Hepatic arterial infusion of oxaliplatin for a patient with hepatic metastases from colon cancer undergoing hemodialysis.

There has been no previous report of oxaliplatin administration in patients undergoing hemodialysis. A 65-year-old female with end-stage renal disease who was undergoing hemodialysis presented with anemia in August 2005. She was diagnosed with colon cancer with multiple liver metastases.

Oxaliplatin plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (FOLFOX-4) as salvage chemotherapy in patients with pretreated colorectal cancer.

Background: There are a few clinical trials of combination chemotherapy of oxaliplatin plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (FOLFOX-4) in Japan, and its efficacy and safety have not been confirmed yet, especially clinical experience in patients with prior chemotherapy.

Purpose: To analyze the efficacy and safety of FOLFOX-4 in patients with colorectal cancer who received prior chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Twenty patients were treated with FOLFOX-4 beginning in April 2005.

A case of suspected S-1 induced interstitial pneumonia.

A 37-year-old female with advanced gastric cancer and liver metastases was treated with S-1. Since the patient noticed a transient cough and low-grade fever in the middle of the third course of treatment, administration of S-1 was discontinued. Her symptoms resolved in three days, and the fourth course was started again.

Suspected paclitaxel-induced pneumonitis.

We report two patients with advanced gastric cancer with suspected paclitaxel-induced interstitial pneumonitis. Case 1, a 66-year-old man with recurrent gastric cancer, was treated weekly with paclitaxel. After 11 administrations of paclitaxel, he developed a nonproductive cough and dyspnea.

[A case of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with lung metastases and cirrhosis that responded to combination chemotherapy with interferon-alpha and 5-fluorouracil].

The prognosis for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with progressive liver cirrhosis or extrahepatic metastases remains dismal. We report a case of HCC with liver cirrhosis and lung metastases who had been treated successfully by combination chemotherapy of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha). A 67-year-old male with a history of hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and HCC was hospitalized because of cough and dyspnea.

[Combination chemotherapy with hepatic arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and systemic irinotecan (CPT-11) in patients with unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer].

Purpose: Hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) chemotherapy for hepatic metastasis from colorectal cancer has higher response rates compared with systemic chemotherapy, but can not control extrahepatic lesions. So the combination chemotherapy with HAI plus systemic chemotherapy is expected. This study ascertained the efficacy and toxicity of combined chemotherapy with HAI plus systemic CPT-11.

[A case of duodenal carcinoma with massive peritoneal carcinomatosis complicating a pulmonary embolism].

The incidence of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients is reportedly around 15%, and a pulmonary embolism is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. We present a case of duodenal carcinoma with peritoneal carcinomatosis complicated by a pulmonary embolism. Heparin, followed by warfarin, was useful to treat the embolism.

[Colonic perforation in a patient treated with combination chemotherapy for recurrent ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma].

Background: Colonic perforation due to colitis is a known and reported side effect of chemotherapy.

Case Report: A 53-year-old woman was treated with combination chemotherapy of irinotecan plus cisplatin for a recurrent ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma. Steroid was also used for suspected interstitial pneumonia.

[A case of advanced gastric cancer with long-term survival treated by chemotherapy and surgical cytoreduction].

A 74-year-old man was revealed to have type 3 gastric cancer with lymph-node metastasis in the third group (N 3) and liver metastasis (H 1). Since we regarded a curative operation as impossible, we started preoperative chemotherapy using TS-1 plus irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11) on the premise that we would perform surgical cytoreduction after the chemotherapy. After two courses of chemotherapy, both the primary lesion and the liver metastasis were reduced in size, and the paraaortic lymph-nodes disappeared.

[A case of advanced esophageal cancer with suspected tracheoesophageal fistula that responded to chemoradiotherapy].

Chemoradiotherapy combined cisplatin, 5-FU and radiation was carried out in an advanced esophageal cancer with suspected tracheoesophageal fistula after insertion of an expandable metallic stent. Regression of the primary tumor was observed, and oral intake could be started. Chemoradiotherapy after insertion of the expandable metallic stent was useful in this case of advanced esophageal cancer with suspected tracheoesophageal fistula.

[S-1 for gastric cancer-S-1 monotherapy and its progress].

Two pivotal phase II studies of S-1 in advanced gastric cancer showed response rates of 44% and 49%, and the overall survival time was 207 and 250 days, respectively. The response rate of S-1 exceeded the response rates of other approved drugs, and was comparable to that of combination chemotherapies such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus cisplatin (CDDP). These data suggested that S-1 could be used as a first-line drug for gastric cancer with a great advantage in quality of life (QOL), because it is an oral drug and can be used at an outpatient clinic.

[A case of recurrent breast cancer complicated with pericardial effusions and cardiac tamponade].

A 56-year-old female with breast cancer after left partial mastectomy and subaxillary lymph node dissection was treated with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. After one year left lung metastasis and malignant pleural effusion had resisted and progressed against several types of chemotherapy. Although combination chemotherapy of trastuzumab and vinorelbine was started, pericardial effusions progressed.

[Recent progress of chemotherapy for colorectal cancer].

The dawn of chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers including colorectal cancer was the inception of 5-fluorouraci (l 5-FU), produced by Dr. Heidelberger in 1957. 5-FU had been playing the leading role in chemotherapy for colorectal cancer for four decades until the Nineties.

[A case of pancreatic cancer complicated by gemcitabine-induced peripheral edema].

Gemcitabine mono-therapy was carried out in an unresectable pancreatic cancer. After six courses of treatment, pitting edema appeared and gradually became worse especially after gemcitabine infusion. Gemcitabine-induced edema was suspected after exclusion of other causes.

[A case of advanced gastric cancer with obstructive jaundice that responded to TS-1/CPT-11 combination therapy after percutaneous transhepatic cholangio drainage].

TS-1/CPT-11 combination therapy was carried out in a case of advanced gastric cancer with liver and lymph node metastases and obstructive jaundice after percutaneous transhepatic cholangio drainage (PTCD). Regression of the primary carcinoma and reduction in size of metastases were observed. Grade 1 fatigue and grade 2 neutropenia were noted as adverse reactions to the treatment.