Neoadjuvant Trabectedin plus Radiotherapy in High-Grade Sarcoma of the Leg: A Case Report.

Here, we present the case of a 78-year-old male patient with undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma on the posteromedial surface of the right leg who experienced a long-lasting progression-free survival. Due to an underlying cardiac disease, the patient was not suitable for anthracyclines. In September 2015, he received first-line chemotherapy with trabectedin (Yondelis®) at the approved dosage and regimen - concomitant with external radiotherapy (RT).

Going beyond social support: Fear of receiving compassion from others predicts depression symptoms in breast cancer patients.

Background: Recent studies have highlighted the importance of being able to receive compassion and affiliative signals from others. The main aim of the present study was to explore whether social support and fear of receiving compassion from others are predictors of depression symptoms in a sample of breast cancer patients.

Methods: The sample included 86 female patients with non-metastatic breast cancer.

[Choroidal Melanoma].

Choroidal melanoma is the most common primary intraocular malignant tumor in adults. None of the different treatments available offers advantages of survival, resorting more and more to conservative treatments such as brachytherapy, which has been available in Portugal since 2013. In this article we review the clinical characteristics, risk factors, diagnosis, complementary exams and therapeutic options in choroidal melanoma.

Neoadjuvant oral vs. infusional chemoradiotherapy on locally advanced rectal cancer: Prognostic factors.

Aim: To evaluate the prognostic factors and impact on survival of neoadjuvant oral and infusional chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Background: There is still no definitive consensus about the prognostic factors and the impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy on survival. Some studies have pointed to an improvement in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with tumor downstaging (TD) and nodal downstaging (ND).

Comparison of neoadjuvant oral chemotherapy with UFT plus Folinic acid or Capecitabine concomitant with radiotherapy on locally advanced rectal cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the differences in treatment response and the impact on survival with both oral agents (UFT and Capecitabine) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy administered concomitantly with radiotherapy.

Background: There are still no studies comparing the use of neoadjuvant oral chemotherapy either with UFT plus Folinic acid or Capecitabine concomitant with radiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

Materials And Methods: A set of 112 patients with LARC were treated preoperatively.

Usefulness of perfusion CT to assess response to neoadjuvant combined chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Rationale And Objectives: To prospectively evaluate perfusion computed tomography (CT) for assessment of changes in tumor vascularity after chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer and to analyze the correlation between baseline perfusion parameters and tumor response.

Materials And Methods: Twenty patients with rectal cancer underwent baseline perfusion CT before CRT, and in 11 an examination after CRT was also performed. For each tumor, blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT), and permeability-surface area product (PS) were quantified.

Impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiation on pathologic response and survival of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Background: The impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CT) and radiotherapy (RT) on overall survival (OS) has been controversial. Some studies have pointed to an improvement in OS and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with pathologic complete response (pCR).

Aim: To evaluate the therapeutic response and impact on survival of preoperative RT, alone or combined with CT, in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).