The role of Ki-67 in the proliferation and prognosis of breast cancer molecular classification subtypes.

The Ki-67 antigen was identified in the early steps of polymerase I-dependent ribosomal RNA synthesis. Although it seems that this protein has an important function in cell division, its exact role is still unclear and there is little published work on its overall function. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contribution of the level of Ki-67 with respect to tumor recurrence in molecularly classified groups of breast cancer patients.

Maintenance chemotherapy or not in ovarian cancer stages IIIA, B, C, and IV after disease recurrence.

Purpose: Ovarian cancer may have a high percentage of residual disease after chemotherapy. It is questionable whether second or more lines of chemotherapy are needed in patients with slow-growing residual disease. In the present trial we compared the median survival of patients with residual or recurrent disease who received 1-2 lines of chemotherapy with those who received 3-9 lines.

Liposomal cisplatin dose escalation for determining the maximum tolerated dose and dose-limiting toxicity: a phase I study.

Background: The aim of the present trial was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of liposomal cisplatin (lipoplatin) using nephrotoxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity and myelotoxicity as the main adverse reactions.

Patients And Methods: Lipoplatin, a liposomal formulation of cisplatin was first tested as monotherapy starting at a dose of 125 mg/m(2) and escalating up to 350 mg/m(2). Lipoplatin was then escalated in combination with paclitacel starting at a dose of 100 mg/m(2) escalating up to 250 mg/m(2) for the former and 100 mg/m(2) escalating up to 175 mg/m(2) for the latter.

Survival after cytotoxic chemotherapy in patients with advanced hormone-resistant prostate cancer: a phase II study.

In the past, it was believed that when advanced-stage prostate cancer became resistant to hormonal management, no chemotherapy should be administered, as survival was not prolonged. Mitoxanthrone and prednisone were mostly administered, while recently, other agents such as docetaxel or paclitaxel have been tested both with and without hormonal treatment. The objective of the present phase II study was to determine the survival and the response rate of patients after the chemotherapy was administered.

Lung carcinoid tumor biology: treatment and survival.

A carcinoid tumor is a rare malignant disease which can be cured when localized and treated by surgery. Chemotherapy is not effective, and somatostatin is used for palliation. Rarely is the disease aggressive, and thus does not contribute to a shortening of patient survival.

Comparison of cisplatin-paclitaxel combination versus cisplatin-etoposide in patients with small-cell lung cancer: a Phase III study.

Cisplatin-paclitaxel and cisplatin-etoposide combination therapies were compared in limited and extensive disease in patients with small-cell lung cancer. The primary objectives were to determine median and overall survival, time to tumor progression and tolerance and the secondary objective, the response rate. From January 2003 till July 2007, 108 patients were enrolled in the study.

Surgical management in lung metastases from colorectal cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer is a non-aggressive slow-growing disease. Surgery is often considered for the management of metastases. Chemotherapeutical agents may offer tumor reduction but radical tumor remission can only be achieved by surgery.

Metastatic renal cancer and patient survival as a criterion of treatment response.

Advanced metastatic renal cancer is an incurable disease, unless a successful excision of metastatic lesions can be performed. No effective treatment has yet been found. In the last few years, targeting therapies have been developed.

Capecitabine (Xeloda) as monotherapy in advanced breast and colorectal cancer: effectiveness and side-effects.

Background: Capecitabine (Xeloda) is a fluoropyrimidine which is transformed to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) at the tumor site. The aim of the present study was to estimate the efficacy of this agent in pretreated patients with advanced breast and colorectal cancer, and to determine the response rate and adverse reactions.

Patients And Methods: Forty-two patients (median age 65 years, range 27-80 years), 24 with breast cancer, 17 with colorectal cancer and one with a pancreatic islet tumor were included.

Adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer: evidence on improvement in survival.

Clear progress has been made in the adjuvant treatment of colon cancer. Until very recently, the absolute benefit for survival obtained with the administration of 6 months' FU/LV compared with control was about 6%. Fluoropyrimidines have been shown to be at least as active and can replace intravenous FU/LV in stage III colon cancer.

Primitive neurectodermal tumors: a case of extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma of the small intestine and review of the literature.

This is a review of extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma (ES) which includes a new, extremely rare case. The literature was examined with respect to determining the locations of extraosseous ESs, the incidence per site and in total and the criteria which confirm the similarity between extraosseous and osseous ES. ES sites were detected in several organs and tissues, mainly in the trunk, extremities and the retroperitoneal region.

Weekly administration of topotecan-paclitaxel as second-line treatment in ovarian cancer.

Purpose: To investigate the weekly administration of topotecan combined with paclitaxel in pretreated advanced ovarian cancer patients; our objectives were to determine efficacy, toxicity and survival.

Methods: The chemotherapy agents, topotecan and paclitaxel were administered on a weekly basis for 3 consecutive weeks, every 28 days. The plan was to give three courses (each course included three once-weekly infusions).

Liposomal cisplatin combined with gemcitabine in pretreated advanced pancreatic cancer patients: a phase I-II study.

The present trial is a phase I-II study based on a new liposomal cisplatin (lipoplatin). Previous preclinical and clinical data (phase I pharmacokinetics) led to the investigation of a combined treatment modality involving lipoplatin and gemcitabine. The gemcitabine dose was kept standard at 1000 mg/m2 and the lipoplatin dose was escalated from 25 mg/m2 to 125 mg/m2.

