Current treatment options for adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The clinical management of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has been challenging primarily due to the aggressive nature of the disease and limited effective treatment options. The outcome for patients who receive conventional chemotherapy alone is poor, with remission duration of around 12 months and disease-free survival (DFS) rates of not more than 10%. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) has been the only known curative treatment option, but is limited by the availability of a matched donor and the risk of treatment-related mortality.

MET/PKCbeta expression correlate with metastasis and inhibition is synergistic in lung cancer.

Background: Treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a difficult task in oncology. Targeted inhibition of oncogenic proteins is promising. In this study, we evaluate the expression of MET and PKCbeta and in vitro effects of their inhibition using SU11274 and enzastaurin (LY317615.

Biomarkers in lung cancer: from early detection to novel therapeutics and decision making.

Lung cancer remains a significant cause of mortality worldwide. While advances in therapy continue to be made, the overall prognosis for patients diagnosed with lung cancer remains poor. Historically, markers such as age, performance status and disease stage have been used to risk-stratify patients and guide therapeutic decisions.

The MET receptor tyrosine kinase is a potential novel therapeutic target for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Recurrent/metastatic head and neck cancer remains a devastating disease with insufficient treatment options. We investigated the MET receptor tyrosine kinase as a novel target for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). MET/phosphorylated MET and HGF expression was analyzed in 121 tissues (HNSCC/normal) by immunohistochemistry, and in 20 HNSCC cell lines by immunoblotting.

What determines the outcomes for adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated on cooperative group protocols? A comparison of Children's Cancer Group and Cancer and Leukemia Group B studies.

We performed a retrospective comparison of presenting features, planned treatment, complete remission (CR) rate, and outcome of 321 adolescents and young adults (AYAs) ages 16 to 20 years with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who were treated on consecutive trials in either the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) or the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) from 1988 to 2001. CR rates were identical, 90% for both CALGB and CCG AYAs. CCG AYAs had a 63% event-free survival (EFS) and 67% overall survival (OS) at 7 years in contrast to the CALGB AYAs, in which 7-year EFS was only 34% (P < .

A selective small molecule inhibitor of c-Met, PHA665752, inhibits tumorigenicity and angiogenesis in mouse lung cancer xenografts.

The c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase is emerging as a novel target in many solid tumors, including lung cancer. PHA-665752 was identified as a small molecule, ATP competitive inhibitor of the catalytic activity of the c-Met kinase. Here, we show that treatment with PHA665752 reduced NCI-H69 (small cell lung cancer) and NCI-H441 (non-small cell lung cancer) tumorigenicity in mouse xenografts by 99% and 75%, respectively.

Phase II trial of oxaliplatin, leucovorin and fluorouracil in patients with advanced carcinoma of the esophagus.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of the combination of oxaliplatin, fluorouracil and leucovorin in patients with advanced esophagus cancer.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-five patients with recurrent or metastatic esophageal adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled. Up to one prior chemotherapy regimen was allowed.

A phase II study of oxaliplatin and paclitaxel in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of oxaliplatin and paclitaxel as first-line therapy for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: The treatment regimen was given as defined in a phase I investigation in patients with previously treated ovarian cancer. It consisted of paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) (1-h infusion) and oxaliplatin 130 mg/m(2) (2-h infusion) given every 21 days.

Phase I study of dose-dense alternating doublets in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

We performed a study to determine the feasibility of a rapidly alternating administration of cisplatin/vinorelbine (CV) and docetaxel/gemcitabine (DG) in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Thirty-four patients with NSCLC (6% stage IIIB, 94% stage IV) were enrolled. The initial schema was to give CV on days 1 and 8 followed by DG on days 15 and 22, every 28 days.

Prognosis after rectal cancer in blacks and whites participating in adjuvant therapy randomized trials.

Purpose: National health statistics indicate that blacks have lower survival rates from colorectal cancer than do whites. This disparity has been attributed to differences in stage at diagnosis and other disease features, extent and quality of treatment, and socioeconomic factors. We evaluated outcomes for blacks and whites with rectal cancer who participated in randomized clinical trials of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP).