Combining paclitaxel and lapatinib as second-line treatment for patients with metastatic transitional cell carcinoma: a case series.

Background: Current first-line cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy regimens provide interesting response rates but limited impact on survival for patients with metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium. Such results leave a significant patient population in need of salvage therapy.

Patients And Methods: As the epidermal growth factor receptors 1 and 2 (EGFR and HER2) are frequently overexpressed in urothelial carcinoma, we explored the feasibility of a combination of paclitaxel (80 mg/m(2)/week) and lapatinib (1,500 mg orally daily) for six patients who were treated after failure of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.

5-fluorouracil/leucovorin combined with irinotecan and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) as second-line chemotherapy in patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Background: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of irinotecan and oxaliplatin plus 5-fluorouracil (FU) and leucovorin (FOLFIRINOX) as second-line therapy in metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (MPA).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 27 patients with MPA treated with FOLFIRINOX as second-line therapy between January 2003 and November 2009 in our hospital. The recommended schedule was oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) on day 1 + irinotecan 180 mg/m(2) on day 1 + leucovorin 400 mg/m(2) on day 1 followed by FU 400 mg/m(2) as a bolus on day 1 and 2,400 mg/m(2) as 46-hour continuous infusion biweekly.