Phase 2, Multicenter, Open-label, Nonrandomized Study of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Liposomal Irinotecan With 5-Fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and Oxaliplatin, Followed by Chemoradiotherapy in Patients With Rectal Cancer in a Watch-and-Wait Program.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combination with liposomal irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Methods: This was a phase 2, nonrandomized, multicenter study in adults with stage II or III rectal cancer and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 1. Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) consisted of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combination with liposomal irinotecan (60 mg/m2), oxaliplatin (60 mg/m2), leucovorin (400 mg/m2), and fluorouracil (2400 mg/m²), followed by chemoradiotherapy [ie, capecitabine (825 mg/m2) and radiotherapy according to the standard of care].

Differences in the Communication of Cancer Diagnoses by Different Health Professionals and the Impact of Oncologist Communication on Patients' Emotions.

The field of healthcare is increasingly adopting a humanistic perspective in the physician-patient relationship. One of the more salient aspects being studied is the communication between the two. This study serves a dual purpose.

Development of the Anxiety, Depression and Coping (ADAF) screening tool for emotional and coping problems in cancer patients.

Objective: Clinical guidelines recommend psychological screening in cancer patients. However, most scales cover many items and hamper detection. In addition, patients are generally referred from routine consultations.

A new and simple scoring system to predict overall survival after irradiation for metastatic spinal cord compression.

Purpose: To develop a model that predicts survival in patients irradiated for metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC), hence assisting in the decision between a short and a long-course radiotherapy (RT) regimen.

Methods: 138 patients diagnosed with MSCC and treated with RT alone were included. Based on a multivariate analysis, a scoring system was developed.

Management of interruptions in radiotherapy treatments: Adaptive implementation in high workload sites.

Owing to predictable or unpredictable causes, interruptions may arise during therapy. On average, the extension of fractionated radiotherapy treatments is prone to be delayed by several weeks and interruptions can come up extending overall treatment time (OTT). Clonogenic cells of aggressive tumors might benefit from this situation, modifying local control (LC).