Assessing the efficacy of targeted therapy using circulating epithelial tumor cells (CETC): the example of SERM therapy monitoring as a unique tool to individualize therapy.

Purpose: In malignant tumors, predictive markers have been developed with respect to targeted therapies. One of the first targeted therapies was the hormone-blocking treatment of tumors of the male and female reproductive system. A typical therapy in breast cancer is the use of the selective estrogen receptor modulator, tamoxifen.

Monitoring circulating epithelial tumour cells (CETC) to gauge therapy: in patients with disease progression after trastuzumab persisting CETC can be eliminated by combined lapatinib treatment.

Background: In breast cancers, the gene for the growth factor receptor HER2 can be amplified leading to increased aggressiveness and metastasis formation. The monoclonal antibody trastuzumab prolongs relapse-free survival highly significantly but eventually many patients relapse.

Method: In this study, CETC were monitored using the Maintrac method during adjuvant trastuzumab treatment and during subsequent treatment with capecitabine/lapatinib.

Remission with Imatinib mesylate treatment in a patient with initially unresectable dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans--a case report.

Background: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare, malignant dermal mesenchymal neoplasm characterized by a slow, infiltrative growth. These neoplasms have a high tendency to recur locally after surgical excision. However, metastasizing cases are exceedingly rare.

How many and which items of activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) are necessary for screening.

Geriatric assessment (GA) in elderly cancer patients serves as screening instrument to identify patients who are vulnerable or frail. To reduce the diagnostic burden for patients and caregivers, we asked how many and which items of ADL and IADL questionnaires are necessary to identify those patients with limitations in the sum score of ADL or IADL. Data of 327 elderly patients (age>or=60 years), of whom 27.

Autologous intracoronary mononuclear bone marrow cell transplantation in chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy in humans.

Background: Recent data suggest that transplantation of autologous bone marrow cells (BMC) may contribute to myocardial repair after acute myocardial infarction. We hypothesized that patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy could also benefit from autologous BMC transplantation in addition to established heart failure therapy.

Methods And Results: Five patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy caused by anterior myocardial infarction, 1.