Abstract Both capecitabine and bevacizumab are established agents in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, but until recently clinical data supporting their use in combination were limited. We ...review available data on the capecitabine–bevacizumab combination in breast cancer, particularly results from the RIBBON-1 trial in the first-line setting, and we discuss these findings in light of previous studies. We also examine ongoing trials investigating capecitabine–bevacizumab combination therapy.
Our objective was to evaluate gefitinib (IRESSA), an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, versus docetaxel as second-line monotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer ...(NSCLC). SIGN (Second-line Indication of Gefitinib in NSCLC; code 1839IL/0503) was a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, open-label, phase II trial that investigated oral gefitinib (250 mg/day) or i.v. docetaxel (75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks) in patients with advanced NSCLC who had previously received one chemotherapy regimen. The primary objective was assessment of symptom improvement (using the FACT-L Lung Cancer Subscale). Secondary objectives included quality of life (FACT-L total score), response rate (using RECIST), overall survival and safety. This trial recruited 141 patients (68 to gefitinib and 73 to docetaxel) who received treatment for a median duration of 3.0 (gefitinib) and 2.8 (docetaxel) months. Similar efficacy was observed with gefitinib and docetaxel, 36.8 and 26.0% symptom improvement rates, 33.8 and 26.0% quality-of-life improvement rates, 13.2 and 13.7% objective response rates, and 7.5 and 7.1 months median overall survival, respectively. Fewer drug-related adverse events were observed with gefitinib compared with docetaxel (all grades: 51.5 versus 78.9%; Common Toxicity Criteria grade 3/4: 8.8 versus 25.4%). There were no withdrawals or deaths due to drug-related adverse events with gefitinib, while three patients withdrew and three died due to adverse events in the docetaxel group that were possibly drug related. We conclude efficacy with gefitinib was similar to docetaxel, but with a more favorable tolerability profile, in the second-line treatment of advanced NSCLC. These results support further investigation of gefitinib in this disease setting.
Background. Although today it is almost preventable, cervical cancer still represents a significant cancer burden, especially in some developing parts of the world. Since the introduction of ...bevacizumab in the first-line treatment of metastatic disease, improvements of the outcomes were noted. However, results from randomized controlled trials are often hard to recreate in the real-world setting. Objective. To assess the real-world efficacy and safety of bevacizumab as a first-line treatment of advanced cervical cancer. Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on the total population of Croatian patients diagnosed with metastatic cervical cancer from 2016 to 2019 who were treated with bevacizumab in combination with cisplatin and paclitaxel (TCB) in the first line. The comparison group was the consecutive sample of patients treated with chemotherapy alone. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate, incidence of adverse events, and the proportion of treatment discontinuation. Results. We enrolled 67 patients treated with TCB and a control group of 62 patients treated with chemotherapy alone. The TCB cohort had significantly longer unadjusted OS with a median of 27.0 (95% CI 18.5; not calculable) months, compared to 15.5 (10.7; 30.1) months in the chemotherapy-alone cohort. Adjusted OS was not significantly different. PFS was significantly longer for the TCB cohort, with a median of 10.6 (95% CI 8.5; 15.4) months, than for the chemotherapy-alone cohort, with a median of 5.4 (95% CI 3.9; 9.1) months, even after adjustment for baseline covariates (HRadjusted = 0.60; 95% CI 0.39; 0.94; p=0.027; false discovery rate <5%). Conclusions. In a real-world setting, TCB as a first-line treatment of metastatic cervical cancer was associated with longer PFS, better objective disease control rate, and acceptable toxicity profile in comparison to chemotherapy alone. These results may indicate its utility and potential applicability in other parts of the developing world.
