Molecular mechanism of action and potential biomarkers of growth inhibition of synergistic combination of afatinib and dasatinib against gefitinib-resistant non-small cell lung cancer cells.

Epidermal growth factor receptor - tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) is the first choice of treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harbouring activating EGFR mutations. However, single agent usually has limited efficacy due to heterogeneous resistant mechanisms of cancer cells. Thus drug combination therapy would offer more benefits by synergistic interactions and avoidance of resistance emergence.

Cetuximab in the first-line treatment of K-ras wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer: the choice and schedule of fluoropyrimidine matters.

Background: Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody against the epidermal growth factor receptor, inconsistently improves response rates (RR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in the first-line treatment of advanced colorectal cancer patients with K-ras wild-type (WT) tumors.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of four trials where K-ras WT Pts received a fluoropyrimidine (infusional vs. bolus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) vs.

A phase II trial of nab-Paclitaxel as second-line therapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Objective: nab-Paclitaxel has been shown to disrupt pancreatic cancer stroma and was effective in combination with gemcitabine in a phase I/II trial. This study was designed to determine the efficacy of nab-paclitaxel monotherapy in previously treated pancreatic cancer patients.

Methods: In this phase II trial, patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who progressed on gemcitabine-based therapy, received nab-paclitaxel 100 mg/m over 30 minutes on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle.

Gefitinib vs. chemotherapy as first-line therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: meta-analysis of phase III trials.

Background: Gefitinib is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). It has been shown to be active in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors contain EGFR mutations.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of four randomized studies that compared gefitinib with chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC: IPASS, North-East Japan, West Japan and first-SIGNAL studies.

Successful treatment of two lung cancer patients with erlotinib following gefitinib-induced hepatotoxicity.

Introduction: Hepatotoxicity secondary to gefitinib, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is under-appreciated, even though it has a reported incidence of 10-20% in phase II trials.

Methods/results: We present two patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who developed grade 2/3 hepatotoxicity starting between 4 and 6 weeks after initiation of gefitinib, with toxicity peaking between 10 and 20 weeks. Both patients were switched to treatment with erlotinib, another EGFR TKI, without further development of hepatotoxicity.

Phase II trial of 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin/gemcitabine/cisplatin as second-line treatment in patients with metastatic or recurrent colorectal carcinoma: a cancer therapeutics research group study.

Background: Second-line treatment of relapsed or metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) after failure of treatment with a fluoropyrimidine is composed of oxaliplatin in combination with a fluoropyrimidine or an irinotecan-containing regimen. Cisplatin and gemcitabine are synergistic in preclinical studies, as is 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) combined with either agent. Fixed-rate infusional gemcitabine is more effective than bolus administration in animal models.

Oxaliplatin and fixed-rate infusional gemcitabine in the second-line treatment of patients with metastatic colon cancer: final results of a Phase II trial prematurely closed as a result of poor accrual.

Background: Second-line therapy of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) after failure of a combination of irinotecan, a fluoropyrimidine, and bevacizumab includes the use of oxaliplatin and a fluoropyrimidine. In animal models, synergistic effects of gemcitabine and platinum agents have been established. Additionally, superior antitumor activity of prolonged administration of gemcitabine compared with bolus administration has been demonstrated in vivo against murine colon tumors.

Emphysematous cholecystitis in a patient with gastrointestinal stromal tumor treated with sunitinib.

A 50-year-old man had a metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor that was refractory to imatinib. He was prescribed a 6-week course of treatment with oral sunitinib 50 mg/day. During the fourth week of his first cycle of treatment with the drug, the patient developed acute-onset, right upper quadrant pain associated with nausea, vomiting, and fever; laboratory tests revealed leukocytosis and mild hyperbilirubinemia.

Phase I study of carboplatin in combination with gemcitabine and irinotecan in patients with solid tumors: preliminary evidence of activity in small cell and neuroendocrine carcinomas.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of carboplatin in combination with gemcitabine and irinotecan in patients with solid tumors.

Methods: Patients with solid tumors who were not candidates for standard chemotherapy received escalating doses of carboplatin, gemcitabine, and irinotecan.

Results: Twenty-eight patients were enrolled.

Primary ectopic breast cancer presenting as a vulvar mass.

Ectopic breast tissue is found along the primitive embryonic milk lines, which extend from the axilla to the groin. Rarely, its occurrence has been described in the vulva. We report a patient who developed primary adenocarcinoma of ectopic breast tissue in such a location and present a review of the pertinent medical literature.