Prognosis of mucinous histology for patients with radically resected stage II and III colon cancer.

Background: Previous studies investigating the prognostic role of mucinous histology of colorectal cancer produced conflicting results. This retrospective analysis was carried out in order to explore whether mucinous adenocarcinoma (MC) is associated with a comparatively worse prognosis than that of nonmucinous adenocarcinoma (NMC) for patients undergoing curative resection for stage II and III colon cancer.

Patients And Methods: This study involved 1025 unselected patients who underwent curative surgery for sporadic colon cancer and follow-up procedures at six different oncology departments.

Mucinous histology predicts for poor response rate and overall survival of patients with colorectal cancer and treated with first-line oxaliplatin- and/or irinotecan-based chemotherapy.

The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of first-line chemotherapy containing irinotecan and/or oxaliplatin in patients with advanced mucinous colorectal cancer. Prognostic factors associated with response rate and survival were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic and/or Cox proportional hazards analyses. The population included 255 patients, of whom 49 (19%) had mucinous and 206 (81%) had non-mucinous colorectal cancer.

Pharmacogenetic profiling for cetuximab plus irinotecan therapy in patients with refractory advanced colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathways may play a relevant role in determining the activity of cetuximab therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC). We investigated possible associations between genetic variants and clinical outcomes of MCRC patients treated with cetuximab-irinotecan salvage therapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients who underwent cetuximab-irinotecan salvage therapy after disease progression during or after first-line bolus/infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin chemotherapy and a second-line irinotecan-based regimen were considered eligible for analysis of polymorphisms with putative influence on cetuximab-related pathways.

Polymorphisms in genes involved in DNA repair and metabolism of xenobiotics in individual susceptibility to sporadic diffuse gastric cancer.

Background: Gastric cancer is the second highest cause of cancer mortality in the world, despite declining rates of incidence in many industrialized countries. We carried out a case-control study to evaluate whether polymorphisms of DNA repair and glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes modulate the risk of developing diffuse gastric cancer.

Methods: ERCC1 118 T/C, XRCC1 399 G/A, XPD 312 G/A, XPD 751 A/C, XRCC3 241 C/T, MS 919 A/G, GSTP1 105 A/G, GSTM1-null/positive and GSTT1-null/positive genotypes were obtained for a series of 126 Helicobacter pylori-negative diffuse gastric cancer patients and 144 Helicobacter pylori-negative controls sampled from the population of Marche, an area with high gastric cancer risk in central Italy.

The role of levamisole in the adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer patients: a randomized trial of 5-fluorouracil and levamisole versus 5-fluorouracil alone.

Adjuvant 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and levamisole (Lev) have been considered standard treatment for stage III colon cancer patients. However, the uncertain contribution of Lev to the efficacy of treatment has led many oncologists to prefer the 5FU/leucovorin combination. To establish the role of Lev, we conducted a randomized trial comparing the 5FU/Lev combination with 5FU alone in patients with Dukes' C colon cancer.

Long-lasting complete remission of pulmonary metastases consequent to renal cell carcinoma obtained with interferon-beta therapy: review of the literature and a case report.

This case report describes a complete remission of pulmonary metastases, consequent to renal cancer, achieved with interferon-beta therapy. After nephrectomy (July 1990), this female patient was proposed for therapeutic assessment: vinblastine chemotherapy was carried out for 10 cycles, whereas concomitant immunotherapy of interferon-alpha was discontinued after 30 days owing to lack of tolerability. In replacement, interferon-beta administration from the 5th cycle of chemotherapy at the dose of 3 MIU 3 times a week was well tolerated.

Lymphangitic carcinomas of the lung as presentation of prostatic cancer. A case report.

Lymphangitic carcinomatosis of the lung is a late and often fatal manifestation of cancer. We describe a case of a biopsy-proved pulmonary lymphangitic carcinomatosis in an asymptomatic 61-year-old man. The pulmonary picture proved to be the initial sign of a prostatic cancer.

Advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: no difference in survival rate between exploratory laparotomy and inadequate debulking surgery as treatment approach before chemotherapy.

In this study we have retrospectively evaluated 40 untreated patients with stage III-IV (FIGO) epithelial ovarian cancer. Sixteen patients had received, as initial treatment, inadequate surgical removal of the tumor with bulky residue (BR) of disease and 24 had had an exploratory laparotomy (EL) only. Subsequently, both groups received equivalent chemotherapy consisting of AC combination (adriamycin, cyclophosphamide) in 25 patients.

Teniposide (VM26) as second-line treatment for small cell lung cancer.

Twenty-six out of 53 patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who relapsed or progressed following a first treatment (induction plus maintenance), were treated by a second-line chemotherapy consisting of: Teniposide (VM26), 60 mg/m2 i.v., days 1-5, every 3 weeks until further progression.

Induction chemo-radiotherapy and maintenance alternating chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer.

Seventy-four patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) entered a program consisting of induction with three courses of CAV (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and vincristine) in limited disease or two courses of CAV plus two courses of DDP-VP16 (cisplatin, etoposide) in extensive disease, followed by chest radiotherapy (45 Gy) and prophylactic brain irradiation (30 Gy) in responsive patients. Subsequently, patients with response or stable disease received maintenance therapy by alternating courses of CAV, DDP-VP16 and C'MP (CCNU, methotrexate, procarbazine) during 1 year or until relapse. Sixty-seven patients were evaluable.

Etoposide and mitomycin-C in pretreated metastatic breast cancer.

Twenty-five patients with metastatic breast cancer in progression after prior chemotherapy +/- hormonotherapy were treated with etoposide 50 mg/m2 i.v. days 1 to 5 every 21 days and mitomycin-C 10 mg/m2 i.

Analgesia with epidural calcitonin in cancer patients.

We evaluated the analgesic effect of salmon calcitonin (sCT) on 14 patients with intractable cancer pain. The drug was administered by epidural infusion (4-8 bolus administrations in 48 h); the dosage was 100 IU/48 h in 5 patients and 400 IU/48 h in 9 patients. Significant, although limited, pain relief and nocturnal pain relief were obtained; the requirement for conventional analgesic drugs was substantially reduced.

[Adrenal metastasis: clinical and pathological aspects].

The clinical and autopsy records of 91 patients who died of various malignancies in January 1980-December 1985 were reviewed with regards to metastatic involvement of the adrenal glands. Metastatic involvement was found in 28/91 i.e.