and prevalence of anemia among cancer patients, as well as important perspectives on anemia treatment and relationship of hemoglobin and performance status. ECAS enrolled over 15,000 treated and untreated patients with various malignancies from cancer centers in 24 European countries and followed them for up to 6 months. The initial analysis of the ECAS data revealed that 39% of the total cancer patient population was anemic (hemoglobin <12.0 g/dl) at enrollment, although the rate varied according to tumor type, disease status, and cancer treatment status. Of the patients who were not anemic at enrollment and started cancer treatment during the survey, those undergoing chemotherapy--either alone or in combination with radiotherapy--had the highest incidence of anemia (63 and 42%, respectively). Low hemoglobin levels correlated with poor performance status and only 40% of patients who were anemic at some time during the survey received treatment for their anemia. These findings are noteworthy, since a growing body of clinical evidence indicates that the treatment of anemia can significantly improve patients' quality of life and may also improve the clinical outcome.

Prognostic impact of the epidermal growth factor receptor levels for patients with larynx and hypopharynx cancer.

The aim of this study was to analyse prognostic factors for disease free interval (DFI) and overall survival (OS) among patients with larynx and hypopharynx cancer requiring a total laryngectomy. Three groups of patients were studied according to the type of treatment they received. Fifty-eight patients had total laryngectomy, 71 patients had organ preservation treatment including induction chemotherapy followed by exclusive radiotherapy, 26 patients received induction chemotherapy followed by salvage total laryngectomy. The studied potential prognostic factors were age, gender, performans status, primary tumor localization, T status, N status, tumor volume and tumoral EGFR level (fmol/mg protein). The multivariate analysis showed that both N status and tumor volume were significant for DFI and OS. EGFR level was significant only for patients treated by induction chemotherapy and exclusive radiotherapy (p = 0.05 and 0.05 for DFI and OS length, respectively). Among this group, patients with tumor EGFR levels lower and higher than 100 fmol/mg protein had 53% versus 22% and 51% versus 18% 5-year of DFI and OS rates, respectively (Log rank test: p = 0.001 and 0.0001). EGFR determination appears to be a powerful prognostic parameter for patients treated by induction chemotherapy followed by exclusive radiotherapy. Laryngectomy seems to erase the prognostic impact of EGFR expression. These results profile the use of EGFR targeting therapy for this category of patients.

Is routine triple endoscopy for head and neck carcinoma patients necessary in light of a negative chest computed tomography scan?

BACKGROUND: The objective of the current study was to analyze the results obtained by triple endoscopy during the initial evaluation of a primary carcinoma of the head and neck. METHODS: A total of 487 patients with a squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck was studied. None of the patients had evidence of metastasis or a second primary tumor on the thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan or chest X-ray. All patients underwent a triple endoscopy including nasopharyngoscopy, laryngoscopy, pharyngoscopy, bronchoscopy, and esophagoscopy. RESULTS: A synchronous primary invasive carcinoma of the lung and esophagus was diagnosed in 5 patients (1%) and 10 patients (2%), respectively. In addition, nine lesions were considered to be a regional extension of the primary tumor to the esophagus, and nine in situ carcinomas were observed. It is interesting to note that a significant correlation was found between the risk of a second synchronous esophageal carcinoma and the initial location of the primary head and neck carcinoma (P = 0.002, chi-square test). Esophageal carcinoma was observed in 1.3% of the patients with an oropharyngeal tumor, 2% of the patients with a laryngeal tumor, none of the patients with a tumor of the oral cavity, and 9.2% of the patients with a hypopharyngeal tumor. CONCLUSIONS: The role of bronchoscopy and esophagoscopy in the presence of a normal thoracic CT scan has been questioned because of the relatively low incidence of a second esophageal and/or lung primary tumor. Nonetheless, based on the same incidence criterion, it appears reasonable to schedule a routine esophagoscopy for those patients with a squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx.

The European Cancer Anaemia Survey (ECAS): a large, multinational, prospective survey defining the prevalence, incidence, and treatment of anaemia in cancer patients.

The European Cancer Anaemia Survey (ECAS) was conducted to prospectively evaluate the prevalence, incidence and treatment of anaemia (haemoglobin <12.0 g/dL) in European cancer patients, including the relationship of mild, moderate and severe anaemia to performance status. Patients were evaluated for up to 6 months. Data (N=15367) included demographics, tumour type, performance status, haemoglobin levels, cancer treatments and anaemia treatments. Prevalence of anaemia at enrollment was 39.3% (haemoglobin <10.0 g/dL, 10%), and 67.0% during the survey (haemoglobin <10.0 g/dL, 39.3%). Low haemoglobin levels correlated significantly with poor performance status. Incidence of anaemia was 53.7% (haemoglobin <10.0 g/dL, 15.2%). Anaemia was treated in 38.9% of patients (epoetin, 17.4%; transfusion, 14.9%; and iron, 6.5%). Mean haemoglobin to initiate anaemia treatment was 9.7 g/dL. Anaemia prevalence and incidence in cancer patients are high. Anaemia significantly correlates with poor performance status and many anaemic patients are not treated.

[Brachial fluoroscopically guided implantation of venous port devices in oncology patients]. / Dispositifs veineux implantables en oncologie: implantation brachiale sous repérage phlébographique.

Access to the central venous circulation for chemotherapy infusion has traditionally been achieved surgically via the subclavian or jugular routes. With ongoing improvements in technical management, alternative means of central venous access have been developed such as arm-port or forearm-port implantation under imaging guidance. Venous arm port devices implantation was attempted in 200 cancer patients under fluoroscopic guidance, after arm venography. The 4% failure rate was due to the inability to perform the arm venogram, venous spasm or presence of a large contrast medium hematoma (rolling vein). Median follow-up was 180 days (range 4-671) and the complication rate was 13.3% (0.7/1,000 patients-day). Twenty-six complications occurred and were due to venous thrombosis (n = 3), large brachial hematoma (n = 1), local (n = 7) and systemic sepsis (n = 1), skin dehiscence (n = 4), fissuration (n = 4), dislocation (n = 2), obstruction (n = 2), and twist of the port (n = 2), leading to a 8.5% removal rate. Main indications for arm port implantation may be breast cancer, previous arm or cervical venous thrombosis, morbid obesity, respiratory insufficiency, previous surgical failure and the irradiated neck.