The impact of waist-to-hip ratio on clinical outcomes in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with aromatase inhibitors.

We aimed to identify whether abdominal fat distribution could affect the outcome in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) or not. A total of 42 MBC patients treated with first line hormonal therapy were enrolled in this study. Factors associated with overall survival in the univariate analysis were age, c-erb-B2 expression intensity (+++ versus others by immunohistochemistry), and WHR, whereas only WHR retained significance in the multivariate analysis.

Low-grade inflammation in white-coat hypertension.

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic low-grade inflammation, is frequently elevated in essential hypertension and predicts cardiovascular prognosis independently of conventional risk factors. The risk profile of white-coat hypertension is not yet completely clear. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) in white-coat hypertensive subjects.

Stage I small cell carcinoma of the endometrium: survival and management options.

Small cell carcinoma (SCC) of the endometrium is a rare but aggressive disease with early systemic involvement. Patient survival is short. To date, no effective treatment protocol has been established.

Platelet activation in subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism.

Background: Coronary heart disease is the major cause of death in the developed world. Platelet activation and aggregation are central processes in the pathophysiology of coronary heart disease. Mean platelet volume (MPV), a determinant of platelet function, is a newly emerging risk factor for atherothrombosis.

Factors related to truth-telling practice of physicians treating patients with cancer in Turkey.

Background: In the practice of oncology, effective communication between physician and patient is very important. Although many studies have indicated that a large majority of physicians, especially from Western countries, tell the truth about diagnosis and prognosis, little is known about attitudes of physicians in Turkey toward truth-telling.

Objective: In this study, we tried to determine the truth-telling practice of physicians and explore potential related factors with a self-reported questionnaire.

Does music exposure during chemotherapy improve quality of life in early breast cancer patients? A pilot study.

Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with poor quality of life (qol) in breast cancer patients. We tested the effect of listening to music during chemotherapy on quality of life in these patients.

Material/methods: We tested in a prospective cohort the changes in qol scores as assessed by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), and the influence of listening to non-preferred music at the chemotherapy unit on these parameters in a mixed linear model by repeated measures analysis of variance (RMANOVA).

Quality of life in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Quality of life (QOL) has been shown to improve with chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but the determinants of this improvement have not been thoroughly explored. Fifty consecutive NSCLC patients starting chemotherapy with measurable disease and with an Eastern Co-operative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Zoledronic acid is synergic with vinblastine to induce apoptosis in a multidrug resistance protein-1 dependent way: an in vitro study.

We have explored the action of zoledronic acid, which has an apoptotic effect and is used as an agent for treating skeletal metastases and osteoporosis, in the presence of vinblastine, and whether this effect is associated with MRP-1 (multidrug resistance protein-1) expression. HEK (human embryonic kidney) 293 cells were transfected to form the multidrug resistant cell line designated 293MRP (MRP-1 expressing HEK293 cells). Both lines were treated with varying concentrations of vinblastine and zoledronic acid.

Does maintenance/consolidation chemotherapy have a role in the management of small cell lung cancer (SCLC)? A metaanalysis of the published controlled trials.

Background: The role of maintenance/consolidation chemotherapy was assessed in the management of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) via a metaanalytic approach.

Methods: The Medline and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant randomized clinical trials that compared maintenance chemotherapy with follow-up. Quality of trials was assessed by European Lung Cancer Working Party (ELCWP) score.

Different clinical features of primary and secondary tumors in patients with multiple malignancies.

Clinical features of the first and second primaries in patients with multiple malignancies have not been extensively studied. We compared patient and treatment characteristics of the primary malignancy in 48 consequent multiple primary cancer patients with those of the second primary in the same cohort. The second primaries comprised fewer breast cancers; 29.

Cluster analysis of p-glycoprotein, c-erb-B2 and P53 in relation to tumor histology strongly indicates prognosis in patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Various biomarkers have prognostic value in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to identify the roles of P53, c-erb- B2 and p-glycoprotein (pgp) as prognostic factors, independently or in conjunction with each other, in operable NSCLC.

Material/methods: Seventy operable NSCLC cases were retrospectively evaluated for P53, c-erb-B2 and pgp expression patterns by immunohistochemistry.

The value of low-dose intraperitoneal immunoglobulin administration in the treatment of peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis.

Background: Peritonitis is a major complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The value of immunomodulatory therapeutic approaches and, especially, methods aimed at augmenting opsonization in the treatment of peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related peritonitis is unclear. In this study, the effect of intraperitoneal (IP) immunoglobulin (Ig) usage, as an approach for strengthening opsonization, was evaluated in CAPD peritonitis.

Effect of iron deficiency anemia on the levels of hemoglobin A1c in nondiabetic patients.

The major form of glycohemoglobin is hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). The HbA1c fraction is abnormally elevated in chronic hyperglycemic diabetic patients and correlates positively with glycemic control. Previous studies suggest that iron deficiency anemia (IDA) affects the levels of HbA1c.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and fasting serum insulin correlate with clinical outcome in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy.

Introduction: To assess the relationship of various growth factors and cytokines with the clinical outcome in metastatic breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

Methods: Consecutive, metastatic breast cancer patients with measurable disease and receiving palliative chemotherapy were prospectively evaluated for the predictors of progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OAS) in relation to serum insulin, insulin resistance, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha).

Results: Estrogen receptor (ER) status, serum IL-6 and serum TNF- were the independent determinants of PFS, with RR=0.

"Do not tell": what factors affect relatives' attitudes to honest disclosure of diagnosis to cancer patients?

Disclosure of the diagnosis of cancer to patients is a difficult task for physicians in developing countries. Family members often oppose truth telling. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of the "do not tell" attitude in a general population of cancer patients and to explore the factors affecting the attitude of cancer patients' relatives about honest disclosure.

Durable remission of leptomeningeal metastasis of breast cancer with letrozole: a case report and implications of biomarkers on treatment selection.

We report a breast cancer patient with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LM) who showed an excellent objective and subjective response to letrozole, with a progression-free survival of 16 months. We think that despite the poor prognosis and short survival of patients with LM, early diagnosis and treatment with appropriate hormonal manipulation may improve the outcome and achieve prolonged palliation in selected hormone-positive breast cancer patients with LM. Possible clues predicting the response were also evaluated in the context of literature data.