Outpatient oral antibiotics for febrile neutropenic cancer patients using a score predictive for complications.

Purpose: Since febrile neutropenic patients were recognized to constitute a heterogeneous population, several models have been developed for predicting the risk of serious medical complications. The Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer score and its derived clinical prediction rules have been validated, but thus far there were no data about its use for simplifying therapy in predicted low-risk patients.

Patients And Methods: In a single institution, we followed all episodes of febrile neutropenia between January 1999 and November 2003.

Correlation between the response to cetuximab alone or in combination with irinotecan and the activated/phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Despite staining positive for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a significant number of EGFR-expressing colorectal cancers are resistant to cetuximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody directed against EGFR. Activation of EGFR through the autophosphorylation of its tyrosine residues stimulates different signaling downstream pathways and may reflect the level of receptor utilization by the tumor. This study investigated activated/phosphorylated EGFR (pEGFR) in 23 patients with EGFR-positive metastatic colorectal cancer refractory to irinotecan and treated with cetuximab, alone or in combination with irinotecan.

Functional outcome and quality of life following hip fracture in elderly women: a prospective controlled study.

The aim of this prospective study was to document the functional outcome and quality of life (QoL) over 1 year following hip fracture in elderly women. A total of 159 unselected elderly women with a first hip fracture were matched for age and residence with an equal number of control women. Functional status was measured by completing a Rapid Disability Rating Scale version 2 (RDRS-2) questionnaire [score ranging from 0 (best) to 54 (worse)], before hospital discharge and 12 months later.

Costs of care after hospital discharge among women with a femoral neck fracture.

A prospective study was done among women who are postmenopausal and who had a displaced femoral neck fracture. The objective was to identify potential predictors of medical care costs during the 1-year after hospital discharge, and to examine the impact of the type of surgical procedure. The design was a 1-year prospective cohort study reflecting day-to-day clinical practice.