Early Imaging and Molecular Changes with Neoadjuvant Bevacizumab in Stage II/III Breast Cancer.

This prospective, phase II study evaluated novel biomarkers as predictors of response to bevacizumab in patients with breast cancer (BC), using serial imaging methods and gene expression analysis. Patients with primary stage II/III BC received bevacizumab 15 mg/kg (cycle 1; C1), then four cycles of neoadjuvant docetaxel doxorubicin, and bevacizumab every 3 weeks (C2-C5). Tumour proliferation and hypoxic status were evaluated using F-fluoro-3'-deoxy-3'-L-fluorothymidine (FLT)- and F-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO)-positron emission tomography (PET) at baseline, and during C1 and C5.

Survival impact of primary tumor resection in de novo metastatic breast cancer patients (GEICAM/El Alamo Registry).

The debate about surgical resection of primary tumor (PT) in de novo metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients persists. We explored this approach's outcomes in patients included in a retrospective registry, named El Álamo, of breast cancer patients diagnosed in Spain (1990-2001). In this analysis we only included de novo MBC patients, 1415 of whom met the study's criteria.

Safety and efficacy of vinorelbine in combination with pertuzumab and trastuzumab for first-line treatment of patients with HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer: VELVET Cohort 1 final results.

Background: Pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and docetaxel is standard of care for first-line treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, alternative chemotherapy partners are required to align with patient/physician preferences and to increase treatment flexibility. We report VELVET Cohort 1 results in which the efficacy and safety of pertuzumab and trastuzumab, administered sequentially in separate infusions, followed by vinorelbine, were evaluated.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Northern Spain 40 Years Later: What Has Changed?

Background: In the last years different studies have reported an increase of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) incidence, highlighting the role of the environment in this disease. This prompted us to review ALS cases diagnosed at our hospital in the last decade and to compare them with a previous ALS series reported in our region 30 years ago.

Methods: We reviewed those ALS cases diagnosed at our centre between 2004 and 2013.

Epirubicin Plus Cyclophosphamide Followed by Docetaxel Versus Epirubicin Plus Docetaxel Followed by Capecitabine As Adjuvant Therapy for Node-Positive Early Breast Cancer: Results From the GEICAM/2003-10 Study.

Purpose: Capecitabine is an active drug in metastatic breast cancer (BC). GEICAM/2003-10 is an adjuvant trial to investigate the integration of capecitabine into a regimen of epirubicin and docetaxel for node-positive early BC.

Patients And Methods: Patients with operable node-positive BC (T1-3/N1-3) were eligible.

Analysis of the changes induced by bevacizumab using a high temporal resolution DCE-MRI as prognostic factors for response to further neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: Antiangiogenic drugs are being used in the treatment of locally advanced breast cancer. The effect of these drugs can be monitorized using high temporal resolution dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI).

Purpose: To evaluate changes in tumor microvasculature induced by bevacizumab and the usefulness of these changes predicting response to further neoadjuvant therapy.

Fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) versus FAC followed by weekly paclitaxel as adjuvant therapy for high-risk, node-negative breast cancer: results from the GEICAM/2003-02 study.

Purpose: Adding taxanes to anthracycline-based adjuvant therapy improves survival outcomes of patients with node-positive breast cancer (BC). Currently, however, most patients with BC are node negative at diagnosis. The only pure node-negative study (Spanish Breast Cancer Research Group 9805) reported so far showed a docetaxel benefit but significant toxicity.

Cost-utility analysis of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel versus paclitaxel in monotherapy in pretreated metastatic breast cancer in Spain.

Aim: The COSTABRAX study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) versus polyethylated castor oil-based standard paclitaxel (sb-paclitaxel) in the treatment of patients with previously treated metastatic breast cancer in Spain.

Materials & Methods: Efficacy data were obtained from the CA012 trial (nab-paclitaxel administered every 3 weeks [q3w] and sb-paclitaxel q3w) and indirect comparison (sb-paclitaxel administered weekly), and were modeled to a time horizon of 5 years using a Markov model. The analysis was performed from the National Health Service perspective.

Randomized phase 3 trial of fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide alone or followed by Paclitaxel for early breast cancer.

Background: Taxanes are among the most active drugs for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, and, as a consequence, they have also been studied in the adjuvant setting.

Methods: After breast cancer surgery, women with lymph node-positive disease were randomly assigned to treatment with fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC) or with FEC followed by weekly paclitaxel (FEC-P). The primary endpoint of study-5-year disease-free survival (DFS)-was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Weekly docetaxel as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for stage II and III breast cancer: efficacy and correlation with biological markers in a phase II, multicenter study.

Purpose: This is one of the first reports of weekly docetaxel (Taxotere) in the neoadjuvant treatment of stage II and III breast cancer. We evaluated docetaxel's efficacy and safety and analyzed correlations between response and the expression of c-erbB2, ER status, and Ki-67 labeling index.

Experimental Design: Patients with previously untreated, stage II and III breast cancer were entered into the study.