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Chemotherapy Combination (chemotherapy + combination)
Selected AbstractsCentral nervous system dissemination in immunocompetent patients with aggressive lymphomas: incidence, risk factors and therapeutic optionsHEMATOLOGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Andrés J. M. Ferreri Abstract Central nervous system (CNS) dissemination is a rare (4,5%) but usually fatal complication of aggressive lymphomas. Prophylaxis modalities to prevent CNS dissemination in aggressive lymphomas cannot be widely applied to every lymphoma patient since it is associated with increased risk of neurotoxicity. Therefore, identification of high-risk patients as the best candidates to receive CNS prophylaxis constitutes a major endpoint in the management of these malignancies. Various risk factors and models for CNS recurrence have been described. Parameters reflecting the extent and proliferation of the disease, like elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase levels, involvement of multiple extranodal sites, advanced stage and high age-adjusted International Prognostic Index (IPI) score, as well as the involvement of specific anatomic sites, like testes, orbit, paranasal sinuses, have been identified and confirmed as important to predict CNS dissemination. Management of this complication in aggressive lymphomas with conventional-dose chemotherapy is associated with disappointing results, while some preliminary but encouraging experiences suggest a potential role of high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. The analysis of recent clinical studies could lead to advancement in the prognosis of aggressive lymphomas, but several questions regarding the optimum chemotherapy combination, the best conditioning regimen and the role of radiation therapy and intrathecal chemotherapy remain still unanswered. The purposes of the present review are to critically analyse current data on the risk of CNS dissemination in aggressive lymphomas, the clinical presentation of secondary CNS lymphomas and the efficacy of CNS prophylaxis as well as to discuss the available therapeutic options for this devastating event. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Phase 2 trial of pemetrexed disodium and carboplatin in previously untreated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, N0423,CANCER, Issue 10 2010Cheng E. Chee MD Abstract BACKGROUND: In extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC), the combination of pemetrexed plus carboplatin has shown activity and appeared to be well-tolerated. We conducted a trial to confirm the efficacy and to assess the tolerability of this chemotherapy combination. METHODS: Patients with untreated extensive-stage SCLC were enrolled in this phase 2 open-labeled study. They receive pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 and carboplatin (area under the curve of 5) every 21 days for a maximum 6 cycles. The primary endpoint for this trial was the confirmed response rate and the accrual goal was 70 patients. RESULTS: Forty-six eligible patients (29 aged <70 years, 17 aged ,70 years) were accrued to this study. The efficacy outcomes were similar between the 2 age groups. Overall, the confirmed response rate was 35% (16 of 46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 21%-50%), where all 16 were partial responses. On the basis of these results, we had strong evidence that the study would not meet the preset efficacy criteria and was, therefore, closed before full accrual. The median duration of response was 4.4 months (95% CI, 2.9-5.2). Median overall survival for patients aged <70 years and aged ,70 years was 9.2 months (95% CI, 5.4-11.6) and 10.8 months (95% CI, 2.2-14.3), respectively. Grade 3 or higher toxicity rates were similar between the younger and older patients. Grade 3/4 and grade 4 hematological toxicities were observed in 46% and 26% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although well-tolerated, the combination of pemetrexed and carboplatin is not as effective as standard therapy in patients with untreated extensive-stage SCLC. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society. [source] Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for Shwachman,Diamond disease: a study from the European Group for blood and marrow transplantationBRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Simone Cesaro Summary This report assessed the results of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) in 26 patients with Shwachman,Diamond disease (SDS) and severe bone marrow abnormalities. The conditioning regimen was based on busulphan (54%), total body irradiation (23%), fludarabine (15%) or other chemotherapy combinations (8%). Standard prevention of graft versus host disease (GVHD) with ciclosporin ± methotrexate was adopted in 54% of the patients whilst in vivo or in vitro T-cell depletion was used in 17 and four patients respectively. Neutrophil and platelet engraftment were achieved in 21 (81%) and 17 (65%) of 26 patients after a median time of 18 days and 29 days respectively. The incidence of grade III and IV acute GVHD was 24% and of chronic GVHD 29%. Nine patients died after a median time of 70 d, post-SCT. After a median follow-up of 1·1 years, the transplant-related mortality was 35·5% (95% CI 17,54) whilst the overall survival was 64·5% (95% CI 45·7,83·2). Allo-SCT was found to be successful in more than half of SDS patients with severe bone marrow dysfunction. Further improvements would be anticipated by a better definition of the optimum time in the course of disease to transplant and by the adoption of less toxic conditioning regimens. [source] Chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and a platinum compound improves outcomes in metastatic small bowel adenocarcinoma,CANCER, Issue 8 2008Michael J. Overman MD Abstract BACKGROUND. Metastatic small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) has a poor prognosis. Because of the rarity of SBA, only a few studies have evaluated the role of chemotherapy in the treatment of metastatic SBA; thus, the benefit, if any, of adding a platinum compound to fluorouracil (5-FU) is unknown. The objective of this retrospective study was to determine whether the addition of a platinum compound to 5-FU provided any benefit in the treatment of patients with metastatic SBA. METHODS. The authors identified 80 patients with metastatic SBA who were treated with chemotherapy at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center between 1978 and 2005. Response rates, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were compared between patients who received 5-FU and a platinum compound and patients who received other chemotherapy combinations. RESULTS. The median patient age was 53 years. The primary tumor site was the jejunum in 35 patients (43%), duodenum in 30 patients (38%), ileum in 6 patients (8%), and nonspecified small bowel in 9 patients (11%). Of all 80 patients, 29 patients (36%) received 5-FU and a platinum compound, 41 patients (51%) received 5-FU without a platinum compound, and 10 patients (13%) received non-5-FU,based treatment. Compared with other chemotherapy regimens, treatment with 5-FU and a platinum agent resulted in a higher response rate (46% vs 16% with other regimens; P = .01) and longer median PFS (8.7 months vs 3.9 months; P , .01) but not better OS (14.8 months vs 12 months; P = .1). In multivariate analysis, treatment with 5-FU and a platinum compound was a significant predictor of response (odds ratio, 4.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-15.8; P = .02) and PFS (hazard ratio. 0.49; 95% CI, 0.29-0.84; P = .01) but only reached borderline significance for OS (hazard ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.37-1.07; P = .08). CONCLUSIONS. To the authors' knowledge, the current analysis represents the largest number of patients with metastatic SBA treated with chemotherapy in the literature, and the results suggested that the combination of 5-FU and a platinum compound leads to a higher response rate and PFS compared with other chemotherapy regimes. The authors concluded that prospective investigation of platinum analogues in the treatment of SBA is warranted. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society. [source] | ||||||||||