Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Meaning-centered group psychotherapy: an effective intervention for improving psychological well-being in patients with advanced cancer.
To test the efficacy of meaning-centered group psychotherapy (MCGP) to reduce psychological distress and improve spiritual well-being in patients with advanced or terminal cancer. ⋯ This large randomized controlled study provides strong support for the efficacy of MCGP as a treatment for psychological and existential or spiritual distress in patients with advanced cancer.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan plus cetuximab treatment and RAS mutations in colorectal cancer.
The phase III CRYSTAL study demonstrated that addition of cetuximab to fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) significantly improved overall survival, progression-free survival, and objective response in the first-line treatment of patients with KRAS codon 12/13 (exon 2) wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Outcome was reassessed in subgroups defined by extended RAS mutation testing. ⋯ In the first-line treatment of mCRC, patients with RAS wild-type tumors derived a significant benefit from the addition of cetuximab to FOLFIRI; patients with RAS tumor mutations did not. Molecular testing of tumors for all activating RAS mutations is essential before considering anti-epidermal growth factor receptor therapy, thereby allowing the further tailoring of cetuximab administration to maximize patient benefit.
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Carfilzomib is an irreversible inhibitor of the constitutive proteasome and immunoproteasome. This phase I study evaluated the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of carfilzomib administered as a 30-minute intravenous (IV) infusion. Safety and efficacy of carfilzomib as a single agent or in combination with low-dose dexamethasone were assessed. ⋯ Carfilzomib administered as a 30-minute IV infusion at 56 mg/m(2) (as single agent or with low-dose dexamethasone) was generally well tolerated and highly active in patients with relapsed and/or refractory MM. These data have provided the basis for the phase III randomized, multicenter trial ENDEAVOR.