Phase III study to evaluate patient's preference of subcutaneous versus intravenous trastuzumab in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients: Results from the ChangHER study (GEICAM/2012-07).

Objective: We compared patients' preferences for intravenous (IV-t) versus subcutaneous (SC-t) trastuzumab administration.

Methods: Phase III, open-label, multicentre study in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Patients were receiving IV-t for at least 4 months without progression.

Adjuvant treatment in resected non-small cell lung cancer: current and future issues.

The cornerstone of treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been surgical resection. In the last five years two phase III trials have provided evidence of adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy for completely resected stage II-IIIA patients. We review the evidence supporting adjuvant therapy in early-stage NSCLC; we discuss new issues surrounding adjuvant therapy such as treatment in the elderly-unfit population, treatment toxicity and its influence on outcomes, the importance of histology and gender in adjuvant treatment; and we discuss the future landscape of early-stage NSCLC research, namely, therapeutic strategies exploiting pharmacogenomic and gene-expression profiling, in an attempt to customize the treatment.

Malignant mesothelioma: new insights into a rare disease.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive malignancy of the pleura associated with exposure to asbestos. Its incidence is anticipated to increase over the next 10years in both Europe and the developing nations. In advanced disease, chemotherapy is the cornerstone of treatment, especially platinum-containing regimens.

CA-125 response patterns in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer treated with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD).

Introduction: : In recurrent ovarian cancer, CA-125 could be the only objective response criteria. This study analyzes response patterns regarding CA-125 in responders versus nonresponders and determines whether a specific cutoff value for CA-125 could predict clinical response, compared with response evaluation criteria in solid tumors, in patients receiving pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD).

Methods: : Sixty-eight patients were identified, 78% were platinum resistant.