Aim of the study Informing cancer patients about various types of treatment and their adverse effects and communicating negative information is an important element of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Understanding the purpose of treatment and expectations, and socio-demographic factors in patients undergoing palliative chemotherapy because of lung cancer. Material and methods The study included 100 patients with lung cancer at the age of 40–80 years (mean 63.1) in the Oncology Center in Bydgoszcz in 2013–2014. The diagnostic survey method with the author's questionnaire was used. Results Forty-one percent of patients were convinced that the purpose of chemotherapy is to cure the disease. Both inhabitants of small towns (population below 50 thousand) and large villages (p = 0.09) were similarly convinced about the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Seventy-three percent of inhabitants of small towns and 79% of country dwellers (p = 0.005) thought that chemotherapy is aimed at improving the quality of life. Patients with very good economic conditions responded that chemotherapy is designed to improve the quality of life more often than those with good and bad economic conditions, 90%, 88% and 60%, respectively (p = 0.001). With the increase in population the number of people who claimed that palliative chemotherapy prolongs their life increased, 71%, 77% and 90%, respectively (p = 0.03). Conclusions The knowledge of patients with lung cancer about palliative chemotherapy is insufficient. Almost half of them do not understand the purpose of treatment and hope that chemotherapy will cure them of the disease. Most patients know that the aim of chemotherapy is to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life and prolong their life. Half of the patients want to obtain information on treatment and half of them about life expectancy. Almost half of the patients feel stress and anxiety towards chemotherapy. Most patients do not use the help of a psychologist and do not feel such a need.
{"title":"Understanding the purpose of treatment and expectations in patients with inoperable lung cancer treated with palliative chemotherapy","authors":"A. Nowicki, K. Woźniak, M. Krajnik","doi":"10.5114/wo.2015.53249","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5114/wo.2015.53249","url":null,"abstract":"Aim of the study Informing cancer patients about various types of treatment and their adverse effects and communicating negative information is an important element of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Understanding the purpose of treatment and expectations, and socio-demographic factors in patients undergoing palliative chemotherapy because of lung cancer. Material and methods The study included 100 patients with lung cancer at the age of 40–80 years (mean 63.1) in the Oncology Center in Bydgoszcz in 2013–2014. The diagnostic survey method with the author's questionnaire was used. Results Forty-one percent of patients were convinced that the purpose of chemotherapy is to cure the disease. Both inhabitants of small towns (population below 50 thousand) and large villages (p = 0.09) were similarly convinced about the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Seventy-three percent of inhabitants of small towns and 79% of country dwellers (p = 0.005) thought that chemotherapy is aimed at improving the quality of life. Patients with very good economic conditions responded that chemotherapy is designed to improve the quality of life more often than those with good and bad economic conditions, 90%, 88% and 60%, respectively (p = 0.001). With the increase in population the number of people who claimed that palliative chemotherapy prolongs their life increased, 71%, 77% and 90%, respectively (p = 0.03). Conclusions The knowledge of patients with lung cancer about palliative chemotherapy is insufficient. Almost half of them do not understand the purpose of treatment and hope that chemotherapy will cure them of the disease. Most patients know that the aim of chemotherapy is to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life and prolong their life. Half of the patients want to obtain information on treatment and half of them about life expectancy. Almost half of the patients feel stress and anxiety towards chemotherapy. Most patients do not use the help of a psychologist and do not feel such a need.","PeriodicalId":10652,"journal":{"name":"Contemporary Oncology","volume":"36 1","pages":"333 - 337"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87173012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P. Rutkowski, K. Kozak, J. Mackiewicz, K. Krzemieniecki, S. Nawrocki, E. Wasilewska-Teśluk, Łukasz Kwinta, P. Wysocki, H. Koseła-Paterczyk, T. Świtaj
Aim of the study The BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib has improved progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with BRAFV600-mutation-positive metastatic melanoma. Here we present the results of an open-label safety study with vemurafenib in patients with metastatic melanoma enrolled in Polish oncological centres. Material and methods Patients with untreated or previously treated Stage IIIC/IV BRAFV600 mutation-positive melanoma were treated with oral vemurafenib in an initial dose of 960 mg twice daily. Assessments for safety and efficacy were made every 28 days. For the survival analysis the Kaplan-Meier estimator was used with the log-rank tests for bivariate comparisons. Results In total, 75 Polish patients were enrolled in the safety study across four centres. At data cut-off, 28 patients died (37%), mainly (26) due to disease progression; 33 (44%) patients continued vemurafenib after disease progression. The objective response rate was 46%, including two patients with a complete response and 29 with a partial response. Median progression-free survival was 7.4 months. The one-year overall survival rate was 61.9% (median overall survival was not reached). Seventy-three (97.3%) patients reported adverse events (AEs), and grade 3–5 toxicity was reported in 49.4% (37) patients. The most common AEs were: skin lesions (including rash and photosensitivity), arthralgia, and fatigue. Conclusions The overall safety profile and response rate of vemurafenib were comparable to those reported in previous studies of this drug. Our study confirmed the value of well-established prognostic features for overall survival, such as initial LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) level and AJCC staging.
