Microsatellite instability correlates with negative expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors in sporadic breast cancer.

In some tumors, defects in mismatch repair enzymes lead to errors in the replication of simple nucleotide repeat segments RER+ tumors. This condition is commonly known as microsatellite instability (MSI) because of the frequent mutations of microsatellite sequences. Although the MSI phenotype is well recognized in some colon, gastric, pancreatic, and endometrial cancers, reports of MSI in breast cancer are inconsistent.

Phase I-II study of paclitaxel, cisplatin, and gemcitabine in advanced transitional-cell carcinoma of the urothelium. Spanish Oncology Genitourinary Group.

Purpose: To determine the maximum-tolerated dose and the antitumor activity of a combination of paclitaxel, cisplatin, and gemcitabine in advanced transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urothelium.

Patients And Methods: Patients with measurable, previously untreated, locally advanced or metastatic TCC and with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status < or = 2 and creatinine clearance > or = 55 mL/min were eligible. Cisplatin was given on day 1 at a fixed dose of 70 mg/m(2).

[PET detection of recurring rectal adenocarcinoma in an unusual location. Case report].

A rare pattern of colon cancer recurrence is presented. A 63-year-old man underwent surgical resection after diagnosis of colon cancer. The postsurgical-pathologic examination showed a stage II colon cancer (MAC B2).

Low frequency of microsatellite instability in sporadic breast cancer.

In some tumors, defects in mismatch repair enzymes lead to errors in the replication of simple nucleotide repeat segments. This condition is commonly known as microsatellite instability (MSI) because of the frequent mutations of microsatellite sequences. Although the MSI phenotype is well recognized in some colon, gastric, pancreatic, and endometrial cancers, reports of MSI in breast cancer are inconsistent.

Paclitaxel plus vinorelbine: an active regimen in metastatic breast cancer patients with prior anthracycline exposure.

Purpose: To evaluate the anti-tumour activity and tolerance of the combination of paclitaxel plus vinorelbine in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients previously treated with anthracyclines.

Patients And Methods: Fifty-six MBC patients who have had at least one previous anthracycline-containing chemotherapy regimen were enrolled in this phase II trial. Patients received paclitaxel (135 mg/m2 over one-hour infusion) and vinorelbine (30 mg/m2) both on day 1 of each three-week course of therapy (maximum eight courses or until disease progression was evident).

Prognostic factors in invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast: a multivariate analysis. A multicentre study after seventeen years of follow-up.

Background And Goals: The purpose of this study was to characterize the biologic determinants that affect the behavior of invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast.

Material And Methods: A prospectively accrued data base containing 9,619 breast cancer cases was queried for specific pathological features. From this data base, 390 patients with invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast treated and followed at any of these three centers: San Carlos Hospital, Doce de Octubre Hospital or The Jimenez Diaz Foundation in Madrid (Spain) were reviewed and results, in terms of overall survival and disease-free survival were recorded for a long-term follow-up of 206 months (17 years).

Retrospective evaluation of toxicity in three different schedules of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with resected colorectal cancer. TTD Spanish Cooperative Group.

Adjuvant chemotherapy has been established since 1990 as standard treatment for patients with colon cancer stage III (Dukes' C). Chemotherapeutic schemes combining 5-fluorouracil with levamisole or leucovorin have shown significant advantage over surgery alone. Adjuvant trials are being currently implemented to investigate some relevant questions, such as which is the optimal duration of chemotherapy, as well as the possible advantage of levamisol versus leucovorin schedules, and of high-dose versus low-dose leucovorin.

UFT plus or minus calcium folinate for metastatic colorectal cancer in older patients.

Two studies were carried out to determine the activity and evaluate the toxicity of oral chemotherapy with uracil and tegafur in a 4:1 molar ratio (UFT) plus or minus calcium folinate in elderly patients with advanced colorectal cancer. In one study, 106 patients received a fixed dose of UFT 400 mg/day in two daily doses every 12 hours continuously, plus calcium folinate 45 mg/day administered in three divided doses every 8 hours continuously. In study 2, calcium folinate was omitted, and the dose of UFT was increased to 400 mg/m2/day in two daily doses administered every 12 hours continuously to 95 patients.

