American journal of clinical oncology
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Am. J. Clin. Oncol. · Jun 2015
Utilization of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hospice at the end of life for patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma.
To examine the patterns of utilization of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and hospice at the end-of-life care for patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. ⋯ Surgery and hospice care use increased over the years of this study, whereas the use of chemotherapy and radiation therapy remained consistent for patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma.
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Am. J. Clin. Oncol. · Apr 2015
Practice GuidelineACR Appropriateness Criteria(®) induction and adjuvant therapy for N2 non-small-cell lung cancer.
The integration of chemotherapy, radiation therapy (RT), and surgery in the management of patients with stage IIIA (N2) non-small-cell lung carcinoma is challenging. The American College of Radiology (ACR) Appropriateness Criteria Lung Cancer Panel was charged to update management recommendations for this clinical scenario. The Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed every 3 years by a multidisciplinary expert panel. ⋯ In N2 patients who require a pneumonectomy, definitive concurrent chemotherapy/RT is most appropriate although induction concurrent chemotherapy/RT may be considered in expert hands. Induction chemotherapy followed by surgery +/- PORT may also be an option in N2 patients. For preoperative RT and PORT, 3-dimensional conformal techniques and intensity-modulated RT are most appropriate.
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Am. J. Clin. Oncol. · Feb 2015
ReviewImmune-priming of the tumor microenvironment by radiotherapy: rationale for combination with immunotherapy to improve anticancer efficacy.
A clear contribution of the immune system to eradication of tumors has been supported by recent developments in the field of immunotherapy. Durable clinical responses obtained after treatment with immunomodulatory agents such as ipilimumab (Yervoy) and anti-PD-1 antibody (BMS-936558), have established that harnessing the immune response against chemoresistant tumors can result in their complete eradication. However, only a subset of patients benefit from these therapeutic approaches. ⋯ Therefore, it is plausible that combining immunotherapy with standard anticancer therapies such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy will provide synergistic antitumor effects. Despite a large collection of preclinical data, the immune mechanisms that might contribute to the efficacy of conventional cytotoxic therapies and their combinations with immunotherapeutic approaches have not yet been extensively studied in the clinical setting and warrant further investigation. This review will focus on current knowledge of the immunomodulatory effects of one such cytotoxic treatment, radiotherapy, and explore different pathways by which its combination with immunomodulatory antibodies might contribute toward more efficacious antitumor immunity.
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Am. J. Clin. Oncol. · Feb 2015
KRAS mutation as the biomarker of response to chemotherapy and EGFR-TKIs in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: clues for its potential use in second-line therapy decision making.
In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), knowledge of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status is fundamental for selecting the treatment involving EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Little information is available regarding the response and progression-free survival (PFS) in platinum-based chemotherapy (CT) versus EGFR-TKIs in the presence or absence of KRAS mutation, particularly in patients without EGFR mutation. ⋯ KRAS mutation status is a good biomarker for response to EGFR-TKIs in patients with NSCLC. KRAS mutational status could impact the decision to give CT or EGFR-TKIs as a second line of treatment to patients with NSCLC, particularly in patients with WT-EGFR.
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The recently enacted Israeli Dying Patient Act was designed to strike balance between enhancing patient autonomy in end-of-life decision making and cultural/religious norms that are in opposition to active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS). The current study evaluated physician attitudes regarding active and passive euthanasia, and their knowledge of specific aspects of the law. ⋯ Compared with previous surveys, a larger number of physicians support passive euthanasia. A sizable percentage of physicians would be willing to participate in active euthanasia and even PAS. Attitudes toward euthanasia are influenced by religious factors.