{"title":"The outcomes of Polish patients with advanced BRAF-positive melanoma treated with vemurafenib in a safety clinical trial","authors":"P. Rutkowski, K. Kozak, J. Mackiewicz, K. Krzemieniecki, S. Nawrocki, E. Wasilewska-Teśluk, Łukasz Kwinta, P. Wysocki, H. Koseła-Paterczyk, T. Świtaj","doi":"10.5114/wo.2015.54082","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5114/wo.2015.54082","url":null,"abstract":"Aim of the study The BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib has improved progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with BRAFV600-mutation-positive metastatic melanoma. Here we present the results of an open-label safety study with vemurafenib in patients with metastatic melanoma enrolled in Polish oncological centres. Material and methods Patients with untreated or previously treated Stage IIIC/IV BRAFV600 mutation-positive melanoma were treated with oral vemurafenib in an initial dose of 960 mg twice daily. Assessments for safety and efficacy were made every 28 days. For the survival analysis the Kaplan-Meier estimator was used with the log-rank tests for bivariate comparisons. Results In total, 75 Polish patients were enrolled in the safety study across four centres. At data cut-off, 28 patients died (37%), mainly (26) due to disease progression; 33 (44%) patients continued vemurafenib after disease progression. The objective response rate was 46%, including two patients with a complete response and 29 with a partial response. Median progression-free survival was 7.4 months. The one-year overall survival rate was 61.9% (median overall survival was not reached). Seventy-three (97.3%) patients reported adverse events (AEs), and grade 3–5 toxicity was reported in 49.4% (37) patients. The most common AEs were: skin lesions (including rash and photosensitivity), arthralgia, and fatigue. Conclusions The overall safety profile and response rate of vemurafenib were comparable to those reported in previous studies of this drug. Our study confirmed the value of well-established prognostic features for overall survival, such as initial LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) level and AJCC staging.","PeriodicalId":10652,"journal":{"name":"Contemporary Oncology","volume":"46 1","pages":"280 - 283"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81081331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Raman, S. Deorah, Bradley D. McDowell, T. A. Hejleh, C. Lynch, Amit K. Gupta
Aim of the study To analyse trends in the incidence rates of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus (ACE and SCC, respectively) in white women between 1992 and 2010. Material and methods We used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER program to identify cases of esophageal cancer). Age adjusted incidence rates (IR) were calculated for ACE and SCC for two different time periods (1992–1996 and 2006–2010) and stratified by age, stage, and histologic type. We used joinpoint analysis to detect changes in rates between 1992 and 2010. Results Between the time periods 1992–1996 and 2006–2010, the age-adjusted incidence rates for SCC in white women decreased from 1.2/100,000 to 0.8/100,000 personyears, and for ACE it increased from 0.5/100,000 to 0.7/100,000 personyears. Similar to white men, the increase in the incidence of ACE was consistent for all stages and all age groups in white women. However, it was most pronounced in women aged 45–59 years, where the incidence of ACE (0.9/100,000 person-years) in 2006–2010 exceeded the incidence of SCC (0.6/100,000 person-years). On joinpoint regression analysis, an inflection point was seen in 1999 for ACE, indicating a slower rate of increase for ACE after 1999 (annual percentage change of 8.00 before 1999 vs. 0.88 starting in 1999). Conclusions The incidence of ACE is increasing in white women, irrespective of age or stage. Indeed, ACE is now more common than SCC in white women between 45 and 59 years of age.
