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Complete Response Rate (complete + response_rate)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Distribution within Medical Sciences

Oncology & Radiotherapy	35%
Hematology	10%

Selected Abstracts

Therapeutic approaches for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients in the era of novel drugs

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2010
Fortunato Morabito
Abstract The treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) has evolved rapidly over recent years. The availability of new effective drugs with novel mechanisms of action, such as thalidomide, lenalidomide and bortezomib in the last decade, has resulted in a new scenario expected to impact favorably on the outcome of patients with MM. The introduction of new drugs in the treatment of patients eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has allowed for a significant increase of complete response rate with a positive impact on progression-free survival. In patients not eligible for ASCT, randomized trials have shown that both thalidomide and bortezomib when combined with melphalan and prednisone (MP) are superior to MP and are now considered the standard of care. Ongoing trials are assessing whether MP plus lenalidomide or the combination of lenalidomide plus dexamethasone should be considered an attractive treatment option, while additional studies are needed to determine the role of routine maintenance or consolidation therapy with these new drugs. This new therapeutic armamentarium in light of adequate prophylaxis and supportive care allows clinicians to greatly improve the survival perspectives for both young and elderly patients. In this review, we report updated data for the front-line therapy of MM, examining the role of new drugs either when administered as induction therapy before ASCT in younger patients or when combined with alkylating agents for the treatment of older patients. The most relevant articles on therapy of MM published from November 1982 to January 2010 (selected through PubMed), and recent meeting abstracts were used as sources for this review. [source]

Concomitant low-dose cisplatin and three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: Analysis of survival and toxicity,

HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 3 2006
Harold Lau MD
Abstract Background. Our center sought to implement a simple chemoradiotherapy schedule for patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with minimal toxicity to achieve rates of overall survival comparable to other schedules. Methods. The chemoradiotherapy schedule consisted of daily radiation to 70 Gy over 7 weeks with concurrent cisplatin 20 mg/m2 during days 1 to 4 of weeks 1 and 5. Acute and late toxicities were recorded according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and common toxicity criteria (CTC) grading. The overall, disease-specific, and locoregional recurrence,free survival were calculated using the STATA statistics package. Possible factors influencing these endpoints were analyzed. Results. Fifty-seven patients were treated, and 56 patients were evaluable for follow-up. Median follow-up of alive patients was 16.1 months. There was an 82% complete response rate to chemoradiotherapy. The 2-year Kaplan,Meier overall, disease-specific, and locoregional recurrence,free survival rates were 62%, 67%, and 63%. Acute grade 3 and 4 radiation toxicity was noted in 61% and 2%, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicity was noted in 7% of patients. Factors influencing overall survival included: Karnofsky performance status, receiving more than 50% of planned chemotherapy, age, and initial hemoglobin level. Conclusion. This regimen is tolerable and achieves overall survival and locoregional control rates comparable to other chemoradiotherapy schedules. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck27: XXX,XXX, 2005 [source]

Induction chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil followed by chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy alone in the treatment of locoregionally advanced resectable cancers of the larynx and hypopharynx: Results of single-center study of 45 patients

HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 1 2005
Ozden Altundag MD
Abstract Background. Induction chemotherapy with cisplatin and fluorouracil and radiotherapy is an effective alternative to surgery in patients with carcinoma of the larynx and hypopharynx who are treated for organ preservation. Methods. We designed a protocol to evaluate the possibility of organ preservation in patients with advanced, resectable carcinoma of the larynx and hypopharynx. Forty-five eligible patients who were followed up between April 1999 and May 2001 were enrolled. Initially, these patients were treated with two cycles of induction chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin, 20 mg/m2/day on days 1 to 5, and 5-fluorouracil, 600 mg/m2/day by continuous infusion on days 1 to 5. Patients who had a complete response to chemotherapy were treated with definitive radiotherapy; patients who had a partial response to chemotherapy were treated with chemoradiotherapy. Cisplatin, 35 mg/m2/week, was introduced throughout the duration of radiotherapy. Patients who had no response or progressive disease underwent surgery with postoperative radiotherapy. Patients with N2 or N3 positive lymph nodes underwent neck dissection after the treatment. Results. The mean age was 56.6 years (range, 34,75 years). The overall response rate to induction chemotherapy was 71.1%, with a 17.8% complete response rate and 53.3% partial response rate. With a median follow-up of 13.7 months, 23 (51.1%) of all patients and 63.3% of surviving patients have had a preservation of the larynx or hypopharynx and remain disease free. The most common toxicities were nausea and vomiting and mucositis. Conclusion. Organ preservation, with multimodality treatment, may be achievable in some of the patients with resectable, advanced larynx or hypopharynx cancers without apparent compromise of survival. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck27: 15,21, 2005 [source]

