Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Capecitabine versus 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid as adjuvant therapy for stage III colon cancer: final results from the X-ACT trial with analysis by age and preliminary evidence of a pharmacodynamic marker of efficacy.
This multicenter randomized trial compared oral capecitabine with bolus i.v. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)/folinic acid (FA) as adjuvant therapy for stage III colon cancer. ⋯ Oral capecitabine is an effective alternative to bolus 5-FU/FA as adjuvant treatment of patients with stage III colon cancer with efficacy benefits maintained at 5 years and in older patients.
-
To contribute to evidence-based policy decision making for national cancer control, we conducted a systematic assessment to estimate the current burden of cancer attributable to known preventable risk factors in Japan in 2005. ⋯ In Japan, tobacco smoking and infections are major causes of cancer. Further control of these factors will contribute to substantial reductions in cancer incidence and mortality in Japan.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Acupuncture compared with placebo acupuncture in radiotherapy-induced nausea--a randomized controlled study.
It is not known if verum (real) acupuncture is effective for nausea and vomiting (emesis) during radiotherapy. ⋯ Acupuncture creating deqi is not more effective than sham in radiotherapy-induced nausea, but in this study, nearly all patients in both groups experienced that the treatment was effective for nausea.
-
Based on our previous work on the clinical activity of cetuximab in recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), we evaluated the feasibility of adding cetuximab to concurrent cisplatin and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in locoregionally advanced NPC. ⋯ Concurrent administration of cetuximab, weekly cisplatin and IMRT is a feasible strategy against locoregionally advanced NPC. Preliminary survival data compare favorably with historic data and further follow-up is warranted.
-
Palliative care is a rapidly growing subspecialty of medicine entailing expert and active assessment, evaluation and treatment of the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of patients and families with serious illnesses. It provides an added layer of support to the patient's regular medical care. ⋯ Herein, we will highlight emerging paradigms in palliative care and attempt to delineate key education, research and policy areas that lie ahead for the field of palliative oncology. Despite the critical need for improving multi-faceted and multi-specialty symptom management and patient-physician communication, we will focus on the interface between palliative care and oncology specialists, a relationship that can lead to better overall patient care on all of these levels.