Japanese journal of clinical oncology
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Jpn. J. Clin. Oncol. · Nov 2014
Clinical TrialShould we continue to offer extrapleural pneumonectomy to selected mesothelioma patients? A single center experience comparing surgical and non-surgical management.
Malignant pleural mesothelioma remains an incurable disease for which the optimal therapeutic approach remains an extremely debated issue. Though not yet clearly defined, a subset of patients may benefit from a surgery-based multimodal treatment plan, beyond what would be expected with non-surgical therapies only. Indeed, despite some disappointing results on the feasibility of a multimodality treatment (chemotherapy ± surgery and post-operative radiation therapy) based on a lung sacrificing surgery (extrapleural pleuropnemonectomy) have been recently reported, the question concerning the role of extrapleural pneumonectomy in selected mesothelioma patients is still unanswered. In the light of this, we have reviewed our mono-institutional retrospective experience in the mesothelioma management, discussing on the role of extrapleural pneumonectomy in the multimodality treatment.
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Jpn. J. Clin. Oncol. · Nov 2014
Dyspnea, relative youth and low daily doses of opioids predict increased opioid dosage in the last week of a terminal cancer patient's life.
Most cancer patients become increasingly anxious toward the end of their life. The objective of this study was to identify predictors of increased opioid dosage in the last week of a terminal cancer patient's life. ⋯ Dyspnea, relative youth and oral morphine equivalent dosage <50 mg on Day 7 before death were predictive of increased oral morphine equivalent dosage in the last 7 days. Our findings may help oncologists to more accurately inform patients about expected opioid requirements and thus relieve their end-of-life anxiety.
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Jpn. J. Clin. Oncol. · Nov 2014
Treatment and prognosis of breast cancer patients with brain metastases according to intrinsic subtype.
How breast cancer subtypes should affect treatment decisions for breast cancer patients with brain metastases is unclear. We analyzed local brain metastases treatments and their outcomes according to subtype in patients with breast cancer and brain metastases. ⋯ Our study showed that local brain treatments and prognosis differed by subtype in breast cancer patients with brain metastases.