Salvage treatment for persistent and recurrent T1,2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma by stereotactic radiosurgery

HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 9 2001
Daniel T. T. Chua FRCR
Abstract Objective To study the efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery in salvaging early-stage persistent and recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after primary radiotherapy. Methods A prospective single-arm study evaluating the response and outcome of patients with rT1,2 NPC treated by stereotactic radiosurgery. Eleven patients with rT1,2 were treated by radiosurgery between March 1998 and March 2000. Four patients were treated for persistent disease occurring within 4 months after primary radiotherapy, six were treated for first recurrence, and one for third recurrence. Six patients had rT1 disease and five had rT2 disease. Most patients had disease not amenable to brachytherapy, surgery, or external re-irradiation. The median target volume was 5.8 cc (range, 3.3,16.9). Radiosurgery was performed with multiple noncoplanar arcs of photon, with a median dose of 12.5 Gy delivered to the 80% isodose line (range, 12,14 Gy). Median follow-up time after radiosurgery was 18 months (range, 9,30). Results Nine patients had complete regression of tumor as assessed by imaging, nasopharyngoscopy, and biopsy; one patient had partial regression of tumor; whereas one patient had static disease. The overall response rate was 91% (10 of 11) and the complete response rate was 82% (9 of 11). Two patients with complete response subsequently had local relapse develop, with one recurrence outside the treated volume 8 months after radiosurgery, and the other within the treated volume 6 months after radiosurgery. One patient with a partial response had neck node recurrence develop. Temporal lobe necrosis occurred in one patient but probably represents sequelae of primary radiation after reviewing the dosimetry. Ten patients are still alive, whereas one patient with local relapse had distant metastases develop and died. The estimated 1-year local control rate after radiosurgery was 82%. Conclusions Our preliminary results indicate that stereotactic radiosurgery is an effective treatment modality for persistent and recurrent T1,T2 NPC, and early control rate seems to be comparable to other salvage treatments. More clinical experiences and longer follow-up are still needed to validate our results and to address fully the role of radiosurgery in salvaging local failures of NPC. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 23: 791,798, 2001. [source]

Neoadjuvant flutamide monotherapy for locally confined prostate cancer

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 4 2003
KOJI YOSHIMURA
Abstract Background: We compared the clinical effects and impact on quality of life (QOL) of patients who received a 3-month course of flutamide monotherapy before radical prostatectomy with those who received a 3-month course of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist monotherapy. Methods: Thirty-seven patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer were enrolled in this study (19, flutamide; 18, LHRH agonist). The rates of change of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and testosterone levels, downsizing of prostate volume, the rate of organ confined disease, adverse effects and perioperative scores measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Prostate Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-P) and the Sapporo Medical University Sexual Function Questionnaire (SMUF) were analyzed. Results: At radical prostatectomy, pathological variables were not significantly different in the two groups. Serum testosterone level was significantly higher (mean 359.2 compared to 10.5, P < 0.001), complete response rate of PSA (13% compared to 57%, P = 0.028) and rate of downsizing of prostate volume (mean, ,17.7% compared to ,35.4%, P = 0.038) were significantly lower in the flutamide group than in the LHRH group. After neoadjuvant hormone therapy, the scores on the sexual problem domain of EORTC-P (P = 0.033) and sexual desire score of SMUF (P = 0.021) were significantly higher in the flutamide group than in the LHRH group. At a median follow-up of 34 months after prostatectomy, biochemical failure-free survival rate in the flutamide group did not differ from that in the LHRH group. Conclusion: This study suggests that flutamide monotherapy can be an acceptable modality as an option for neoadjuvant hormone therapy. [source]

The effect of 595,nm pulsed dye laser on superficial and nodular basal cell carcinomas

