Adjuvant Treatment with S-1 in Patients after R0-Resection of Adenocarcinoma of the Stomach and Esophagogastric Junction: A Multicenter Phase I/II Feasibility Study (GMBH-STO-0114).

Introduction: S-1 has been shown to be an effective adjuvant treatment option for East Asian patients who underwent gastrectomy for stage II/III gastric cancer. We conducted a phase I/II study to evaluate the feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy of administering S-1 in the adjuvant setting after R0-resection of adenocarcinoma of the stomach and esophagogastric junction (EGJ) in Caucasian patients.

Methods: In this single-cohort, open-label, phase I/II trial, we enrolled patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the stomach or EGJ having undergone R0-resection with or without neoadjuvant treatment.

Effect of Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy on Cytoreductive Surgery in Gastric Cancer With Synchronous Peritoneal Metastases: The Phase III GASTRIPEC-I Trial.

Purpose: In patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) from gastric cancer (GC), chemotherapy is the treatment of choice. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are still being debated. This randomized, controlled, open-label, multicenter phase III trial (EudraCT 2006-006088-22; ClinicalTrials.

FOLFOX plus panitumumab or FOLFOX alone as additive therapy following R0/1 resection of RAS wild-type colorectal cancer liver metastases - The PARLIM trial (AIO KRK 0314).

Purpose: This trial investigates the addition of panitumumab to chemotherapy with fluorouracil/folinic acid and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) in a 2:1 randomised, controlled, open-label, phase II trial in RAS wild-type colorectal cancer patients with R0/1-resected liver metastases.

Experimental Design: The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) two years after randomisation. The experimental arm (12 weeks of biweekly mFOLFOX6 plus panitumumab followed by 12 weeks of panitumumab alone) was considered active if the two-year PFS rate was ≥65%.

Exact Primary Tumor Location in mCRC: Prognostic Value and Predictive Impact on Anti-EGFR mAb Efficacy.

Primary tumor sidedness (left vs. right) has prognostic and predictive impact on anti-EGFR agent efficacy and thus management of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This analysis evaluates the relevance of primary tumor location (PTL) in wild-type mCRC patients, when dividing the colorectal frame into six segments.

Amphiregulin Expression Is a Predictive Biomarker for Inhibition in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Combined Analysis of Three Randomized Trials.

Purpose: Amphiregulin () and epiregulin () are ligands of . Predictive information for anti- treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) was observed, but data for other agents is limited.

Experimental Design: Ligand mRNA expression; mutations; and expression were assessed by qRT-PCR, pyrosequencing, and IHC, respectively, in mCRC tumor tissue of patients participating in the randomized controlled trials FIRE-1, CIOX, and FIRE-3.

"" caudate lobe and inferior vena cava resection following cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal and liver metastasis of colorectal cancer.

There are diverse protocols to manage patients with recurrent disease after primary cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for peritoneal carcinomatosis. We describe a case of metachronous liver metastasis after CRS and HIPEC for colorectal cancer, successfully treated with a selective metastectomy and partial graft of the inferior vena cava. A 35-year-old female presented with a large tumour in the cecum and consequent colonic stenosis.

Prognostic value of cetuximab-related skin toxicity in metastatic colorectal cancer patients and its correlation with parameters of the epidermal growth factor receptor signal transduction pathway: results from a randomized trial of the GERMAN AIO CRC Study Group.

Skin toxicity is a frequent adverse event of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) targeting agents. Occurrence of cetuximab-induced skin toxicity (Cet-ST) correlates with better treatment response and longer survival times. Molecular markers predicting Cet-ST are still missing.

A randomized, phase III trial of capecitabine plus bevacizumab (Cape-Bev) versus capecitabine plus irinotecan plus bevacizumab (CAPIRI-Bev) in first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: the AIO KRK 0110 trial/ML22011 trial.

Background: Several randomized trials have indicated that combination chemotherapy applied in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) does not significantly improve overall survival when compared to the sequential use of cytotoxic agents (CAIRO, MRC Focus, FFCD 2000-05). The present study investigates the question whether this statement holds true also for bevacizumab-based first-line treatment including escalation- and de-escalation strategies.

Methods/design: The AIO KRK 0110/ML22011 trial is a two-arm, multicenter, open-label randomized phase III trial comparing the efficacy and safety of capecitabine plus bevacizumab (Cape-Bev) versus capecitabine plus irinotecan plus bevacizumab (CAPIRI-Bev) in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Analysis for prognostic factors of 60-day mortality: evaluation of an irinotecan-based phase III trial performed in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Background: Mortality rates in published irinotecan-based trials range between 1.7% and 5.0%.

