[Fentanyl buccal tablets in the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain. German cohort of a pan-European multicentre study].

Background: Patients with breakthrough cancer pain (BtCP) experience significant limitations in their physical, mental and social functions. Fentanyl buccal tablets (FBT), a rapid onset opioid, are specifically indicated for the treatment of BtCP.

Method: The results of the German cohort of a pan-European study are presented.

Bendamustin-Rituximab Combination Is a Safe and Effective, Ambulatory Treatment for Elderly Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Retrospective Real-world Analysis by Age from a German Registry and Review of the Literature.

Background: Treatment recommendations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are based upon selected, otherwise healthy study populations mostly under 72 years of age. The Project group Internistic Oncology (PIO) embarked on an analysis of the 'real-world' safety and efficacy of bendamustine with and without rituximab in unselected outpatients.

Patients And Methods: A multicenter, open-label, prospectively stratified, retrospective study was conducted to determine routine feasibility, toxicity, and response rates obtained by bendamustine with and without rituximab in a random population of mostly elderly patients with CLL.

Adjuvant Therapy Reduces Rate of Dissemination but Shortens Survival Thereafter.

In the subgroup of patients who suffer from metastases despite adjuvant therapy, survival after dissemination is shortened. This is partially due to an adjuvant chemotherapy-induced resistance to previous treatment and may be similar after hormonal therapy and immunotherapy.

Adjuvant therapy-related shortening of survival (ATRESS): an underrated phenomenon.

Shortening of survival after dissemination following adjuvant treatment is not understood well enough and is difficult to search for in public databases because of the lack of specific search terms. We suggest using the acronym ATRESS, for “adjuvant therapy-related shortening of survival,” in future literature concerning this issue.

Improved patient functioning after treatment of breakthrough cancer pain: an open-label study of fentanyl buccal tablet in patients with cancer pain.

Purpose: This open-label study evaluated the effects of fentanyl buccal tablet (FBT) on functioning and mood in cancer patients with breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP).

Methods: Opioid-tolerant patients in seven European countries with up to four BTcP episodes/day received FBT doses (100-800 μg) identified during open-label titration to treat up to eight BTcP episodes during an open-label treatment period. In countries where FBT was not commercially available, patients could enter an open-label continuation phase.

[WINHO quality indicators for outpatient oncology care in Germany].

The aim of the WINHO indicators project is to describe and enhance the quality of outpatient oncology care in Germany with indicators. This paper deals with the development of a set of evidence- and consensus-based meaningful indicators to assess the quality of outpatient oncology care in Germany. These indicators are intended to be applied in assessments of quality of patient care in oncology practices, in quality reports and in peer-to-peer benchmarking.

Malignant melanoma S3-guideline "diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of melanoma".

This first German evidence-based guideline for cutaneous melanoma was developed under the auspices of the German Dermatological Society (DDG) and the Dermatologic Cooperative Oncology Group (DeCOG) and funded by the German Guideline Program in Oncology. The recommendations are based on a systematic literature search, and on the consensus of 32 medical societies, working groups and patient representatives. This guideline contains recommendations concerning diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of melanoma.

Adjuvant therapy reduces the benefit of palliative treatment in disseminated breast cancer - own findings and review of the literature.

Background: Adjuvant treatment concepts have improved the 10-year cure rate of breast and colon cancer, but new treatments for metastatic disease have yielded only incremental benefit. If treatments for disseminated cancer were actually prolonging life rather than only increasing remission rates, this effect should have been documented over the last 30+ years. However, published data concerning advances in treatment for disseminated cancer have been contradictory.

Superior outcome of women with stage I/II cutaneous melanoma: pooled analysis of four European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer phase III trials.

Purpose: Several studies observed a female advantage in the prognosis of cutaneous melanoma, for which behavioral factors or an underlying biologic mechanism might be responsible. Using complete and reliable follow-up data from four phase III trials of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Melanoma Group, we explored the female advantage across multiple end points and in relation to other important prognostic indicators.

Patients And Methods: Patients diagnosed with localized melanoma were included in EORTC adjuvant treatment trials 18832, 18871, 18952, and 18961 and randomly assigned during the period of 1984 to 2005.

Fentanyl buccal tablet for breakthrough cancer pain: why titrate?

Breakthrough cancer pain is a significant problem for many patients with cancer because of the fast onset and often unpredictable nature of the pain episodes. The rapid onset opioids therefore have a central role to play in the management of breakthrough cancer pain. The rapid onset opioid fentanyl buccal tablet provides a fast analgesic effect and is easy to administer.

Frequency of side effects in outpatient cancer care and their influence on patient satisfaction--a prospective survey using the PASQOC questionnaire.

Study Objectives: The aims of the study were to examine the frequency of side effects and fatigue in ambulatory cancer patients and to analyse how these symptoms are reflected in patient satisfaction.

Setting: Private practices (N = 41) and day hospitals (N = 8) in Germany took part in the study.

Participants: The respondents were 4,538 patients with cancer (response rate: 82%).

Patient satisfaction in outpatient cancer care: a prospective survey using The PASQOC questionnaire.

Study Objectives: To examine how outpatient cancer patients assess their cancer care in private oncology practices and day hospitals, and to identify the extent to which staff meet the expectations of their patients.

Setting: Private practices (n = 41) and day hospitals (n = 8) in Germany, including 16 "repeater" practices who had already participated in the 2002 Patient Satisfaction and Quality in Oncological Care (PASQOC) survey.

Participants: n = 4,615 patients with cancer.

Costs of treatment of colorectal cancer in different settings in Germany.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost implications of different settings (inpatient, outpatient/day clinic, or office-based oncologists) for the administration of standard fluoropyrimidine therapies, i.e., Mayo Clinic and Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internistische Onkologie (AIO)/Ardalan regimen, and to compare the results with the cost of oral capecitabine in Germany.

Fulvestrant versus anastrozole for the treatment of advanced breast carcinoma in postmenopausal women: a prospective combined analysis of two multicenter trials.

Background: Fulvestrant (ICI 182,780) is a new type of estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist that down-regulates the ER and has no known agonist effects. The authors report the prospectively planned combined analysis of data from 2 Phase III trials comparing fulvestrant 250 mg monthly (n=428) and anastrozole 1 mg daily (n=423) in postmenopausal women with advanced breast carcinoma (ABC) who previously had progressed after receiving endocrine treatment.

Methods: The primary endpoint was time to progression (TTP).

Inverse association between melanoma and previous vaccinations against tuberculosis and smallpox: results of the FEBIM study.

Various forms of immunotherapy utilizing bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine or vaccinia vaccine have been evaluated in clinical trials on melanoma patients. The effect of the "natural" application of these vaccinations, administered to provide protection against tuberculosis and smallpox, has, however, never been studied in epidemiologic investigations on risk factors for melanoma. In a case-control study comprising 11 institutions in seven countries we recruited 603 incident melanoma cases and 627 population controls frequency matched to the cases with respect to sex, age, and ethnic origin within each center to assess this relationship to obtain insights into the prevention of melanoma.