Author Correction: Sex-Related Differences in Impact on Safety of Pharmacogenetic Profile for Colon Cancer Patients Treated with FOLFOX-4 or XELOX Adjuvant Chemotherapy.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Sex-Related Differences in Impact on Safety of Pharmacogenetic Profile for Colon Cancer Patients Treated with FOLFOX-4 or XELOX Adjuvant Chemotherapy.

Polymorphisms contribute to inter-individual differences and show a promising predictive role for chemotherapy-related toxicity in colon cancer (CC). TOSCA is a multicentre, randomized, non-inferiority, phase III study conducted in high-risk stage II/stage III CC patients treated with 6 vs 3 months of FOLFOX-4 or XELOX adjuvant chemotherapy. During this post-hoc analysis, 218 women and 294 men were genotyped for 17 polymorphisms: TYMS (rs34743033, rs2853542, rs11280056), MTHFR (rs1801133, rs1801131), ERCC1 (rs11615), XRCC1 (rs25487), XRCC3 (rs861539), XPD (rs1799793, rs13181), GSTP1 (rs1695), GSTT1/GSTM1 (deletion +/-), ABCC1 (rs2074087), and ABCC2 (rs3740066, rs1885301, rs4148386).

Negative prognostic factors and resulting clinical outcome in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma included in the Italian nivolumab-expanded access program.

Aim: We report the outcomes observed with nivolumab in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients with poor prognostic features enrolled in the Italian expanded access program.

Patients & Methods: Nivolumab was available for patients who relapsed after at least one prior systemic treatment in the advanced or metastatic setting.

Results: Of 389 patients, 32 (8%) had brain metastasis, 129 (33%) had liver and 193 (50%) had bone metastasis.

Predictive factors for 6 12 cycles of Folfiri-Bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Early switching to de-intensified maintenance regimen is still a matter of debate in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The MARTHA trial, a S.I.

Meeting psychosocial and health information needs to ensure quality of cancer care in outpatients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate patients' and caregivers' health needs for a re-orientation program based on principles of health promotion in an Oncology Department from an Italian University Hospital.

Method: A Cross-sectional design with qualitative and quantitative approaches was used. Participants included cancer patients and their caregivers.

Everolimus Plus Exemestane in Advanced Breast Cancer: Safety Results of the BALLET Study on Patients Previously Treated Without and with Chemotherapy in the Metastatic Setting.

Background: The BALLET study was an open-label, multicenter, expanded access study designed to allow treatment with everolimus plus exemestane in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer progressed following prior endocrine therapy. A post hoc analysis to evaluate if previous chemotherapy in the metastatic setting affects the safety profile of the combination regimen of everolimus and exemestane was conducted on the Italian subset, as it represented the major part of the patients enrolled (54%).

Patients And Methods: One thousand one hundred and fifty-one Italian patients were included in the present post hoc analysis, which focused on two sets of patients: patients who never received chemotherapy in the metastatic setting (36.

Prognostic impact of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutations in primary colorectal carcinomas: a population-based study.

Background: Activation of oncogenes downstream the EGFR gene contributes to colorectal tumorigenesis and determines the sensitivity to anti-EGFR treatments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of KRAS, BRAF, NRAS and PIK3CA mutations in a large collection of CRC patients from genetically-homogeneous Sardinian population.

Methods: A total of 1284 Sardinian patients with histologically-proven diagnosis of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and presenting with metastatic disease were included into the study.

Prognostic role of mutations in Sardinian patients with colorectal carcinoma.

The presence of mutations in the KRAS gene is a predictor of a poor clinical response to EGFR-targeted agents in patients affected by colorectal cancer (CRC), but its significance as a global prognostic factor remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of the KRAS mutational status on time to first metastasis (TTM) and overall survival (OS) in a cohort of Sardinian CRC patients. A total of 551 patients with metastatic CRC at the time of enrolment were included.

Thyroid Dysfunction in Patients with Metastatic Carcinoma Treated with Sunitinib: Is Thyroid Autoimmunity Involved?

Background: Sunitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) inducing thyroid dysfunction, but the precise mechanism(s) involved remains to be explained, including the role of thyroid autoimmunity. The objective of this study was to evaluate thyroid function, parameters of autoimmunity, and thyroid ultrasound findings in patients with metastatic cancer and normal thyroid function/autoimmunity before the initiation of sunitinib therapy. This was a prospective, observational cohort study.

Genome-wide association study of susceptibility loci for breast cancer in Sardinian population.

Background: Despite progress in identifying genes associated with breast cancer, many more risk loci exist. Genome-wide association analyses in genetically-homogeneous populations, such as that of Sardinia (Italy), could represent an additional approach to detect low penetrance alleles.

Methods: We performed a genome-wide association study comparing 1431 Sardinian patients with non-familial, BRCA1/2-mutation-negative breast cancer to 2171 healthy Sardinian blood donors.

Genetic markers for toxicity of adjuvant oxaliplatin and fluoropyrimidines in the phase III TOSCA trial in high-risk colon cancer patients.

We investigated 17 polymorphisms in 11 genes (TS, MTHFR, ERCC1, XRCC1, XRCC3, XPD, GSTT1, GSTP1, GSTM1, ABCC1, ABCC2) for their association with the toxicity of fluoropyrimidines and oxaliplatin in colorectal cancer patients enrolled in a prospective randomized trial of adjuvant chemotherapy. The TOSCA Italian adjuvant trial was conducted in high-risk stage II-III colorectal cancer patients treated with 6 or 3 months of either FOLFOX-4 or XELOX adjuvant chemotherapy. In the concomitant ancillary pharmacogenetic study, the primary endpoint was the association of polymorphisms with grade 3-4 CTCAE toxicity events (grade 2-4 for neurotoxicity).

