Brazilian Group of Gastrointestinal Tumours' consensus guidelines for the management of oesophageal cancer.

Oesophageal cancer is among the ten most common types of cancer worldwide. More than 80% of the cases and deaths related to the disease occur in developing countries. Local socio-economic, epidemiologic and healthcare particularities led us to create a Brazilian guideline for the management of oesophageal and oesophagogastric junction (OGJ) carcinomas.

Brazilian Group of Gastrointestinal Tumours' consensus guidelines for the management of gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is among the ten most common types of cancer worldwide. Most cases and deaths related to the disease occur in developing countries. Local socio-economic, epidemiologic and healthcare particularities led us to create a Brazilian guideline for the management of gastric carcinomas.

Validation of questionnaire on the Spiritual Needs Assessment for Patients (SNAP) questionnaire in Brazilian Portuguese.

Objectives: Spirituality is related to the care and the quality of life of cancer patients. Thus, it is very important to assess their needs. The objective of this study was the translation and cultural adjustment of the Spiritual Needs Assessment for Patients (SNAP) questionnaire to the Brazilian Portuguese language.

Safety and efficacy of sorafenib in patients with Child-Pugh B advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Sorafenib demonstrated a survival benefit in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in phase III trials. However, almost all the patients included in those trials exhibited well-preserved liver function (Child-Pugh A). The aim of this study was to describe our experience with sorafenib in Child-Pugh B HCC patients.

Ramucirumab versus placebo as second-line treatment in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma following first-line therapy with sorafenib (REACH): a randomised, double-blind, multicentre, phase 3 trial.

Background: VEGF and VEGF receptor-2-mediated angiogenesis contribute to hepatocellular carcinoma pathogenesis. Ramucirumab is a recombinant IgG1 monoclonal antibody and VEGF receptor-2 antagonist. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of ramucirumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma following first-line therapy with sorafenib.

Pre-treatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio affects survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with sorafenib.

Sorafenib is the first systemic therapy to demonstrate survival benefit in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in randomized controlled trials with rigorous patient selection. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown to be associated with poor survival in various solid tumors. Our aim is to evaluate the prognostic role of NLR in HCC patients treated with sorafenib.

Recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma in liver transplant recipients: parameters affecting time to recurrence, treatment options and survival in the sorafenib era.

Background: A growing number of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergo liver transplantation, but there is little data on recurrence and its treatment in the posttransplant setting.

Methods: This article presents a retrospective analysis of adult hepatocellular carcinoma patients. The aim of the study was to characterize the clinical pattern of posttransplant hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence, treatment options in recurrence and overall survival after liver transplantation and after recurrence.

[Predictors of operative treatment in patients sustaining bleeding peptic ulcers].

Objective: To analyze the predictors of operative treatment in patients sustaining bleeding peptic ulcers.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of the patients admitted owing to bleeding peptic ulcers from 1998 to 2001. Vital signs upon admission, associated diseases, endoscopy data, evolution and definitive care were evaluated.