Predictive factors of survival in patients with advanced colorectal cancer: an individual data analysis of 602 patients included in irinotecan phase III trials.

Background: The infusional LV5FU2 and Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internische Onkologie (AIO) regimens are used widely in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Irinotecan combined with these regimens increases survival in front-line treatment. Irinotecan also improves survival in second-line treatment.

How postural behaviour in undisturbed upright stance can be used to assess the physical characteristics of various models of ankle orthoses.

Objectives: To assess various ankle orthoses presenting different physical characteristics.

Design: The postural performance in bi-pedal stance of 14 healthy adults was assessed during four different ankle orthoses conditions.

Background: Resultant ankle stiffness is an important component in undisturbed upright postural regulation.

Combination of folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil bolus and infusion, and cisplatin (LV5FU2-P regimen) in patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction carcinoma.

Background: Combination chemotherapy with continuous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin in a monthly regimen is one of the standard treatments for advanced gastric carcinoma. This study evaluated the new LV5FU2-P regimen, designed to improve efficacy and tolerance of the 5-FU plus cisplatin combination.

Patients And Methods: Forty-three patients with advanced or metastatic gastroesophageal junction or gastric carcinoma were prospectively included in the study.

[Colorectal cancer management].

Colorectal cancer is a frequent disease with an increasing incidence. Its prognosis improved recently because of progress in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Rationale and guidelines for colorectal cancer screening using the faecal occult blood test in the average risk population and screening recommendations for high risk groups are presented, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic principles.

Loss of heterozygosity on 10q and mutational status of PTEN and BMPR1A in colorectal primary tumours and metastases.

We investigated the possible role of chromosome 10q losses in colorectal cancer metastasis by carrying out an allelic imbalance study on a series of microsatellite instability-negative (MSI-) primary tumours (n=32) and metastases (n=36) from 49 patients. Our results demonstrate that 10q allelic losses are associated with a significant proportion (25%) of MSI- colorectal tumours, but are not involved in the metastatic process. PTEN and BMPR1A, two genes located in the common deleted region, were screened for mutations in samples with loss of heterozygosity.

Oral capecitabine vs intravenous 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin: integrated efficacy data and novel analyses from two large, randomised, phase III trials.

This study evaluates the efficacy of capecitabine using data from a large, well-characterised population of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated in two identically designed phase III studies. A total of 1207 patients with previously untreated mCRC were randomised to either oral capecitabine (1250 mg m(-2) twice daily, days 1-14 every 21 days; n=603) or intravenous (i.v.

Optimising the visual feedback technique for improving upright stance maintenance by delaying its display: behavioural effects on healthy adults.

The visual feedback technique (VFB) is recognized by several studies as a valuable tool for re-establishing the balance functions. However, one former study has highlighted the fact that the increased control induced by this technique infer both favourable (the amplitudes of the horizontal motions of the centre of gravity (CoG(h)) are diminished) and unfavourable features (the vertical difference between the CoG(h) motions and centre of pressure (CoP) trajectories are enhanced). One means to decrease these CoP-CoG(v) motions is to delay their display on the screen of the monitor.

Randomized phase II study evaluating oxaliplatin alone, oxaliplatin combined with infusional 5-FU, and infusional 5-FU alone in advanced pancreatic carcinoma patients.

Background: A randomized phase II, open-label multicenter study evaluating oxaliplatin alone (OXA), infusional 5-fluorouracil alone (5-FU) and an oxaliplatin/infusional 5-FU combination (OXFU) in untreated, advanced pancreatic carcinoma (APC).

Patients And Methods: Chemotherapy-naïve patients with advanced or metastatic, histologically/cytologically proven pancreatic carcinoma with measurable disease, received OXA [130 mg/m2, 2-h intravenous (i.v.

[Chemotherapy with curative intent before (neoadjuvant) or after (adjuvant) surgery for colorectal cancer liver metastases].

The 5-year risk of progression after complete resection of liver metastases is of 50% to 75%. Trials which have evaluated adjuvant systemic chemotherapy using 5FU--folinic acid, sometimes in association with intra-arterial chemotherapy, are not powerful and did not demonstrate a clear survival benefit. It is strongly recommended to participate to clinical trials.

The doxorubicin-streptozotocin combination for the treatment of advanced well-differentiated pancreatic endocrine carcinoma; a judicious option?

Due to their rarity, only few trials have studied the role of the doxorubicin-streptozotocin (DS) combination in advanced well-differentiated pancreatic endocrine carcinomas (AWDPEC). However, the published results are inconsistent. We reviewed all AWDPEC (5-year period, 45 patients) treated in our institution with the DS combination for: objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival, overall survival (OS) and toxicity.

The influence of having the eyelids open or closed on undisturbed postural control.

To assess the possible interactions between the physiological mechanisms involved in eyelid closure and stance maintenance, 20 healthy adults were required to keep their eyes open in the dark (EOd), in daylight (EO), or to close them normally (EC), respectively and in random order. The analysis was focused on elementary motions computed from the complex centre of pressure (CP) trajectories, that is to say the vertical projection of the centre of gravity (CGv) and the difference between CP and CGv (CP-CGv). The results indicate that the mean amplitudes of the CP-CGv spectra are statistically reduced in EOd when compared to the EC condition.