Efficacy and tolerability of oxaliplatin plus irinotecan 5-fluouracil and leucovorin regimen in advanced stage colorectal cancer patients pretreated with irinotecan 5-fluouracil and leucovorin.

Objectives: Oxaliplatin has been introduced in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer during the past few years. The pre-existing treatment of leucovorin-5-fluorouracil-irinotecan (IFL), although reasonably effective, has needed novel, active agents to increase the response rate and overall survival. We planned this phase 2 study in patients pretreated with IFL, adding oxaliplatin as second-line treatment: our objectives were to determine response rate and overall survival.

Second-line chemotherapy in small cell lung cancer in a modified administration of topotecan combined with paclitaxel: a phase II study.

Purpose: Our main objective was to investigate the response rate in pretreated patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who received a weekly administration of topotecan and paclitaxel; our secondary objectives were to assess toxicity and survival.

Methods: Topotecan 1.75 mg/m2 was combined with paclitaxel 70 mg/m2; these cytotoxic agents were administered once every week (day 1) for 3 consecutive weeks (one cycle), and repeated every 28 days (three infusions per cycle) for a minimum of three cycles.

Mesothelioma: treatment and survival of a patient population and review of the literature.

Background: Our purpose was to evaluate the survival of patients with pleural and intraperitoneal malignant mesothelioma and, particularly, to estimate the efficacy of chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy and surgery. A review of the literature with respect to these parameters is included.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-five patients with malignant mesothelioma (28 with pleural and 7 with intraperitoneal) were enrolled.

A phase II study of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX): a new first-line option in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Background: Capecitabine and oxaliplatin are both effective and well-tolerated monotherapies for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). Oxaliplatin has also been shown to be very effective when combined with 5-FU/LV in the first-line setting.

Aim Of The Study: Assess the efficacy and safety of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) in patients with previously untreated advanced CRC.

Irinotecan combined with docetaxel in pre-treated metastatic breast cancer patients: a phase II study.

Purpose: This is a phase II study where a novel chemotherapy combination was tested in pre-treated breast cancer patients: docetaxel and irinotecan have already been established as agents for breast and colorectal cancer, respectively.

Methods: Forty-eight (median age 54 years, range 26-77 year) patients, all evaluable, were enrolled. All patients had been pre-treated with anthracycline-combined chemotherapy, 30 of whom were also treated with paclitaxel and 2 with docetaxel.

Pharmacokinetics and adverse reactions of a new liposomal cisplatin (Lipoplatin): phase I study.

Lipoplatin, a new liposomal cisplatin formulation, is formed from cisplatin and liposomes composed of dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl glycerol (DPPG), soy phosphatidyl choline (SPC-3), cholesterol and methoxy-polyethylene glycol-distearoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (mPEG2000-DSPE). Following intravenous infusion, the nanoparticles (110 nm) are distributed into tissues and concentrate preferentially at tumor sites supposedly via extravasation through the leaky tumor vasculature. This study was designed to investigate the pharmacokinetics and the toxicity of this new liposomal cisplatin in patients with pretreated advanced malignant tumors.

Treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with gefitinib ('Iressa', ZD1839): the Greek experience with a compassionate-use program.

This is a retrospective analysis of 150 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who had failed prior treatment or were unfit for chemotherapy and were treated with oral gefitinib ('Iressa', ZD1839; AstraZeneca) 250 mg/day. Thirty-two patients who received gefitinib for 3 weeks or less were not included in the analysis. For the remaining 118 evaluable patients, the mean age was 63.

Long-term survival of patients with advanced colorectal cancer may not be due to the response to chemotherapy.

Our primary objective was to determine the median and overall survival and secondarily the response rate to first- and second-line chemotherapy of patients with advanced colorectal metastatic disease. Three-hundred and seventy-nine patients (median age 60 years, range 30-87 years) were enrolled from April 1993 to March 2000. Median follow-up was 6 years (range 3-10 years), until July 2003.

Front-line paclitaxel-vinorelbine versus paclitaxel-carboplatin in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a randomized phase III trial.

Purpose: This randomized phase III trial of advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was designed to compare a standard treatment such as carboplatin (CRP)-paclitaxel (PCT) with a new combination, vinorelbine (VRL)-PCT-two agents acting in microtubules.

Patients And Methods: Three hundred and sixty patients (stage IIIa, IIIb and IV) were included and evaluated for response rate, survival and toxicity. Arm A patients were treated with the control combination of CRP 6 AUC and PCT 175 mg/m(2) repeated every 3 weeks for six cycles, and arm B with the investigational combination of VRL 25 mg/m(2) and PCT 135 mg/m(2) repeated every 2 weeks for nine cycles.

Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride (PLD) and paclitaxel in recurrent or metastatic head and neck carcinoma: a phase I/II study conducted by the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group (HeCOG).

A phase I pharmacokinetics and dose-finding study and a phase II study of the combination of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin HCl (PLD) and paclitaxel were conducted in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer (HNC). Sixty patients with recurrent or metastatic disease were enrolled in the study: 11 patients in the phase I study and 49 patients in the phase II study. In the phase I study, the initial dose level of PLD was 35 mg/m as a 1-h infusion with escalating increments of 5 mg/m until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was reached.