{"title":"Changing incidence of esophageal cancer among white women: analysis of SEER data (1992–2010)","authors":"R. Raman, S. Deorah, Bradley D. McDowell, T. A. Hejleh, C. Lynch, Amit K. Gupta","doi":"10.5114/wo.2015.54390","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5114/wo.2015.54390","url":null,"abstract":"Aim of the study To analyse trends in the incidence rates of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus (ACE and SCC, respectively) in white women between 1992 and 2010. Material and methods We used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER program to identify cases of esophageal cancer). Age adjusted incidence rates (IR) were calculated for ACE and SCC for two different time periods (1992–1996 and 2006–2010) and stratified by age, stage, and histologic type. We used joinpoint analysis to detect changes in rates between 1992 and 2010. Results Between the time periods 1992–1996 and 2006–2010, the age-adjusted incidence rates for SCC in white women decreased from 1.2/100,000 to 0.8/100,000 personyears, and for ACE it increased from 0.5/100,000 to 0.7/100,000 personyears. Similar to white men, the increase in the incidence of ACE was consistent for all stages and all age groups in white women. However, it was most pronounced in women aged 45–59 years, where the incidence of ACE (0.9/100,000 person-years) in 2006–2010 exceeded the incidence of SCC (0.6/100,000 person-years). On joinpoint regression analysis, an inflection point was seen in 1999 for ACE, indicating a slower rate of increase for ACE after 1999 (annual percentage change of 8.00 before 1999 vs. 0.88 starting in 1999). Conclusions The incidence of ACE is increasing in white women, irrespective of age or stage. Indeed, ACE is now more common than SCC in white women between 45 and 59 years of age.","PeriodicalId":10652,"journal":{"name":"Contemporary Oncology","volume":"52 1","pages":"338 - 340"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74979818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Š. Lukešová, V. Vroblová, J. Tošner, J. Kopecký, I. Sedláková, E. Cermakova, D. Vokurková, O. Kopecký
Aim of the study A number of observations have indicated that the immune system plays a significant role in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). In cases of EOC, the prognostic significance of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes has not been clearly explained yet. The aim is to determine the phenotype and activation molecules of cytotoxic T cell and NK cell subpopulations and to compare their representation in malignant ascites and peripheral blood in patients with ovarian cancer. Material and methods Cytotoxic cells taken from blood samples of the cubital vein and malignant ascites were obtained from 53 patients with EOC. Their surface and activation characteristics were determined by means of a flow cytometer. Immunophenotype multiparametric analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was carried out. Results CD3+ T lymphocytes were the main population of TILs (75.9%) and PBLs (70.9%). The number of activating T cells was significantly higher in TILs: CD3+/69+ 6.7% vs. 0.8% (p < 0.001). The representation of (CD3–/16+56+) NK cells in TILs was significantly higher: 11.0% vs. 5.6% (p = 0.041); likewise CD56bright and CD–56bright from CD56+ cells were higher in TILs (both p < 0.001). The activation receptor NKG2D was present in 45.1% of TILs vs. 32.3% of PBLs (p = 0.034), but we did not find a significant difference in the numbers of CD56+/NKG2D+ in TILs and PBLs. Conclusions These results prove that the characteristics and intensity of anti-tumour responses are different in compared compartments (ascites/PBLs). The knowledge of phenotype and functions of effector cells is the basic precondition for understanding the anti-tumour immune response.