The objective of our study was to assess the real-world safety and efficacy of nivolumab in the second- or later-line treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). We conducted a multicenter, ...retrospective, observational study of real-world data from patients who were treated with nivolumab under a patient expanded access program from 2015 to 2017 in Croatia, Hungary, and Malta. The primary safety endpoint was the discontinuation of therapy because of adverse events. The primary efficacy endpoint was overall survival (OS). We collected data from 87 patients with a median (interquartile range (IQR)) age of 63 (57-68) years, and 21% were females. The median (IQR) follow-up was 11 (5-31) months. Treatment was discontinued because of toxicity in 4 (5%) patients. Four (5%) patients experienced treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or 4. The OS was 18.0 (95% CI: 11.0 to 28.6) months, and the PFS was 8.5 (95% CI: 4.9 to 12.1) months. Our study indicated a good safety and efficacy profile of nivolumab in the second- or later-line treatment of mRCC patients in a real-world clinical practice environment, which is comparable with the findings of the registrational trial.
The European Code of Cancer Practice Lawler, Mark; Oliver, Kathy; Gijssels, Stefan ...
Journal of cancer policy,
06/2021, Volume:
28
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Display omitted
•The Code is a citizen and patient-centred accessible statement of the core requirements for good clinical cancer practice.•The Code has 10 key overarching Rights of what a patient ...should expect from their healthcare system, supported by a plain language explanation.•The Code has been co-produced to bridge the gap between clinical guidelines, healthcare policies and patients’ everyday experience.•The Code is robustly evidence-based and supported by a comprehensive review of the medical literature and evidence.•The Code is strongly endorsed by Europe’s professional and patient cancer organisations and the European Commission.
There are considerable disparities between the quality of cancer care and clinical outcomes for cancer patients in different European countries, regions, hospitals and communities. These have persisted despite the introduction of many European and National Cancer Plans, an extensive portfolio of clinical guidelines and the existence of evidence based guidelines for the good practice in planning cancer healthcare systems. We describe the European Code of Cancer Practice which is a citizen and patient-centred accessible widely disseminated statement of the core requirements for good clinical cancer practice. The Code sets out 10 key overarching Rights of what a patient should expect from their healthcare system each supported by a plain language explanation. The Rights highlight the importance of equal access to affordable and optimal cancer care, good quality information about an individual patient’s disease and treatment and about the quality and outcomes of the cancer service they will use. Specialised multidisciplinary cancer care teams, shared decision-making, research and innovation, a focus on quality of life, the integration of supportive and palliative care within oncology are all emphasised. There is a need for a systematic approach to supporting cancer survivors with a survivorship care plan including their rehabilitation, reintegration into society and return to work where appropriate without discrimination.
The Code has been co-produced by a team of cancer patients, patient advocates and cancer professionals to bridge the gap between clinical guidelines, healthcare policies and patients’ everyday experience. It is robustly evidence-based and supported by a comprehensive review of the medical literature and evidence for good clinical practice. The Code is strongly endorsed by Europe’s professional and patient cancer organisations and the European Commission.
Introduction
Patients treated with radiotherapy are under increased long-term risk of developing radiation-induced tumors. In this report we present an exceptionally rare case of a patient who, ...following radiotherapy for cervical cancer, developed 3 radiation-induced metachronous pelvic tumors.
Case presentation
In 1997, a 37-year-old patient with cervical adenocarcinoma (FIGO stage IB2) was subjected to adjuvant conventionally fractionated external-beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy following surgical treatment. Eleven, 14 and 15 years later, 3 radiation-induced malignant tumors developed: a leiomyosarcoma of the gluteus and 2 separate carcinomas of the rectum.
Discussion and conclusion
Radiotherapy for cervical carcinoma increases the standardized incidence ratios for rectal cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. Unfortunately, the current guidelines on contraindications to radiotherapy appear insufficient as they take into account a very limited number of clinical states and associated conditions, which is in disproportion to the rather high risk of radiation-induced malignancies of 0.45%. Information on the molecular characteristics of human radiation-induced tumors is still of no relevance for everyday clinical practice. Although radiotherapy is one of the most important modalities of oncological treatment, it should be judiciously used in cases where the benefits clearly outweigh the risk of serious untoward effects. In the case of patients undergoing pelvic irradiation, careful follow-up is needed for years.
