Fosaprepitant dimeglumine (MK-0517 or L-785,298), an intravenous neurokinin-1 antagonist for the prevention of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting.

Background: This paper reviews the existing literature on fosaprepitant, an intravenous neurokinin-1 anatgonist for the prevention of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting.

Objectives: To describe the development of fosaprepitant and to situate the intravenous form of aprepitant in the current market of available antiemetics.

Methods: Literature was screened and selected in order to compare the intravenous form of the already commonly used NK-1 receptor antagonist aprepitant.

Independent risk factors for anemia in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: results from the European Cancer Anaemia Survey.

Objectives: To develop a hitherto unavailable risk factor model for accurately predicting anemia development in cancer patients before chemotherapy (CT) administration.

Methods: 2,070 nonanemic patients from the European Cancer Anaemia Survey (ECAS) with hemoglobin (Hb) > or =12 g/dl at enrollment who received their first CT during ECAS and underwent at least two CT cycles were divided randomly into split half (SH) 1 and SH2 (n = 1,035 each). The model was developed on SH1 using logistic regression to simultaneously evaluate predictive factors, and was validated using SH2 and an additional similar subpopulation of 5,901 ECAS patients.

The role of biological markers as predictors of response to preoperative chemotherapy in large primary breast cancer.

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate biological markers, their correlation with response and outcome, and the change in these markers under the influence of preoperative chemotherapy (PCT) in patients with a large primary breast cancer. One hundred and thirty-five women were treated with PCT, followed by locoregional therapy and adjuvant treatment. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), HER-2, p53, and cathepsin D were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) before and after PCT.

Better cosmetic results and comparable quality of life after skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate autologous breast reconstruction compared to breast conservative treatment.

Preoperative chemotherapy (PCT) can be used in large primary breast cancer to facilitate breast conservative surgery (BCS). Cosmetic results of BCS are influenced by the size of the residual tumour, relative to the size of the breast. After mastectomy, immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) with autologous tissue provides excellent cosmetic outcome and has proven to be safe in breast cancer patients.

Impact of haemoglobin levels on the outcome of cancers treated with chemotherapy.

Anaemia is the most frequently observed haematological abnormality faced by cancer patients. Yet, its impact on tumour biology is not well understood. Several recent retrospective clinical studies showed that anaemia is not only a negative prognostic factor but also, in some situations, a negative predictive parameter in chemotherapy-treated patients with solid tumours or haematological malignancies.