{"title":"Comparative study of various subpopulations of cytotoxic cells in blood and ascites from patients with ovarian carcinoma","authors":"Š. Lukešová, V. Vroblová, J. Tošner, J. Kopecký, I. Sedláková, E. Cermakova, D. Vokurková, O. Kopecký","doi":"10.5114/wo.2015.54388","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5114/wo.2015.54388","url":null,"abstract":"Aim of the study A number of observations have indicated that the immune system plays a significant role in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). In cases of EOC, the prognostic significance of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes has not been clearly explained yet. The aim is to determine the phenotype and activation molecules of cytotoxic T cell and NK cell subpopulations and to compare their representation in malignant ascites and peripheral blood in patients with ovarian cancer. Material and methods Cytotoxic cells taken from blood samples of the cubital vein and malignant ascites were obtained from 53 patients with EOC. Their surface and activation characteristics were determined by means of a flow cytometer. Immunophenotype multiparametric analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was carried out. Results CD3+ T lymphocytes were the main population of TILs (75.9%) and PBLs (70.9%). The number of activating T cells was significantly higher in TILs: CD3+/69+ 6.7% vs. 0.8% (p < 0.001). The representation of (CD3–/16+56+) NK cells in TILs was significantly higher: 11.0% vs. 5.6% (p = 0.041); likewise CD56bright and CD–56bright from CD56+ cells were higher in TILs (both p < 0.001). The activation receptor NKG2D was present in 45.1% of TILs vs. 32.3% of PBLs (p = 0.034), but we did not find a significant difference in the numbers of CD56+/NKG2D+ in TILs and PBLs. Conclusions These results prove that the characteristics and intensity of anti-tumour responses are different in compared compartments (ascites/PBLs). The knowledge of phenotype and functions of effector cells is the basic precondition for understanding the anti-tumour immune response.","PeriodicalId":10652,"journal":{"name":"Contemporary Oncology","volume":"35 1","pages":"290 - 299"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76647085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
K. Zabłocka-Słowińska, I. Porębska, M. Gołecki, A. Prescha, J. Pieczyńska, M. Kosacka, R. Ilow, H. Grajeta, R. Jankowska, J. Biernat
Aim of the study Assessment of lung cancer patients’ dietary habits before treatment enable medical staff to provide more individual, precise and complex care to patients, taking into consideration their nutritional status. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate dietary habits related to lung cancer risk of lung cancer patients in comparison with controls from the Lower Silesia region of Poland. Material and methods Assessments of dietary habits, based on a validated questionnaire related to lung cancer risk were performed on 92 lung cancer patients and compared with the results obtained in 157 controls. Dietary patterns were evaluated concerning on eating frequency of high- and low- glycemic index products, vegetables and fruits, vegetable and fruit juices, green tea, liquid dairy products, meat and fried products over the previous year. Alcohol consumption was assessed on a dichotomous scale (yes or no). Results Majority of patients had inappropriate dietary habits, such as low consumption of low GI cereal products, vegetables, fruit and green tea, and a high consumption frequency of fried products. Conclusions Reported dietary mistakes indicate the need for dietary education among people at lung cancer risk and with newly diagnosed disease, to enhance their nutritional status.
{"title":"Dietary habits of lung cancer patients from the Lower Silesia region of Poland","authors":"K. Zabłocka-Słowińska, I. Porębska, M. Gołecki, A. Prescha, J. Pieczyńska, M. Kosacka, R. Ilow, H. Grajeta, R. Jankowska, J. Biernat","doi":"10.5114/wo.2015.54084","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5114/wo.2015.54084","url":null,"abstract":"Aim of the study Assessment of lung cancer patients’ dietary habits before treatment enable medical staff to provide more individual, precise and complex care to patients, taking into consideration their nutritional status. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate dietary habits related to lung cancer risk of lung cancer patients in comparison with controls from the Lower Silesia region of Poland. Material and methods Assessments of dietary habits, based on a validated questionnaire related to lung cancer risk were performed on 92 lung cancer patients and compared with the results obtained in 157 controls. Dietary patterns were evaluated concerning on eating frequency of high- and low- glycemic index products, vegetables and fruits, vegetable and fruit juices, green tea, liquid dairy products, meat and fried products over the previous year. Alcohol consumption was assessed on a dichotomous scale (yes or no). Results Majority of patients had inappropriate dietary habits, such as low consumption of low GI cereal products, vegetables, fruit and green tea, and a high consumption frequency of fried products. Conclusions Reported dietary mistakes indicate the need for dietary education among people at lung cancer risk and with newly diagnosed disease, to enhance their nutritional status.","PeriodicalId":10652,"journal":{"name":"Contemporary Oncology","volume":"20 1","pages":"391 - 395"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76750623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Dambrauskienė, R. Gerbutavičius, E. Juozaitytė, R. Gerbutavičienė
Thrombosis risk in essential thrombocythemia (ET) patients can be assessed using different prognostic systems. Conventional risk factors include age more than 60 years and history of previous thrombosis. In addition, other factors such as JAK2 V617F mutations, cardiovascular risk factors, leukocytosis more than 11 × 109/l, thrombophilic factors and platelet count more than 1500 × 109/l are used in different hematology centers as high-risk features for thrombosis. Our study compared different risk model groups for thrombosis in 185 WHO-defined ET patients at the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Klinikos. We found that patient distribution in low, intermediate- and high-risk groups varies using different risk stratification models. The biggest difference in risk assignment is evident in patients who are older than 60 years and have no other risk factors and in patients who are younger than 60 years but have other risk factors. This observation suggests that new prospective randomized clinical trials are needed to better stratify patients at risk for thrombosis.
