Le aree di transizione siciliane: stato dell’arte e sviluppi futuri

ASPRACOAST: A model of integrated coastal zone management of the eastern part of the Gulf of Palermo (Sicily, Italy)

Metronomic (M), capecitabine (C), and oxaliplatin (O) plus bevacizumab (B) as treatment of advanced colorectal cancer (ACRC) in very elderly people (M-COB): Efficacy and safety (E&S) evaluation—A 2-year monitoring

Background: A limit to delivery of cytotoxic chemotherapy in elderly people with cancer, is severe toxicity as principal side effect of treatment. We designed in 2009 a treatment schedule to evaluate E&S of combination of three drugs O, C plus B in ACRC very old patients in a metronomic mode (M-COB) Methods: 75 (37 f -38 m) very elderly patients with advanced colorectal cancer (median age:76; range: 70-82) were enrolled. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) was performed to all pts to assess eligibility for chemotherapy. Treatment schedule was: O (65 mg/m2) + B (7.5 mg/Kg) on day 1 (O doses was adjusted by Kintzel-Dorr formula). C (fixed dose of 1,000 mg bid) was delivered from day 2 to…

Combined treatment with fulvestrant plus capecitabine in elderly advanced breast cancer (EABC): Three-year evaluation of efficacy and safety

Background: EABC affects about 45% of all advanced breast cancers and actually treatments are always more toxic than effectiveness. Fulvestrant (F), the first of a new class of pure estrogen receptor antagonists, competitively binds to estrogen receptors on tumors and inhibit tumor growth. Capecitabine (C) is converted to 5-FU by thymidine phosphorylase and shows good efficacy and low toxicity as single agent in EABC. Since elderly cancer pts are extremely susceptible in development of rapid toxicity during treatment with cytotoxic drugs, we design this chemo-hormone combined schedule to evaluate if F + C could increase efficacy profile in EABC women. Methods: 41 EABC pts (mean age 72; rang…

Capecitabine (XEL) and oxaliplatin (OX) in combination with bevacizumab (BEV) in the management of elderly patients with advanced colorectal cancer (ACRC): Preliminary outcomes on safety and efficacy.

Background: Older individuals always experience enhanced susceptibility to the side effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy. The aim of the study was to evaluate impact of BEV in combination with OX and XEL in ACRC elderly patients. Methods: 56 (29 male, 27 female) elderly patients with ACRC (median age: 71; range: 66-80) were enrolled. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) was performed to assess eligibility for chemotherapy. The dose of IRI and XEL was adjusted according to Kintzel-Dorr formula. Primary endpoint: clinical response rates (RR) according to WHO criteria. Secondary endpoints: toxicity profile using NCI-CTC v2.0 and quality of life (QoL) score measured through EORTC QLQ-C30 quest…