Analysing the attributes of Comprehensive Cancer Centres and Cancer Centres across Europe to identify key hallmarks.

There is a persistent variation in cancer outcomes among and within European countries suggesting (among other causes) inequalities in access to or delivery of high-quality cancer care. European policy (EU Cancer Mission and Europe's Beating Cancer Plan) is currently moving towards a mission-oriented approach addressing these inequalities. In this study, we used the quantitative and qualitative data of the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes' Accreditation and Designation Programme, relating to 40 large European cancer centres, to describe their current compliance with quality standards, to identify the hallmarks common to all centres and to show the distinctive features of Comprehensive Cancer Centres.

Does adoption of electronic health records improve the quality of care management in France? Results from the French e-SI (PREPS-SIPS) study.

Background: Electronic health records (EHR) are increasingly being adopted by healthcare systems worldwide. In France, the "Hôpital numérique 2012-2017" program was implemented as part of a strategic plan to modernize health information technology (HIT), including the promotion of widespread EHR use. With significant upfront investment costs as well as ongoing operational expenses, it is important to assess this system in terms of its ability to result in improvements in hospital performances.

Does adoption of electronic health records improve organizational performances of hospital surgical units? Results from the French e-SI (PREPS-SIPS) study.

Background: Electronic health records (EHR) are increasingly being adopted by healthcare systems worldwide. In France, the "Hôpital numérique 2012-2017" program was implemented as part of a strategic plan to modernize health information technology (HIT), including promotion of widespread EHR use. With significant upfront investment costs as well as ongoing operational expenses, it is important to assess this system in terms of its ability to result in improvements in hospital performances.

CD4 lymphopenia to identify end-of-life metastatic cancer patients.

Background: Cancer patients with CD4 lymphopenia have an increased risk of severe toxicity after administration of cytotoxic chemotherapy. The impact of CD4 lymphopenia on long term overall survival (OS) of cancer patients was explored in this work.

Patients And Methods: The first prospective series (test series) included 219 patients with solid tumours, lymphomas or myelomas receiving chemotherapy within an oncology department in 1999 and 2000.

l-asparaginase loaded red blood cells in refractory or relapsing acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children and adults: results of the GRASPALL 2005-01 randomized trial.

l-asparaginase encapsulated within erythrocytes (GRASPA(®) ) should allow serum asparagine depletion over a longer period than the native form of the enzyme, using lower doses and allowing better tolerance. The GRASPALL 2005-01 study, a multicentre randomized controlled trial, investigated three doses of GRASPA(®) for the duration of asparagine depletion in a phase I/II study in adults and children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in first relapse. Between February 2006 and April 2008, 18 patients received GRASPA(®) (50 iu/kg: n = 6,100 iu/kg: n = 6, 150 iu/kg: n = 6) after randomization, and six patients were assigned to the Escherichia coli native l-asparaginase (E.

Combination of rituximab with chemotherapy in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Evaluation in daily practice before and after approval of rituximab in this indication.

Randomized trials have demonstrated improved outcome from adding rituximab to CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This retrospective study compared the outcomes of 224 patients with DLBCL treated in our institution before (Period 1, 1996-2002) and after (Period 2, 2002-2005) approval of rituximab in this indication to evaluate the impact of the drug in daily practice in unselected patients receiving different types of chemotherapy. We treated 131 patients in Period 1 versus 93 in Period 2 (median follow-up, 75 and 29 months, respectively) with no difference in patient characteristics between the two periods.

Phase-I study of Innacell gammadelta, an autologous cell-therapy product highly enriched in gamma9delta2 T lymphocytes, in combination with IL-2, in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: gamma9delta2 T lymphocytes have been shown to be directly cytotoxic against renal carcinoma cells. Lymphocytes T gammadelta can be selectively expanded in vivo with BrHPP (IPH1101, Phosphostim) and interleukin 2 (IL-2). A phase I Study was conducted in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) to determine the maximum-tolerated dose and safety of Innacell gammadelta, an autologous cell-therapy product based on gamma9delta2 T lymphocytes, in patients with mRCC.

Immunologic and clinical effects of injecting mature peptide-loaded dendritic cells by intralymphatic and intranodal routes in metastatic melanoma patients.

Purpose: A phase I/II trial was conducted to evaluate clinical and immunologic responses after intralymphatic and intranodal injections of mature dendritic cells.

Experimental Design: Fourteen patients with a metastatic melanoma received matured dendritic cells, loaded with Melan-A/MART-1 and/or NA17-A peptides and keyhole limpet hemocyanin. The cells were matured overnight with Ribomunyl, a toll-like receptor ligand, and IFN-gamma, which ensured the production of high levels of interleukin-12p70.

[Immunotherapy of poor-prognosis neuroblastoma in children: from bench to bedside].

During the last two decades, improvements in the induction and consolidation treatment phases in patients with high-risk neuroblastoma have not translated into significant increases in survival rates. Efforts to improve outcome have used high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue and more recently, differentiating (retinoids) and antiangiogenic agents. In parallel, immunotherapy has become an increasingly important part of the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma.

Cryopreservation with hydroxyethylstarch (HES) + dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) gives better results than DMSO alone.

This study compares the cryopreservation of PBSC by means of HES 3% + DMSO 5% ina mechanical freezer with the cryopreservation of PBSC by means of DMSO 10% in an automated rate controlled freezer. The cells harvested from the same patient were divided in two equal parts and frozen according to both methods. Cryopreservation with HES +DMSO is better than DMSO alone in terms of viability (p<0.

CD4 lymphopenia as a risk factor for febrile neutropenia and early death after cytotoxic chemotherapy in adult patients with cancer.

Background: Lymphopenia is frequently observed in patients with cancer and correlates with the risk of febrile neutropenia and early death after chemotherapy. The phenotype of the depleted lymphocyte populations was investigated in the current study.

Methods: Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD56) were quantified on Day 1 using fluorescence-activated cell sorting in a prospective study of 213 patients with cancer treated with chemotherapy in a single oncology ward during 12 months.