Long-term outcome of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy with aromatase inhibitors in elderly women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

Background: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are more effective than tamoxifen as neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) for hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer. Here we report the surgical and long-term outcome of elderly postmenopausal patients with locally advanced, HR-positive breast cancer treated with preoperative AIs.

Methods: Between January 2003 and December 2012, 144 postmenopausal patients inoperable with breast conservative surgery (BCS) received letrozole, anastrozole, or exemestane as NET.

Role of Hydroxamate-Based Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors (Hb-HDACIs) in the Treatment of Solid Malignancies.

Hydroxamate-based histone deacetylase inhibitors (Hb-HDACIs), such as vorinostat, belinostat and panobinostat, have been previously shown to have a wide range of activity in hematologic malignancies such as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Recent data show that they synergize with a variety of cytotoxic and molecular targeted agents in many different solid tumors, including breast, prostate, pancreatic, lung and ovarian cancer. Hb-HDACIs have a quite good toxicity profile and are now being tested in phase I and II clinical trials in solid tumors with promising results in selected neoplasms, such as hepatocarcinoma.

Rare diseases in Italy: analysis of the costs and pharmacotherapy.

Purpose of this research was to analyse the rare diseases drug supply paths in the Italian region of Campania (Health District 47 of the Local Medical Company Naples 1), with a particular focus on current regulations in this field, and quantify the economic incidence of such pathologies in each quarter of 2007 and 2008. Rare, or orphan, diseases are especially serious and onerous from every point of view. Patients meet significant difficulties in obtaining information and in identifying the most appropriate treatment path within the health care system.

Effectiveness and response predictive factors of erlotinib in a non-small cell lung cancer unselected European population previously treated: a retrospective, observational, multicentric study.

Aims And Background: Erlotinib approval was supported by the positive results of a large multicentric phase III trial (BR.21 study) that included 10% Asiatic patients and the remaining were North-American Caucasian. It is well-known that the efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors is strongly influenced by ethnicity and other genetic factors.

Long-term outcome of neoadjuvant systemic therapy for locally advanced breast cancer in routine clinical practice.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term outcome of patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy (NST) in routine clinical practice.

Methods: Four hundred and nine patients were identified between January 1999 and December 2011. All patients received NST followed by surgery, adjuvant treatments and radiotherapy, as appropriate.

Gemcitabine-induced posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome: a case report.

Gemcitabine is a commonly used chemotherapeutic agent for a variety of tumors. Although this nucleoside analog antineoplastic agent is similar in structure to cytarabine, central nervous system toxicities have rarely been attributed to gemcitabine. The posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a condition characterized by reversible neurological and radiological findings that has been associated with use of chemotherapeutic and more recently novel targeted therapies.

The impact of a pharmacist as a member of healthcare team on facilitating evidenced-based prescribing of innovative drugs in an Italian oncology department.

Aims And Background: At the Oncology Department of the Chieti and Ortona Hospitals, the pharmacist designated by the Abruzzo Region to oversee the obligatory monitoring of innovative oncological drugs listed in the database of the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) collaborates with oncologists to educate them about evidenced-based prescribing for off-label uses of drugs and to optimize the efficiency of spontaneous reporting of adverse drug reaction (ADR) local system.

Methods: The contribution of the pharmacist as a member of the healthcare team was evaluated using the following indices: the percentage of off-label prescriptions of the innovative drugs monitored, the number of reported ADRs, and the percentage of pharmacist suggestions actually implemented by physicians.

Results: In the course of 3 years (2008-2010), the pharmacist monitored a total of 843 patients treated with 716 appropriate uses and 127 off-label uses of drugs, oversaw a reduction in the latter from 28.