End-stage acute hepatic failure as clinical presentation of liver metastases from breast cancer.

A most unusual case of fatal acute hepatic failure as clinical presentation of liver metastases from breast cancer is described. The patient had a four-year history of indolent breast neoplasm and no previously known liver disease.

Weekly continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil with oral leucovorin in metastatic breast cancer patients with primary resistance to doxorubicin.

Doxorubicin-resistant metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is a very poor prognosis scenario, where only taxanes have shown activity, often at the expense of severe toxicity that compromises palliation. This study was undertaken to test the antitumor activity and tolerability of infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) modulated with low-dose oral leucovorin (LV), in heavily pretreated patients with stringent criteria of primary resistance to doxorubicin, visceral involvement, and suboptimal performance status. Twenty-six patients with measurable MBC and primary resistance to anthracyclines received a weekly outpatient 48-hour infusion of high-dose 5-FU with low dose oral leucovorin.

Randomized trial comparing monthly low-dose leucovorin and fluorouracil bolus with weekly high-dose 48-hour continuous-infusion fluorouracil for advanced colorectal cancer: a Spanish Cooperative Group for Gastrointestinal Tumor Therapy (TTD) study.

Purpose: The objective of this multicenter study was to compare the efficacy and toxicity profiles of a combination of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) given by bolus injection together with intravenous leucovorin (LV) versus high-dose 5-FU in continuous infusion (CI) in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.

Patients And Methods: A total of 306 patients were randomized to receive either 5-FU 425 mg/m2 given by bolus injection on days 1-5 plus intravenous (i.v.

Evaluation of clinical efficacy of new medical treatments in advanced colorectal cancer. Results of a workshop organized by the EORTC GITCCG. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer Cooperative Group.

During the last few years several factors have contributed to an increasing change in the medical treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Among them are the more general acceptance of the impact of chemotherapy on quality of life and survival in first as well as in second-line treatment, the introduction of new drugs and the definition of novel endpoints which can roughly be defined as "patient benefit". For this reason the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer Cooperative Group (GITCCG) felt it was appropriate to organize a workshop with experts from different countries and national groups to discuss in depth several aspects concerning the treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Oxaliplatin as single agent in previously untreated colorectal carcinoma patients: a phase II multicentric study.

Background: Oxaliplatin is a new cytotoxic agent from the diaminocyclohexane family with proven antitumor activity against colon cancer cell lines. Activity in patients with colorectal carcinoma previously treated with 5-fluorouracil has been studied in three single-agent phase II trials, showing a reproducible response rate of 10%. Here we report a phase II trial with oxaliplatin as a first-line chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer.

Comparative survival analysis of p53 gene mutations and protein accumulation in colorectal cancer.

Immunohistochemical reactivity for p53 protein is common in various human malignancies. Increased intracellular concentration of p53, which is frequently, but not systematically, related to p53 mutation, has been proposed to be associated with poor prognosis in some tumor types. In colorectal cancer, this significance is still a matter of debate.

Paclitaxel plus vinorelbine in metastatic breast Ca patients with contraindications to receive anthracyclines.

Thirty-three metastatic breast cancer patients with prior chemotherapy (adjuvant alone, 9 patients; chemotherapy for metastatic disease alone, 13 patients; chemotherapy for both, 11 patients) received paclitaxel (Taxol) 135 mg/m2 over 1 h followed by vinorelbine (Navelbine) 30 mg/m2 over 10 minutes on day 1 every 3 weeks. All patients had contraindications to receive anthracycline therapy (primary resistance, 10 patients; dose reaching the maximum recommended dose and/or myocardiopathy, 23 patients). Twenty-eight patients had previously received anthracyclines, and the remaining 5 had received prior CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil).