Cetuximab plus capecitabine and irinotecan compared with cetuximab plus capecitabine and oxaliplatin as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: AIO KRK-0104--a randomized trial of the German AIO CRC study group.

Purpose: The AIO KRK-0104 randomized phase II trial investigated the efficacy and safety of cetuximab combined with capecitabine and irinotecan (CAPIRI) or capecitabine and oxaliplatin (CAPOX) in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Patients And Methods: A total of 185 patients with mCRC were randomly assigned to cetuximab (400 mg/m(2) day 1, followed by 250 mg/m(2) weekly) plus CAPIRI (irinotecan 200 mg/m(2), day 1; capecitabine 800 mg/m(2) twice daily days 1 through 14, every 3 weeks; or cetuximab plus CAPOX (oxaliplatin 130 mg/m(2) day 1; capecitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) twice daily day 1 through 14, every 3 weeks). The primary study end point was objective response rate (ORR).

The treatment of colorectal carcinoma with monoclonal antibodies: the importance of KRAS mutation analysis and EGFR status.

Background: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important target in the treatment of metastatic colorectal carcinoma (mCRC). The combination of anti-EGFR antibodies with chemotherapy has led to a higher response rate of certain kinds of tumor as well as a significant prolongation of the progression-free interval. The KRAS protein is an important mediator in the signal transduction cascade regulated by the EGFR.

A tool for scoring of acneiform skin eruptions induced by EGF receptor inhibition.

Acneiform skin eruptions are the most common side effect of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors. The National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria allow for quick severity estimation of a patient, but are not suitable for monitoring the severity of the skin lesions over time, as needed for treatment studies. Here we present our scoring tool for acneiform skin eruptions, which is calculated from body involvement, facial involvement and clinical grading of the skin items erythema, papulation, pustulation and scaling/crusts.

Cetuximab plus XELIRI or XELOX for first-line therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Modern chemotherapy combinations for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) comprise infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin, and irinotecan or oxaliplatin. The fluoropyrimidine derivative capecitabine is at least as effective as 5-FU plus leucovorin bolus regimens. It displays a favorable toxicity profile and offers the advantages of oral administration.

Oral capecitabine in gemcitabine-pretreated patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Objective: To date, no standard regimen for salvage chemotherapy after gemcitabine (Gem) failure has been defined for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (PC). Oral capecitabine (Cap) has shown promising activity in first-line chemotherapy trials in PC patients.

Methods: Within a prospective single-center study, Cap was offered to patients who had already received at least 1 previous treatment regimen containing full-dose Gem (as a single agent, as part of a combination chemotherapy regimen or sequentially within a chemoradiotherapy protocol).

Cetuximab plus oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Modern chemotherapy combinations for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) comprise 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), folinic acid and irinotecan or oxaliplatin. Infusional 5-FU, folinic acid plus oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) is a standard of care not only for patients with stage IV disease, but also in the adjuvant setting of stage III colon cancer patients. The EGF receptor antibody, cetuximab, induces synergistic antitumor activity when combined with chemotherapy.

[Neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies for solid tumours].

Today adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapies are standard treatment for many types of cancer. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy or immunotherapy applied before, during or after an operation can lower the risk of relapse and hence, increase the chances of a cure. After neoadjuvant therapy, frequently the organ does not have to be removed in the subsequent operation.

Effective second-line treatment with cetuximab and bevacizumab in a patient with hepatic metastases of colorectal cancer and hyperbilirubinemia.

Background: Irinotecan-based second-line chemotherapy of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) is effective, it might, however, be contraindicated in cases of severe liver dysfunction due to advanced liver metastases.

Case Report: A 57-year-old woman with diffuse CRC liver metastases showed progressive disease on first-line treatment with capecitabine and oxaliplatin (XELOX). Chronic cholestasis and hyperbilirubinemia caused by advanced liver involvement prohibited second-line treatment with irinotecan-based chemotherapy.

Cetuximab in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Cetuximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody that binds to the epidermal growth factor receptor and thereby inhibits cell proliferation, metastasis and angiogenesis. Preclinical studies indicate that cetuximab induces synergistic antitumor activity when combined with chemotherapy or radiation. This observation is supported by clinical trials demonstrating that cetuximab improves tumor response when used in conjunction with modern chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Differential role of extra- and intracellular superoxide anions for nitric oxide-mediated apoptosis induction.

Nitric oxide (NO) has recently been shown to mediate apoptosis induction selectively in transformed fibroblasts, in contrast to their nontransformed parental cells. Here we show that NO-mediated apoptosis induction in transformed fibroblasts can be divided into two major phases. During phase 1, peroxynitrite is generated by the interaction of extracellular superoxide anions with NO and the intracellular glutathione level is subsequently lowered.