Oncology reports
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Clinical Trial
A pilot study of metronomic temozolomide treatment in patients with recurrent temozolomide-refractory glioblastoma.
Frequent regular administration of chemotherapeutic agents at low doses, known as 'metronomic chemotherapy', can increase the anti-angiogenic activity of the drugs, as has been confirmed by several other experimental tumor models. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of metronomic temozolomide (TMZ) treatment in twelve consecutive patients with recurrent TMZ-refractory glioblastoma. The patients were administered by metronomic treatment schedule (continuous low-dose chemotherapy) with TMZ at a daily dose of 40 mg/m(2). ⋯ Estimated PFS (CR+PR+SD) was 58.3% at 3 months. Grade III/IV toxicity according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI CTC) was not found. These results suggest that the change of chemotherapeutic schedule from conventional to metronomic treatment overcomes the chemo-resistance in patients with recurrent TMZ-refractory glio-blastoma without any major toxicity.
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Case Reports
Acquired resistance to imatinib and secondary KIT exon 13 mutation in gastrointestinal stromal tumour.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumours of the gastrointestinal tract. Most of them have an activating mutation of KIT or PDGFRalpha tyrosine-kinase receptors. Imatinib is a selective tyrosine-kinase inhibitor of ABL, KIT and PDGFR, and provides a clinical benefit in about 85% of patients with advanced GIST. ⋯ We identified, in addition to a primary mutation in exon 9, a secondary mutation in KIT exon 13 (first kinase domain) in the resistant sample. We demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of sequencing such samples removed by non-surgical biopsies during imatinib therapy. Such a approach, far less invasive than surgery and combined with sequencing, will likely help in better tailoring the treatment of advanced GISTs and understanding the mechanisms of resistance and response to imatinib.
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Comparative Study
In situ gene expression and localization of metalloproteinases MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, MMP9, and their inhibitors TIMP1 and TIMP2 in human renal cell carcinoma.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (TIMPs) play a major role in the maintenance of extracellular matrix homeostasis. Alterations of MMP and TIMP expressions have been found in several malignant tumour entities. In this study the expression pattern of MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, MMP9, and their inhibitors TIMP1, and TIMP2 were investigated at mRNA and protein levels in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC). ⋯ We found a pronounced expression for the gelatinases MMP2 and MMP9 and for MMP3 in RCC at the mRNA and protein level. The expression of TIMP1 and TIMP2 appears also to be relevant in RCC. Due to the small sample size further investigations need to be done to prove a statistical significant correlation between the MMP/TIMP expression and clinicopathological parameters.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Postoperative immunosuppression cascade and immunotherapy using lymphokine-activated killer cells for patients with esophageal cancer: possible application for compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome.
Immunological parameters were measured in order to elucidate a postoperative immunosuppression mechanism in transthoracic esophagectomy for patients with esophageal cancer. Moreover, lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells were transferred just after the surgery to overcome the postoperative immunosuppression. Fifteen consecutive patients who underwent transthoracic esophagectomy were subjected to the postoperative measurement of immunological parameters. ⋯ LAK cell transfer restored the postoperative decrease in the helper and cytotoxic T-cell population, and there was a trend of reduction for postoperative remote infection such as pneumonia and surgical site infection in the LAK therapy group. Taken together, we would like to propose the existence of a postoperative immunosuppression cascade consisting of increases in cytokines and immunosuppressive proteins, decreases in helper and cytotoxic T-cell populations, and the development of suppressor T-cell activities in surgery for esophageal cancer. Postoperative adoptive transfer of LAK cells may be a novel clinical application in surgery for esophageal cancer as a means of treating this postoperative immunosuppressive condition that may be identical to the status of compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome (CARS).
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A phase I study of S-1 and biweekly docetaxel (DOC) combination therapy was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and pharmacokinetic parameters. Fourteen patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer were analyzed. The treatment consisted of S-1 [body surface area (BSA) <1.25 m2:80 mg/day, 1.25