Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and other industrialised countries. The most important risk factor is active smoking. However, given the increased incidence of lung cancer in non-smokers, it is necessary to improve knowledge regarding other risk factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A considerable number of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer progress after exhausting all approved standard therapies but maintain an adequate performance status and could be candidates for further treatment. We aim at reviewing our experience with sorafenib treatment of a patient with FLT3 mutation in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer.
Methods: Treatment with sorafenib of a patient with metastatic colorectal cancer and FLT3 translocation who had previously been heavily treated.
A consensus has not yet been reached for the ideal moment to carry out pleurodesis in patients with malignant pleural effusion among the majority of centres, especially those which don't specialise in oncologic treatment. The PET (positron emission tomography)/CT (computed tomography) used in the staging of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) has caused controversy when used in the evaluation of therapeutical response and in detection of recurrence in patients with pleurodesis. For not distinguishing between inflammatory and neoplasic processes while using PET or CT, suspicion of pleural involvement can result in the indication for invasive diagnostic procedures or inadequate exchange of therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe involvement of the leptomeninges by metastatic tumors can be observed in solid tumors, in which case it is termed meningeal carcinomatosis (MC), and in lymphoproliferative malignant disease. It is more common in breast and lung cancer, as well as melanoma, with adenocarcinoma being the most frequent histological type. MC is usually a late event, with disseminated and progressive disease already present and, it is characterized by multifocal neurological signs and symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMeningeal carcinomatosis (MC) occurs in up to 5% of breast cancer patients. Few studies have evaluated prognostic markers in breast cancer patients with MC. Our aim was to describe the treatment of breast cancer patients with MC, and identify prognostic factors related to survival.
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