Curative Treatment for Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer in Elderly Patients: A Systematic Review.

Context: The incidence of muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) increases with age. With increased life expectancy the number of elderly MIBC patients is expected to increase. Existing guidelines on management of MIBC do not preclude curative treatments for elderly patients.

Retroperitoneal vascular surgery for the treatment of giant growing teratoma syndrome.

Objective: To evaluate whether an aggressive surgical policy, which included vascular surgery with standard retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND), would be justified for managing bulky retroperitoneal growing teratoma syndrome (GTS).

Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from a series of 12 patients who, from 1992 to 2010, underwent radical RPLND for bulky GTS (retroperitoneal mass≥10 cm in diameter). For complete resection, vascular procedures and nephrectomy were performed.

Quality of life in geriatric oncology--An evaluation of standard questionnaires in elderly men with urological malignancies.

Quality of life (QOL) is a critical issue in elderly patients with cancer. In the geriatric population, cancer is often associated with other chronic conditions possibly affecting QOL. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the validity of two QOL questionnaires, EORTC QLQ-C30 and SF-36, in older cancer patients.

Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) or Physical Performance Test (PPT)? That is the question.

Oncologists usually base treatment decision on the assessment of patients' performance status (PS). This study was undertaken to explore the ability of KPS to correctly assess the PS of elderly cancer patients, comparing it to a validated geriatric tool named Physical Performance Test (PPT). One single examiner assessed elderly cancer patients' PS at registration in our institution and performed the PPT on patients with KPS ≥ 60.

Primary lymphoma of the prostate treated with rituximab-based chemotherapy: a case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Primary lymphoma of the prostate is very rare. In this paper we present a case of early stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the prostate managed with six cycles of rituximab-based chemotherapy, and review the related literature.

Case Presentation: An 84-year-old man was admitted to our hospital having signs and symptoms suggestive of prostatic disease for 3 years.

Phase II study of biweekly plitidepsin as second-line therapy for advanced or metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium.

The objective of this exploratory, open-label, single-arm, phase II clinical trial was to evaluate plitidepsin (5 mg/m(2)) administered as a 3-hour continuous intravenous infusion every two weeks to patients with locally advanced/metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium who relapsed/progressed after first-line chemotherapy. Treatment cycles were repeated for up to 12 cycles or until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, patient refusal or treatment delay for >2 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was objective response rate according to RECIST.

Phase II study of plitidepsin 3-hour infusion every 2 weeks in patients with unresectable advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Objectives: To evaluate the antitumor response, time-to-event efficacy endpoints and toxicity of plitidepsin (Aplidin) 5 mg/m as a 3-hour intravenous (i.v.) infusion every 2 weeks in patients with unresectable advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).

Outcome of recurrent and metastatic small cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Background: Bladder small cell carcinoma is an uncommon tumour. Through a retrospective study we will present the evolution of recurrent and metastatic disease and outcome of patients treated at Léon-Bérard Cancer Centre.

Methods: Only 15 patients having recurrent or metastatic bladder small cell carcinoma were treated at Léon-Bérard Cancer Centre between 1996 and 2007.

Treatment of prostate cancer in unfit senior adult patients.

Prostate cancer is a disease typical of the elderly with a peak of incidence at 80 years. As most patients aged > or = 70 years show impairment of physical and/or cognitive performance, a complete geriatric assessment should be mandatory before planning any oncological treatment, in order to remove treatable conditions and to estimate the individual cancer-independent survival probability. In unfit patients with early prostate cancer watchful waiting represent the best strategy when the chance of living <10 years and the benefit from any upfront active treatment would be poor.

Small cell cancer of the bladder: The Leon-Berard cancer centre experience.

Background: Small cell bladder carcinoma is an uncommon tumor. In this retrospective study we report our experience dealing with this disease at the Leon-Berard Cancer Centre.

Materials And Methods: WE RETROSPECTIVELY ANALYZED VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF SMALL CELL BLADDER CARCINOMA: patient demographics, histological diagnosis, disease stage, treatment effects and outcome, in 14 non-metastatic small cell bladder carcinoma patients treated at our institution between 1995 and 2006.

Effects of comorbidity on screening and early diagnosis of cancer in elderly people.

