Durable response for ampullary and duodenal adenocarcinoma with a nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine ± cisplatin combination.

Background/aim: There is no standard salvage chemotherapy for metastatic periampullary adenocarcinoma and duodenal adenocarcinoma and the prognosis of those who fail oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and 5FU is dismal. We examined nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) as salvage therapy for these two malignancies.

Methods: Patients who failed oxaliplatin, irinotecan, and 5FU and whose archival tumors stained immunohistochemical (IHC) tumor positive for CK7 or MUC1 received nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine therapy with or without cisplatin.

Fixed, low-dose rasburicase for the treatment or prevention of hyperuricemia in adult oncology patients.

Purpose: Rasburicase is a recombinant urate oxidase enzyme administered to high risk patients or to those with preexisting hyperuricemia from tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). The objective of this retrospective review is to evaluate and characterize the use of fixed, low-dose rasburicase for the treatment of hyperuricemia in adult patients.

Patients/methods: A retrospective chart review from 1 October 2005 to 31 December 2011 was conducted in adult oncology patients who received fixed, low-dose rasburicase.

Inpatient versus outpatient management of neutropenic fever in gynecologic oncology patients: is risk stratification useful?

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the utility of risk stratification of gynecologic oncology patients with neutropenic fever (NF).

Methods: A retrospective chart review of gynecologic cancer patients admitted with NF from 2007 to 2011 was performed, wherein demographic, oncologic, and NF characteristics (hospitalization length, complications, and death) were collected. The Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) risk index score was calculated; low risk was considered ≥ 21.