Cancer
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The objective of this study was to determine the prognostic variables that influence response and survival in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors who are treated with hepatic arterial embolization (HAE) or chemoembolization (HACE). ⋯ Patients with carcinoid tumors had better outcomes than patients with islet cell carcinomas. The addition of intraarterial chemotherapy to HAE did not improve the outcome of patients with carcinoid tumors, but it seemed to benefit patients with islet cell carcinomas. In patients who had carcinoid tumors, male gender predicted a poor outcome, and a trend toward prolonged PFS was observed in patients who received concomitant octreotide. An intact primary tumor, extensive liver disease, and bone metastases were associated with reduced survival in patients with islet cell carcinomas.
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Review Comparative Study
New aromatase inhibitors as second-line endocrine therapy in postmenopausal patients with metastatic breast carcinoma: a pooled analysis of the randomized trials.
New aromatase inhibitors (AI) (second-generation: formestane and fadrozole; third-generation: letrozole, anastrozole, vorozole, and exemestane) have been tested in several controlled clinical trials after tamoxifen failure in metastatic breast carcinoma (MBC). They have resulted in better survival compared with megestrol acetate (MEG) in a number of studies. The authors performed a pooled analysis including all the Phase III trials published between 1996 and 2004 evaluating the AIs approved or not by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medical Products (EMEA) as second-line endocrine therapy (ET) for patients with MBC. ⋯ This pooled analysis suggested that AIs in second-line ET for patients with MBC do not seem to add any significant benefit to MEG in terms of ORR and TTP. With regard to toxicity, the findings in the current study showed that weight gain, dyspnea, and peripheral edema are more frequent with the use of MEG, whereas hot flashes were more represented using AI.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Efficacy and tolerability of aprepitant for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and emesis over multiple cycles of moderately emetogenic chemotherapy.
An aprepitant (APR) regimen was evaluated for prevention of nausea and emesis due to moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) over multiple cycles. ⋯ The APR regimen was more effective than a control regimen for the prevention of nausea and emesis induced by MEC over multiple chemotherapy cycles.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Phase I trial of irinotecan plus temozolomide in adults with recurrent malignant glioma.
The authors determined the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of irinotecan (CPT-11), a topoisomerase I inhibitor, when administered with temozolomide among patients with recurrent malignant glioma (MG). ⋯ The current study built on preclinical observations designed to increase the clinical activity of topoisomerase I inhibitors. CPT-11, administered at full dose levels, was well tolerated in combination with TMZ. Furthermore, durable responses were observed in this recurrent population. Ongoing Phase II studies will evaluate the efficacy of this regimen and its application to other malignancies.
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Comparative Study
Anorexia/cachexia-related quality of life for children with cancer.
Anorexia is a common symptom in patients with cancer, which can lead to poor tolerance of treatment and can contribute to cachexia in extreme cases. Children with advanced-stage cancer are especially vulnerable to malnutrition resulting from anorexia and cachexia. Currently, there are no instruments that measure common concerns specifically associated with anorexia and cachexia in children with cancer. The purpose of the current article was to test the psychometric properties of a newly developed pediatric Functional Assessment of Anorexia and Cachexia Therapy (peds-FAACT) for children with cancer. ⋯ The peds-FAACT demonstrated good psychometric properties, differentiated patients with different functional performance status, and was determined to be a useful tool for future clinical trials.