Cancer
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The majority of patients with breast carcinoma receive chemotherapy as a component of multimodality treatment. Over the past decade, it has become increasingly more common to deliver chemotherapy first, but this has raised new questions within all disciplines of cancer management. ⋯ The complexity of the issues led the authors to conclude that patients who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy are likely to benefit from a coordinated multidisciplinary approach to their care.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Outcome of children with centrally reviewed low-grade gliomas treated with chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy on Children's Cancer Group high-grade glioma study CCG-945.
The objectives of the current study were to determine the outcome of children who were treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy on the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) high-grade glioma protocol (CCG-945) who were diagnosed with low-grade gliomas on post hoc central pathologic review and to identify clinical and biologic features associated with prognosis. ⋯ The current report calls attention to the importance of central pathologic review in large multiinstitutional trials of children with gliomas and suggests that aggressive front-line combined chemoradiotherapy does not confer a survival advantage in this highly selected population of patients.
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The objective of the current study was to determine the antitumor activity, safety, and pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of exatecan mesylate in patients with anthracycline-resistant and taxane-resistant, metastatic breast carcinoma. ⋯ Exatecan mesylate had moderate activity in patients with anthracycline-refractory and taxane-refractory, metastatic breast carcinoma. The toxicity profile of exatecan mesylate was acceptable, and it appeared to have linear PK characteristics on the basis of multiple dose administration.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Once-weekly dosing of epoetin-alpha increases hemoglobin and improves quality of life in anemic cancer patients receiving radiation therapy either concomitantly or sequentially with chemotherapy.
The current study was performed to prospectively evaluate the effectiveness, clinical outcomes, and safety of once-weekly (QW) recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO [epoetin-alpha]) in anemic cancer patients with nonmyeloid malignancies who were receiving radiation therapy (RT) concomitantly or sequentially with chemotherapy (CT). ⋯ Treatment with QW epoetin-alpha was found to increase Hb levels, decrease transfusion requirements, and improve functional status and QOL in anemic patients with nonmyeloid malignancies who were receiving RT concomitantly or sequentially with CT. Clinical benefits and the safety profile of QW epoetin-alpha in this setting appear to be similar to those observed in anemic cancer patients receiving CT.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Zoledronic acid delays the onset of skeletal-related events and progression of skeletal disease in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.
The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of zoledronic acid in patients with bone metastases secondary to renal cell carcinoma (RCC). ⋯ Zoledronic acid (4 mg as a 15-minute infusion) demonstrated significant clinical benefit in patients with bone metastases from RCC, suggesting that further investigation of zoledronic acid in this patient population is warranted.