Phase II trial of carboplatin and bevacizumab in patients with breast cancer brain metastases.

Background: We aimed to examine the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab and carboplatin in patients with breast cancer brain metastases.

Methods: We enrolled patients with breast cancer and > 1 measurable new or progressive brain metastasis. Patients received bevacizumab 15 mg/kg intravenously (IV) on cycle 1 day 1 and carboplatin IV AUC = 5 on cycle 1 day 8.

Trans-counseling: A case series of transgender individuals at high risk for BRCA1 pathogenic variants.

Transgender individuals comprise a growing patient population in genetic counseling practice. The identification of a pathogenic variant in a cancer susceptibility gene may impact a transgender person's decisions regarding hormonal and/or surgical transition. Limited scientific literature exists on specific genetic counseling needs and medical management strategies for transgender individuals.

Customized breast cancer risk assessment in an ambulatory clinic: a portal for identifying women at risk.

Purpose: Existing high-risk clinic models focus on patients with known risk factors, potentially missing many high-risk patients. Here we describe our experience implementing universal risk assessment in an ambulatory breast center.

Methods: Since May 2017, all breast center patients completed a customized intake survey addressing known breast cancer risk factors and lifestyle choices.

Effect of Pretreatment Renal Function on Treatment and Clinical Outcomes in the Adjuvant Treatment of Older Women With Breast Cancer: Alliance A171201, an Ancillary Study of CALGB/CTSU 49907.

Purpose: CALGB 49907 showed the superiority of standard therapy, which included either cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin (AC) or cyclophosphamide/methotrexate/fluorouracil over single-agent capecitabine in the treatment of patients age ≥ 65 with early-stage breast cancer. The treatment allowed dosing adjustments of methotrexate and capecitabine for pretreatment renal function. The purpose of the current analysis was to assess the relationship between pretreatment renal function and five end points: toxicity, dose modification, therapy completion, relapse-free survival, and overall survival.

Brainstem and limbic encephalitis with paraneoplastic neuromyelitis optica.

The spectrum of disorders associated with anti-neuromyelitis optica (NMO) antibody is being extended to include infrequent instances associated with cancer. We describe a patient with brainstem and limbic encephalitis from NMO-immunoglobulin G in serum and cerebrospinal fluid in the context of newly diagnosed breast cancer. The neurological features markedly improved with excision of her breast cancer and immune suppressive therapy.

A phase II study of preoperative capecitabine in women with operable hormone receptor positive breast cancer.

Conventional preoperative chemotherapy regimens have only limited efficacy in hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer and new approaches are needed. We hypothesized that capecitabine, which is effective in metastatic breast cancer, may be an active preoperative treatment for HR+ breast cancer. Women with HR+, HER2-negative operable breast cancer received capecitabine, 2000 mg/m(2) daily in divided doses for 14 days, followed by a 7-day rest period.

Early integration of palliative and supportive care in the cancer continuum: challenges and opportunities.

Palliative care has become synonymously associated with hospice care in the minds of patients and physicians. Supportive care is a more acceptable term and leads to earlier referral. Miscommunication and a "collusion of hope" centered on cancer treatment is detrimental to care at the end of life and results in complicated bereavement.

Long-term follow-up of a phase II trial of chemotherapy plus hormone therapy for biochemical relapse after definitive local therapy for prostate cancer.

Objective: To evaluate long-term follow-up of a phase II trial of chemohormonal therapy in 62 men with prostate cancer biochemical relapse (BR).

Methods: Treatment was 4 cycles of docetaxel (70 mg/m(2)) every 3 weeks and estramustine 280 mg three times a day (days 1-5) followed by 15 months of goserelin acetate/bicalutamide. The primary endpoint was the proportion with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) <0.

Docetaxel, estramustine, and 15-month androgen deprivation for men with prostate-specific antigen progression after definitive local therapy for prostate cancer.

Purpose: Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is effective for relapsed prostate cancer, but is rarely curative. The purpose of this trial was to determine the feasibility, toxicity, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response of chemotherapy and limited ADT for men with PSA relapse.

Patients And Methods: Eligible men had an increasing PSA and no metastases after prostatectomy and/or radiation for localized disease.