0000000000174727
AUTHOR
Chiara Spoto
Cetuximab in small bowel adenocarcinoma: a new friend?
Sir, Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare and aggressive tumour. SBA in the United States increased from 5.7 cases per million in 1973 to 7.3 cases per million in 2004 (Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER), 1973–2004 database; Jemal et al (2009). Surgery is the mainstay of treatment, even if chemotherapy in advanced disease has been associated with an increased survival. The most effective agents include 5-FU, irinotecan, platinum agents and gemcitabine (Fishman et al, 2006; Speranza et al, 2010). The molecular characterisation of this cancer could help to improve prognosis. Specifically, the frequency of KRAS gene mutations is similar than in colorectal cancer (Ari et al,…
Prognostic role of human equilibrative transporter 1 (hENT1) in patients with resected gastric cancer.
Nucleoside transporter proteins are specialized proteins that mediate the transport of nucleosides and nucleoside analog drugs across the plasma membrane. The human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1) is a member of these proteins and mediates cellular entry of gemcitabine, cytarabine, and fludarabine. The hENT1 expression has been demonstrated to be related with prognosis and activity of gemcitabine-based therapy in breast, ampullary, lung, and pancreatic cancer. We investigated the immunohistochemical expression of hENT in tumor samples from 111 patients with resected gastric adenocarcinoma, correlating these data with clinical parameters and disease outcomes. None of the patie…
Bevacizumab in association with de Gramont 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid in patients with oxaliplatin-, irinotecan-, and cetuximab-refractory colorectal cancer: a single-center phase 2 trial.
BACKGROUND: The aim of the current study was the investigation of the value of bevacizumab + 5-fluorouracil(5–FU)/folinic acid in patients with advanced colorectal cancers who have exhausted standard chemotherapy options. METHODS: The authors included 48 heavily pretreated patients (colon:rectum, 33:15; men:women, 23:25; median age, 63 years; range, 27-79 years) whose disease had progressed during or within an oxaliplatin-based first-line chemotherapy, an irinotecan-based second-line regimen, and a third-line treatment with cetuximab plus weekly irinotecan. Bevacizumab was given at a dose of 5 mg/kg. 5-FU/folinic acid was administered according to the de Gramont schedule. RESULTS: The respo…
Prognostic Relevance of Objective Response According to EASL Criteria and mRECIST Criteria in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Treated with Loco-Regional Therapies: A Literature-Based Meta-Analysis.
Background The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria and the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) are currently adopted to evaluate radiological response in patients affected by HCC and treated with loco-regional procedures. Several studies explored the validity of these measurements in predicting survival but definitive data are still lacking. Aim To conduct a systematic review of studies exploring mRECIST and EASL criteria usefulness in predictive radiological response in HCC undergoing loco-regional therapies and their validity in predicting survival. Methods A comprehensive search of the literature was performed in electronic database…