There is currently little data showing that older adults can derive benefit from cancer screening. Advancing age is associated with an increasing prevalence of cancer and other chronic conditions, or comorbidity, and questions remain about the interactions between comorbidity and cancer screening in the elderly population. In this Review, we assess the available evidence on the effects of comorbidity on cancer screening in elderly individuals.

A rare case of advanced testicular seminoma in a 78-year-old man managed successfully with carboplatin based chemotherapy: a case report.

Background: Germ cell tumours are uncommon in aged man. We present a rare case of metastatic seminoma of the testis associated with liver and renal insufficiencies in a 78-years-old man managed successfully with carboplatin based chemotherapy.

Case Presentation: A 78 years old man admitted with signs and symptoms suggestive of a testicular cancer with alteration of health.

Phase II study of rubitecan in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer.

Purpose: Rubitecan is an oral camptothecin analogue that has shown activity against a broad spectrum of human tumor xenografts and has been tested in several diseases.

Patients And Methods: In the present study, 19 patients with incurable, recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer were treated with rubitecan at the initial dose of 1.5 mg/m(2) x 5 days per week.

Open-label phase II study evaluating the efficacy and safety of two doses of pertuzumab in castrate chemotherapy-naive patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

Purpose: To determine the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) 50% decline rate within 24 weeks of starting treatment with single-agent pertuzumab in castrate patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC).

Patients And Methods: Two independent Simon's two-stage designs were used to evaluate two doses of pertuzumab administered intravenously once every 3 weeks. An interim analysis of the first 23 assessable patients in the first cohort treated at 420 mg (loading dose of 840 mg) allowed termination of additional enrollment if three patients had a 50% decline in PSA after all patients had completed at least three cycles of therapy or withdrew due to insufficient therapeutic response, death, or study-related toxicity before completing three cycles.

Expression of galectin-3 in gonads and gonadal sex cord stromal and germ cell tumors.

Galectin-3, a beta-galactoside-binding lectin, has been implicated in many human malignancies, but has seldom been studied in human gonads and gonadal tumors. The aim of our study was to investigate galectin-3 mRNA and protein expression in normal ovaries and testes as well as in a variety of 51 gonadal sex cord stromal and germ cell tumors, and two testicular seminomatous and non-seminomatous cell lines, using either real-time PCR or immunohistochemistry. In human testes, galectin-3 is specifically expressed in mature Sertoli cells and Leydig cells, and is absent from fetal and pre-pubertal testes, suggesting a hormone-dependence of this gene.

Geriatric assessment in elderly patients with prostate cancer.

As a result of demographic evolution, oncologists will treat more and more elderly patients with prostate cancer. Aging is frequently associated with the coexistence of several medical complications that can increase the complexity of cancer treatment decision-making. Unfortunately, clinical oncologists need to be more familiar with the multidimensional assessment of elderly patients.

Growth regulatory factors and signalling proteins in testicular germ cell tumours.

The molecular basis of testicular germ cell tumourigenesis are not well elucidated. Growth factors regulate cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. Major families of growth factors are present in the male gonad from early fetal development to adult life.

Extragonadal germ cell tumors: relation to testicular neoplasia and management options.

An unselected population of 635 consecutive extragonadal GCT patients (EGCT) treated between 1975 through 1996 at 11 cancer centers was retrospectively evaluated for clinical prognosis and biological features of this disease. Five hundred twenty-four patients (83%) had a nonseminomatous GCT, and 104 patients (16%) a seminomatous histology; 341 (54%) patients had a primary mediastinal EGCT, and 283 patients (45%) a retroperitoneal EGCT. Following platinum based induction chemotherapy+/-secondary surgery, 141 patients (49%) with mediastinal nonseminomas (median follow up period: 19 months) and 144 patients (63%) with retroperitoneal nonseminoma (median follow up period: 29 months) are alive [p=0.

Extragonadal germ cell tumors of the mediastinum and retroperitoneum: results from an international analysis.

Purpose: To characterize the clinical and biologic features of extragonadal germ cell tumor (EGCT) and to determine the overall outcome with currently available treatment strategies.

Patients And Methods: Of an unselected population of 635 consecutive patients treated from 1975 through 1996 at 11 cancer centers, 341 patients (54%) had primary mediastinal EGCT, and 283 patients (45%) had retroperitoneal EGCT. Five hundred twenty-four patients (83%) had a nonseminomatous germ cell tumor (GCT), and 104 patients (16%) had a seminomatous histology.