Survival of Patients With Metastatic Rectum Cancer Who Underwent Metastasectomy Following Conversion Chemotherapy Sans Pelvic Radiotherapy: A Turkish Oncology Group Study.

Background: The management of early rectal cancer is different from that of colon cancer in terms of radiotherapy (RT) requirements or neoadjuvant treatment. It is not clear how the course of rectal cancer differs from that of the colon in a metastatic setting or how it should be approached differently. This study aimed to evaluate outcomes after combining downsizing chemotherapy (CTx) with rescue surgery.

Prognostic role of inflammatory biomarkers in metastatic breast cancer.

Purpose: The effects of inflammation on the prognosis, life expectancy and several parameters such as response to treatment of breast cancer have been previously studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of inflammatory markers on prognosis in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Methods: This study was conducted on 81 patients with metastatic breast cancer who have been followed up at the Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Institute of Oncology, between December, 2009 and March, 2014.

Is Change in Hemoglobin Level a Predictive Biomarker of Tyrosine Kinase Efficacy in Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma? A Turkish Oncology Group Study.

Background: There are insufficient predictive markers for renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Methods: A total of 308 metastatic RCC patients were analyzed retrospectively.

Results: The increased hemoglobin (Hb) group had significantly higher progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) compared with the decreased Hb group at 11.

Impact of adjuvant treatment modalities on survival outcomes in curatively resected pancreatic and periampullary adenocarcinoma.

Background: We examined the impact of adjuvant modalities on resected pancreatic and periampullary adenocarcinoma (PAC).

Methods: A total of 563 patients who were curatively resected for PAC were retrospectively analyzed between 2003 and 2013.

Results: Of 563 patients, 472 received adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) alone, chemoradiotherapy (CRT) alone, and chemoradiotherapy plus chemotherapy (CRT-CT) were analyzed.

Renal cell carcinoma metastatic to the tongue: a case report and review of the literature.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastatic to the head and neck region is quite rare. This report describes a case of RCC metastatic to the oral tongue presenting initially with a renal mass that evaded diagnosis by biopsy examination of the primary lesion and was eventually established as a papillary type RCC by lingual biopsy examination. The tongue mass progressed rapidly despite chemotherapy with interferon-α2b, caused difficulties with oral food intake, and thus necessitated removal by partial glossectomy.

The effect of renin-angiotensin-system inhibition on survival and recurrence of N3+ breast cancer patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between the rennin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibition and the risk of breast cancer (BC) recurrence and progression in N3 positive patients.

Methods: The medical records of patients treated for N3 positive BC in Hacettepe Cancer Institute between 2005 and 2012 were evaluated. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) users were defined as patients who took these medications for at least 6 months in no evidence of disease (NED) stage after the initial diagnosis.

Impact of inflammatory markers on the prognosis of patients with operable breast cancer.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of inflammatory markers on the prognosis of patients with operable breast cancer.

Methods: This study was conducted on breast cancer patients followed up between December 2009 and December 2012 at the Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University Medical School. A total of 704 patients with stages I to III disease whose inflammatory markers were assessed at the time of diagnosis were included the study.

Association of breast cancer subtypes and body mass index.

Aims And Background: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with various pathological and molecular subtypes. This study aims to determine the association between BMI and the distribution of breast cancer subtypes defined by estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2/neu) expression in pre- and postmenopausal breast cancers.

Methods And Study Design: A total of 1847 female breast cancer patients were involved.

Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) for HER2-positive breast cancer.

Background: Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), a novel drug developed for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer, is a human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) targeted antibody drug conjugate, composed of trastuzumab, a stable thioether linker, and the potent cytotoxic agent DM1 (derivative of maytansine). It has been shown that, in preclinical studies, it has anti-tumor activity in trastuzumab refractory cancer cells. In this review, we aim to show the clinical data about trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1) therapy and to discuss the therapy advantages for the management of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.

Fluid rim sign: a new ultrasonographic sign of soft tissue aspergillosis.

The air crescent sign is a well-known important diagnostic finding in invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Herein we report a distinctive but rare ultrasonographic appearance in a patient with myositis secondary to Aspergillus flavus infection, which can be considered as the soft tissue counterpart of the air crescent sign.

Association between common risk factors and molecular subtypes in breast cancer patients.

Background: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and characterized its by molecular and clinical heterogeneity. Gene expression profiling studies have classified breast cancers into five subtypes: luminal A, luminal B, HER-2 overexpressing, basal-like, and normal breast-like. Although clinical differences between subtypes have been well described in the literature, etiologic heterogeneity have not been fully studied.

Evaluation of cardiac safety of lapatinib therapy for ErbB2-positive metastatic breast cancer: a single center experience.

Lapatinib is a dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that has a considerable efficacy in ErbB2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Previous studies revealed that TKIs caused cardiotoxicity in approximately 10 % of the patients. This study assessed the cardiac safety of lapatinib in women with ErbB2-positive MBC.