Triplet chemotherapy combination with cisplatin, gemcitabine and docetaxel in patients with chemotherapy-naive advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

The synergistic effects of new generation chemotherapeutics when combined with cisplatin have encouraged the development of new triplet combination regimens in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of triplet chemotherapy using weekly cisplatin-gemcitabine-docetaxel (CGD) for patients with chemotherapy-naive NSCLC. Twenty-seven patients with stage IIIB/IV disease and performance status of 0 to 2 were included in this prospective trial.

Utility of serum and urine uPAR levels for diagnosis of breast cancer.

Malignant tumors have a capacity to degrade the extracellular matrix by controlled proteolysis. One system involved in these processes is the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) system. uPAR levels are elevated in tumors from several types of cancer.

Serum levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 in Turkish patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

There exists strong evidence that tumor growth can be actively controlled by the host immune system and interleukins are known to play a significant role in immune response regulation. Inflammatory cytokines play important roles in the pathogenesis of lymphomas. This study was conducted to investigate the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (A-NHL) and the relationships with prognostic parameters and therapy.

Yolk sac tumours of the ovary: evaluation of clinicopathological features and prognostic factors.

Objective: To evaluate the clinicopathological prognostic features, factors and outcomes of chemotherapy in ovarian yolk sac tumours (YST).

Study Design: We reviewed the medical records of 32 women with ovarian YST treated from 1990 to 2006 at two centres.

Results: The median follow-up was 36 months.

Risk-adapted management for patients with clinical stage I non-seminomatous germ cell tumour of the testis.

Testis cancer is the most common cancer in young men and its incidence continues to rise. Even if prognosis is considered as good, a group with bad prognosis still remains. We aimed to evaluate whether two courses of chemotherapy after orchiectomy in patients with clinical stage I, non-seminomatous germ cell testicular tumour at high risk of relapse, will spare patients additional chemotherapy or surgery.

Chemotherapy with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin and cisplatin in recurrent platinum-sensitive epithelial ovarian cancer.

Background: Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) is the only nonplatinum agent to significantly improve survival in patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer. The present study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of PLD plus cisplatin combination therapy in these patients.

Methods: Twenty-two women (median age, 57 years) with ovarian cancer that recurred 6 months or more after standard carboplatin and paclitaxel therapy were eligible for enrollment.

Lower level of MAPK expression is associated with anthracycline resistance and decreased survival in patients with hormone receptor negative breast cancer.

Introduction: Hormone receptor negative breast cancer is encountered in about 30% of all patients with breast cancer and is considered as a prognostically unfavorable subset. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic impact of various molecular markers in patients with receptor negative breast cancer.

Methods: Tumor specimens from 140 patients with receptor negative (ER, PR) breast cancer were analyzed for MAPK, Her-2/neu, EGFR and PI3K expression by immunohistochemistry.

A pilot study evaluating the efficacy and toxicity of biweekly gemcitabine and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in recurrent platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer.

Background: Both gemcitabine and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) are antineoplastic drugs with clinical activity in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. The present study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of biweekly scheduled gemcitabine and PLD combination therapy in such patients.

Methods: Eighteen women with ovarian cancer that had recurred within 6 months after standard carboplatin and paclitaxel therapy were eligible for enrollment.

Ovarian carcinoma with simultaneous breast and rectum metastases.

Background: Metastatic involvement of the breast and the rectum from ovarian carcinoma are very rare events.

Case Report: We report a case of ovarian carcinoma with metastasis to the breast and rectum simultaneously, 6 years after initial diagnosis.

Results: Morphologic and immunohistochemical findings from pathologic samples of all involved sites confirmed the ovarian origin, which spared the patient unnecessary breast and rectal surgery.

Ta T1 low and intermediate transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: recurrence rates and the timing of check cystoscopies within the first year.

Introduction: The intensity of cystoscopic follow-up in the first year for patients with superficial bladder cancer has not been clearly defined. The cystoscopic follow-up of superficial bladder cancer accounts for a considerable workload for the urologist and is also an invasive procedure with high costs. We retrospectively reviewed our experience to determine any possible criteria which can lead to reduce the frequency of check cystoscopy.

