Metronomic oral chemotherapy with old agents in patients with heavily treated metastatic breast cancer.

Background: We aimed to assess the efficacy of a metronomic regimen with cyclophosphamide and etoposide in heavily treated patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

Materials And Methods: A total of 77 patients with MBC used continuous oral cyclophosphamide 50 mg/day and oral etoposide given as 2 × 50 mg/day for 2 days per week, were analyzed retrospectively from Akdeniz University and Selcuk University. The patients with MBC are predominantly refractory to antracyclines, taxanes, and antimetabolites.

Prognostic factors in clinical stage T4N2 locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Relatively few studies have focused on T4N2 (stage IIIB) locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, we tried to identify prognostic factors for patients with clinical stage T4N2 NSCLC.

Methods: We retrospectively identified 223 patients, of which 168 met the inclusion criteria.

The West Haven Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory: Reliability and validity of the Turkish version in individuals with cancer.

Purpose: Pain is a complex, multidimensional and subjective phenomenon that is common in patients with cancer. The translation of existing pain measurement scales is considered important in producing internationally comparable measures for evidence based practice. In measuring the pain experience, the WHYMPI is a widely used instrument to measure assessment of clinical pain, and it has not been validated in Turkey.

Epidemiology of colorectal cancer in Turkey: A cross-sectional disease registry study (A Turkish Oncology Group trial).

Background/aims: This study aimed to determine the epidemiological characteristics of colorectal cancer in Turkey.

Materials And Methods: In this multicenter, prospective, and cross-sectional registry study, data for 968 patients with colorectal cancer from 21 centers in 7 geographic regions were analyzed.

Results: Diagnosis was colon cancer in 662 (68.

Dietary and demographical risk factors for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey where upper gastrointestinal cancers are endemic.

Background: Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is endemic in the Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey. The present study was performed to identify risk factors for ESCC that specifically reflect the demography and nutritional habits of individuals living in this region.

Materials And Methods: The following parameters were compared in 208 ESCC patients and 200 control individuals in the Eastern Anatolian region: age, sex, place of living, socioeconomic level, education level, smoking, alcohol intake, nutritional habits, and food preservation methods.

Prolonged progression-free survival with maintenance metronomic oral cyclophosphamide and etoposide treatment in macroscopic residual disease or recurrent/advanced stage ovarian cancer.

Purpose: In ovarian cancer permanent remission may be provided with optimal cytoreductive surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. However survival is short in patients with residual macroscopic disease after surgery or recurrent ovarian cancer. Applicable maintenance therapies with low toxicity are required to prolong progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with no curative treatment options.

Yttrium-90 radioembolization in patients with unresectable liver metastases: determining the factors that lead to treatment efficacy.

Introduction: Locoregional treatments, such as radioembolization, can be used to treat patients with unresectable liver metastases. We aimed to determine the progression-free survival and factors that predict survival of patients with liver metastases whose response to selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with Y-90 was assessed by positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT).

Patients: Our study included 78 liver cancer patients who were treated with Y-90 radioembolization.

Use of chemotherapy at the end of life in Turkey.

Background: An increasing number of patients receive palliative chemotherapy near the end of life. The aim of this study is to evaluate the aggressiveness of chemotherapy in Turkish individuals near the end of life.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with solid tumors and died from 2010 to 2011 in the medical oncology department of Akdeniz University were included in the study.

Determinants of opioid efficiency in cancer pain: a comprehensive multivariate analysis from a tertiary cancer centre.

Background: Pain is one of the most terrifying symptoms for cancer patients. Although most patients with cancer pain need opioids, complete relief of pain is hard to achieve. This study investigated the factors influencing persistent pain-free survival (PPFS) and opioid efficiency.

Oral cyclophosphamide and etoposide in treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Background: Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is almost always fatal and few treatment options are available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of oral cyclophosphamide and etoposide for patients who underwent standard treatment for advanced MM.

Materials And Methods: This study included 22 malignant pleural mesothelioma patients who were treated with oral cyclophosphamide and etoposide (EE).

Cancer pain prevalence and its management.

Pain is a public health problem affecting more than half of cancer patients. Despite the success of the protocols currently used, pain cannot still be reduced satisfactorily in the large majority of patients. In order to improve pain management, all healthcare professionals involved with pain should have sufficient knowledge on pain assessment and treatment, and should inform patients to prevent patient-related barriers.

