Therapeutic and prophylactic gastrectomy in a family with hereditary diffuse gastric cancer secondary to a CDH1 mutation: a case series.

Background: Gastric cancer is the fifth most prevalent and the third most lethal cancer worldwide, causing approximately 720,000 deaths annually. Although most cases of gastric cancers are sporadic, one of its inherited forms, hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC), constitutes about 1-3% of cases. Interestingly, females in families with HDGC are also predisposed to developing lobular breast cancer (LBC).

A Case Report Demonstrating the Potential Clinical Relevance of Liquid Tumor Biopsies in Lung Cancer.

A 50-year-old male with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer was unable to have standard-of-care molecular testing performed at diagnosis as a result of inadequacy of the available tissue. A subsequently performed commercial liquid tumor biopsy (Foundation ACT) revealed an epidermal growth factor receptor exon 19 deletion, but due to the progression of the tumor and rapid deterioration in the patient's performance status, a meaningful attempt at therapy directed to this recognized therapeutic target was not possible. This case provides important support for the relevance of liquid tumor biopsies in documenting highly clinically relevant molecular targets, particularly in the setting where limited solid tumor tissue is available for analysis.

Thrombocytosis as a prognostic factor for survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Background: It has been suggested that thrombocytosis, as defined by a platelet count >400,000/microL, is a negative predictor for survival among patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. However, this has not been a uniform finding.

Methods: To address this issue, retrospective analysis of 700 previously untreated patients entering on institution review board-approved phase 1, 2, or 3 clinical trials in the United States and Europe was conducted between 1982 and 2002.

Phase 2 study of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, vincristine, decreased-frequency dexamethasone, and thalidomide in newly diagnosed and relapsed-refractory multiple myeloma.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adding thalidomide to the pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, vincristine, and decreased-frequency dexamethasone (DVd) regimen for multiple myeloma.

Patients And Methods: Patients newly diagnosed as having active multiple myeloma and those with relapsed-refractory disease were studied between August 2001 and October 2003. Patients received DVd as previously described.

Phase I/II study of docetaxel, ifosfamide, and doxorubicin in advanced, recurrent, or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS).

Background: Based on reports of the efficacy of docetaxel (T) in STS, we undertook a phase I/II trial to determine the response rate (RR), dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of addition of T to doxorubicin (A) and ifosfamide (I) in advanced STS.

Methods: Patients with advanced, recurrent, or metastatic STS, without prior chemotherapy, were enrolled in a dose escalation trial. Dose levels: I-A 40 mg/m(2); I 4.

Immunomodulatory analogues of thalidomide in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

The design of innovative, more effective, less toxic therapy for multiple myeloma (MM) is emerging in parallel to a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of this common hematologic malignancy. Thalidomide has changed the treatment paradigm for patients with myeloma. Its efficacy, however, has been compromised to some degree by its side effects.