Severe symptoms and very low quality-of-life among outpatients newly diagnosed with advanced cancer: data from a multicenter cohort study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify symptoms of severe intensity or very low scores for quality of life (QoL) domains in newly diagnosed outpatients with advanced cancer.

Methods: This multicenter cohort study from a state-wide palliative care network included adult outpatients with advanced cancer diagnosed within the preceding 8 weeks from four comprehensive cancer centers (DRKS00006162, registered on 19 May 2014). We used the Palliative Outcome Scale (POS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL Questionnaire-C30.

[Pain Management in Palliative Care].

A consistent pain management together with treatment of dyspnoea belongs to the main issues in symptom control in particular in palliative thoracic oncology. Together with the medicamentous therapy the psychologic and social circumstances of the affected patients have to be considered as factors influencing the experience of pain. The therapeutic fundament according to the WHO guideline for cancer pain is the opiate based medicamentous adjustment combined with non-opioids.

Randomized, double-blind, phase II trial comparing gemcitabine-cisplatin plus the LTB4 antagonist LY293111 versus gemcitabine-cisplatin plus placebo in first-line non-small-cell lung cancer.

Introduction: In this phase II study, patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small-cell lung cancer were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive LY293111 (200 mg twice daily [200 LY293111] or 600 mg twice daily [600 LY293111]) or placebo for 7 days, followed by concurrent cisplatin (75 mg/m2; day 1) and gemcitabine (1250 mg/m2; days 1 and 8), every 21 days.The primary endpoint was progression-free survival, (PFS), with 75% power to detect 33% improvement compared with placebo (5 months).

Methods: Of 200 randomized patients, 195 were treated.

The validation of estrogen receptor 1 mRNA expression as a predictor of outcome in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

The prognostic role of estrogen receptors in lung cancer is not validated. Results from patients with early stage non-small lung cancer patients indicate a prognostic role of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) mRNA expression in these patients. Automated RNA extraction from paraffin and RT-quantitative PCR was used for evaluation of tumoral ESR1 and progesterone receptor (PGR) mRNA expression.

Prospective, multicenter, randomized, independent-group, open-label phase II study to investigate the efficacy and safety of three regimens with two doses of sagopilone as second-line therapy in patients with stage IIIB or IV non-small-cell lung cancer.

Introduction: Sagopilone is the first fully synthetic epothilone in clinical development and has proven preclinical activity in tumor models. This multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase II study examined the efficacy and safety of three regimens with two doses and two infusion durations of second-line sagopilone in pretreated patients with stage IIIB or IV non-small-cell lung cancer.

Methods: Eligibility criteria included: at least one measurable lesion by modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors; World Health Organization performance status of 0 or 1; and failure of previous platinum-based chemotherapy.

A randomized phase II study of pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin or carboplatin as first-line therapy for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: Pemetrexed plus cisplatin was approved for first-line treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with nonsquamous histology after initiation of this study. This phase II study evaluated pemetrexed plus cisplatin and pemetrexed plus carboplatin as first-line treatments for stage IIIB/IV NSCLC.

Patients And Methods: The patients were randomized (1:1) to 2 parallel arms: pemetrexed (500 mg/m(2)) plus cisplatin (75 mg/m(2)) or pemetrexed (500 mg/m(2)) plus carboplatin (area under the curve 6) day 1 every 3 weeks (maximum, 6 cycles).

Tasisulam sodium (LY573636 sodium) as third-line treatment in patients with unresectable, metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: a phase-II study.

Introduction: Tasisulam sodium (hereafter referred to as tasisulam) is a novel anticancer compound that induces apoptosis and exhibits antiangiogenesis activity in a broad range of cancer models, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Tasisulam was administered as a 2-hour infusion every 21 days as third-line treatment in patients with advanced (stage IIIB/IV) NSCLC.

Results: Thirty-two patients received a Cmax target dose of 420 µg/ml.

A phase II randomized study of cisplatin-pemetrexed plus either enzastaurin or placebo in chemonaive patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Objectives: Enzastaurin is a serine/threonine kinase inhibitor that targets protein kinase C and AKT pathways. Enzastaurin and pemetrexed demonstrated synergy in preclinical studies. This trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of first-line enzastaurin plus cisplatin-pemetrexed in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Molecular biomarkers in non-small-cell lung cancer: a retrospective analysis of data from the phase 3 FLEX study.

Background: Findings from the phase 3 FLEX study showed that the addition of cetuximab to cisplatin and vinorelbine significantly improved overall survival, compared with cisplatin and vinorelbine alone, in the first-line treatment of EGFR-expressing, advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We investigated whether candidate biomarkers were predictive for the efficacy of chemotherapy plus cetuximab in this setting.

Methods: Genomic DNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumour tissue of patients enrolled in the FLEX study was screened for KRAS codon 12 and 13 and EGFR kinase domain mutations with PCR-based assays.

Pemetrexed in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma: results from an expanded access program in Germany.

An international expanded access program was initiated to provide access to treatment with pemetrexed prior registration and reimbursement for malignant mesothelioma (MM). Chemonaïve and pretreated patients with inoperable MM of the pleura or peritoneum were eligible. This report describes the results obtained in German centers.