[Erythropoiesis stimulating proteins for the treatment of anemia in cancer patients].

Erythropoiesis stimulating proteins are approved for chemotherapy-induced anemia. Treatment with ESPs results in an increase in hemoglobin in 60 - 70 % of patients and in a significant reduction in transfusion need. A marked increase in hemoglobin levels usually is associated with an improvement in quality of life.

Update on the rational use of Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan in the treatment of follicular lymphoma.

The development of radiolabeled antibodies against CD20 has facilitated targeted treatment of follicular lymphoma (FL). By using (90)Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin((R))), a radionuclide (yttrium-90, linked by the chelator tiuxetan to the antibody ibritumomab) is brought into the vicinity of lymphoma cells. By the so-called cross-fire effect, this beta emitter has the capacity to destroy not only the lymphoma cells having bound the antibody, but also neighboring lymphoma cells.

Cyclin D1 expression in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant tamoxifen-based therapy.

Purpose: The objective of our study was to determine the clinical relevance of cyclin D1 expression in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients who were treated with tamoxifen-based therapy.

Experimental Design: We assessed expression of cyclin D1 in surgical specimens of breast carcinoma by means of immunohistochemistry. Patients had been enrolled in either Austrian Breast and Colorectal Cancer Study Group (ABCSG) Trial 05 or ABCSG Trial 06 and received tamoxifen as part of their adjuvant treatment.

Activated mammalian target of rapamycin is an adverse prognostic factor in patients with biliary tract adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a protein kinase that plays a key role in cellular growth and homeostasis. Because its regulation is frequently altered in tumors, mTOR is currently under investigation as a potential target for anticancer therapy. The purpose of our study was to determine the prognostic value of activated mTOR (p-mTOR) in patients with biliary tract adenocarcinoma (BTA), in order to strengthen the rationale for targeted therapy of BTA using mTOR inhibitors.

Once-weekly epoetin beta (30,000 IU) in anemic patients with lung cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Anemia occurs frequently in patients with lung cancer receiving chemotherapy and has a negative impact on quality of life (QoL). Erythropoietic proteins effectively increase hemoglobin (Hb) levels, reduce transfusion requirements and improve QoL in anemic patients with a range of malignancies. This prospective, observational study evaluated epoetin beta 30,000 IU once weekly in patients with lung cancer in a real-life, clinical-practice setting.