Use of blood transfusion at the end of life: does it have any effects on survival of cancer patients?

Background: Treatment of anemia is an important issue in the palliative care setting. Blood transfusion is generally used for this purpose in supportive care. However the place of blood transfusion in terminally ill cancer cases is less far established.

Survival results and prognostic factors in T4 N0-3 non-small cell lung cancer patients according to the AJCC 7th edition staging system.

Background: The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) published a new staging system (7th edition) in 2009. In our study, we evaluated the survival results and prognostic factors among T4 local advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) patients in a large heterogeneous group, in accordance with this new system.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the files of 122 T4 N0-3 M0 LA-NSCLC patients, identified according to the new staging system, treated at two centers between November 2003 and June 2012.

Basal proteinuria as a prognostic factor in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with bevacizumab.

Background: The beneficial effects of bevacizumab, a widely used agent in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), on clinical survival have been proven. This study investigated the correlation of the clinical benefits and prognosis with proteinuria and other parameters.

Methods: The study included mCRC patients receiving bevacizumab.

Coexistence of gastric adenocarcinoma and choriocarcinoma: complete response to trastuzumab and chemotherapy.

Gastric choriocarcinoma is a rare neoplasm and usually accompanies gastric adenocarcinoma. The prognosis is poor due to the aggressive course of the disease. A 57-year-old female patient with weight loss and abdominal pain was examined.

Intraarticular hemorrhage due to bevacizumab in a patient with metastatic colorectal cancer: a case report.

Introduction: Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor. It is widely used in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. It has some specific side effects including severe bleeding, wound healing problems, gastrointestinal perforation, proteinuria and hypertension.

Effects and permanency of the training program "communication with cancer patients" on the opinions of students.

Learning to develop the doctor-patient relationship is very important in the treatment of patients with cancer. We aim to train our students in the early years of study about this subject with a course on the patient-doctor communication, prepared for third year students. One hundred fifty-four third year students participated in our study during the 2006-2007 academic years.

Serum leptin level and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) predict the overall survival of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs).

Introduction: Our objective was to determine whether serum leptin levels and obesity-related factors could affect outcome for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs).

Methods: Sixty MBC patients treated with first line hormonal therapy were enrolled in this study.

Results: Median age was 51 years (range 28-75).

The effect of seasonal differences on prognostic factors in Turkish patients with breast cancer.

Several studies have shown that solar light affects the prognosis of breast cancer. This effect is mostly associated with vitamin D. In-vitro studies showed that vitamin D analogs change the receptor expression in breast cancer cell lines.

The value of XPD and XRCC1 genotype polymorphisms to predict clinical outcome in metastatic colorectal carcinoma patients with irinotecan-based regimens.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that DNA repair enzyme polymorphisms may bear prognostic value in metastatic colorectal carcinoma (MCRC).

Methods: We prospectively treated 43 MCRC patients with irinotecan-based regimens (XELIRI or IFL). Allelic variants of the XRCC1 gene at codon 399 and XPD gene at codon 751 were analyzed in lymphocyte DNA by PCR-RFLP.

Purified micronized flavonoid fraction ameliorates the injury of spleen and ileum secondary to hepatic ischemia-reperfusion in rats.

Background: Flavonoids have been subjected to considerable investigations due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Yet the effects of flavonoids on the ileum and spleen against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury have so far not been addressed.

Aims: We aimed to investigate whether micronized purified flavonoid fraction (MPFF) protects the ileum and spleen against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Protective effects of resveratrol on small intestines against intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Background And Aim: The aim of this study was to determine whether resveratrol could prevent intestinal tissue injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion (I/R).

Methods: Intestinal I/R was induced in rats' intestines by 60-min occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery, followed by a 60-min reperfusion. Thirty rats were divided into three groups as follows: sham (group 1), control (group 2), and the treatment groups (group 3).

High TRAIL death receptor 4 and decoy receptor 2 expression correlates with significant cell death in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients.

Objectives: The importance of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and TRAIL receptor expression in pancreatic carcinoma development is not known. To reveal the putative connection of TRAIL and TRAIL receptor expression profile to this process, we analyzed and compared the expression profile of TRAIL and its receptors in pancreatic tissues of both noncancer patients and patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Methods: Thirty-one noncancer patients and 34 PDAC patients were included in the study.