PAI1 is a Marker of Bad Prognosis in Rectal Cancer but Predicts a Better Response to Treatment with PIM Inhibitor AZD1208.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. The standard treatment in locally advanced rectal cancer is preoperative radiation alone or in combination with chemotherapy, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Rectal cancer is highly lethal, with only 20% of patients showing a complete remission (by RECIST) after standard treatment, although they commonly show local or systemic relapse likely due to its late detection and high chemotherapy resistance, among other reasons.

A phase 2 study of panitumumab with irinotecan as salvage therapy in chemorefractory KRAS exon 2 wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

Background: Targeted agents are standard treatment for RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer in the first- and second-line settings. This phase 2 study determined the benefit of targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with panitumumab plus irinotecan in irinotecan-refractory patients.

Methods: KRAS exon-2 wild-type patients failing prior irinotecan received panitumumab (6 mg/kg) and irinotecan (180 mg/m²) every 2 weeks.

MAP17 (PDZK1IP1) and pH2AX are potential predictive biomarkers for rectal cancer treatment efficacy.

Rectal cancer represents approximately 10% of cancers worldwide. Preoperative chemoradiotherapy increases complete pathologic response and local control, although it offers a poor advantage in survivorship and sphincter saving compared with that of radiotherapy alone. After preoperative chemoradiotherapy, approximately 20% of patients with rectal cancer achieve a pathologic complete response to the removed surgical specimen; this response may be related to a better prognosis and an improvement in disease-free survival.

Evaluation of the utilization of external radiotherapy in the treatment of localized prostate cancer in Andalusia, Spain.

Background: Around 27,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year in Spain and 5400 die from this disease. Radiotherapy (RT), alone or combined, has proven to be effective as initial treatment in patients with localized disease. Our objective was to evaluate the use of external beam RT (EBRT) in our region, comparing the indication rate and irradiation rate and examining variability in its application among hospitals.

Ethnic difference in risk of toxicity in prostate cancer patients treated with dynamic arc radiation therapy.

Aims And Background: The objective of this study was to assess the influence of ethnicity on toxicity in patients treated with dynamic arc radiation therapy (ART) for prostate cancer (PC).

Methods: From June 2006 to May 2012, 162 cT1-T3 cN0 cM0 PC patients were treated with ART (primary diagnosis, n = 125; post-prostatectomy/brachytherapy biochemical recurrence, n = 26; adjuvant post-prostatectomy, n = 11) at 2 institutions. Forty-five patients were Latin Americans and 117 were Europeans.

Using inclusion complexes with cyclodextrins to explore the aggregation behavior of a ruthenium metallosurfactant.

The aggregation behavior of a chiral metallosurfactant, bis(2,2'-bipyridine)(4,4'-ditridecyl-2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) dichloride (Ru2(4)C13), synthesized as a racemic mixture was characterized by small-angle neutron scattering, light scattering, NMR, and electronic spectroscopies. The analysis of the SANS data indicates that micelles are prolate ellipsoids over the range of concentrations studied, with a relatively low aggregation number, and the micellization takes place gradually with increasing concentration. The presence of cyclodextrins (β-CD and γ-CD) induces the breakup of the micelles and helps to establish that micellization occurs at a very slow exchange rate compared to the NMR time scale.

Quality of life impact of treatments for localized prostate cancer: cohort study with a 5 year follow-up.

Purpose: To assess long-term quality of life (QoL) impact of treatments in localized prostate cancer patients treated with radical prostatectomy, external beam radiotherapy or brachytherapy.

Material And Methods: Observational, prospective cohort study with pre-treatment QoL evaluation and follow-up until five years after treatment. 704 patients with low or intermediate risk localized prostate cancer were consecutively recruited in 2003-2005.

PITASOR epidemiological study: prevalence, incidence and treatment of anaemia in radiation therapy oncology departments in Spain.

Introduction: Anemia is the most common haematological complication in cancer patients.

Objective: Analysis of the incidence, prevalence and treatment of anemia in oncologic patients treated in Radiation Oncology Departments in Spain (ROD) and monitoring of the existing recommendations for the treatment of anemia.

Material And Methods: Observational, prospective, multicenter study which involved 19 Spanish ROD.

Myeloablative therapy against high risk Ewing's sarcoma: A single institution experience and literature review.

Background: Attempts to improve survival outcomes of patients with high risk Ewing's sarcoma (ES) have focused on chemotherapy dose intensification strategies.

Aim: The objective of this study is to retrospectively evaluate clinical characteristics and outcome of pediatric patients with high risk ES treated at a single institution.

Materials And Methods: From 1995 to 2008, seventeen patients (male:female, 14:3) were treated with dose-intensive therapy in our institution.

Role of radiation therapy in the multidisciplinary management of Ewing's Sarcoma of bone in pediatric patients: An effective treatment for local control.

Background: Radiotherapy (RT) plays an important role in the multidisciplinary management of Ewing's Sarcoma (ES), especially in unresectable cases.

Aim: Assessment of efficacy of RT in terms of local control in pediatric patients with primary ES of bone.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-six patients younger than 17 years old with ES treated with combined RT and chemotherapy with (N = 14) or without (N = 22) prior surgery from 1981 to 2008 were retrospectively reviewed.

Quality-of-life impact of primary treatments for localized prostate cancer in patients without hormonal treatment.

Purpose: Earlier studies evaluating the effect on quality of life (QoL) of localized prostate cancer interventions included patients receiving adjuvant hormone therapy, which could have affected their outcomes. Our objective was to compare the QoL impact of the three most common primary treatments on patients who were not receiving adjuvant hormonal treatment.

Patients And Methods: This was a prospective study of 435 patients treated with radical prostatectomy, external-beam radiotherapy, or brachytherapy.

[Evaluation of the quality of life of patients with localizad prostate cancer: validation of the Spanish version of the EPIC].

Background And Objective: The EPIC (Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite) is a specific questionnaire for patients with prostate cancer designed to evaluate the impact of treatments on their quality of life. It contains 50 items divided in 4 summaries: urinary, intestinal, sexual and hormonal. The objective was to adapt the EPIC to Spanish and to evaluate its metric characteristics.

Health-related quality of life 2 years after treatment with radical prostatectomy, prostate brachytherapy, or external beam radiotherapy in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.

Purpose: To compare treatment impact on health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with localized prostate cancer, from before treatment to 2 years after the intervention.

Methods And Materials: This was a longitudinal, prospective study of 614 patients with localized prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy (134), three-dimensional external conformal radiotherapy (205), and brachytherapy (275). The HRQL questionnaires administered before and after treatment (months 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24) were the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (General and Prostate Specific), the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC), and the American Urological Association Symptom Index.