Adjuvant therapy in non-small cell lung cancer: is targeted therapy joining the standard of care?

Introduction: Surgical resection is the standard of care  (SOC) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for early-stage. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates with the use of adjuvant chemotherapy remain low. In advance NSCLC, tailored strategies have become the gold standard.

Does physical exercise improve quality of life of advanced cancer patients?

Purpose Of Review: We discuss the principal issues about physical activity in advanced cancer patients through the analyses of the last articles and our experience in this field.

Recent Findings: The efficacy of exercise training intervention could improve quality of life (QOL), fatigue and well being in advanced cancer patients. Several published studies have included, nevertheless, patients with early stage of disease and more recently, populations of patients with local advanced tumors of the breast, rectum and lung, who are undergoing neoadjuvant therapy.

Relationship between weight loss and parameters of skeletal muscle function in patients with advanced cancer and fatigue.

Purpose: This study aims to determine the influence of significant weight loss on parameters of skeletal muscle function in a population of advanced cancer patients with fatigue.

Methods: A cross-sectional and comparative study was designed between two arms of advanced cancer patients with fatigue (fatigue numeral scale (FNS) ≥4). A arm (n = 27) with ≥5 % weight loss in the last 6 months, and B arm (n = 22) without weight loss.

Relationship between weakness and phase angle in advanced cancer patients with fatigue.

Objective: This study aims to determine the relationship between weakness and bioimpedance analysis (BIA)-derived phase angle in a population of untreated cancer patients with fatigue.

Methods: We prospectively evaluated 41 treatment-naive cancer patients of several origins that presented with performance status 1-2, weight loss >5% in the last 6 months, and Fatigue Numeral Scale score >4. Weakness was considered a physical component of the multidimensional fatigue syndrome and was evaluated through several parameters utilizing hand grip strength technique by dinamometry.

Effects of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic n-3 fatty acids from fish oil and preferential Cox-2 inhibition on systemic syndromes in patients with advanced lung cancer.

Under the common denomination of Systemic Immune-Metabolic Syndrome (SIMS), we grouped many symptoms that share a similar pathophysiologic background. SIMS is the result of the dysfunctional interaction of tumor cells, stroma cells, and the immune system, leading to the release of cytokines and other systemic mediators such as eicosanoids. SIMS includes systemic syndromes such as paraneoplastic hemopathies, hypercalcemia, coagulopathies, fatigue, weakness, cachexia, chronic nausea, anorexia, and early satiety among others.

Midazolam as adjunct therapy to morphine in the alleviation of severe dyspnea perception in patients with advanced cancer.

The mainstay of dyspnea palliation remains altering its central perception. Morphine is the main drug and anxiolytics have a less established role. This trial assessed the role of midazolam as adjunct therapy to morphine in the alleviation of severe dyspnea perception in terminally ill cancer patients.

Effects of celecoxib, medroxyprogesterone, and dietary intervention on systemic syndromes in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma: a pilot study.

Systemic syndromes characterized by a persistent activity of circulating mediators (cytokines) are frequently present with advanced cancer. We grouped under the general heading of "Systemic Immune-Metabolic Syndrome (SIMS)" a particular variety of distressing systemic syndrome characterized by dysregulation of the psycho-neuro-immune-endocrine homeostasis, with overlapping clinical manifestations. SIMS may include cachexia, anorexia, nausea, early satiety, fatigue, tumor fever, cognitive changes and superinfection.

Potential utility of the peripheral analgesic properties of morphine in stomatitis-related pain: a pilot study.

To determine the potential clinical utility of peripheral opioid action using a clinical model of cancer treatment-induced inflammation and pain that allowed for topical application of morphine in the damaged tissue (oral mucosa). This pilot study followed a two blocks design. Ten patients with painful oral mucositis were enrolled in the first block (dose-response relationship finding) and randomized in two groups to receive oral rinses with 15 ml of either 1 per thousand or 2 per thousand morphine solution.

Effect of topical morphine for mucositis-associated pain following concomitant chemoradiotherapy for head and neck carcinoma.

Background: Oral mucositis is the dose-limiting toxicity for patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy regimens for tumors of the head and neck area. Currently, the management of established mucositis includes the use of topical anesthetics and systemic analgesics. Based on the clinical evidence of pain alleviation by topical morphine in patients with some inflammatory and painful conditions, a clinical study was undertaken to determine this effect on mucositis-associated pain.