Long-term survival in metastatic pancreatic cancer. A case report and review of the literature.

Context: Pancreatic cancer still remains an incurable disease. The survival rate of patients in all stages of the disease is poor. Overall median survival is 3-5 months with a 12-month survival rate of 10% and a 5-year survival rate less than 5%.

Chronomodulated administration of oxaliplatin plus capecitabine (XELOX) as first line chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer patients: phase II study.

Background: The combination of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin (LV), and oxaliplatin (I-OHP) was shown to be both more active against metastatic colorectal carcinoma and better tolerated if the drug delivery rate was chronomodulated according to circadian rhythms rather than constant. The aim of the present study was to define the feasibility and efficacy of XELOX administered through a new chronomodulated schedule in untreated advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

Methods: Chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced CRC were considered eligible for the study accrual.

Weekly oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid (OXALF) as first-line chemotherapy for elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer: results of a phase II trial.

Background: Elderly patients have been often excluded from or underrepresented in the study populations of combination chemotherapy trials. The primary end point of this study was to determine the response rate and the toxicity of the weekly oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid (OXALF) regimen in elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer. The secondary objective was to measure the time to disease progression and the survival time.

Continuous infusion of oxaliplatin plus chronomodulated capecitabine in 5-fluorouracil- and irinotecan-resistant advanced colorectal cancer patients.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to define the feasibility and efficacy of Xelox (capecitabine and oxaliplatin) administered through a new and original schedule in advanced pretreated colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

Methods: 36 metastatic CRC patients resistant at least to a previous 5-fluorouracil- and irinotecan-based chemotherapy line were included in the study.

Treatment: Oxaliplatin 70 mg/m2 as continuous infusion for 12 h (8.

A case of renal cell carcinoma with bone and lymph node metastases.

We present a rare case of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with a metastatic, mainly osteoblastic lesion of the skull and spread to the lymph nodes. Renal tumors are often associated with bone metastases; these are most often of the osteolytic type, while osteoblastic metastases are extremely rare. In the case presented here, the primary metastasis was a large osteoblastic lesion of the skull that spread to the lymph nodes.

Long-term maintenance bacille Calmette-Guérin therapy in high-grade superficial bladder cancer.

Objectives: To assess the long-term results of intravesical bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) induction plus long-term maintenance treatment for high-grade superficial bladder cancer.

Methods: Between 1994 and 2000, 41 patients who presented to our clinic with superficial urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (T1G3, T1G3 plus carcinoma in situ, or recurrent TaG2-3) were treated by transurethral resection of all visible tumor and an induction cycle of BCG plus a long-term maintenance BCG course consisting of 11 monthly instillations followed by 4 quarterly instillations and then by 6 six-monthly instillations. The median follow-up was 40 months.