An Attempt to Quantitate "Value" In Medical Oncologic Therapy.

Objective We wanted to examine the incremental cost-effective ratio (ICER) for a variety of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved oncology drugs in the adjuvant or curative setting to determine the value provided. Design We examined the annualized incremental drug costs of a variety of FDA approved chemotherapeutic drugs used in an adjuvant or curative setting based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) category 1 practice guidelines for melanoma, Her2/neu over-expressive breast cancer, renal cell carcinoma, stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer, myeloma, B cell lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma. The studies we examined were randomized clinical trials on which the NCCN guidelines are based; we solely examined the incremental cost-effectiveness of the trial drug as we assumed that the costs of the health care provided were equivalent between the two treatment arms.

Copper deficiency mimicking myelodysplastic syndrome.

Copper deficiency is a rare cause of pancytopenia that may be mistaken for myelodysplastic syndrome. Cytoplasmic vacuolization in erythroid and myeloid precursors is found on bone marrow examination. Patients with a history of abdominal surgery who present with anemia and neutropenia with dysplastic changes should have copper levels checked.

Lenalidomide monotherapy in chemotherapy-naive, castration-resistant prostate cancer patients: final results of a phase II study.

Background: We investigated the activity of lenalidomide, which has antiangiogenic, antineoplastic, and immunomodulatory properties, in chemotherapy-naive, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients.

Patients: Patients received 25 mg/d lenalidomide for 21 days in 28-day cycles, until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity developed. Endpoints included overall response rate and clinical benefit (overall response + stable disease), toxicity, time to radiographic progression, and time to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression, overall survival, and quality of life.

Role of sorafenib in overcoming resistance of chemotherapy-failure castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: Sorafenib promotes apoptosis through downstream pathways that can be deregulated in CRPC. We hypothesized that sorafenib could overcome chemotherapy resistance in CRPC.

Patients And Methods: Eligible patients were those whose disease had progressed during chemotherapy (docetaxel or mitoxantrone) or within 12 weeks of stopping either.

A phase II pilot trial investigating the efficacy and activity of single agent granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor as maintenance approach in castration - resistant prostate cancer patients responding to chemotherapy.

Purpose: To investigate the toxicity and efficacy of GM-CSF in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients who maximized their response to systemic chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: CRPC patients who maximized their response to either docetaxel or mitoxantrone chemotherapy were eligible if they demonstrated adequate performance status, liver, kidney, and bone marrow function. Maximum response to chemotherapy was defined as either receiving at least 8 cycles of chemotherapy without radiographic or biochemical progression, receiving less than 8 cycles as long as the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) changes by less than 10%, or being off chemotherapy for less than 12 weeks without disease progression.

Erlotinib has moderate single-agent activity in chemotherapy-naïve castration-resistant prostate cancer: final results of a phase II trial.

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and toxicity of single-agent erlotinib in chemotherapy-naive castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Methods: Eligible patients received erlotinib at 150 mg daily until disease progression. Toxicity was assessed every 2 weeks and responses every 8 weeks.