Randomized, Double-Blind Phase II Trial With Prospective Classification by ATM Protein Level to Evaluate the Efficacy and Tolerability of Olaparib Plus Paclitaxel in Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Gastric Cancer.

Purpose: Gastric cancer cell lines, particularly those with low levels of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), a key activator of DNA damage response, are sensitive to the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor olaparib. We compared the efficacy of olaparib plus paclitaxel (olaparib/paclitaxel) with paclitaxel alone in patients with recurrent or metastatic gastric cancer and assessed whether low ATM expression is predictive of improved clinical outcome for olaparib/paclitaxel.

Patients And Methods: In this phase II, double-blind study (Study 39; NCT01063517), patients were randomly assigned to oral olaparib 100 mg twice per day (tablets) plus paclitaxel (80 mg/m(2) per day intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15 of every 28-day cycle) or placebo plus paclitaxel (placebo/paclitaxel), followed by maintenance monotherapy with olaparib (200 mg twice per day) or placebo.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Cervical Spine and Pelvic Bone Metastases Presenting as Unknown Primary Neoplasm.

The occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is closely associated with viral hepatitis or alcoholic hepatitis. Although active surveillance is ongoing in Korea, advanced or metastatic HCC is found at initial presentation in many patients. Metastatic HCC presents with a hypervascular intrahepatic tumor and extrahepatic lesions such as lung or lymph node metastases.

A case-control study to identify risk factors for totally implantable central venous port-related bloodstream infection.

Purpose: To date, the risk factors for central venous port-related bloodstream infection (CVPBSI) in solid cancer patients have not been fully elucidated. We conducted this study in order to determine the risk factors for CVP-BSI in patients with solid cancer.

Materials And Methods: A total of 1,642 patients with solid cancer received an implantable central venous port for delivery of chemotherapy between October 2008 and December 2011 in a single center.

Two-week course of preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by delayed surgery for rectal cancer: a phase II multi-institutional clinical trial (KROG 11-02).

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a two-week schedule of radiotherapy with oral capecitabine in locally advanced rectal cancer.

Methods And Materials: Eighty patients with rectal cancer located in the mid to low rectum, staged cT3-4N0-2M0, were prospectively enrolled. They underwent preoperative chemoradiotherapy and delayed surgery 6-8 weeks after the completion of radiation therapy.

Status of hepatocellular carcinoma in South Korea.

In South Korea, liver cancer is the 4th most common cancer in men and 6th most common cancer in women. However, the incidences of liver cancer among Korean men and women have been declining from 1999 to 2010. The reason for the declining incidence appears secondary to decreased hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which is the leading risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with successful implementation of HBV vaccination since 1983.

Comparison between preoperative and postoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer: an institutional analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate the treatment outcomes of preoperative versus postoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on locally advanced rectal cancer.

Materials And Methods: Medical data of 114 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with CRT preoperatively (54 patients) or postoperatively (60 patients) from June 2003 to April 2011 was analyzed retrospectively. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) or a precursor of 5-FU-based concurrent CRT (median, 50.

Retroperitoneal smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential after hysterectomy: a case report.

Introduction: Smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential represent a histologically heterogeneous group of uterine smooth muscle tumors that cannot be diagnosed as either benign or malignant. Smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential are usually clinically benign, but should be considered tumors of low malignant potential because they can occasionally recur or metastasize to distant sites.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a 62-year-old Mongol woman diagnosed with a retroperitoneal smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential and lung metastasis, with a history of prior hysterectomy.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue in stage IIIB inflammatory breast cancer.

Background: Despite the advances in breast cancer care, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) has a poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with thiotepa, mitoxantrone and carboplatin (TMJ regimen) in women with TNM stage IIIB IBC.

Patients And Methods: Between 1991 and 1998, twenty-eight patients with stage IIIB IBC underwent an autologous stem cell transplant after undergoing chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiation.

Phase I clinical trial of irinotecan with oral capecitabine in patients with gastrointestinal and other solid malignancies.

The purpose of this study was to determine the safety of irinotecan and capecitabine in patients with advanced solid tumors. Thirty-four patients received 122 courses of irinotecan 200 to 300 mg/m(2) as an intravenous infusion during 30 minutes on day 1 and capecitabine 1,500 to 3,000 mg/d orally 12 hours apart starting on day 2 for 14 days, repeated every 21 days (one course). Three to seven patients were treated in six dose-escalation cohorts.