The influence of gender and body characteristics on upright stance.

Background: Morphologic characteristics such as height and body weight determine body inertia, an important factor related to postural stability. However, whilst investigations have classically analysed these parameters separately, global morphology has been poorly researched. Secondly, the influence of gender on postural stability demonstrates opposing trends, some authors observing that men sway less than women, and others noting the contrary.

[Adaptation of control mechanisms involved in upright undisturbed stance maintenance during prolonged darkness].

Aims Of The Study: To assess to which extent the non visual somato-sensorial information may, through a recalibration process, induce a reorganisation by the central nervous system to control undisturbed upright stance.

Materials And Methods: Ten healthy adults were placed in complete darkness for a 24 min period. Their postural performance was recorded through a force platform on which they were required to stand still at regular intervals.

Epidemiology, treatment and chemoprevention in colorectal cancer.

In Western countries, colorectal cancer (CRC) is second only to cancer of the lung as a cause of death from malignancy, and affects perhaps one in 20 of the population. In the pre-chemotherapy era, advances in surgery and earlier presentation led to some improvement in survival. However, no more than 60% of CRC patients can expect to be alive at 5 years.

Hepatic arterial infusion using pirarubicin combined with systemic chemotherapy: a phase II study in patients with nonresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

Background: A prospective phase II study was performed to determine the feasibility, efficacy and safety of arterial hepatic infusion (HAI) using pirarubicin combined with intravenous chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: From December 1991 to April 1994, 75 patients with unresectable colorectal metastases confined to the liver were included in this multicenter study to receive intra-arterial hepatic pirarubicin and a systemic monthly regimen of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and folinic acid. Sixty-four patients were analyzed in the intention-to-treat analysis and 61 in the per-protocol analysis.

Visual feedback induces opposite effects on elementary centre of gravity and centre of pressure minus centre of gravity motions in undisturbed upright stance.

Objective: To evaluate the instantaneous effects of visual feedback on undisturbed stance control mechanisms.

Design: The controlling variable, the centre of pressure trajectories, recorded using a force platform, were decomposed into two elementary motions: (1) the horizontal displacements of the centre of gravity and (2) the vertical projection of the difference between centre of pressure and the centre of gravity. These motions were processed through frequential analysis and modelled as fractional Brownian motion.

[Influence of visual cues on upright postural control: differentiated effects of eyelids closure].

In most protocols aimed at testing balance abilities, patients are generally required to close their eyes in order to gain insight about proprioceptive cues and the way the central nervous system (CNS) uses this information. However, one should not exclude possible interaction with the physiological mechanisms involved in eyelid closure, thus leading to a biased neurological evaluation. To assess this possible involvement, 15 healthy adults were required to keep their eyes open in the dark (YOn), to close normally (YF) and forcibly their eyelids (YFF), respectively in random order.

Phase II study of oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and folinic acid in locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of an oxaliplatin, fluorouracil (5-FU), and folinic acid (FA) combination in patients with metastatic or advanced gastric cancer (M/AGC).

Patients And Methods: Of the 54 eligible patients with measurable or assessable M/AGC, 53 received oxaliplatin 100 mg/m(2) and FA 400 mg/m(2) (2-hour intravenous infusion) followed by 5-FU bolus 400 mg/m(2) (10-minute infusion) and then 5-FU 3,000 mg/m(2) (46-hour continuous infusion) every 14 days.

Results: Patients (69% male, 31% female) had a median age of 61 years (range, 31 to 75 years), 89% had a performance status of 0 or 1, 70% had newly diagnosed disease, and 87% had metastatic disease.

Review of the role of CPT-11 in the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in Western countries, and although the treatment of advanced CRC has progressed substantially, the improvements in response rates have not always been translated into a significant survival benefit. Until recently, the standard therapy for advanced CRC was a variety of biomodulated 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) regimens. 5-FU was used as first- or second-line therapy, and a different 5-FU regimen was used second line if first-line 5-FU therapy failed.

Antitumour activity of three second-line treatment combinations in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer after optimal 5-FU regimen failure: a randomised, multicentre phase II study.

Background: We have investigated the efficacy, safety and quality of life profiles of three therapeutic combinations [irinotecan + leucovorin (LV)/5-fluorouracil (5-FU), oxaliplatin + LV/5-FU and irinotecan +oxaliplatin] in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer after failure of a 5-FU-based regimen, or whose disease had progressed within 6 months of the end of treatment.

Patients And Methods: One hundred and one patients were randomised to receive either: (i) irinotecan 180 mg/m(2) on day 1 followed by an LV 200 mg/m(2) infusion, before a 5-FU 400 mg/m(2) bolus followed by a 5-FU 600 mg/m(2) infusion (LV5FU2 regimen), on days 1 and 2 every 2 weeks; (ii) oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) on day 1 followed by the LV5FU2 regimen on days 1 and 2 every 2 weeks; or (iii) oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) followed by irinotecan 200 mg/m(2), both on day 1 every 3 weeks. The primary end point was overall response rate (ORR).