LASERS IN SURGERY AND MEDICINE, Issue 6 2009
Sonali M. Shah MD
Abstract Background and Objective Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) have supporting vasculature that could serve as a target for 595,nm pulsed dye laser (PDL). The objective of this study was to determine the effect of repeated PDL treatments on BCCs of superficial and nodular subtypes and of varying diameters. Study Design/Materials and Methods Twenty biopsy-proven BCCs received four 595,nm PDL treatments at 2-week intervals. The tumor and 4,mm of peripheral skin were treated using a set of previously optimized laser parameters: one pass, 15,J/cm2 energy, 3,ms pulse length, no cooling, and 7,mm spot size with 10% overlap. The treated area was excised and evaluated histologically for residual tumor. Histologic response rates of the PDL treated BCCs were compared with that of non-PDL treated, matched control tumors. Results Nearly all BCCs <1.5,cm in diameter (n,=,12) showed complete response to four PDL treatments (91.7%; n,=,11/12) versus 16.7% of controls (n,=,2/12, P -value,= 0.0003). BCCs ,1.5,cm in diameter (n,=,8) showed a complete response rate of 25% (n,=,2/8) versus 0% of controls (n,=,0/8, P -value,=,0.2). Mean clinical tumor diameter of the complete responders was 1.1,cm (n,=,13) versus 2.2,cm (n,=,7) for incomplete responders (P -value,=,0.005). Tumor histologic types among the complete responders included superficial, nodular, micronodular, and keratinizing. Incompletely responding BCCs showed a significant reduction in tumor burden after PDL treatment, with residual histologic tumor burden ranging from <1% to 29% of the original clinical tumor diameter, compared to 13,68% residual tumor burden for the corresponding controls (P -value,=,0.05). Conclusions PDL is an effective means of reducing tumor burden in patients with large BCCs and may be an alternative therapy in BCCs <1.5,cm in diameter. Lasers Surg. Med. 41:417,422, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Adult primary extragonadal germ cell tumors: Treatment results and long-term follow-up

PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 1 2003
Argon Andac MD
Abstract Background Primary extragonadal germ cell tumors (PEGCT) are rare neoplasms. They have a poor prognosis, different behavior, and natural course compared to their gonadal counterparts. Both primary and salvage treatment of these tumors constitute a challenge. We retrospectively evaluated the clinicopathologic status, therapeutic implications, and outcome of our patients with PEGCT. Procedure Between 1991 and 2000, 18 patients with PEGCT (median age 31 years; range 17,63), diagnosed with tru-cut biopsy and treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy, were evaluated in respect to treatment response and outcome. Results Cisplatin-based chemotherapy achieved a complete response rate of 27.8% and a partial response rate of 55.5%. Overall response rate was 83.3%. Only three patients were unresponsive to chemotherapy; an additional six patients with residual mass underwent surgical resection and were rendered disease-free by surgery. The 5-year actuarial event-free and overall survival were 63.4 and 71.3%, respectively. Conclusions The outcomes of our patients with extragonadal primaries including mediastinal localization appear to be slightly better than those previously reported. Multimodality therapy is essential for these patients and given the relatively poor prognosis, prospective trials with large sample sizes, and new treatment approaches to improve outcome are required. Med Pediatr Oncol 2003;41:49,53. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Treatment of lentigo maligna with topical imiquimod

BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 2003
M.F. Naylor
Summary A published case report and anecdotal experience suggested that topical imiquimod is an effective treatment for stage 0 melanoma (lentigo maligna). To gauge the efficacy of this therapy, we undertook a trial of topical imiquimod in 30 subjects with histologically confirmed lentigo maligna. Thirty subjects with lentigo maligna were recruited for an open-labelled efficacy trial with daily topical application of imiquimod 5% cream for 3 months. Study subjects were enrolled from the Dermatology service of the University of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma City Veteran's Administration Hospital Dermatology service and from referrals for the study from other practitioners. In order to determine an initial response rate, a four-quadrant biopsy was carried out on all patients 1 month after cessation of treatment, targeting the most clinically and dermatoscopically suspicious areas. Of 28 evaluable subjects who have completed the 3-month treatment phase, 26 (93%) were complete responders and two were treatment failures at the time of the 4-quadrant biopsy. Over 80% of the 28 subjects that completed treatment have been followed for more than 1 year with no relapses. The results of this study demonstrate that topical imiquimod produces a high complete response rate in lentigo maligna when applied daily for 3 months. [source]