{"title":"Thrombotic risk assessment in 185 WHO-defined essential thrombocythemia patients: single center experience","authors":"R. Dambrauskienė, R. Gerbutavičius, E. Juozaitytė, R. Gerbutavičienė","doi":"10.5114/wo.2015.54083","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5114/wo.2015.54083","url":null,"abstract":"Thrombosis risk in essential thrombocythemia (ET) patients can be assessed using different prognostic systems. Conventional risk factors include age more than 60 years and history of previous thrombosis. In addition, other factors such as JAK2 V617F mutations, cardiovascular risk factors, leukocytosis more than 11 × 109/l, thrombophilic factors and platelet count more than 1500 × 109/l are used in different hematology centers as high-risk features for thrombosis. Our study compared different risk model groups for thrombosis in 185 WHO-defined ET patients at the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Klinikos. We found that patient distribution in low, intermediate- and high-risk groups varies using different risk stratification models. The biggest difference in risk assignment is evident in patients who are older than 60 years and have no other risk factors and in patients who are younger than 60 years but have other risk factors. This observation suggests that new prospective randomized clinical trials are needed to better stratify patients at risk for thrombosis.","PeriodicalId":10652,"journal":{"name":"Contemporary Oncology","volume":"92 1","pages":"396 - 399"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83100440","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
I. V. Bayoglu, I. Yıldız, U. Varol, S. Çokmert, A. Alacacıoğlu, Y. Kucukzeybek, M. Akyol, L. Demir, A. Dirican, O. Tarhan
Aim of the study Our aim was to determine the activity and toxicity of uracil/tegafur and leucovorin combination in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who have progressed with all currently active agents. Material and methods This study was a retrospective analysis of 50 mCRC patients who had previously failed to respond to all available chemotherapeutics and who received subsequent treatment with uracil/tegafur 250 mg/m2 d1–5 in combination with leucovorin 90 mg/day, d1–5 followed by two days’ rest. Results The median age of the patients was 60 years. Most of them (60%) were male. Bevacizumab was used in 65% and cetuximab in 55% of the patients. Thirty-nine patients (78%) were treated with uracil/tegafur in the fourth line setting. The median treatment duration was 4.2 months (range, 2–24 months). The objective response rate and the disease control rate were 4% and 34%, respectively. Median progression-free survival was 4.1 months (95% CI, 3.6–4.6 months) and overall survival was 6.6 months (95% CI, 4.5–8.6 months). Grade 3 or 4 toxicity was seen in 20% (n = 10) of the patients while 60% (n = 6) of them required dose reductions. Conclusions This retrospective data show that uracil/tegafur may be considered in heavily pretreated mCRC patients because of its activity, lower toxicity, and feasibility.
