The oncologist
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Cancer-related neuropathic pain syndromes are common and serious complications of a patient's primary malignancy or its treatment, whether by surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. They may compromise the patient's quality of life as well as their ability to receive effective treatment. In many patients, there may be more than one coexistent neuropathic pain syndrome, posing a diagnostic dilemma that, if unresolved, may result in the institution of therapies that are of limited scope or not targeted at the primary underlying pathophysiology. ⋯ Clinical assessment of cancer-related neuropathic pain poses some important challenges diagnostically as well as in defining a clear and reliable endpoint assessment in controlled clinical trials. Many different approaches have been applied to the development of assessment or diagnostic tools. Careful review of these methods has been helpful in developing a clearer vision for the future design and refinement of more reliable tools, and more importantly, validation of the clinical utility as well as the reliability of such tools when employed as endpoints in clinical trials focused on prevention, mitigation, or treatment of cancer neuropathic pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
FDA approval summary: temsirolimus as treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma.
This report summarizes the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s approval of temsirolimus (Torisel), on May 30, 2007, for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). ⋯ Common laboratory abnormalities were anemia, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertriglyceridemia. Serious but rare cases of interstitial lung disease, bowel perforation, and acute renal failure were observed. Temsirolimus has demonstrated superiority in terms of OS and PFS over IFN-alpha and provides an additional treatment option for patients with advanced RCC.
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Combined modality therapy emerged from preclinical data showing that carefully chosen drugs could enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells to radiation while having nonoverlapping toxicities. Recent advances in molecular biology involving the identification of cellular receptors, enzymes, and pathways involved in tumor growth and immortality have resulted in the development of biologically targeted drugs. This review highlights the recent clinical data in support of newer generation cytotoxic chemotherapies and systemic targeted agents in combination with radiation therapy.
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex condition associated with a poor prognosis. Treatment outcomes are affected by multiple variables, including liver function, performance status of the patient, and tumor stage, making a multidisciplinary approach to treatment essential for optimal patient management. Only ∼30% of patients are eligible for curative therapies (surgery or ablation); palliative treatments include transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and sorafenib. ⋯ The Global Investigation of therapeutic DEcisions in hepatocellular carcinoma and Of its treatment with sorafeNib (GIDEON) study is a global, noninterventional study of patients with unresectable HCC receiving sorafenib. The aim of that study is to compile a large robust database to evaluate local, regional, and global factors influencing the management of patients with HCC. It is hoped that findings from the GIDEON study along with phase III RCT data will lead to better outcomes for patients with intermediate-advanced HCC.
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Integrative oncology is the synthesis of mainstream cancer care and evidence-based complementary therapies. Complementary strategies include massage therapies, acupuncture, fitness, and mind-body techniques, which take advantage of the reciprocal relationship between the mind and body. ⋯ Several studies have demonstrated, for example, that social context plays an important role in the perception of pain and that a patient's coping strategies can influence the persistence of pain. In this article, we briefly describe research illustrating the promise of integrative approaches for the treatment of cancer-related neuropathic pain.