Patients with platinum-refractory head and neck cancer had significantly longer survival with nivolumab treatment than with standard, single-agent therapy. Response rates were also higher and quality ...of life maintained longer with nivolumab.
Squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck is a major cause of cancer-associated illness and death, with more than 600,000 cases diagnosed annually worldwide.
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Most patients present with locoregionally advanced disease, and more than 50% have recurrence within 3 years.
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–
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Patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck who have cancer progression within 6 months after platinum-based chemotherapy administered in the context of primary or recurrent disease have a median survival of 6 months or less.
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No therapeutic options prolong survival among these patients.
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,
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The recurrence and metastasis of squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck are . . .
Background:
Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a common adverse reaction associated with capecitabine chemotherapy that significantly affects the quality of life of patients. This study evaluates the safety ...and effectiveness of a topical heparin (TH) treatment on the clinical manifestations and anatomopathological alterations of capecitabine-induced HFS. In addition, we performed proteome profiling of skin biopsies obtained from patients with HFS at baseline and after heparin treatment.
Methods:
Patients with grade ⩽ 2 HFS associated with capecitabine were included in this study. The primary end point was the effectiveness of TH in reducing HFS of any grade. Clinical improvement was evaluated by clinicians, and an improvement was perceived by patients who performed a weekly visual analog scale questionnaire. Secondary end points included a comparative histological analysis and protein expression in skin biopsies at baseline and after 3 weeks of HT treatment. Proteomic profiling was carried out using quantitative isobaric labelling and subsequently validated by a T-array.
Results:
Twenty-one patients were included in the study. The median TH treatment time was 7.6 weeks (range = 3.6–41.6 weeks), and the median response time was 3.01 weeks (95% CI = 2.15–3.97). At the end of treatment, 19 of 21 patients (90.48%) responded to treatment with a decrease in one or more grades of HFS. None of the patients experienced adverse effects related to TH usage, nor did they suspend chemotherapy treatment. The main findings observed in skin biopsies after treatment were a decrease in hyperkeratosis and lymphocytic infiltrates. The proteomic analysis showed altered expression of 34 proteins that were mainly related to wound healing, cell growth, and the immune response.
Conclusion:
Based on our results, topical heparin is an effective and safe treatment for clinical manifestations of HFS, probably due to the restauration of skin homeostasis after heparin treatment, as supported by our proteomics-derived data.
Trial registration:
EudraCT 2009-018171-13
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