The role of inflammation in adjuvant chemotherapy-induced sarcopenia (Izmir Oncology Group (IZOG) study).

Introduction: Although the chemotherapy-induced sarcopenia has some explanatory presence in clinical practice, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have not been clearly distinguished in patients with cancer. Therefore, we aimed with this study to investigate the role of inflammation by examining the inflammatory markers in the physiopathology of adjuvant chemotherapy-induced sarcopenia in patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer.

Material And Method: To detect the presence of sarcopenia, patients' body composition measurements were assessed using the BIA, and their muscular strength was assessed with a handgrip dynamometer in both pre- and post-adjuvant chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy-induced sarcopenia in newly diagnosed cancer patients: Izmir Oncology Group (IZOG) study.

Background: Sarcopenia is associated with physical disability, increased post-operative complications, poorer tolerance to chemotherapy, and reduced survival outcome. However, little is known about the changes in body composition during chemotherapy treatment. We aimed to determine whether adjuvant or palliative chemotherapy causes the development of sarcopenia in newly diagnosed cancer patients and to reveal the relationship of sarcopenia with the duration of chemotherapy.

Is adjuvant chemotherapy necessary for Luminal A-like breast cancer?

Purpose: Patients with breast cancer with Luminal-A subtype have a better prognosis but poor chemotherapy response. Chemotherapy is controversial in lymph node-positive patients with Luminal-A subtype. In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and benefit of chemotherapy in the Luminal A-like subtype of breast cancer.

BRCA genes: BRCA 1 and BRCA 2.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the genes related with breast and ovarian cancer. They have function in DNA repair processes and thus they are tumor suppressor genes. There are hundreds of mutations identified in these genes.

The prognostic significance of cyclin D1 expression in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

Purpose: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women. While receptor-targeted therapies are used for other subtypes due to the presence of such receptors, studies are still continuing on receptor expression in order to identify new therapeutic targets as the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks a target receptor and its prognosis is worse than the other subtypes. Cyclin D1 (CycD1) is a cell cycle regulator protein.

Serum apelin levels and body composition changes in breast cancer patients treated with an aromatase inhibitor.

Purpose: The adipose tissue plays a role in carcinogenesis with the adipokines it generates. Apelin is an anti-obesigenic adipokine, and assumes roles in both vascularization and tumor cell proliferation. The present study aimed to investigate changes in apelin levels, in postmenopausal breast cancer (BC) patients receiving aromatase inhibitors (AIs).

The maximum standardized uptake value of metastatic site in 18 F-FDG PET/CT predicts molecular subtypes and survival in metastatic breast cancer: An Izmir Oncology Group study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyse the association between the 18F-2-deoxy-2-fluorodeoxyglucose maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of metastatic sites and molecular subtypes and survival in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients.

Methods: Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) was performed in 176 MBC patients before any therapeutic intervention. The FDG uptakes of metastatic sites were evaluated using the SUVmax.

Uracil/tegafur as a possible salvage therapy in chemo-refractory colorectal cancer patients: a single institutional retrospective study.

Aim Of The Study: Our aim was to determine the activity and toxicity of uracil/tegafur and leucovorin combination in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who have progressed with all currently active agents.

Material And Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of 50 mCRC patients who had previously failed to respond to all available chemotherapeutics and who received subsequent treatment with uracil/tegafur 250 mg/m(2) d1-5 in combination with leucovorin 90 mg/day, d1-5 followed by two days' rest.

Results: The median age of the patients was 60 years.

Quality of life in colorectal cancer patients: an Izmir Oncology Group (IZOG) study.

Purpose: To investigate the variables of quality of life (QoL) among Turkish patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: In this prospective study we investigated the QoL of Turkish CRC patients. Two hundred and twenty two patients with CRC were included.

Comparison of first-line bevacizumab in combination with mFOLFOX6 or XELOX in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Currently, there are several oxaliplatin combination regimens for first-line therapy of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). In this study, we compared the survival outcomes of mCRC patients treated with bevacizumab in combination with either modified 5-FU/FA/oxaliplatin (mFOL- FOX6) or capecitabine/oxaliplatin (XELOX).

Methods: We designed a two-arm retrospective study of mCRC patients with adenocarcinoma of the colon or rectum who were treated with bevacizumab and either mFOLFOX6 or XELOX and who had complete clinical and treatment data.

Enhanced cytotoxicity and apoptosis by thymoquinone in combination with zoledronic acid in hormone- and drug-resistant prostate cancer cell lines.

Purpose: Thymoquinone (TQ), an active ingredient of black seed oil (Nigella Sativa), has been shown to possess cytotoxic activity against a variety of cancer cell lines. Our purpose was to investigate if the cytotoxic and apoptotic effect of zoledronic acid (ZA) can be enhanced by the addition of the TQ in hormone- and drug-refractory prostate cancer cells PC-3 and DU-145.

Methods: XTT cell proliferation assay was used to assess cytotoxicity; DNA fragmentation and caspase 3/7 activity were also measured.

Capecitabine-related increased mean corpuscular volume of red blood cell may be a predictive marker of treatment response and survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (MCV) increase has been described in patients treated with capecitabine. In this study, we sought to evaluate the potential association of the erythrocyte MCV increase with tumor response and survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with capecitabine.

Methods: A retrospective review of 131 patients with mCRC who were treated with capecitabine for at least 3 months at the Izmir Training and Research Hospital was undertaken.

Correlation of survivin and MMP9 expressions with prognosis and clinicopathological parameters in surface epithelial ovarian carcinomas.