{"title":"Uracil/tegafur as a possible salvage therapy in chemo-refractory colorectal cancer patients: a single institutional retrospective study","authors":"I. V. Bayoglu, I. Yıldız, U. Varol, S. Çokmert, A. Alacacıoğlu, Y. Kucukzeybek, M. Akyol, L. Demir, A. Dirican, O. Tarhan","doi":"10.5114/wo.2015.53374","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5114/wo.2015.53374","url":null,"abstract":"Aim of the study Our aim was to determine the activity and toxicity of uracil/tegafur and leucovorin combination in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who have progressed with all currently active agents. Material and methods This study was a retrospective analysis of 50 mCRC patients who had previously failed to respond to all available chemotherapeutics and who received subsequent treatment with uracil/tegafur 250 mg/m2 d1–5 in combination with leucovorin 90 mg/day, d1–5 followed by two days’ rest. Results The median age of the patients was 60 years. Most of them (60%) were male. Bevacizumab was used in 65% and cetuximab in 55% of the patients. Thirty-nine patients (78%) were treated with uracil/tegafur in the fourth line setting. The median treatment duration was 4.2 months (range, 2–24 months). The objective response rate and the disease control rate were 4% and 34%, respectively. Median progression-free survival was 4.1 months (95% CI, 3.6–4.6 months) and overall survival was 6.6 months (95% CI, 4.5–8.6 months). Grade 3 or 4 toxicity was seen in 20% (n = 10) of the patients while 60% (n = 6) of them required dose reductions. Conclusions This retrospective data show that uracil/tegafur may be considered in heavily pretreated mCRC patients because of its activity, lower toxicity, and feasibility.","PeriodicalId":10652,"journal":{"name":"Contemporary Oncology","volume":"66 1","pages":"385 - 390"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87654503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Soo‐Nyung Kim, Won Moo Lee, Kyoung Sik Park, Jong Bin Kim, D. Han, J. Bae
Aim of the study Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of several types of cancer in vivo, but its effect on cervical cells has not been reported. We incubated cells of the human cervical cell lines Caski and HeLa with extracts of L. casei and investigated its effects on the growth of the cells and possible synergy with anticancer drugs. Material and methods Cell-free extracts of L. casei were prepared and purified. Cultures of Caski and HeLa cells adhering to tissue culture plates were treated with L. casei extract. The effects of L. casei extract on the growth of cancer cells and its possible synergy with anti-cancer drugs in cervical cancer cell lines were investigated. The cells were treated with L. casei extract alone, anti-cancer drugs alone [doxorubicin, paclitaxel, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and cisplatin], or L. casei extract plus anti-cancer drugs. Results L. casei extract had no significant effect on the growth rate of the two cell lines. Anti-cancer drugs alone induced growth inhibition, but there was no synergistic effect of L. casei extract on growth inhibition. Conclusions L. casei extract does not have a potent effect on the viability of cervical cancer cells in vitro. In addition, L. casei extract has no synergistic effect on the inhibition of growth of cancer cells in the presence of anti-cancer drugs.
研究目的:干酪乳杆菌(Lactobacillus casei, L. casei)在体内已被证明能抑制几种癌症的增殖,但其对宫颈细胞的作用尚未见报道。用干酪乳杆菌提取物培养人宫颈细胞系Caski和HeLa细胞,研究其对细胞生长的影响及其与抗癌药物的协同作用。材料与方法制备并纯化干酪乳杆菌无细胞提取物。Caski和HeLa细胞粘附于组织培养板上,用干酪乳杆菌提取物处理。研究了干酪乳杆菌提取物对宫颈癌细胞生长的影响及其与抗癌药物的协同作用。分别用干酪乳杆菌提取物、单用抗癌药物[阿霉素、紫杉醇、5-氟尿嘧啶、顺铂]或干酪乳杆菌提取物联合抗癌药物治疗。结果干酪乳杆菌提取物对两种细胞株的生长均无显著影响。单用抗癌药物可抑制肿瘤生长,而干酪乳杆菌提取物对肿瘤生长无协同抑制作用。结论干酪乳杆菌提取物对体外培养的宫颈癌细胞活力无明显影响。此外,在抗癌药物存在的情况下,干酪乳杆菌提取物对癌细胞生长的抑制没有协同作用。
{"title":"The effect of Lactobacillus casei extract on cervical cancer cell lines","authors":"Soo‐Nyung Kim, Won Moo Lee, Kyoung Sik Park, Jong Bin Kim, D. Han, J. Bae","doi":"10.5114/wo.2014.45292","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5114/wo.2014.45292","url":null,"abstract":"Aim of the study Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) has been shown to inhibit the proliferation of several types of cancer in vivo, but its effect on cervical cells has not been reported. We incubated cells of the human cervical cell lines Caski and HeLa with extracts of L. casei and investigated its effects on the growth of the cells and possible synergy with anticancer drugs. Material and methods Cell-free extracts of L. casei were prepared and purified. Cultures of Caski and HeLa cells adhering to tissue culture plates were treated with L. casei extract. The effects of L. casei extract on the growth of cancer cells and its possible synergy with anti-cancer drugs in cervical cancer cell lines were investigated. The cells were treated with L. casei extract alone, anti-cancer drugs alone [doxorubicin, paclitaxel, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and cisplatin], or L. casei extract plus anti-cancer drugs. Results L. casei extract had no significant effect on the growth rate of the two cell lines. Anti-cancer drugs alone induced growth inhibition, but there was no synergistic effect of L. casei extract on growth inhibition. Conclusions L. casei extract does not have a potent effect on the viability of cervical cancer cells in vitro. In addition, L. casei extract has no synergistic effect on the inhibition of growth of cancer cells in the presence of anti-cancer drugs.","PeriodicalId":10652,"journal":{"name":"Contemporary Oncology","volume":"87 1","pages":"306 - 312"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83446056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Erbag, K. Uygun, E. Binnetoğlu, A. Korkmaz, M. Aşık, H. Şen, F. Güneş, M. Eroğlu, F. Gökmen, S. Temiz
