Quantitative and qualitative control of antineoplastic preparations: Gravimetry versus HPLC.

This article compares gravimetry vs. high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as quality control (QC) methods for paclitaxel, docetaxel and oxaliplatin preparations. We aimed at assessing the preparation method reliability in our hospital, evaluating compounding accuracy and estimating the influence of personnel training and standardized homogenization on compounding accuracy.

Impact of nutritional status on the pharmacokinetics of erlotinib in rats.

Malnourishment is a complex condition in which physiopathological changes take place in multiple systems as a result of energy, protein and nutrient deficiency. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, using an experimental animal model, the impact of nutritional status on the pharmacokinetic profile of erlotinib, a reversible, highly selective, human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER1/EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Two groups of rats -WN (well-nourished) and UN (undernourished) - were fed with different diets for 23-26 days.

Development and application to clinical practice of a validated HPLC method for the analysis of β-glucocerebrosidase in Gaucher disease.

The main objective of our study is to develop a simple, fast and reliable method for measuring β-glucocerebrosidase activity in Gaucher patients leukocytes in clinical practice. This measurement may be a useful marker to drive dose selection and early clinical decision making of enzyme replacement therapy. We measure the enzyme activity by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and 4-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside as substrate.

Comparative cost-effectiveness of bevacizumab-irinotecan-fluorouracil versus irinotecan-fluorouracil in first-line metastatic colorectal cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the addition of bevacizumab to the irinotecan-fluorouracil (Douillard regimen-CPT-FUFA-) in first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in a single-institution population.

Methods: Controlled, nonrandomized retrospective observational study. Treatment-naïve metastatic colorectal cancer patients received CPT-FUFA (January 2000-December 2003; control group) and bevacizumab_CPT-FUFA (January 2007-December 2010; study group).

[Measurement of continuous improvement in the safety of oncologic patients].

Objective: To analyze continuous improvement in the safety of oncologic patients through the change of quality indicators established with the implementation of a quality management system (QMS) according to the ISO 9001-2008 regulation at a oncologic pharmacy unit (OPU).

Method: Prospective and observational study carried out between January of 2008 and December of 2011. The ISO 9001-2008 certification of the OPU included the proceedings of electronic prescription,validation, preparation, delivery, and administration of the antineoplastic therapy.