Routine double treatments of superficial basal cell carcinomas using aminolaevulinic acid-based photodynamic therapy

BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2000
J.C. Haller
Background,Superficial basal cell carcinomas of the skin (sBCC) often respond poorly to single-treatment aminolaevulinic acid-based photodynamic therapy (ALA,PDT), with a number of reports indicating a relapse rate of 50% or more. Objectives,To determine whether a second treatment at seven days can improve the response. Methods,Twenty-six lesions were treated twice with ALA,PDT, with an interval of 7 days between the two treatment sessions. Results,We observed a complete response rate of 100% 1 month after treatment. Only one lesion relapsed (16 months post-PDT), a relapse rate of 4% (median follow up 27 months; range 15,45 months). Cosmetic results were excellent. Conclusions,We consider routine double treatments with ALA,PDT to be an effective approach to the management of sBCC, particularly those located in anatomically difficult, or cosmetically sensitive, sites. [source]

Safety and efficacy of bortezomib in high-risk and elderly patients with relapsed multiple myeloma

BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2007
Paul G. Richardson
Summary Adverse prognostic factors in multiple myeloma include advanced age, number of prior therapies, and higher International Staging System (ISS) disease stage. In the international, randomised, phase-3 Assessment of Proteasome Inhibition for Extending Remissions (APEX) study, bortezomib demonstrated significantly longer time to progression (TTP), higher response rates and improved survival compared with high-dose dexamethasone in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma following one to three prior therapies. In this APEX subgroup analysis, efficacy of bortezomib and dexamethasone was compared in elderly (age ,65 years) and high-risk (>1 prior line of therapy; ISS stage II/III; refractory to prior therapy) patients. Bortezomib demonstrated substantial clinical activity in these patients. Response rate (34,40% vs. 13,19%), including complete response rate (5,8% vs. 0,1%), was significantly higher with bortezomib versus dexamethasone in all four subgroups. Similarly, median TTP was significantly longer with bortezomib versus dexamethasone, and 1-year survival probability was significantly higher in all subgroups. As in the total APEX population, rates of grade 3/4 adverse events were higher in bortezomib- versus dexamethasone-treated patients aged ,65 years and with >1 prior line, while rates of serious adverse events were similar; toxicities generally proved manageable. Bortezomib should be considered an appropriate treatment for elderly and high-risk patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. [source]

Combination therapy with fludarabine and rituximab followed by alemtuzumab in the first-line treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma

CANCER, Issue 6 2008
A phase 2 trial of the Minnie Pearl Cancer Research Network
Abstract BACKGROUND The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of the combination of fludarabine and rituximab, followed by alemtuzumab, as first-line treatment for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). METHODS In a nonrandomized phase 2 trial, 41 patients who had previously untreated CLL or SLL and required treatment received 4 cycles of the fludarabine and rituximab combination followed 5 weeks later by 4 weeks (12 doses) of intravenous alemtuzumab therapy. The response to treatment was evaluated after completion of treatment with fludarabine and rituximab, and again after the completion of alemtuzumab consolidation. RESULTS Initial treatment with the combination of fludarabine and rituximab was well tolerated, and produced a 71% overall response rate (13% complete response). Thirty-four patients began treatment with intravenous alemtuzumab, but this drug was relatively poorly tolerated when given at a short interval after fludarabine and rituximab, and only 20 patients (49% of total) were able to complete the prescribed course. Five patients had an improvement in their response with alemtuzumab; the final complete response rate was 21%. The median progression-free survival for the entire group was 42 months. Toxicity with alemtuzumab included infusion-related toxicity, myelosuppression, and opportunistic infections. CONCLUSIONS The intravenous schedule of alemtuzumab employed in the trial was relatively poorly tolerated in this community-based trial. The relatively low complete response rates after treatment with the combination of fludarabine and rituximab and after the completion of treatment suggest that these abbreviated courses may compromise efficacy. The generalized use of alemtuzumab as consolidation therapy cannot yet be recommended for community practice. However, optimization of the route of administration, duration of treatment, and interval after completion of induction therapy may improve efficacy, and further investigation is ongoing. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society. [source]

