Local recurrence following adjuvant chemotherapy without radiotherapy in completely resected stomach and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

Background: The gold standard of adjuvant treatment after surgical resection of adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) is chemoradiotherapy. We retrospectively evaluated chemotherapy without radiotherapy in stomach and GEJ adenocarcinoma, using a combination of etoposide, adriamycin and cisplatin (modified EAP).

Patients And Methods: Sixty-five patients with completely resected gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma and positive regional lymph nodes were treated with modified EAP over an 8-year period.

Wheat grass juice may improve hematological toxicity related to chemotherapy in breast cancer patients: a pilot study.

Myelotoxicity induced by chemotherapy may become life-threatening. Neutropenia may be prevented by granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (GCSF), and epoetin may prevent anemia, but both cause substantial side effects and increased costs. According to non-established data, wheat grass juice (WGJ) may prevent myelotoxicity when applied with chemotherapy.

Epiphora (excessive tearing) and other ocular manifestations related to weekly docetaxel: underestimated dose-limiting toxicity.

Purpose: Epiphora due to canalicular stenosis is a recently described side effect of weekly docetaxel. We prospectively evaluated the incidence of this complication and other ocular manifestations in patients treated at our medical center.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-one consecutive patients (breast cancer: 14; metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: 6; metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: 1) (female/male: 14/7; age range: 34-78 yr) were treated with weekly docetaxel (35 mg/m2/wk iv for 6 wk, cycles repeated every 49 d).

The expression of the ubiquitin ligase subunit Cks1 in human breast cancer.

Introduction: Loss of the cell-cycle inhibitory protein p27Kip1 is associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer. The decrease in the levels of this protein is the result of increased proteasome-dependent degradation, mediated and rate-limited by its specific ubiquitin ligase subunits S-phase kinase protein 2 (Skp2) and cyclin-dependent kinase subunit 1 (Cks1). Skp2 was recently found to be overexpressed in breast cancers, but the role of Cks1 in these cancers is unknown.

The safety of full-dose chemotherapy with secondary prophylactic granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) following a prior cycle with febrile neutropenia.

Secondary prophylactic administration of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) following an episode of febrile neutropenia is recommended if maintenance of dose-intensity is desired. This policy was adopted in our center in patients treated with an intent for cure or durable complete response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of this policy.

The additional value of PET/CT over PET in FDG imaging of oesophageal cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the value of combined PET/CT compared with PET reviewed side-by-side with CT, in patients with oesophageal cancer, before and after surgery.

Methods: Forty-one FDG PET/CT studies were performed in 32 patients with oesophageal cancer, before surgery (n = 18) or during follow-up after resection of the primary tumour (n = 23). One hundred and fifteen sites suspicious for malignancy were evaluated.

Actual body weight for determining doses of chemotherapy in obese cancer patients: evaluation of treatment tolerability.

In our Department, doses of chemotherapy in obese cancer patients are routinely calculated according to actual body weight. As some physicians question this policy, we prospectively evaluated the safety of this approach. Of 606 consecutive patients, 178 (29%) were obese, defined as body mass index > or =27.

Paclitaxel, carboplatin, and oral etoposide in advanced gastric adenocarcinoma: association with severe myelotoxicity.

The prognosis of locally advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the stomach is poor. In an attempt to improve therapeutic results, we undertook a phase II trial to investigate a combination of paclitaxel, carboplatin, and oral etoposide, all active drugs in this malignancy and with a synergistic effect in combination. Fourteen patients with advanced gastric adenocarcinoma were treated with paclitaxel 200 mg/m2 iv, carboplatin AUC-6 iv on d 1, and oral etoposide 50 mg/d alternating with 100 mg/d on d 1-10.

Severe toxicity related to the 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin combination (the Mayo Clinic regimen): a prospective study in colorectal cancer patients.

The Mayo Clinic regimen of leucovorin 20 mg/m followed immediately by 5-fluorouracil 425 mg/m administered for 5 consecutive days every 4 weeks is commonly used in the treatment of colorectal cancer. This study was aimed at prospectively determining the incidence and pattern of severe toxicity associated with this regimen. We evaluated prospectively 243 patients with colorectal cancer treated in our department with the Mayo Clinic regimen for the incidence of severe toxicity (defined as toxicity requiring hospitalization).