Phase II trial of daily S-1 combined with weekly irinotecan in previously treated patients with advanced or recurrent squamous cell lung cancer: North Japan lung cancer group 1101.

Background: This phase II trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of S-1 combined with weekly irinotecan as a second- or third-line treatment for patients with advanced or recurrent squamous cell lung cancer.

Methods: Patients with a body surface area <1.25, 1.

Clinical Significance of Tumor Markers for Advanced Thymic Carcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis from the NEJ023 Study.

The optimal tumor marker for predicting the prognosis of advanced thymic carcinoma (ATC) remains unclear. We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study of patients with ATC. A total of 286 patients were treated with chemotherapy.

Phase I Study Evaluating the Combination of Afatinib with Carboplatin and Pemetrexed After First-line EGFR-TKIs.

Background/aim: Promising reports have described the combination of first-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) with carboplatin plus pemetrexed or bevacizumab. However, no analysis of afatinib with platinum-doublet chemotherapies has been performed.

Patients And Methods: We evaluated the safety and antitumor efficacy of afatinib combined with carboplatin and pemetrexed in EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who progressed during first-generation EGFR-TKIs.

Prognostic Factors and Efficacy of First-Line Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Thymic Carcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis of 286 Patients from NEJ023 Study.

Background: The prognostic factors and the efficacy of first-line chemotherapy remain unclear in patients with advanced thymic carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study named NEJ023 for patients with advanced thymic carcinoma. All patients without any indication of curative treatment were treated with chemotherapy from 1995 to 2014 at 40 institutions of the North East Japan Study Group.

Prophylactic cranial irradiation versus observation in patients with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer: a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial.

Background: Results from a previous phase 3 study suggested that prophylactic cranial irradiation reduces the incidence of symptomatic brain metastases and prolongs overall survival compared with no prophylactic cranial irradiation in patients with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer. However, because of the absence of brain imaging before enrolment and variations in chemotherapeutic regimens and irradiation doses, concerns have been raised about these findings. We did a phase 3 trial to reassess the efficacy of prophylactic cranial irradiation in the treatment of extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer.

Weekly irinotecan combined with carboplatin for patients with small-cell lung cancer: A phase I study.

Background: We conducted a phase I dose escalation study to evaluate the feasibility, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), and recommended dose (RD) of weekly irinotecan combined with fixed-dose carboplatin for patients with untreated small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Methods: Fifteen patients with chemotherapy-naïve SCLC less than 75 years old were enrolled from 3 institutions. Patients received irinotecan (50-80mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8) and carboplatin (area under the curve, 5.

A phase II study of erlotinib monotherapy in pre-treated non-small cell lung cancer without EGFR gene mutation who have never/light smoking history: re-evaluation of EGFR gene status (NEJ006/TCOG0903).

Objectives: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors are particularly effective in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring active EGFR mutations. However, some studies have reported survival benefits in NSCLC patients with wild-type EGFR upon erlotinib treatment. This trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of erlotinib monotherapy and investigate the predictive values of several biomarkers.

Phase II study of amrubicin combined with carboplatin for refractory relapsed small-cell lung cancer: North Japan Lung Cancer Group Trial 0802.

Background: Amrubicin (AMR), a new anthracycline agent, has shown promising results for advanced small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), although the efficacy of AMR alone against refractory relapsed SCLC is insufficient. This study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the combination of AMR and carboplatin (CBDCA) in patients with refractory relapsed SCLC.

Methods: Patients with advanced SCLC who relapsed within 90 days after the completion of first-line chemotherapy received AMR (30mg/m(2), days 1-3) and CBDCA (area under the curve 4.

Randomized phase II trial comparing carboplatin plus weekly paclitaxel and docetaxel alone in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: north japan lung cancer group trial 0801.

Background: Standard first-line chemotherapy for elderly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has been monotherapy with vinorelbine or gemcitabine. Docetaxel has also been considered as an alternative option for the elderly population in Japan. We have previously demonstrated the high efficacy of carboplatin plus weekly paclitaxel for elderly NSCLC patients.

Randomized phase II trial of uracil/tegafur and cisplatin versus vinorelbine and cisplatin with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy for locally advanced unresectable stage III non-small-cell lung cancer: NJLCG 0601.

Introduction: The optimal chemotherapy with thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains to be established. This randomized phase II study of concurrent chemoradiotherapy was conducted to compare uracil/tegafur (UFT) and cisplatin with vinorelbine and cisplatin for stage III NSCLC.

