Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts survival of patients with rectal cancer receiving neo-adjuvant chemoradiation followed by radical resection: a meta-analysis.

Background: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is suggested as a prognostic and predictive factor for patients with rectal cancer. The purpose of the current meta-analysis is to evaluate the relationship between neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the outcome of patients, with rectal cancer receiving chemoradiation and surgery.

Methods: A systematic review on two databases and a selection of studies were done.

Primary tumor resection in patients with unresectable colorectal cancer with synchronous metastases could improve the activity of poly-chemotherapy: A trial-level meta-analysis.

Introduction: Primary tumor resection (PTR) in patients with metastatic unresectable colorectal cancer is less and less used to prevent local complications. Although its therapeutic effect is debated, poor data are available about the activity of chemotherapy (CHT) after PTR. The study aims to evaluate trials that compared PTR followed by CHT vs.

Leukocyte kinetics during the first cycle of chemotherapy predicts the outcome of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and previous resection of the primary tumor.

Background: Many reports suggest more activity of cytotoxic chemotherapy among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who experience neutropenia, but it is not clear whether this finding is related to drug effect alone. The aim of the study is to identify the characteristics of patients whose peripheral blood cell kinetics (PBCK) is related to the outcome.

Methods: The study is a retrospective analysis of patients with mCRC who had received first-line chemotherapy at Sanremo hospital from 2010 to 2015, evaluating seventeen baseline variables, six related to systemic inflammatory response activation (SIRA), and six to peripheral blood cell kinetics after one cycle.

Systemic Inflammation Scores Predict the Activity of First-Line Chemotherapy in Patients with Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Systemic inflammation response (SIR)-related variables are controversial as predictive variables.

Methods: Patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC) receiving chemotherapy were identified, three SIR-related variables and the relationships between each of them with overall survival (OS) were analysed.

Results: Of 129 patients receiving chemotherapy, 97 had metastases.

Reduction of derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio after four weeks predicts the outcome of patients receiving second-line chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer.

Systemic inflammation response (SIR) plays a role in predicting prognosis of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia has been suggested as another evaluable prognostic and predictive factor. This is a retrospective analysis of derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) and its reduction > 10% after the first cycle of chemotherapy (R10) in a monoinstitutional series of patients with mCRC receiving a first-line and a second-line cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Carcinoembryonic Antigen-related Tumor Kinetics After Eight Weeks of Chemotherapy is Independently Associated With Overall Survival in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) best reduction after chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has been reported as a prognostic factor. The study aims to evaluate whether serum CEA kinetics after 8 weeks of chemotherapy was prognostic in patients with mCRC.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with mCRC, who received chemotherapy and for whom CEA determinations were available at baseline and after 8 weeks, was performed.

Tumor growth kinetics by CA 19-9 in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer receiving chemotherapy: A retrospective analysis.

Background: Recently, measures of tumor growth kinetics calculated by carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) determinations after cytotoxic chemotherapy (CHT) have been reported as effective prognostic indicators in locally-advanced unresectable and metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC). The study aims to evaluate the prognostic role of tumor kinetics measured by CA 19-9 in patients with mPDAC, measuring it by three different ways.

Methods: Patients with mPDAC receiving a first-line CHT between 2009 and 2017 were identified, and those for whom CA 19-9 data were available were enrolled.

Neutrophil count kinetics during the first cycle of chemotherapy predicts the outcome of patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Background: Neutrophil count reduction after chemotherapy has been related with longer survival of patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma, but there is not a standardized measurement for this phenomenon.

Methods: Some parameters related to the change in neutrophil count between the first and the second cycle of chemotherapy or between the baseline count and the nadir have been evaluated among patients with advanced pancreatic cancer at a single institution. A Cox regression model was built which included, in addition to the common prognostic variables, some variables related to the change of the neutrophil count after chemotherapy.

Retrospective analysis by site of primary tumor of patients with unresectable locally-advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma receiving chemotherapy.

The primary tumor site of pancreatic cancer has been suggested as a recommended variable in future studies of treatments of patients with unresectable or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC). The aim of the current study is to analyze the differences between mPDAC of the head and mPDAC of the body-tail, both in prognostic and predictive terms in patients with mPDAC receiving palliative chemotherapy. Data of patients with a diagnosis of mPDAC and receiving chemotherapy (CHT), registered in the database of the division of Medical Oncology of the Ospedale Civile di Sanremo, were analyzed.

Neutrophil-related Variables Have Different Prognostic Effect Based on Primary Tumor Location in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy.

Background: Clinical data reported a relationship between neutrophil-related variables and poor prognosis in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), but only platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio has been reported as prognostic.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis of 145 patients with mCRC, who received chemotherapy at the department of Oncology of the Ospedale Civile di Sanremo in 2010 to 2013, was performed, and a Cox model was built.

Results: In the model, some variables were independently related with overall survival (OS) (resection of the primary tumor, number of drugs included in the first-line chemotherapy regimen), whereas neutrophil-related ones were not.

Analysis of response-related endpoints in trials of first-line medical treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Background: Tumor radiologic response after systemic chemotherapy has been used as endpoint of trials of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), which can report the best overall response rate (ORR) and the disease control rate (DCR) by RECIST criteria as well as the early tumor shrinkage (ETS). The present study perform a trial-level analysis to verify whether such response-related endpoints are predictive of overall survival (OS).

