0000000000787543
AUTHOR
Marco Danova
Weekly administration of gemcitabine plus docetaxel in patients with advanced breast cancer: a phase 1 study.
<i>Objective:</i> This study was designed to determine the maximum tolerable dose (MTD) of gemcitabine plus docetaxel, both given on a weekly schedule, in patients with pretreated metastatic breast cancer (MBC). <i>Methods:</i> Heavily pretreated patients with MBC, aged 18–75 years with World Health Organization performance status of 0–2 were enrolled. Three escalating weekly doses of docetaxel (30, 35 and 40 mg/m<sup>2</sup>) followed by a weekly fixed dose of gemcitabine, 800 mg/m<sup>2</sup>, were administered on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) included grade >3 hematologic toxicity and grade >2 stomat…
Diabetes and cancer: A critical appraisal of the pathogenetic and therapeutic links.
Diabetes and cancer represent two common, multifactorial, chronic and potentially fatal diseases, not infrequently co-diagnosed in the same patient. Epidemiological data demonstrate significant increases of the cancer incidence in patients with obesity and diabetes, which is more evident for certain site-specific cancers. Although there is increasing evidence that strongly indicates an augmented risk of cancer in diabetic patients, several confounding factors complicate the ability to precisely assess the risk. Mainly in insulin-resistant states (such as in type 2 diabetes mellitus and in metabolic syndrome), direct associations between obesity-related hyperinsulinemia and increasing circul…
Cisplatin and gemcitabine with either vinorelbine or paclitaxel in the treatment of carcinomas of unknown primary site : results of an Italian multicenter, randomized, phase II study.
BACKGROUND. To date, the standard treatment for patients who have carcinoma of unknown primary site has not been established. METHODS. In this randomized Phase II study, 66 previously untreated patients (33 patients per arm) with carcinomas of unknown primary site received cisplatin (35 mg/m2) and gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2) with either paclitaxel (70 mg/m2) or vinorelbine (25 mg/m2), and all drugs were administered intravenously on Days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle. Twenty-nine patients (44%) presented with ≥2 involved sites. The pathologic diagnosis was mainly adenocarcinoma (48 patients; 72.7%) and squamous carcinoma (7 patients; 10.6%). RESULTS. In the first arm, 16 patients (48.5%) experienc…
“Weekly docetaxel and gemcitabine as first line treatment for metastatic breast cancer: results of a multicenter phase II study”
<i>Objectives:</i> We conducted a multicenter phase II study to evaluate the clinical efficacy, toxicity, and dose intensity of a new weekly schedule of docetaxel and gemcitabine as first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer patients. <i>Methods:</i> We enrolled 58 patients, 52% of whom had received a previous anthracycline-containing chemotherapy. The treatment schedule was: docetaxel 35 mg/m<sup>2</sup> and gemcitabine 800 mg/m<sup>2</sup> i.v. on days 1, 8, 15 every 28 days. <i>Results:</i> All patients were assessable for toxicity and 56 for efficacy. Overall response rate was 64.3% with 16.1% of complete responses and 48…