Biweekly administration of gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with anthracycline and taxane-pretreated metastatic breast cancer.

Gemcitabine and cisplatin are the active agents in metastatic breast cancer pretreated with anthracycline and/or taxane as a second line treatment. The present study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of this regimen given biweekly schedule in these patients. Twenty-seven women, median age 57, with metastatic breast cancer previously treated with anthracycline and taxane were eligible for enrollment.

Serum levels of intercellular adhesion molecule ICAM-1 and E-selectin in advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Cell adhesion is a basic count in inter- and intra-cellular communication and plays an important role in tumor progression. This study was conducted to investigate the serum levels of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) and E-selectin in patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the relationships with known prognostic parameters and therapy. These serum factors were measured of 57 NSCLC patients pathologically verified before and after chemotherapy in comparison with 24 healthy controls by using ELISA method.

Malignant mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis: a case report and review of the literature.

Most often, mesotheliomas involve the serosal membranes of the pleura and peritoneum. Sometimes, mesothelial proliferations are identified in other locations. A mesothelioma, within the tunica vaginalis of the paratesticular region is rare but often fatal malignancy of the male genitalia.

Serum levels of apoptosis biomarkers, survivin and TNF-alpha in nonsmall cell lung cancer.

Context: This study was conducted to investigate the prognostic role and the effects of chemotherapy on serum apoptosis biomarkers consisting of survivin and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in patients with advanced stage nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: Fifty-seven patients with newly diagnosed NSCLC were enrolled into study. Performance status was 0 or 1 in 47 patients and 2 in 10 patients.

Serum IL-8 and IL-12 levels in breast cancer.

Interleukins (ILs) are known to play a fundamental role in cancer. We investigated the serum levels of IL-8 and IL-12, in breast cancer patients, and their relationship with the prognostic parameters and therapy. Forty eight patients with pathologically verified breast carcinoma and 21 healthy controls were enrolled into the study.

Is the thymidine labeling index a good prognostic marker in breast cancer?

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the prognostic relevance of thymidine labeling index (TLI) in patients with breast cancer.

Methods: TLI of the primary tumor was measured in 268 patients at the time of the surgical biopsy by an in vitro method.

Results: Fifty-four patients had stage I disease, and 138 patients had stage II disease, and 76 patients had stage III disease.

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the rectum.

Background: Primary rectal lymphoma is a very uncommon disease, therefore, it has received little attention in the literature. Because of their rarity, rectal lymphomas are generally included in the group of large intestine lymphomas.

Case Report: We report here a case of primary rectal B-cell lymphoma in a 67-year-old woman.

Addition of topotecan to standard cisplatin/etoposide combination in patients with extended stage small cell lung carcinoma.

Background: Topotecan is an active agent for the management of untreated and recurrent extensive-disease small cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC). This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a triplet combination with topotecan added to the standard PE regimen in previously untreated patients with ED-SCLC.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-one patients (median age 55 years, and 18 male) with chemotherapy-naive ED-SCLC were enrolled into the study.

Increased sister chromatid exchange frequency in young women with breast cancer and in their first-degree relatives.

The well-known increased risk of breast cancer (BC) in first-degree relatives of patients with BC has been related to shared genetic factors including defective DNA repair, with loss of genomic integrity. On the other hand, it can be hypothesized that early-onset breast cancer is also associated with overburden of heritable factors leading to increased DNA injury. In this respect, we analyzed sister chromatid exchange frequency (SCE) in 20 women with breast cancer (all < or =40 years old), in their first-degree female relatives, and in 20 age-matched healthy females without a personal or family history of cancer.

Serum and urine survivin levels in breast cancer.

This study was conducted to investigate the serum and urine levels of survivin in patients with breast cancer and the relationships with known prognostic parameters and therapy. Forty-three patients with breast cancer and 21 healthy control subjects were investigated. Serum samples were obtained on the first admission before adjuvant and metastatic treatment were given and after two cycles of chemotherapy.