Aim of this study Aim of this study was to examine the effects of aromatase inhibitors (AIs), which are used in every phase of breast cancer treatment, on the bone mineral density (BMD) of patients with early-stage breast cancer. Material and methods Menopausal female patients who were diagnosed with stages 1–3 breast cancer and who were planned for anastrazole or letrozole as adjuvant therapy were examined. After the patients’ BMD was measured, 45 patients without osteoporosis were included in the study. Six months after AI therapy started, the patients’ BMD was measured again. Results In this study, we tried to show that there was a statistical difference in the BMD of 45 patients before and 6 months after treatment. Among all measurements (femur and lumbar T-scores), the femur Z-score (p = 0.52) was the only score that was not statistically significant. Statistical significance (p < 0.01) was detected in comparative analysis of the other measurements. According to this analysis, a significant loss of BMD was seen even in the first six months after AI treatment was introduced. Conclusions Female patients with breast cancer are at higher risk for bone loss and fractures than healthy women. In this study, we showed the negative effects on BMD of aromatase inhibitor therapy, one of the main contributions to osteoporosis in women with breast cancer. This study is the first to quantify the short-term effect of AI treatment on BMD in postmenopausal women with breast cancer.
{"title":"Aromatase inhibitor treatment for breast cancer: short-term effect on bone health","authors":"G. Erbag, K. Uygun, E. Binnetoğlu, A. Korkmaz, M. Aşık, H. Şen, F. Güneş, M. Eroğlu, F. Gökmen, S. Temiz","doi":"10.5114/wo.2014.45305","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5114/wo.2014.45305","url":null,"abstract":"Aim of this study Aim of this study was to examine the effects of aromatase inhibitors (AIs), which are used in every phase of breast cancer treatment, on the bone mineral density (BMD) of patients with early-stage breast cancer. Material and methods Menopausal female patients who were diagnosed with stages 1–3 breast cancer and who were planned for anastrazole or letrozole as adjuvant therapy were examined. After the patients’ BMD was measured, 45 patients without osteoporosis were included in the study. Six months after AI therapy started, the patients’ BMD was measured again. Results In this study, we tried to show that there was a statistical difference in the BMD of 45 patients before and 6 months after treatment. Among all measurements (femur and lumbar T-scores), the femur Z-score (p = 0.52) was the only score that was not statistically significant. Statistical significance (p < 0.01) was detected in comparative analysis of the other measurements. According to this analysis, a significant loss of BMD was seen even in the first six months after AI treatment was introduced. Conclusions Female patients with breast cancer are at higher risk for bone loss and fractures than healthy women. In this study, we showed the negative effects on BMD of aromatase inhibitor therapy, one of the main contributions to osteoporosis in women with breast cancer. This study is the first to quantify the short-term effect of AI treatment on BMD in postmenopausal women with breast cancer.","PeriodicalId":10652,"journal":{"name":"Contemporary Oncology","volume":"116 1","pages":"374 - 377"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75896642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. Aşık, E. Binnetoğlu, H. Şen, F. Gunes, A. Muratlı, D. Kankaya, F. Uysal, M. Şahin, K. Ukinç
Aim of the study Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the thyroid gland is extremely rare. Infrequently, primary SCC of the thyroid gland is accompanied by other thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Recently, studies have demonstrated that differentiated thyroid cancer with coexisting HT has a better prognosis. However, the prognosis of patients with primary SCC of the thyroid gland and coexistent HT has not been clearly identified. We compared the clinical characteristics and disease stages of patients with primary SCC with and without lymphocytic thyroiditis (LT). Material and methods We reviewed reports of primary SCC of the thyroid gland published in the English literature. Results and conclusions We identified 46 papers that included 17 cases of primary SCC of the thyroid gland with LT and 77 cases of primary SCC of the thyroid gland without LT. Lymph node metastasis and local invasion rates did not differ between these two groups. Distant metastases were absent in patients with LT, and were observed in 13 (16.9%) patients without LT. A greater proportion of patients without LT had advanced stage disease (stage IV A-B-C) than patients with LT (p < 0.05). Patients with primary SCC of the thyroid gland and coexisting LT had lower tumour-node-metastasis stage and frequency of distant metastasis than those without LT. Lymphocytic infiltration in patients with SCC appears to limit tumour growth and distant metastases.