A multicenter, randomized, Phase II study of cisplatin, etoposide, and gemcitabine or cisplatin plus gemcitabine as first-line treatment in patients with poor-prognosis small cell lung carcinoma

CANCER, Issue 4 2005
Filippo De Marinis M.D.
Abstract BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to evaluate the activity and toxicity of combined cisplatin, etoposide, and gemcitabine (PEG) and combined cisplatin plus gemcitabine (PG) in previously untreated patients with extensive-stage and poor-prognosis limited-stage small-cell lung carcinoma. METHODS One hundred forty patients (70 patients in two arms) were randomized to receive either cisplatin 70 mg/m2 on Day 1, etoposide 50 mg/m2 on Days 1,3, and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on Days 1 and 8 or cisplatin 70 mg/m2 on Day 1 plus gemcitabine 1250 mg/m2 on Days 1 and 8. Both regimens were recycled every 21 days. RESULTS In total, 626 cycles were delivered (303 cycles of PEG and 323 cycles of PG), with a median of 4 cycles per patient in both arms. The objective response rate was 63% (95% confidence interval [95%CI], 49,71%) for PEG and 57% (95%CI, 43,67%) for PG, with the suggestion of a higher complete response rate in the PEG arm (18.6% and 4.3%, respectively). A similar time to disease progression (6 months in the PEG arm and 7 months in the PG arm) and a similar median survival (9.5 months in the PEG arm and 10 months in the PG arm) were observed in both arms. The PEG regimen was associated with more severe hematologic toxicity in terms of neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, and a higher rate of treatment delays and dose reductions, whereas nonhematologic toxicities did not differ between the two arms. CONCLUSIONS According to the results of this Phase II randomized trial, the PEG regimen produced a higher complete response rate but more toxicity compared with the PG regimen in patients with extensive-stage or poor-prognosis, limited-stage small cell lung carcinoma. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society. [source]

Phase II study of pentostatin in advanced T-cell lymphoid malignancies

CANCER, Issue 2 2004
Update of an M. D. Anderson Cancer Center series
Abstract BACKGROUND The goal of the current study was to assess the toxicity, safety, and efficacy of pentostatin in patients with T-cell lymphoid malignancies. METHODS Patients were eligible if they had biopsy-proven T-cell lymphoma or leukemia and failure to respond to previous therapy or an expected complete response rate to conventional therapy of < 20%. Pentostatin was administered at an initial dose of 3.75 or 5.0 mg/m2 by intravenous bolus daily over a consecutive 3-day period every 3 weeks. RESULTS Forty-two of 44 patients enrolled in the study were evaluable. The median age of the patients was 62 years (range, 38,86 years). Patients received a median of 3 previous therapies (range, 0,10 previous therapies). Of these patients, 32 (76%) had mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome and 10 patients (24%) had other T-cell leukemias or lymphomas. The overall response rate was 54.8% (complete remission, 6 patients [14.3%]; partial remission, 17 patients [40.5%]). Durable responses were observed mainly in patients with Sézary syndrome or peripheral T-cell lymphoma. The median follow-up period for surviving patients was 20 months (range, 1,83+ months). The median duration of response was 4.3 months (range, 1,61 months). The most common toxicities were neutropenia, nausea, and CD4 suppression. A transient early ,flare' of disease was observed in some responders. CONCLUSIONS At these doses, pentostatin was reasonably well tolerated and is an effective drug for the treatment of T-cell lymphomas. Cancer 2004;100:342,9. © 2003 American Cancer Society. [source]

Phase I study of dexamethasone, methotrexate, ifosfamide, l -asparaginase, and etoposide (SMILE) chemotherapy for advanced-stage, relapsed or refractory extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma and leukemia