The relative survival of elderly patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is generally worse than that of younger patients because of more advanced stage at presentation, comorbidity and ...reduced use of optimal therapy. We conducted a prospective phase II trial of the combination of bevacizumab and capecitabine in elderly patients with mCRC. In total 41 patients aged more than or equal to 70 years with mCRC, who had not received chemotherapy earlier for metastatic disease, were enroled. Patients received capecitabine (1000 mg/m twice daily on days 1-14) and bevacizumab (7.5 mg/kg of body weight on day 1). The treatment cycles were repeated every 3 weeks. The overall response rate was 65%, including 13% of patients with a complete response and 53% of patients with a partial response. A further 13% of patients maintained stable disease. The median progression-free survival was 11.5 months and the median overall survival was 21.2 months. Despite the advanced age of participants, the rate of bevacizumab-related and capecitabine-related adverse events was consistent with that reported earlier in the general mCRC population. The combination of bevacizumab and capecitabine is effective and has a favourable tolerability profile and should be considered as an option for the initial treatment of mCRC in elderly patients.
Rak tijela maternice, prema zadnjim podatcima Registra za rak iz 2017. godine u Republici Hrvatskoj, nalazi se na četvrtom mjestu po učestalosti, a na osmom mjestu po smrtnosti. Najčešće se ...dijagnosticira u postmenopauzalnih žena, većinom u dobi od 50. do 79. godine života. Dijagnoza karcinoma endometrija utvrđuje se patohistološkom analizom kiretmana ili bioptata sluznice maternice, a stupanj proširenosti bolesti primjenom slikovnih metoda. U većine bolesnica bolest se otkriva u lokaliziranom stadiju te se uspješno liječi operativno, a ovisno o patohistološkom nalazu i primjenom odgovarajuće adjuvantne terapije. Lokalno uznapredovala bolest najčešće se liječi operativno uz adjuvantnu terapiju, a metastatska primjenom kemoterapije ili hormonske terapije. Mezenhimalni tumori tijela maternice liječe se operativno uz dodatak sistemske terapije adjuvantno ili samo sistemskom terapijom u slučaju diseminirane bolesti. Ove kliničke upute pisane su u cilju postizanja najviših standarda i ujednačenja postupaka u dijagnosticiranju, liječenju i praćenju bolesnica sa zloćudnim tumorima tijela maternice u Republici Hrvatskoj.
Biosimilars in the Treatment of Breast Cancer Balic, Marija; Bartsch, Rupert; Bauernhofer, Thomas ...
Breast care (Basel, Switzerland),
07/2017, Volume:
12, Issue:
3
Journal Article
Rak vrata maternice, u odnosu na novotvorine drugih ginekoloških sijela, bolest je žena mlađe životne dobi koja se može prevenirati zdravstvenim odgojem i cijepljenjem adolescentske populacije te ...preventivnim i redovitim ginekološkim pregledima, a u ranim stadijima bolesti i učinkovito liječiti. Metode liječenja uključuju kirurgiju, radioterapiju i sistemnu terapiju, ovisno o stadiju bolesti i općem stanju bolesnica. Odluku o liječenju donosi multidisciplinarni tim u koji trebaju biti uključeni ginekolozi, radiolozi, klinički onkolozi, patolozi, citolozi i po potrebi kirurzi i urolozi. Uspjeh liječenja uvelike ovisi o njihovoj međusobnoj suradnji i kvalitetnoj komunikaciji u razmjeni iskustava i nalaza. S obzirom na važnost ove bolesti i posljedice koje ostavlja na obitelj i društvo potrebno je definirati i provoditi standardizirani pristup u dijagnostici, liječenju i praćenju ovih bolesnica. U tekstu koji slijedi iznesene su obnovljene i nadopunjene kliničke smjernice s ciljem implementacije standardiziranih postupaka u radu s bolesnicama s rakom vrata maternice u Republici Hrvatskoj.
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