Triple-negative breast cancer frequency and type of mutation: Clues from Sardinia.

Germline mutations in or genes have been demonstrated to increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Among the prognostic factors currently used in clinical practice, the disease stage and the receptor status play a crucial role in the management of breast carcinoma. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been classified as a disease subgroup that is negative for oestrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptor expression, and presents a poor prognosis.

Jejunal obstruction caused by metastasis from an undiagnosed breast cancer: a case report.

Solitary metastasis from breast carcinoma to the gastrointestinal tract is an uncommon finding. We describe a female patient with a solitary jejunal metastasis from an undiagnosed breast cancer who presented to the emergency department with a bowel obstruction. Abdominal surgery was performed, revealing a jejunal stenosis from a metastatic lobular carcinoma.

Clinical activity and cardiac tolerability of non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in breast cancer: a synthetic review.

Anthracycline-containing regimens have demonstrated significant disease-free and overall survival benefits in the adjuvant setting and also provide palliative benefit in metastatic disease. . Over the past two decades, an increasing proportion of patients have been exposed to adjuvant anthracyclines with concomitant reduction in their use for palliation, as a result of concerns regarding efficacy and cumulative anthracycline-associated cardiotoxicity, as well as the availability of other systemic chemotherapeutic options.

Efficacy and tolerability of biweekly bevacizumab, irinotecan, folinic acid and fluorouracil intravenous bolus (BIFF Regimen) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: the southern Italy cooperative oncology group experience.

Background: We have extensively assessed a biweekly regimen of irinotecan plus folinic acid and fluorouracil bolus (IRIFAFU) in metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC). Here, we report on the safety and activity of BIFF (bevacizumab plus IRIFAFU) regimen in 94 mCRC patients.

Patients And Methods: Bevacizumab 5 mg/kg (1 hour), and irinotecan 180 mg/m(2) (1 hour) were given intravenously on day 1, 6S-folinic acid 250 mg/m(2) (2 hours), and fluorouracil 850 mg/m(2) (bolus) were given intravenously on day 2 every 2 weeks for a median of 9 cycles per patient (range, 1-12), and maintenance bevacizumab alone was delivered in 16 cases.

Inflammatory breast cancer in Italy: epidemiological and clinical aspects.

Breast cancer represents the most common cancer among women in Italy. In the last decade, an increase in incidence and a decrease in mortality from breast cancer have been observed in Italy. These findings may be explained at least in part by the implementation of organized screening programs (SMPs).

Long-term maintenance of prognostic value of survivin and its relationship with p53 in T4 breast cancer patients.

A large proportion of human tumors show deregulated expression of a variety of proteins that play a crucial role in the execution of the apoptotic program. Survivin belongs to the family of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins which were originally identified in baculoviruses. Ectopic expression of survivin conveys resistance to apoptosis to a variety of stimuli, and survivin is one of the most abundantly overexpressed genes in human tumors such as breast cancer.

Long-term outcomes in stage IIIB breast cancer patients who achieved less than a pathological complete response (

Purpose: Pathological complete response (pCR) to primary chemotherapy is the main determinant for improved disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The primary endpoints of our study were the long-term DFS and OS rates in homogeneously treated stage IIIB breast cancer patients who failed to achieve a pCR ( View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Targeting insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor in cancer therapy.

It is believed that the insulin-like growth factor receptor type 1 (IGF-1R) signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in cancer growth, progression, and resistance to anticancer therapies. Strategies are being developed to block IGF-1R as an anticancer treatment. We reviewed several potential strategies for disrupting the IGF axis.

Adjuvant chemotherapy in completely resected gastric cancer: a randomized phase III trial conducted by GOIRC.

Background: Complete surgical resection of gastric cancer is potentially curative, but long-term survival is poor.

Methods: Patients with histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the stomach of stages IB, II, IIIA and B, or IV (T4N2M0) and treated with potentially curative surgery were randomly assigned to follow-up alone or to intravenous treatment with four cycles (repeated every 21 days) of PELF (cisplatin [40 mg/m(2), on days 1 and 5], epirubicin [30 mg/m(2), days 1 and 5], L-leucovorin [100 mg/m(2), days 1-4], and 5-fluorouracil [300 mg/m(2), days 1-4] in a hospital setting. Frequencies and severity of adverse events were determined.

Dose-dense primary chemotherapy, as part of multidisciplinary treatment, for inoperable stage III B breast cancer--long-term results of a phase II trial.

Background: Primary chemotherapy as part of multidisciplinary approach is the established treatment for inoperable stage III B breast cancer. The primary endpoints were conversion to operable disease and feasibility of conservative surgery (breast-conserving therapy: BCT); secondary were clinical and pathological complete response rate, local and distant control and safety of the primary regimen.

Methods: Between 1998 and 2001, 40 inoperable breast cancer patients < or =60 years, 72% T4abc and 28% T4d, received 6 cycles of primary PEV dose-dense regimen: cisplatin 50 mg/m2, epirubicin 100 mg/m2 and vinorelbine 25 mg/m2, i.

Allergy and tumour outcome after primary cancer therapy.

Background: Over the last decade several papers have dealt with the possible interference of allergies in both the infectious disease incidence and tumour development. In the light of all these observations we analysed several tumour patients for a possible interaction between a state of allergy and tumour development and progression after primary cancer therapy.

Methods: This study included 1,055 patients with different types of solid tumours admitted consecutively between 1994 and 2002 to the Cagliari University Polyclinic.