CANCER SCIENCE, Issue 5 2008
Motoko Yamaguchi
Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, and aggressive NK-cell leukemia are rare, and their standard therapy has not been established. They are Epstein,Barr virus-associated lymphoid malignancies, and tumor cells express P-glycoprotein leading to multidrug resistance of the disease. Patients with stage IV, relapsed or refractory diseases have a dismal prognosis, with survival measured in months only. To develop an efficacious chemotherapeutic regimen, we conducted a dose-escalation feasibility study of a new chemotherapeutic regimen, SMILE, comprising the steroid dexamethasone, methotrexate, ifosfamide, l -asparaginase, and etoposide. The components of SMILE are multidrug resistance-unrelated agents and etoposide. Etoposide shows both in vitro and in vivo efficacy for Epstein,Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferative disorders. Eligible patients had newly diagnosed stage IV, relapsed or refractory diseases after first-line chemotherapy, were 15,69 years of age, and had satisfactory performance scores (0,2). Four dose levels of methotrexate and etoposide were originally planned to be evaluated. At level 1, six patients with extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, were enrolled. Their disease status was newly diagnosed stage IV (n = 3), first relapse (n = 2), and primary refractory (n = 1). All of the first three patients developed dose-limiting toxicities, and one of them died of sepsis with grade 4 neutropenia. A protocol revision stipulating early granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administration was made. Two out of three additional patients developed dose-limiting toxicities that were all manageable and transient. For the six enrolled patients, the overall response rate was 67% and the complete response rate was 50%. Although its safety and efficacy require further evaluation, we recommend a SMILE chemotherapy dose level of 1 for further clinical studies. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 1016,1020) [source]

Ifosfamide/carboplatin/etoposide (ICE) as front-line, topotecan/ cyclophosphamide as second-line and oral temozolomide as third-line treatment for advanced neuroblastoma over one year of age

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 2004
A Donfrancesco
Children affected by advanced neuroblastoma have a discouraging prognosis, but intensive induction chemotherapy may increase the complete response rate. The combination of ifosfamide, carboplatin and etoposide (ICE) was used for the first time as front-line regimen in patients with stage 4 neuroblastoma over the age of 1 y. Similarly, second-line treatment for children with relapsed neuroblastoma, particularly after high-dose chemotherapy, has been unsatisfactory. The combination of topotecan and cyclophosphamide was studied in resistant or relapsed solid tumors. Furthermore, there is a need for effective palliative treatment in patients failing therapy. Temozolomide, a new dacarbazine analog with optimal oral bioavailability, is being used in an ongoing phase II study as an alternative to oral etoposide. Seventeen patients with stage 4 neuroblastoma have entered the ICE study; 15/16 (94%) major responses after induction were observed and 6/16 (37%) evaluable patients are disease free after a median of 51 mo. Twenty-one patients with relapsed/refractory disease (of whom 13 neuroblastomas) entered the topotecan/cyclophosphamide study: 7/21 (33%) patients responded. Forty-one patients entered the temozolomide study (of whom 16 had neuroblastomas): stable disease and symptom relief were obtained in 15/30 (50%) evaluable patients. Intensive induction with ICE resulted in a faster response with high response rate; a larger study with longer follow-up is needed to confirm a survival advantage. Second-line treatment was effective in obtaining remissions, some of them long lasting. Third-line treatment did not elicit measurable responses in neuroblastoma, but achieved prolonged freedom from disease progression and excellent palliation in several patients. [source]

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin for locally advanced head and neck cancer: Long-term follow-up of a Brown University Oncology Group Phase II Study (HN-53)

HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 3 2008
Prakash B. Chougule MD
Abstract Background. A phase II study was conducted using concurrent paclitaxel, carboplatin, and external beam radiotherapy (RT) in patients with advanced head and neck cancer. Methods. Forty-three patients (stage III, n = 12; stage IV, n = 31) were treated with 8 cycles of weekly paclitaxel (60 mg/m2), carboplatin (area under the curve [AUC] = 1), and RT (1.8 Gy daily; total dose, 66,72 Gy). Patients with initially palpable lymph nodes underwent neck dissection. Results. The overall clinical response rate was 91% (65% complete, 26% partial). Severe mucositis occurred in 37 (90%) patients, necessitating hospitalization in 13 (31%) patients. With a median follow-up of 49 months, the locoregional and distant failure rates were 26% and 21%, respectively. Conclusions. Concurrent paclitaxel, carboplatin, and RT for advanced head and neck cancer results in high complete response rates. Long-term follow-up has revealed the curative potential of this regimen, though the doses used resulted in unacceptable toxicity. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 2008 [source]

