Eur J Cancer Care (Engl)
March 2017
Routine post-operative care in high dependency unit (HDU), surgical intensive care unit (SICU) and intensive care unit (ICU) after high-risk gynaecological oncology surgical procedures may allow for greater recognition and correct management of post-operative complications, thereby reducing long-term morbidity and mortality. On the other hand, unnecessary admissions to these units lead to increased morbidity - nosocomial infections, increased length of hospital stay and higher hospital costs. Gynaecological oncology surgeons continue to look after their patient in the HDU/SICU and have the final role in decision-making on day-to-day basis, making it important to be well versed in critical care management and ensure the best care for their patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To evaluate preoperative serum levels of Ca125 and Tag72-4 tumour markers and investigate if abnormal levels correlate to mortality and disease-free survival.
Method: Retrospective observational study of a cohort of 282 women (mean age 62.3, SD 10.
Purpose: The establishment of high dependency units (HDUs) has been an undoubted advance in the management of patients undergoing major oncological procedures. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of various preoperative and perioperative patients' characteristics on the prolonged HDU stay.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study including all gynecologic oncology patients who underwent surgical management and were admitted postoperatively to our hospitals' HDU from 2006 to 2010.
Objective: The prognosis for patients with platinum-resistant advanced ovarian cancer remains poor. The impact of approved agents on survival has not been clarified during the last decade. We studied survival trends during the last 15 years in platinum-resistant patients treated with cytoreductive surgery followed by paclitaxel/platinum chemotherapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Vascular endothelial growth factor action in tumour angiogenesis is well characterised; nevertheless, it functions as a key element in the promotion of the immune system's evasion by tumours. We sought to investigate the possible direct effect of VEGF on T-cell activation and through which type of VEGF receptor it exerts this effect on cells isolated from ovarian cancer patients' ascites.
Methods: T cells isolated from the ascites of ovarian cancer patients were cultured with anti-CD3 and IL-2, with or without VEGF for 14 days and the number of viable T cells was counted.
Objective: We investigated the efficacy of risk-adapted adjuvant paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy in early-stage ovarian carcinoma.
Methods: Fifty-three patients were treated according to the risk of relapse: patients with stages IA or IB or with grade 1 (low risk) received 4 cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin; patients with IC/IIA and grade 2 or 3 (high risk) received 6 cycles of chemotherapy. The outcome was compared with that of 95 patients who were all treated with 4 cycles.
Aim: Ovarian carcinomas have been classified into types I and II according to the hypothesised mode of carcinogenesis and molecular characteristics. The prognostic significance of this classification has not been studied.
Patients And Methods: Five hundred and sixty-eight patients with histologically confirmed, ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal carcinomas, international federation of gynecology and obstetrics (FIGO) stages IIC-IV, treated with paclitaxel/platinum following cytoreductive surgery, were included in this analysis.
The role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in tumor angiogenesis is well characterized; nevertheless, it is also a key element in promoting tumor evasion of the immune system by downregulating dendritic cell maturation and thus T cell activation. We sought to investigate the possible direct effect of VEGF on T cell activation and through which type of VEGF receptor (VEGFR) it exerts this effect. Circulating T cells from healthy donors and ovarian cancer patients were expanded in cultures with anti-CD3 and IL-2 with or without VEGF for 14 days, and the number of T cells was assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAgri-Environment Schemes (AES) to maintain or promote environmentally-friendly farming practices were implemented on about 25% of all agricultural land in the EU by 2002. This article analyses and discusses the actual and potential use of impact models in supporting the design, implementation and evaluation of AES. Impact models identify and establish the causal relationships between policy objectives and policy outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mucinous and clear cell histology have been associated with adverse prognosis in ovarian carcinomas. The authors compared the outcome of these subtypes with that of serous tumors in patients who were treated with combination paclitaxel/platinum at their center.
Methods: Four hundred twenty patients with histologically confirmed, serous (n = 367), mucinous (n = 24), or clear cell (n = 29) ovarian carcinomas, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage III or IV disease, and who were treated with paclitaxel/platinum after cytoreductive surgery were included in this analysis.
Vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection during the perinatal period is the major cause of HBV transmission. The aim of our study was to evaluate the serological and virological profiles of HBV infection in cord blood samples obtained from HBeAg-negative chronic HBV-infected women, at delivery, and to investigate their relationship with the clinical outcome (possible transmission of HBV) in neonates receiving the currently approved passive-active immunoprophylaxis schedule. Sixteen women (32%) exhibited HBsAg positivity in the cord blood but HBV-DNA has not been detected in any of the 50 cord blood samples evaluated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) is a rare gynecologic malignancy with very few data existing on the activity of the combination of paclitaxel with a platinum analogue as adjuvant chemotherapy.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 41 consecutive patients with PFTC who were treated postoperatively with paclitaxel- and platinum-containing chemotherapy regimens.
Results: We observed 12 (63.
Background: Several cytokines have been associated with immune regulation and prognosis in ovarian cancer. CD4+CD25+ Tregs and CD3+CD56+ NK-like T cells are involved in the immune response against the tumor. We have investigated the association of cytokines in the ascites from patients with ovarian cancer with these populations, the platinum resistance and the prognosis of these patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Taxane-based chemotherapy has been recently introduced as an effective therapeutic option in recurrent or metastatic endometrial carcinoma (RMEC). The aim of the study was to determine the prognostic factors in RMEC after taxane-based chemotherapy.
Methods: One hundred ten patients who received paclitaxel-containing regimen for RMEC were retrospectively evaluated.
Objectives: Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and T regulatory cells (Tregs) have been associated with prognosis in ovarian cancer, but their prognostic significance in ascites has not been studied. We performed a prospective study of T lymphocytes isolated from ascites from patients with ovarian carcinoma and we compared them with the respective populations in blood and tumors.
Methods: Mononuclear cells from ascites (n=71) and blood were isolated by Ficoll, while tumor lymphocytes (n=20) were obtained upon mechanical dissociation.
Background: The prognostic significance of age in ovarian cancer has not been clarified. We investigated the characteristics of ovarian cancer presenting in ages > 70 years and assessed the prognostic significance of advanced age.
Patients And Methods: Four hundred and fifty-three patients with stage IIC-IV ovarian cancer (age>70 years n=106 [23%]), treated postoperatively with platinum-based chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed.
Objectives: Cervical cancer is a disease of middle-aged and elderly but still there are young women diagnosed with advanced disease that is incurable with local treatment and is treated with platinum-based combination chemotherapy. It is unknown whether these young patients have a poorer outcome compared to older patients or whether elderly patients have inferior outcome than younger patients when treated with combination chemotherapy.
Methods: We compared the outcome between young (<35), elderly (>70) and middle-aged (35-70) women who were treated with platinum-based combination chemotherapy for advanced, recurrent or persistent disease.
Background: Surgery can cure a significant percentage of ovarian carcinoma confined to the pelvis. Nevertheless, there is still a 10-50% recurrence rate. We administered paclitaxel/carboplatin as adjuvant treatment in early-stage ovarian carcinoma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Young age has been reported to be a favorable prognostic factor in ovarian cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the characteristics of ovarian cancer presenting in patients aged < or =40 and assess the prognostic significance of young age.
Methods: Data from 591 consecutive ovarian cancer patients, including 37 subjects (6.
Purpose Of Investigation: Uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) and uterine clear cell carcinoma (UCCC) represent more aggressive tumors than the more common endometroid cancers, exhibiting a propensity for distant metastasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the activity and safety of paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy as the only adjuvant treatment in patients with surgically resected UPSC and UCCC.
Methods: Fifteen patients with Stage IB-IV UPSC or UCCC were treated with a mean of six courses of paclitaxel 175 mg/m3 plus carboplatin AUC 5 at three-week intervals, three to six weeks after undergoing surgery with curative intent.
Eur J Gynaecol Oncol
December 2005
Purpose Of Investigation: Late relapses are infrequent in ovarian cancer. We present the characteristics and outcome of patients who relapsed at least five years after first-line chemotherapy.
Methods: Six cases were retrieved from 203 patients treated from 1994 to 1998.
Background: Ovarian germ cell tumors (OGCT) are highly curable when treated with cytoreductive surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy. We evaluated the safety and activity of a 3-day modified bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatinum (mBEP) regimen in patients with OGCT.
Patients And Methods: Patients with FIGO stages I-IV OGCT were treated with three (stages I-III complete resection) or four cycles (incomplete resection or stage IV) of bleomycin 15 mg iv, etoposide 120 mg/m(2) iv, and cisplatin 40 mg/m(2) iv for 3 days every 3 weeks.
The management of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN(2-3)) diagnosed during pregnancy was the subject of this study. Two hundred and eight pregnant women with an abnormal cytology were assessed in our unit over a 10-year period. The age of the patients ranged from 20 to 45 (mean 28) years.
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