Methods: After a systematic search, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were selected each time they evaluated the three response endpoints and progression-free survival (PFS).

Early tumor shrinkage after first-line medical treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis.

Background: Early tumor shrinkage (ETS) is a response-related endpoint of clinical trials of chemotherapy (CHT) of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). It identifies a dimensional reduction of tumor size by at least 20-30% after 6-8 weeks of CHT.

Methods: A literature search of randomized trials of systemic treatment including CHT with or without antiangiogenics or anti-EGFR inhibitors in patients with mCRC has been conducted, and studies reporting the results of the relationship of ETS with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were selected.

Carcinoembryonic antigen reduction after medical treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: The introduction of new drugs and multimodal treatments for the management of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has reduced the importance of time-to-event endpoints and reported the attention on the response-related endpoints. Furthermore, the prognostic role of the surgical scores before the resection of metastases has not been confirmed for multimodal treatments. The purpose of this research is to perform a meta-analysis of the studies that evaluated the relationship between carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) response and outcome in patients with mCRC receiving systemic chemotherapy.

Second-generation inflammation-related scores are more effective than systemic inflammation ratios in predicting prognosis of patients with unresectable or metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Inflammation is known to play an important role in the biology of metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC), and systemic inflammatory response (SIR) is reported to be closely related to outcome in mPDAC. The aim of the present paper is to assess the prognostic performance of SIR-related variables in patients with mPDAC receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy. Data of patients with mPDAC, who were registered in the database of the division of Medical Oncology of the G.

CA19-9-related tumor kinetics after first-line chemotherapy of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer: a monoinstitutional experience.

The absolute value of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) pretreatment and its reduction after chemotherapy are established prognostic variables for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The present study is a retrospective monoinstitutional evaluation of the prognostic role of the CA19-9 reduction and some CA19-9-related tumor kinetics parameters, such as tumor growth rate constant (G), kinetic tumor response and log ratio. Forty-one cases met the selection criteria.

Tumor Growth Kinetics Before and After First-line Chemotherapy in Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer: A Prostate-specific Antigen-based Retrospective Analysis.

Objectives: The role of the tumor growth fraction has been investigated poorly in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The aim of this study was to assess whether some prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-related variables of tumor cell kinetics predict the overall survival in early and late mCRPC, and to explore changes in the tumor growth fraction after chemotherapy.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 3 tumor cell kinetic variables in patients with mCRPC receiving first-line chemotherapy has been performed.

Analysis of Response-Related and Time-to-event Endpoints in Randomized Trials of Gemcitabine-Based Treatment Versus Gemcitabine Alone as First-Line Treatment of Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer.

Background: Gemcitabine-based combinations in advanced pancreatic cancer have been reported to have superior activity compared with gemcitabine alone. The results of the commonly used endpoints of clinical trials after chemotherapy or targeted therapy have been poorly reported.

Methods And Materials: We performed a search of randomized trials of systemic treatment that included gemcitabine plus chemotherapy or targeted therapy versus gemcitabine alone.

Prostate-specific antigen growth rate constant after first-line cytotoxic chemotherapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a monoinstitutional experience.

Objective: Validation in clinical practice, after first-line chemotherapy (CT) of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (PC), of prostate-specific antigen growth rate constant logarithm (PSA-G), calculated by a formula developed by Stein et al. in comparison with PSA decrease (PSA-D), calculated as recommended by PCWG2.

Patients And Methods: This study is a retrospective monoinstitutional assessment of PSA-G and PSA-D after 12 weeks from the beginning of first-line cytotoxic CT in 49 patients with metastatic castration-resistant PC treated from 2006 to 2011, and whose pre-CT PSA and post-CT PSA determinations have been measured at specific time points.

CA125-related measures of tumor kinetics and outcome of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer receiving chemotherapy: a retrospective evaluation.

Objective: Defining the reliability of cancer antigen-125-related kinetics criteria versus Gynecologic Cancer Inter Group criteria in predicting the tumor outcome after chemotherapy in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.

Methods: A retrospective monoinstitutional assessment of CA125-related versus Gynecologic Cancer Inter Group-related parameters was performed after cytotoxic chemotherapy in patients with metastatic ovarian cancer treated from 2006 to 2011. A correlation analysis between the response and progression measurements has been performed, and the outcome has been reported.

Docetaxel for metastatic breast cancer: two consecutive phase II trials.

Background: Docetaxel is the most active agent for metastatic breast cancer, but the optimal treatment regimen as a single agent has yet to be defined.

Patients And Methods: Two consecutive monocentric phase II trials of docetaxel in metastatic breast cancer were carried out. In Trial I, 36 patients received docetaxel 35 mg/m2 weekly for 6 weeks every 8 weeks and in Trial II, 29 patients received docetaxel 100 mg/m2 day 1 every 21 days.

Decrease in length of hospitalization before death of cancer patients in the Italian province of Imperia.

Although the overall cure rates for cancer in Italy are comparable to those of other developed countries, these results are the product of very heterogeneous facilities. In order to assess the possible impact of improved acute cancer care services on the last phase of life, a retrospective study was carried out which included 4238 patients registered at the Division of Medical Oncology of Imperia Province from January 1995 to December 2002. In 1998 the Province of Imperia, with a population of 217,000, had only two doctors and five day-hospital beds.