Patients And Methods: Patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC were randomized to receive UP (400 mg/m(2) UFT on days 1-14 and 29-42 and 80 mg/m(2) cisplatin on days 8 and 36) or NP (20 mg/m(2) vinorelbine on days 1, 8, 29, and 36 and 80 mg/m(2) cisplatin on days 1 and 29).

Phase II study of irinotecan as a third- or fourth-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: NJLCG0703.

Background: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of irinotecan monotherapy as a third- or fourth-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Methods: Patients with advanced NSCLC refractory to 2 or more previous regimens were treated with 80 mg/m2 irinotecan on days 1, 8, and 15, every 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR), whereas secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity profiles.

Phase I study of daily S-1 combined with weekly irinotecan in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: S-1 is a novel oral fluorouracil prodrug active against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To determine the feasibility of S-1 combined with weekly irinotecan for patients with advanced NSCLC, we performed a phase I study to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and the recommended dose (RD) of irinotecan.

Methods: Patients with advanced NSCLC received S-1 (80 mg/m(2)) on days 1-14 and irinotecan (50-80 mg/m(2)) on days 1, 8, and 15 of each 28-day cycle.

Randomized phase II trial comparing amrubicin with topotecan in patients with previously treated small-cell lung cancer: North Japan Lung Cancer Study Group Trial 0402.

Purpose: Amrubicin, a new anthracycline agent, and topotecan are both active for previously treated small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). No comparative study of these agents has been reported. This randomized phase II study was conducted to select amrubicin or topotecan for future evaluation.

Adenocarcinoma with epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutations in three siblings.

Sensitivity to an inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase strongly correlates with EGFR somatic mutations in non-small cell lung cancer. These mutations are frequently found in patients with adenocarcinoma, never- or light-smokers, women, and East Asians. In this study, we show an aggregation of three non-small cell lung cancer cases with EGFR gene mutations in one family.

Phase II study of carboplatin combined with biweekly docetaxel for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: The combination of carboplatin and docetaxel has been considered one of the standard treatments for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To investigate a safer and more convenient schedule for outpatient, we conducted a phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and the safety of carboplatin plus biweekly docetaxel for advanced NSCLC.

Patients And Methods: Patients with stage IIIB, IV, or postoperative recurrent NSCLC with good performance status were administered docetaxel at a dose of 35 mg/m on days 1 and 15 and carboplatin at an area under the curve (AUC) of 6 on day 1 every 4 weeks for at least three cycles.

A phase II study of weekly paclitaxel combined with carboplatin for elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

We conducted this phase II study to explore the efficacy and safety of weekly paclitaxel combined with carboplatin in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Elderly patients (> or = 70 years old) of stage IIIB, IV, or recurrent NSCLC with PS 0 or 1 were enrolled. Patients received paclitaxel at a dose of 70 mg/m2 on Days 1, 8, 15, and carboplatin at the target dose of the area under the curve (AUC) of six on Day 1 every 28 days for at least two cycles.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and lung immunity in pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

The anti-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) autoantibody is inferred to cause idiopathic pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (iPAP): the antibody neutralizes GM-CSF and thereby impairs differentiation of alveolar macrophages. Administration of GM-CSF improves respiratory function of patients with iPAP, as confirmed in this study using aerosolized GM-CSF. To elucidate its mechanism, we characterized bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and alveolar macrophages obtained from three patients with iPAP who were treated successfully with aerosolized GM-CSF.

[Bronchial artery embolization can be effective for primary racemose hemangioma].

We report two cases of primary racemose hemangioma in patients with hemoptysis. In the first, a 59-year-old man had a pulsatile polypoid lesion in the bronchus of the lingula; and in the second, a 24-year-old woman had a nodule in the bronchus of the right lower lobe. In both patients, arteriography of the bronchial artery revealed enlargement and convolution of its branches.

High level of vascular endothelial growth factor in hemorrhagic pleural effusion of cancer.

Angiogenic cytokines, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and angiogenin, are candidates for the induction of pleural effusions because they have been implicated in the induction of neovascularization, vascular permeability, and hemorrhage both in the inflammatory process and in tumor progression. Thus, we hypothesized that these angiogenic factors in effusion might be involved in the clinical manifestation of malignant pleural disease. We measured the levels of VEGF, bFGF, and angiogenin in pleural effusions and sera from 40 patients.

Possible oncogenic potential of DeltaNp73: a newly identified isoform of human p73.

p73, a recently identified gene highly homologous to p53, can transactivate p53 target genes and induce apoptosis. Here we report the identification of an NH(2)-terminal truncated isoform of human p73, DeltaNp73, which is capable of suppressing p53- and p73-dependent transactivation. We speculate that this suppression is achieved by competing for the DNA binding site in the case of p53 and by direct association in the case of TAp73.