Salvage chemotherapy with high-dose carboplatin and etoposide with peripheral blood stem cell transplant in patients with relapsed pure seminoma.

Purpose: To evaluate rates of complete remission and overall survival for patients with relapsed pure seminoma treated with high-dose carboplatin and etoposide followed by peripheral blood stem cell transplant.

Patients And Methods: Forty-eight consecutive patients with relapsed pure seminoma who were treated with high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant between May 1996 and June 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Upon relapse (first, second, or third relapse) patients were given HDCT with carboplatin 700 mg/m(2) and etoposide 750 mg/m(2) for 3 consecutive days followed by infusion of peripheral blood stem cells.

Advanced non-small cell lung cancer: the role of maintenance therapy.

Platinum-based chemotherapy has been shown to provide survival benefits in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Maintenance/consolidation chemotherapy in NSCLC has gained renewed interest with improved tolerability of chemotherapy and the addition of biologic agents. Various studies have evaluated the role of prolonged duration of chemotherapy as well as maintenance/consolidation strategies with both chemotherapy and biologic agents.

Gefitinib plus celecoxib in chemotherapy-naïve patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer: a phase II study from the Hoosier Oncology Group.

Background: Gefitinib, an inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway, has single agent activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Preclinical studies demonstrate significant interactions between the EGFR and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) pathways and that simultaneous inhibition may have benefits over EGFR inhibitors alone.

Eligibility Criteria: chemotherapy-naive, stage IIIb (with pleural effusion) or IV NSCLC, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (PS) 0-1.

Long-term survival in a patient with stage IV non-small-cell lung carcinoma after bone metastasectomy.

Patients with bone metastases related to non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a poor prognosis. In the rare situation in which a patient has a solitary bone metastasis, aggressive treatment may be warranted, as illustrated by the case reported here.