[High-dose chemotherapy with four drugs and peripheral blood progenitor cell autologous transplantation in disseminated breast cancer].

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy (in terms of overall survival [OS] and progression-free survival [PFS]) of a high-dose chemotherapy protocol including four drugs and peripheral stem cell rescue (PSCR) plus posttransplant G-CSF (filgrastim) in disseminated breast cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: Fifty-three metastatic breast cancer patients were treated with a four-drug program of high-dose chemotherapy including cyclophosphamide (6 g/m2), thiotepa (500 mg/m2), carboplatin (800-1,600 mg/m2) and mitoxantrone (20-60 mg/m2) with autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell support followed by filgrastim. Most cases (92%) had previously received conventional induction chemotherapy with anthracycline-containing combinations.

Neoadjuvant therapy with cisplatin/fluorouracil vs cisplatin/UFT in locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer.

This study compared the activity and toxicity of fluorouracil (5-FU)/ cisplatin with the combination tegafur and uracil (UFT)/cisplatin in the neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced-stage III or IV (MO)-head and neck cancer. A total of 67 patients were randomly assigned to treatment with cisplatin 100 mg/m2 on day 1 followed by either a continuous infusion of 5-FU 1,000 mg/m2/day on days 2 through 6 (group 1) or oral administration of UFT 300 mg/m2/day on days 2 through 20 (group 2). Both treatments were repeated every 21 days for four cycles.

Preliminary results. UFT/methotrexate/leucovorin for breast Ca patients in progression after HDCT/PBPC support.

Twenty-four patients with metastatic breast cancer that had progressed after high-dose chemotherapy with peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) support were given intramuscular methotrexate in combination with oral UFT (tegafur and uracil) and oral leucovorin (the MUL regimen). Of the total treated, 21 patients are currently evaluable for response and toxicity. All patients had received extensive prior chemotherapy, including a high-dose regimen with PBPC support.

A preliminary report of a phase II trial. UFT plus oral folinic acid as therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer in older patients. Spanish Group for the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors (TTd Group).

The oral fluoropyrimidines have proved to be active in colorectal cancer in Japan and, recently, in the United States and Europe. Continuous oral administration simulates protracted fluorouracil (5-FU) continuous intravenous infusion. The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the tolerability and potential advantages of oral treatment for colorectal cancer in the elderly.

Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer Liaison Office: an attempt to organise clinical research in Europe.

The Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer Liaison Office (GITCLO) was developed in an attempt to organise the increasing body of clinical research in gastrointestinal tumours in Europe. This paper represents an analysis, by tumour localisation, of the trials collected for the second edition of the GITCLO booklet. The list of cooperative groups, chairmen and study coordinators is given with their respective telephone and telefax numbers.

Combination of oral idarubicin and prednimustine in advanced breast cancer: a phase II study.

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and toxicity of an idarubicin-prednimustine combination in advanced breast cancer. 19 patients received idarubicin 35 mg/m2 day 1 and prednimustine 100 mg/m2 days 2-6, every 21 days. Three objective responses with a median duration of 7 months were observed.

p53 exon 5 mutations as a prognostic indicator of shortened survival in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Inactivation of the tumour-suppressor gene p53 has been described as one of the most common molecular changes found in lung tumours. Our purpose was to study the prognostic value of p53 alterations and to determine whether some specific mutation type in the p53 gene could be associated with poor clinical evolution in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. To this end, we studied 81 resected primary NSCLCs in order to detect p53 alterations.

Acute and anticipatory emesis in breast cancer patients.

A group of 90 breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy were assessed prospectively to estimate the prevalence of acute (post-treatment) and anticipatory emesis in the 1990s. For this purpose, two protocols of chemotherapy were analysed separately: cyclophosphamide/methotrexate/5-fluorouracil (CMF) and 5-fluorouracil/doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (FAC). All patients were treated with antiemetic therapy, which included one corticoid plus ondansetron (in the FAC regimen), or one corticoid plus thiethylperazine (in the CMF regimen).