Expert review of anticancer therapy
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Jan 2006
ReviewLetrozole as adjuvant endocrine therapy in postmenopausal women with breast cancer.
The third-generation aromatase inhibitor letrozole offers a promising approach to treating hormone-sensitive breast cancer for postmenopausal women, through potent and specific inhibition of estrogen synthesis. In neoadjuvant and first-line treatment, letrozole demonstrated superior efficacy compared with tamoxifen in randomized Phase III trials. ⋯ For patients who have already completed 5 years of tamoxifen, extended endocrine therapy with letrozole is a new therapeutic option based on the results of the MA-17 trial. The optimal use of aromatase inhibitors remains an open question, at least until results from randomized trials (BIG 1-98, TEAM) investigating the sequential use of an aromatase inhibitor and tamoxifen in comparison with continuous monotherapy become available.
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Dec 2005
ReviewClinical practice guidelines on antiemetics in oncology.
The tolerability of chemotherapy has been significantly improved by the advent of effective drugs and protocols for the amelioration of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Variables such as the timing of nausea and vomiting (acute, delayed or anticipatory) and the emetogenicity of the chemotherapy must be taken into account in developing guidelines for antiemetic prophylaxis and treatment. Although there are a number of 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonists available, the clinical differences between them are small. ⋯ Alternatively, a 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptor antagonist and dexamethasone can be used in the acute phase, followed by dexamethasone for prophylaxis in the delayed phase. For chemotherapy with a low emetogenicity, either dexamethasone, metoclopramide, prochlorperazine or triethyperazine alone is recommended. No prophylaxis is generally required during the delayed phase and indeed may not be necessary during the acute phase either.
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Oct 2005
ReviewAutologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for pediatric solid tumors.
While advances in the treatment of pediatric cancers have increased cure rates, children with metastatic or recurrent solid tumors have a dismal prognosis despite initial transient responses to therapy. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation takes advantage of the steep dose-response relationship observed with many chemotherapeutic agents. While clearly demonstrated to improve outcomes in patients with metastatic neuroblastoma, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is also frequently used to treat patients with other high-risk diseases such as Ewing sarcoma, osteosarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Wilms' tumor, retinoblastoma, germ cell tumors, lymphomas and brain tumors. ⋯ Since the inception of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, regimen-related toxicity has markedly decreased and the vast majority of treatment failures are now due to disease recurrence. Prospective clinical trials are needed to identify specific high-risk patient populations, with randomization (when possible) to compare outcomes of patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with those receiving standard therapy. In addition, investigators need to better define the role of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in these solid tumors, particularly in combination with other therapeutic modalities such as immunotherapy and novel cell processing methodologies.
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Brain metastases are a common complication of metastatic malignant melanoma, conferring an exceedingly poor prognosis. Diagnosis of brain metastasis often has significant implications for duration and quality of life, and management can be difficult due to rapid progression of disease and resistance to conventional therapies. This review focuses primarily on the published evidence for treatment modalities for brain metastases from melanoma, emerging technologies and outlines future directions for research. ⋯ Stereotactic radiosurgery is an increasingly utilized technique for patients with a limited number of metastases and presents a less-invasive alternative to craniotomy. Chemotherapy alone is relatively ineffective, although combined chemotherapy with external-beam radiation is being investigated. Future directions include combined modality therapy, the incorporation of novel agents and careful consideration of the structure of clinical trials for this disease.