Objective: Pathological stage is the most important prognostic factor in ovarian carcinomas, and many studies have been carried out to predict prognosis. In our study, we searched the expression of survivin, which prevents apoptosis and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which promotes the metastasis of the tumour by splitting up the basal membrane in primary epithelial ovarian carcinomas. We aimed to observe their effects on prognosis by comparing clinicopathological parameters.

The relationship of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome with known breast cancer prognostic factors in postmenopausal breast cancer patients.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance at the time of diagnosis on the known prognostic factors of breast cancer in postmenopausal breast cancer patients.

Methods: The study included 71 patients with a recent diagnosis of postmenopausal breast cancer, admitted at the Medical Oncology outpatient clinic of the Izmir Ataturk Training and Research Hospital between June 2010 and June 2011. We determined whether the patients had metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance at diagnosis, and recorded known prognostic factors, such as tumor size, axillary lymph node involvement, presence of distant metastasis, tumor grade, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and CerbB-2 status.

The association of hematologic parameters on the prognosis of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) bears a poor prognosis. We investigated the prognostic significance of some hematologic parameters of patients with mRCC.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 53 patients with mRCC .

Use of oral antidiabetic drugs (metformin and pioglitazone) in diabetic patients with breast cancer: how does it effect serum Hif-1 alpha and 8Ohdg levels?

Objective: The aim was to investigate indicators related to DNA damage and cancer pathogenesis in Type II diabetes cases with breast cancer. It was planned to evaluate the relationship between these markers with oral antidiabetic drugs.

Research Design And Methods: Fourty patients and 10 healthy individuals were included in the study.

The toxicity and efficacy of Nordic-FLOX regimen as adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of oxaliplatin combined with the Nordic regimen of bolus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV) (Nordic-FLOX) as adjuvant treatment in stage III colon cancer patients.

Methods: Fifty-three patients with resected stage III colon cancer were treated with adjuvant bolus Nordic-FLOX regimen (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) on day 1, bolus 5-FU 500 mg/ m(2) and bolus LV 60 mg/m(2) days 1 and 2) every 2 weeks for 12 cycles.

Results: The probability of disease-free survival (DFS) at a median follow-up time of 29 months was 72%.

Intramammary lymph node metastasis in a patient with ovarian carcinoma and a brief review of the literature.

Metastasis from serous carcinoma of the ovary usually occurs in the subdiaphragmatic region. Metastasis to the breast and/or axillary-intramammary lymph node is very rare. It usually occurs in advanced disease, and it is important to distinguish a primary breast cancer from an ovarian cancer metastasis since the management of these two entities is totally different.

An Analysis of the Use of Complementary and Alternative Therapies in Patients with Breast Cancer.

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and the factors that influence their use in patients with breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out with 135 breast cancer patients on chemotherapy.

Results: 30.

Epidemiology and survival of hepatocellular carcinoma in Turkey: outcome of multicenter study.

Objective: Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is one of the important health problems in Turkey. We aimed to determine the clinical and demographic features of HCC in the Turkish population and to evaluate the prognostic and survival features.

Method: Two hundred and twenty-one patients with HCC from five hospitals in Turkey are included in this study.

Irinotecan combined with infusional 5-fluorouracil and high-dose leucovorin for the treatment of advanced gastric carcinoma as the first-line chemotherapy.

Background: Because of insufficient activity and high toxicity of current chemotherapy regimens in advanced gastric cancer (AGC), there is a need for newer regimens.

Methods: Twenty-five chemonaive patients with AGC have been treated with FOLFIRI regimen consisting of irinotecan 180 mg/m(2) over 30 min on day 1 combined with leucovorin 200 mg/m(2) over 2 h followed by 5-fluorouracil 400 mg/m(2) as bolus and 600 mg/m(2) as a 22-hour infusion on day 1 and 2. The treatment was administered every 14th day until progression or intolerable toxicity.

Rapid tumor lysis syndrome in a patient with metastatic colon cancer as a complication of treatment with 5-fluorouracil/leucoverin and irinotecan.

Tumor lysis syndrome is a potentially fatal complication of anti-cancer therapy that is usually seen in patients with bulky, rapidly proliferating, treatment-sensitive tumors such as hematological malignancies, but it rarely occurs in a variety of solid tumors such as colorectal carcinoma. Combination chemotherapy with infusional 5-fluorouracil/leucoverin and irinotecan has been recently accepted as the first treatment option for metastatic colorectal cancer. We present a case of tumor lysis syndrome in a patient with metastatic colon carcinoma that occurred 72 hrs after the initial course of a combination chemotherapy with irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil/leucoverin.

Gemcitabine combined with infusional 5-fluorouracil and high-dose leucovorin for the treatment of advanced carcinoma of the pancreas.

Background: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and gemcitabine are the major active drugs in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Methods: Twenty-two patients with advanced pancreas cancer were treated with a new chemotherapy regimen consisting of infusional 5-FU and high-dose leucovorin with gemcitabine (GEMFUFOL).

Results: A total of 200 cycles of chemotherapy were administered.

The development of pulmonary adenocarcinoma in a patient with Job's syndrome, a rare immunodeficiency condition.

The hyperimmunoglobulin E (HIE) (Job's) syndrome often has it onset in childhood and is characterized by markedly elevated serum IgE levels, chronic dermatitis and recurrent pyogenic infections. Lymphoid malignancies have most commonly been associated with this syndrome while the first case in the literature of carcinoma associated with HIE syndrome was a squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva, described by Clark et al. in 1998.