Safety and efficacy of sorafenib in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a single center experience.

Sorafenib is the standard treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with demonstrated outcome benefits in randomized clinical trials. We present a single-center experience with sorafenib with the aim to establish its efficacy and safety in daily clinical practice. A total of 62 patients were treated with sorafenib 400 mg/12 h until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Orbital and myocardial metastases of a primary pulmonary melanotic schwannoma.

We present the case of a 60-year-old man with a primary pulmonary melanotic schwannoma treated with surgery and who developed an orbital and myocardial relapse 2 years after the initial diagnosis. Melanotic schwannomas are rare pigmented tumours that tend to arise from the peripheral nerves near the midline. A primary lung presentation, as in our case, is extremely rare.

Heat shock proteins as targets in oncology.

Heat shock proteins are ubiquitous molecular chaperones involved in posttranslational folding, stability, activation and maturation of many proteins that are essential mediators of signal transduction and cell cycle progression. Hsp90 proteins are the best studied proteins of this family. A growing number of Hsp90 client proteins have been shown to be important for the development, proliferation and survival of several types of cancer.

Biomarkers in bronchopulmonary cancer.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ranks among the neoplasms with the worst prognoses and the highest mortality rates. Several factors, mainly clinical, are known that provide a predictive value on the course of the disease. In the era in which we live, the molecular basis of cancer is studied in depth and several molecular markers have been described that could play a prognostic role or that could predict the probability of responding to the different treatments used.

CASP8 D302H polymorphism delays the age of onset of breast cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers.

The polymorphic genetic differences among individuals may modify the high risk for breast cancer (BC) and/or ovarian cancer (OC) susceptibility conferred by BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. In the present study we investigate the relevance of RAD51 -135C > G, TP53 R72P, NQO1*2 and CASP8 D302H polymorphisms as potential modifiers of BC and/or OC susceptibility conferred by these mutations. The study group encompasses 390 BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation carriers (182 affected with BC and/or OC and 208 unaffected) of 131 unrelated families studied in the Program of Genetic Counselling on Cancer of Valencia Community.

Epidemiological pattern and time trends in testicular germ-cell tumors: a single institution 20-year experience.

Introduction: Recent studies have suggested a rise in the incidence of testicular germ-cell tumors (TGTs) in the last years, mainly due to an increase of early stage cases. We analysed the time trends in biological features of these patients in order to confirm this tendency in our environment.

Materials And Methods: The clinical records of 136 consecutive patients with TGTs treated at a single institution over a 20-year period (1984-2003) were retrospectively reviewed.

[Extra-pulmonary small-cell cancer: is its outcome similar to small cell lung cancer?].

Introduction: Extra-pulmonary small cell carcinoma (ESCC) is as a pathologic entity distinct from small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). ESCC is considered a systemic disease in its origin, so the therapeutic approach is similar to SCLC with chemotherapy being considered in case of extensive and local disease. We present a retrospective comparison of ESCC and SCLC in our institution.

Carboplatin and tegafur-uracil concomitant with standard radiotherapy in the management of locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Introduction: We undertook a prospective study to determine the feasibility, toxicity, response and survival rate of simultaneous chemotherapy (CT) and radiotherapy (RT) for locally-advanced head and neck cancer.

Material And Methods: Fifty eight patients were treated with carboplatin (i.e.