Chemotherapy in the last 30 days of life of advanced cancer patients.

Purpose: Chemotherapy near the end of life is an issue frequently discussed nowadays, but literature is generally poor. We analyzed patients with cancer who received chemotherapy in their last month of life.

Methods: The study involved all patients treated in our oncological department between 2010 and 2012; our attention focused on patients receiving chemotherapy in their last month of life.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms and clinical outcome in patients with biliary tract carcinoma treated with epirubicin, cisplatin and capecitabine.

Background: Biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) is a rare highly malignant neoplasia. Polymorphisms at the xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD), excision repair cross-complementing group-1 (ERCC1) and X-ray repair cross complementing group 1 (XRCC1) genes were evaluated and correlated with clinical outcome.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-three patients with BTC were treated with intravenous or intra-arterial cisplatin and epirubicin and oral capecitabine.

Gemcitabine-capecitabine plus intra-arterial epirubicin-cisplatin in pretreated pancreatic cancer patients: a phase I study.

Background: Gemcitabine plus capecitabine are active in patients (pts) with advanced pancreatic cancer (APC). Intra-arterial chemotherapy showed activity and low toxicity. Combination of systemic and intra-arterial chemotherapy was investigated.

Intra-arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, epirubicin and carboplatin (FLEC regimen) in unresectable pancreatic cancer: results of a ten-year experience.

Unlabelled: The final results of a new regimen given intra-arterially for unresectable pancreatic cancer (UPC) are presented.

Patients And Methods: From January 1994 to January 2006, 5-fluorouracil 1,000 mg/m2, leucovorin 100 mg/m2, epirubicin 60 mg/m2 and carboplatin 300 mg/m2 were administered every 3 weeks into the celiac axis (CA) angiografically (FLEC regimen) to 211 patients with UPC.

Results: Seven hundred and sixty-four cycles were administered.

Hepatic arterial chemotherapy with oxaliplatin, folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil in pre-treated patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

Background: Hepatic arterial chemotherapy (HAC) is an effective treatment of liver metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC). Phase I and II studies have already shown the feasibility and efficacy of intra-arterial oxaliplatin (OXA).

Patients And Methods: Twenty-one pre-treated patients with liver metastases who received HAC with OXA/folinic acid (FA)/5-fluorouracil (5-FU) at our Division between March 2000 and November 2003, were clinically examined.