研究目的原发性甲状腺鳞状细胞癌(SCC)极为罕见。原发性甲状腺鳞状细胞癌罕见地伴有其他甲状腺疾病,如桥本甲状腺炎(HT)。近年来研究表明分化型甲状腺癌合并HT预后较好。然而,原发性甲状腺鳞状细胞癌合并HT患者的预后尚未明确。我们比较了原发性鳞状细胞癌伴和不伴淋巴细胞性甲状腺炎(LT)患者的临床特征和疾病分期。材料和方法我们回顾了英文文献中关于原发性甲状腺鳞状细胞癌的报道。结果和结论我们纳入了46篇论文,其中包括17例原发性甲状腺鳞状细胞癌合并LT和77例原发性甲状腺鳞状细胞癌不合并LT。两组之间淋巴结转移和局部侵袭率没有差异。在LT患者中没有远处转移,在13例(16.9%)无LT患者中观察到远处转移。无LT患者的晚期疾病(IV期A- b - c)比例高于LT患者(p < 0.05)。原发性甲状腺鳞状细胞癌合并淋巴细胞转移的患者比无淋巴细胞癌的患者有更低的肿瘤淋巴结转移分期和远处转移的频率。淋巴细胞浸润似乎限制了鳞状细胞癌的肿瘤生长和远处转移。
{"title":"Less aggressive disease in patients with primary squamous cell carcinomas of the thyroid gland and coexisting lymphocytic thyroiditis","authors":"M. Aşık, E. Binnetoğlu, H. Şen, F. Gunes, A. Muratlı, D. Kankaya, F. Uysal, M. Şahin, K. Ukinç","doi":"10.5114/wo.2015.53372","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5114/wo.2015.53372","url":null,"abstract":"Aim of the study Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the thyroid gland is extremely rare. Infrequently, primary SCC of the thyroid gland is accompanied by other thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Recently, studies have demonstrated that differentiated thyroid cancer with coexisting HT has a better prognosis. However, the prognosis of patients with primary SCC of the thyroid gland and coexistent HT has not been clearly identified. We compared the clinical characteristics and disease stages of patients with primary SCC with and without lymphocytic thyroiditis (LT). Material and methods We reviewed reports of primary SCC of the thyroid gland published in the English literature. Results and conclusions We identified 46 papers that included 17 cases of primary SCC of the thyroid gland with LT and 77 cases of primary SCC of the thyroid gland without LT. Lymph node metastasis and local invasion rates did not differ between these two groups. Distant metastases were absent in patients with LT, and were observed in 13 (16.9%) patients without LT. A greater proportion of patients without LT had advanced stage disease (stage IV A-B-C) than patients with LT (p < 0.05). Patients with primary SCC of the thyroid gland and coexisting LT had lower tumour-node-metastasis stage and frequency of distant metastasis than those without LT. Lymphocytic infiltration in patients with SCC appears to limit tumour growth and distant metastases.","PeriodicalId":10652,"journal":{"name":"Contemporary Oncology","volume":"34 19","pages":"458 - 461"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2015-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91439021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}