Oncology
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Review Meta Analysis
Risk of high-grade skin rash in cancer patients treated with cetuximab--an antibody against epidermal growth factor receptor: systemic review and meta-analysis.
Cetuximab, a chimeric antibody against epidermal growth factor receptor has emerged as an effective therapy for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) and head-neck cancer. However, severe skin toxicity may limit its use. Its efficacy in the treatment of other cancers is also undergoing extensive investigation. We performed a systemic review and meta-analysis of published clinical trials to quantify the overall incidence and risk of severe skin rash. ⋯ Cancer patients who received cetuximab have a substantial risk of developing high-grade skin rash. The risk may be particularly increased in patients with CRC. Further studies are strongly recommended for the prevention and treatment of high-grade skin rash.
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Analysis by DNA microarrays has led to the identification of molecular subtypes of breast carcinomas that show a distinct expression profile. Several studies have demonstrated that this 'intrinsic subtype' classification has a strong prognostic value. In addition, gene expression profiling techniques have been used to identify gene signatures that could be associated with the outcome of breast cancer patients. ⋯ Genetic signatures that might predict the activity of specific chemotherapy agents have also been developed by using gene expression profiling techniques. The same approach has been used to identify gene signatures associated with the activation of oncogenic pathways that might represent targets for molecular therapy of breast cancer. By using these approaches, gene expression techniques might significantly improve our ability to predict the risk of recurrence and to tailor the treatment for each individual breast cancer patient.
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Multicenter Study
A prospective, multicenter, phase 2 study of imatinib mesylate in korean patients with metastatic or unresectable gastrointestinal stromal tumor.
This prospective, multicenter, phase 2 study evaluated the efficacy and safety of imatinib mesylate and assessed KIT and PDGFRA gene mutation status in Korean patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). ⋯ Imatinib is effective and safe in Korean patients with metastatic or unresectable GIST.
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Dysregulation of human epidermal growth factor receptor (ErbB/HER) pathways by over-expression or constitutive activation can promote tumor processes including angiogenesis and metastasis and is associated with poor prognosis in many human malignancies. In addition to cancer, ErbB signaling has also been implicated in cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. ⋯ Accordingly, the ErbB receptor family with their most prominent members EGFR and HER-2 represents validated targets for anti-cancer therapy, and anti-ErbB MoAbs (cetuximab, panitumumab, and trastuzumab) and TKIs (gefitinib, erlotinib, and lapatinib) have now been approved for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, as well as pancreatic and breast cancer. Although results have been encouraging, more work remains to be done.
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Multicenter Study
Phase IV study of bevacizumab in combination with infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) in first-line metastatic colorectal cancer.
Bevacizumab (Avastin) significantly improves overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) when combined with first-line irinotecan (IFL) plus bolus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). This open-label, phase IV trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of first-line bevacizumab in combination with IFL and infusional 5-FU/LV (FOLFIRI). ⋯ Bevacizumab combined with first-line FOLFIRI is an effective and well-tolerated therapy option for patients with metastatic CRC.