Anticancer research
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Anticancer research · May 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialHypofractionated Dose Escalated 3D Conformal Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer: Outcomes from a Mono-Institutional Phase II Study.
Based on a radiobiological assumption of a low alpha/beta (α/β) ratio for prostate cancer, hypofractionated radiotherapy has increasingly gained traction in the clinical practice and recent guidelines have confirmed the non-inferiority of this approach. Nevertheless, the largest studies that have used hypofractionation so far, employed image-guided radiation therapy/intensity modulated radiation therapy (IGRT/IMRT) facilities that might have overcome the radiobiological advantages, which remain to be fully confirmed. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the feasibility of a hypofractionated schedule delivered with 3D-Conformal Radiotherapy to prostate and seminal vesicles in combination with hormonal therapy. ⋯ Our study confirms that 3D conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) remains a safe and effective method to deliver a dose-escalated hypofractionated regimen for PCa patients in all risk classes with acceptable toxicity rates and optimal biochemical control.
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Anticancer research · Apr 2015
MicroRNA profile in site-specific head and neck squamous cell cancer.
MicroRNAs (miRs) are non-coding RNA molecules regulating diverse cellular processes essential in carcinogenesis. Little is known regarding miRs in head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC). The aim of the present study was to investigate miRs in relation to the clinico pathological features of site-specific HNSCC. ⋯ The microRNA profile seems to play a potential role in the pathobiology of oropharyngeal and laryngeal HNSCC. Up-regulation of miR34a in p16-positive oropharyngeal cancer has not been so far described and additional studies are warranted.
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Anticancer research · Apr 2015
Post-chemotherapeutic CEA and CA19-9 are prognostic factors in patients with colorectal liver metastases treated with hepatic resection after oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.
The prognostic value of tumor markers remains unclear in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) who undergo hepatectomy following chemotherapy. The aim of the present study was to identify prognostic factors associated with recurrence and survival in such patients. ⋯ Measurement of both CEA and CA19-9 level is strongly recommended for patients with CRLM treated with preoperative chemotherapy followed by hepatectomy because normalization of serum CEA and CA19-9 levels after chemotherapy will demonstrate a good prognosis after curative hepatectomy.
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Anticancer research · Mar 2015
ReviewTopics in chemotherapy, molecular-targeted therapy, and immunotherapy for newly-diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults, and it is associated with poor survival. The standard therapy for newly-diagnosed GBM is radiotherapy with concurrent temozolomide following maximal surgical resection. To improve the outcome of these patients, combinations of the standard therapy plus molecular-targeted agents have been tested in clinical trials. ⋯ Phase II data have indicated the potential efficacy of talampanel combined with the standard therapy for patients with newly-diagnosed GBM, and these findings are awaiting validation in phase III trials. In addition, phase II trials have demonstrated that adjuvant immunotherapy is effective and tolerable for treatment of patients with GBM. In this article, we discuss topics in chemotherapy, molecular-targeted therapy, and immunotherapy for patients with newly-diagnosed GBM.
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Anticancer research · Mar 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of anaesthetic technique on immune cell infiltration in breast cancer: a follow-up pilot analysis of a prospective, randomised, investigator-masked study.
Live animal studies using an inoculation model of breast cancer indicate that anaesthetic drugs and techniques differentially affect cancer metastasis, inversely related to Natural Killer (NK) cell and T lymphocyte levels. Clinical histological studies demonstrate that the distribution of these immune cells and macrophages in intra-tumoral cancer tissue can predict prognosis and response to therapy. No study has evaluated whether the anaesthetic technique influences human breast cancer immune cell infiltration. ⋯ PPA induces increased levels of NK and T helper cell infiltration into breast cancer tissue compared with GA but not T suppressor cells or macro phages. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the anaesthetic technique may affect perioperative immune function conducive to resisting breast cancer recurrence and metastasis.