Long-term survival in locally advanced oral cavity cancer: An analysis of patients treated with neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by surgery,

HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 6 2005
Enzo Maria Ruggeri MD
Abstract Background. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been reported to be extremely active in head and neck cancer but has failed to give a statistically significant improvement in survival. Methods. From 1981 to 1994, 33 operable patients with locally advanced oral cavity cancer received cisplatin-based chemotherapy before surgery. Postoperative radiotherapy was performed in high-risk patients. Results. The overall clinical and pathologic complete response rates to neoadjuvant chemotherapy were 48% and 30%, respectively. At a median follow-up of 7.0 years (range, 0.3,15.3+ years), the 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates were 54.5% and 39.5%, and the disease-specific median survival was 6.6 years for all patients (8.3 and 2.3 years for stages III and IV, respectively). The univariate analysis showed a positive relationship between survival and male sex (p = .05), pathologic (p = .02), and clinical (p = .03) complete response. The Cox proportional hazard regression model confirmed the independent prognostic value of the clinical response with a 4.67 (95% CI, 1.70,12.86) hazard ratio. A second primary tumor occurred in six patients (18%), with a median of occurrence of 9 years (range, 7,11 years). Conclusions. This study confirms the prolonged survival expectancy largely exceeding 5 years for selected patients with stage IV and for most with stage III locally advanced oral cavity cancer achieving a clinical and/or pathologic complete response to chemotherapy. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck27: XXX,XXX, 2005 [source]

Utility-adjusted analysis of the cost of palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases

JOURNAL OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION ONCOLOGY, Issue 3 2003
Michael B Barton
Summary Palliative radiotherapy is effective in the treatment of bone metastases but is under-utilized, possibly because it is perceived to be expensive. We performed a cost-utility analysis of palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases, evaluating both the actual cost of radiotherapy as well as its impact on quality of life by adjusting for the variation in response to treatment. Hospital records between July 1991 and July 1996 were reviewed to ascertain the number of patients treated with palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases, the average number of fields of radiation delivered to each patient and the average duration of survival. Partial and complete response rates to palliative radiotherapy were obtained from a review of all published randomized controlled trials of radiation treatment of bone metastases. Utility values were assigned to the response rates, and an overall adjusted response rate to radiotherapy was derived. The cost of delivering a field of radiation was calculated. The total cost was divided by the total number of response months to give a utility-adjusted cost per month of palliative radiotherapy. The utility-adjusted cost per month of palliative radiotherapy of bone metastases was found to be AUS$ 100 per month or AUS$ 1200 per utility-adjusted life-year. This study demonstrates that, contrary to popular perception, palliative radiotherapy is a cost-effective treatment modality for bone metastases. [source]

Esophageal cancer: Outcomes of surgery, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and three-dimension conformal radiotherapy

JOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 2 2004
FRCS(C), Éric Fréchette MD
Abstract Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation are being utilized with increasing frequency in the multimodal treatment of esophageal cancer, although their effects on morbidity, mortality, and survival remain unclear. The objective of this study was to determine the outcome of multimodal treatment in patients with localized esophageal cancer treated at a single institution. Between 1995 and 2002, 118 patients underwent treatment for localized esophageal cancer, utilizing surgery alone, chemoradiation alone, or surgery following neoadjuvant chemoradiation. There was no statistically significant difference in morbidity, mortality, or length of stay between the patients who received multimodal therapy when compared to surgery alone. A surgical resection after down-staging was possible in 9 out of 28 patients (32%) with a clinically non-resectable tumor (T4 or M1a). Forty-seven percent of the patients who received neoadjuvant therapy had a complete pathologic response with a 3-year survival of 59% as compared to only 20 months in those patients who did not achieve a complete response (P,=,0.037). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy administered concomitantly with conformal radiotherapy can be performed safely in the treatment of esophageal cancer, without increasing the operative morbidity, mortality, or length of stay. The higher complete response rates to neoadjuvant treatment (as compared to other reports) may be due to the use of three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy or the novel use of weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel. J. Surg. Oncol. 2004;87:68,74. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Combination therapy with fludarabine and rituximab followed by alemtuzumab in the first-line treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma