Multicenter phase II clinical trial of preoperative capecitabine with concurrent radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Introduction: To assess pathologic complete response, sphincter preservation rates and toxicity profile of preoperative chemoradiation with capecitabine in resectable locally advanced rectal cancer.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-eight patients from six Spanish centers were included (March 2004 to June 2005) with histological/cytological diagnosis of locally advanced rectal cancer, age between 18 and 80 years, ECOG 0-2, adequate bone marrow, renal and hepatic functions. Prior chemotherapy/radiotherapy was not allowed.

[Development of a questionnaire to evaluate the impact of hot flashes in quality of life in patients with advanced prostate cancer. The ESCAPA study].

Background And Objective: Although the use of the androgen deprivation in advanced prostate cancer (APC) is extended, the impact of one of its frequent secondary effects, hot flashes, remains not deeply studied. Our aim is the design and validation of a specific questionnaire to evaluate the impact of hot flashes in APC patients with hormonal ablative treatment.

Patients And Method: Observational, prospective, multicenter study of 496 patients with APC, who were included in one of 2 groups -A (reliability): 56 patients without expected significative state changes; and B (sensitivity): 440 patients, who were either naïve or under changes in hormonal therapy because of intolerance or disease progression-, during 9 months.

Induction chemotherapy with cisplatin/docetaxel versus cisplatin/5-fluorouracil for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: a randomised phase II study.

A combination of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (PF) is considered the standard induction chemotherapy regimen for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). The present study compares the efficacy and safety of a new combination of cisplatin/docetaxel versus the PF regimen. A total of 83 chemotherapy-naive patients with locally advanced SCCHN were randomised to receive every 21 d (i) docetaxel 85 mg/m2 i.

Cost-minimisation analysis of three regimens of chemotherapy (docetaxel-cisplatin, paclitaxel-cisplatin, paclitaxel-carboplatin) for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Purpose: To compare the efficiency (the evaluation of efficacy in relation to costs) of three first-line treatment options for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (stage IIIB and IV) used in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) study: docetaxel/cisplatin (75/75 mg/m(2)/day, 1 h intravenous (i.v.) infusion of docetaxel), paclitaxel/cisplatin (175/75 mg/m(2)/day, 3 or 24 h i.