Anticancer research
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Anticancer research · Jan 2005
High-dose alkylating agents with autologous hematopoietic stem cell support and trastuzumab in ERBB2 overexpressing metastatic breast cancer: a feasibility study.
ERBB2 overexpression predicts a worse outcome for patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy (HDC). Trastuzumab improves response rate and survival in ERBB2 overexpressing metastatic breast cancer patients (MBC). We investigated the feasibility of combining high-dose alkylating agents with autologous hematopoietic stem cell (AHSC) support and trastuzumab in ERBB2 overexpressing MBC. ⋯ Combining alkylating agent-based HDC and trastuzumab appears to be feasible in ERBB2 overexpressing MBC and warrants further investigation in a larger cohort.
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Anticancer research · Jan 2005
Clinical TrialA new dose-intense epoetin alfa regimen effective in anemic cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: an open-label, non randomized, pilot study.
Chronic anemia is a well-recognized complication of both cancer and cytotoxic treatments and is associated with symptoms (e.g., fatigue, dyspnea) that may induce or exacerbate functional deterioration. The use of recombinant human erythropoetin (rHuEPO epoetin alfa) clearly increased haemoglobin (Hb) levels, decreased transfusion needs and allowed recovery of quality of life in anemic cancer patients (pts) undergoing chemotherapy (CT). The purpose of this open-label, non randomized, pilot study was to assess the safety and efficacy of an intensive 19-day epoetin alfa treatment in anemic patients with solid tumors receiving chemotherapy. ⋯ The results of the present study suggest that an induction dose of 40,000 IU of epoetin alfa, followed by 8 maintenance doses of 20,000 IU each, may improve the standard response in terms of both time to response and Hb increase. Moreover, the Hb levels seemed to increase after epoetin therapy discontinuation (d22-29).