Hope and perspective on death in patients with cancer.

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between various attitudes and hope levels of cancer patients. The study was conducted in an observational and cross-sectional design with 106 cancer patients who were followed in the oncology clinic of a hospital. In the study, it was found that women had lower hope levels than men, and as age decreased, hope levels increased and as educational level increased, hope levels increased.

Opinions of the Turkish population on cancer and being informed of the diagnosis of cancer.

Background/aim: An opinion survey was conducted to investigate the opinions and attitudes of the Turkish population regarding cancer if they or one of their family members were to receive a diagnosis of cancer.

Materials And Methods: The opinion survey was completed by 6566 subjects and consisted of questions about the demographics of the participants and their overall opinions about cancer. The other points of the investigation asked whether they would inform relatives who had cancer about the diagnosis and whether they would prefer to be informed if they were the one with the cancer diagnosis.

Medication errors in chemotherapy preparation and administration: a survey conducted among oncology nurses in Turkey.

Background: Medication errors in oncology may cause severe clinical problems due to low therapeutic indices and high toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. We aimed to investigate unintentional medication errors and underlying factors during chemotherapy preparation and administration based on a systematic survey conducted to reflect oncology nurses experience.

Materials And Methods: This study was conducted in 18 adult chemotherapy units with volunteer participation of 206 nurses.

The Optimal Treatment Modality in Patients with T4N2M0 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: The Best Choice May Be Definitive Chemoradiotherapy Followed by Consolidation Chemotherapy.

Background: Stage IIIB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) consists of T4N2M0 and TXN3M0 NSCLC. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different treatment strategies on the survival of patients with radiologically confirmed T4N2M0 NSCLC.

Methods: A total of 145 patients were evaluated in three groups according to the treatment protocol: induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy (induction group); chemoradiotherapy (CRT group), and chemoradiotherapy followed by consolidation chemotherapy (consolidation group).

Survival analysis of biliary tract cancer cases in Turkey.

Background: Because of the relative rarity of biliary tract cancers (BTCs), defining long term survival results is difficult. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the survival of a series of cases in Turkey.

Materials And Methods: A totally of 47 patients with billiary tract cancer from Mersin Goverment Hospital, Acibadem Kayseri Hospital and Kayseri Training and Research Hospital were analyzed retrospectively using hospital records between 2006-2012.

The necessity of cytoreductive nephrectomy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma using antiangiogenic targeted therapy after interferon alfa-2b.

Background: Targeted therapy has improved the survival of patients with metastatic RCC. In the present study, we evaluated whether there was an effect of cytoreductive surgery on prognosis of patients with metastatic RCC using antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) agents.

Patients And Methods: A total of 52 patients with metastatic RCC from Akdeniz University, Afyon Kocatepe University, and Medipol University participated in the study.

Second-line gemcitabine-based chemotherapy regimens improve overall 3-year survival rate in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma: a multicenter retrospective study.

In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of second-line gemcitabine-based chemotherapy regimens on overall survival (OS) in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) patients receiving first-line pemetrexed-based regimens. A total of 73 patients with MPM from Akdeniz University, Acibadem Kayseri Hospital, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital, and Erciyes University were analyzed and evaluated retrospectively as two groups: second-line gemcitabine-based chemotherapy and no second-line chemotherapy. The median OS of patients who received second-line gemcitabine-based chemotherapy was 11.

Lack of sunlight exposure influence on primary glioblastoma survival.

Background: The prognosis of primary glioblastoma (GBM) is poor. Approximately 2/3 of primary brain tumor diagnoses are GBM, of which 95% are primary lesions. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether more sunlight exposure has an effect on survival of patients with primary GBM.

The combination of weekly trastuzumab plus vinorelbine may be preferable regimen in HER-2 positive breast cancer patients with brain metastasis.

Brain metastasis is one of the most important life-threatening conditions in patients with metastatic HER-2 positive breast cancer. A lot of conventional chemotherapeutic and antibody-based regimens used routinely in treatment of the patients with breast cancer are not effective due to blood-brain barrier. In our cases, we reported on three HER-2 positive breast cancer patients with brain metastasis who were offered a combination of weekly trastuzumab plus vinorelbine after brain metastasis.

Does sunlight exposure improve survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer?

Background: Some epidemiological studies reported that sunlight exposure and highvitamin D levels may decrease the morbidity and mortality related to cancer. We aimed to evaluate whether sunlight exposure has an impact on survival in patients with non small cell lung cancer.

Materials And Methods: A total of 546 patients with NSCLC from two different regions (Kayseri and Adana) differing according to sunlight exposure were analysed retrospectively.

The optimal chemotherapy timing in patients with inoperable locally advanced non small cell lung cancer.

Background: Only 20% of patients with stage III NSCLC are cured by surgery. There is a disagreement among the oncologists in terms of whether which regimen (induction chemotherapy followed chemoradiotherapy, concurrent chemoradiation or concurrent chemoradiation followed consolidation chemotherapy) is best choice in inoperable LA NSCLC.

Objective: To evaluate chemotherapy timing in inoperable LA NSCLC (before, only concomitant or after curative chemotherapy).

Reversible slurred speech related to capecitabine and lapatinib combination in patients with breast cancer.

Capecitabine plus lapatinib combination is an effective chemotherapy regimen in patients with advanced breast cancer. Neurological adverse effects secondary to this regimen were reported rarely in literature. A woman with breast cancer presented with complaints of slurred speech while using the capecitabine and lapatinib combination.

Sunitinib-induced reversible purpuric rash in a patient with gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

Sunitinib which is used in the treatment of kidney cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, and advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor is a multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Although sunitinib is associated with some side effects, it is generally well tolerated. In the present case, the diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor was four years ago.

Secondline chemotherapy versus best supportive care in patient with malignant pleural mesothelioma: a retrospective study.

Introduction: Mesothelioma is a rare neoplasm arising from mesothelial surfaces with the malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) as the most common form. Secondline chemotherapy in MPM is still controversial and in this study we evaluated whether it is superior to best supportive care.

Materials And Methods: A total of 51 patients with MPM from Acibadem Kayseri Hospital, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital and Erciyes University were analyzed retrospectively.

Staging with PET-CT in patients with locally advanced non small cell lung cancer is superior to conventional staging methods in terms of survival.

Background: Of patients with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), around one third are locally advanced at the time of diagnosis. Because only a proprotion of stage III patients can be cured by surgery, in order to improve the outcomes, sequential or concurrent chemoradiation, or concurrent chemoradiation with induction or consolidation is offered to the patients with locally advanced NSCLC. Today, PET combined with computerized tomography (PET-CT) is accepted as the most sensitive technique for detecting mediastinal lymph node and extracranial metastases from NSCLC.

Sunlight may increase the FDG uptake value in primary tumors of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Currently, positron emission tomography with computerized tomography (PET-CT) is the most sensitive technique for detecting extracranial metastases in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It has been reported that there is a correlation between the maximal standardized uptake value (SUV(max)) of primary tumors and prognosis in patients with NSCLC. The effect of sunlight exposure on PET-CT SUV(max) value is not known.

The MRI findings of iris metastasis in patients with breast cancer.

Breast cancer and lung cancer are the most common tumors that metastasize to iris. The metastasis of iris was generally diagnosed on ophthalmologic examination. In this case, we reported iris metastasis of patients with adenocarcinoma of breast cancer and MRI findings.

Photosensitive rash in association with porphyrin biosynthesis possibly induced by docetaxel and trastuzumab therapy in a patient with metastatic breast carcinoma.

Docetaxel (Taxotere), an anticancer agent, is known to cause various reactions, including hypersensitivity, oedema, skin toxicity with erythrodysesthesia syndrome, infusion site reactions, alopecia, nail onycholysis, nail pigmentation, photosensitivity, scleroderma and stomatitis. However, of all the reported effects, photosensitivity has only rarely been described in the literature. We experienced a case of cutaneous photosensitivity with aberrations in porphyrin biosynthesis that developed 1 month after the patient received combination chemotherapy consisting of docetaxel and trastuzumab.

Education, economic status and other risk factors in gastric cancer: "a case-control study of Turkish Oncology Group".

Diet and lifestyle related to socioeconomic status emerged as risk factors for gastric cancer in several studies. However, the results were not always consistent with the socioeconomic status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors independent from education as a measure of socioeconomic status.

Long-term outcome of mesna, ifosfamide, mitoxantrone, etoposide (MINE) regimen as a consolidation in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma responding to CHOP.

In aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), CHOP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, prednisolone) regimen has been standard for decades, and rituximab has increased response rates and survival in CD20 positive patients, recently. The aim of this prospective trial was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and toxicity of MINE as a consolidation treatment in aggressive NHL patients who had achieved CR or unproven CR after six cycles of CHOP in the first line setting. The primary end-point was disease-free-survival (DFS).

De novo osteogenic sarcoma of mastoid bone.

The most common primary malignant tumor of the bone is osteosarcoma. Primary involvement of the craniofacial bones in osteosarcoma is relatively rare. The mandible and the maxillae are the most commonly affected bones of the head.