• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.4465-4468
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• 2015

Background: As the third generation of platinum-based antineoplastic agent aginst gastrointestinal cancer, oxaliplatin is considered to be associated with severe sensory neurotoxicity. Acorrding to previous studies, vitaminE, intravenous Ca/Mg and glutamine may partly reduce the incidence and severity of oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of analgecine for preventing oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity in the patients with gastrointestinal tumors. Method: In this study, patients undergoing oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy were assigned to analgecine (experimental) group or control group. Analgecine 6ml was administered once a day for seven days from the day of oxaliplatin treatment. The National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI CTCAE; version 3) was used to evaluate oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity. The incidence rates and grade of neurotoxicity of patients were assessed before and during (after four and eight cycles) treatment. Results: Totally, 82 patients were enrolled in this study, 42 in experimental group and 40 in control group. The occurrence of each grade neurotoxicity in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in control group. The overall occurrence rate was 31% vs 55% (P=0.043) after 4 cycles and 52% vs 75% (P=0.050) after 8 cycles. Conclusion: Analgecine appears could be effective in reducing oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity and be applicated for patients with gastrointestinal tumors who would be treated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.22
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• pp.9687-9692
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• 2014

Background: Biliary tract cancers are rare, and surgical resection is the standard treatment at early stages. However, reports on the benefits of adjuvant treatment following surgical resection are conflicting. This study aimed to evaluate the factors affecting survival and adjuvant treatments in patients with surgically treated biliary tract cancers. Materials and Methods: Patient clinical features, adjuvant treatments, and efficacy and prognostic factor data were evaluated. Survival analyses were performed using SPSS 15.0. Results: The median overall survival was 30.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 18.4-42.9 months). Median survival was 19 months (95% CI, 6-33) for patients treated with fluorouracil based chemotherapy and 53 months (95% CI, 33.2-78.8) with gemcitabine based chemotherapy(p=0.033). On univariate analysis, poor prognostic factors for survival were galbladder localization, perineural invasion, hepatic invasion, a lack of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy treatment, and a lack of lymph node dissection. On multivariate analysis, perineural invasion was a poor prognostic factor (p=0.008). Conclusions: Biliary tract cancers generally have poor prognoses. The main factors affecting survival are tumour localization, perineural invasion, hepatic invasion, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, and lymph node dissection. Gemcitabine-based adjuvant chemotherapy is more effective than 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.321-326
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• 2015

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the prognostic role of metabolic response to chemotherapy, determined by FDG-PET, in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with metastatic NSCLC were analyzed for prognostic factors related to overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). Disease evaluation was conducted with FDG-PET/CT and contrast-enhanced CT prior to and at the end of first-line chemotherapy. Response evaluation of 19 of 30 patients was also performed after 2-3 cycles of chemotherapy. Morphological and metabolic responses were assessed according to RECIST and PERCIST, respectively. Results: The median OS and PFS were 11 months and 6.2 months, respectively. At the end of first-line chemotherapy, 10 patients achieved metabolic and anatomic responses. Of the 19 patients who had an interim response analysis after 2-3 cycles of chemotherapy, 3 achieved an anatomic response, while 9 achieved a metabolic response. In univariate analyses, favorable prognostic factors for OS were number of cycles of first-line chemotherapy, and achieving a response to chemotherapy at completion of therapy according to the PERCIST and RECIST. The OS of patients with a metabolic response after 2-3 cycles of chemotherapy was also significantly extended. Anatomic response at interim analysis did not predict OS, probably due to few patients with anatomic response. In multivariate analyses, metabolic response after completion of therapy was an independent prognostic factor for OS. Conclusions: Metabolic response is at least as effective as anatomic response in predicting survival. Metabolic response may be an earlier predictive factor for treatment response and OS in NSCLC patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.4567-4570
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• 2014

Background: This systemic analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed based chemotherapy in treating patients with metastatic breast cancer as first or second line chemotherapy. Methods: Clinical studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed based regimens on response and safety for patients with breast cancer were identified using a predefined search strategy. Pooled response rate (RR) of treatment were calculated. Results: In first line pemetrexed based regimens, 10 clinical studies which including 513 patients with advanced breast cancer were considered eligible for inclusion. For second line pemetrexed based chemotherapy, 5 clinical studies which including 281 patients with advanced breast cancer were considered eligible. Systemic analysis suggested that, in all patients, pooled RR was 32.6% (167/513) in pemetrexed based first line regimens, and 13.9 % (39/281) in pemetrexed based second line regimens. Major adverse effects were neutropenia, leukopenia, fatigue, and anemia in pemetrexed based first line treatment; and lymphopenia, neutropenia, leukopenia, as well as anemia in second line chemotherapy. One treatment related death occurred with pemetrexed based second line treatment. Conclusion: This systemic analysis suggests that pemetrexed based first line regimens are associated with a reasonable response rate and acceptable toxicity, however with low response rate for treating patients with metastatic breast cancer when is used in the second line.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.101-104
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• 2016

Background: With advances in diagnostics and treatment approaches, patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) in developed countries can nowadays expect to have excellent outcomes. However, information about the characteristics and outcomes in the developing world is very scarce, and this is important given the fact that there are several reports about differences of disease characteristics depending on geographic location and the development level of the country. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study we assessed the features of 36 adult (${\geq}18$ years old) patients with HL and their diagnosis and treatment and outcomes in the Clinic of Chemotherapy of Muratsan University Hospital of Yerevan State Medical University, Armenia, between 2008-2014. Results: All patients had classic HL and among them 19 (53%) had nodular sclerosis subtype, 8 (22%) mixed cellularity and 9 (25%) lymphocyte-rich. 16 (44.5%) patients were at stage II, 13 (36%) stage III and 7 (19.5%) stage IV. Median follow-up time was 24.5 months (range 1-71 months) and during the whole follow-up period only two relapses (early) were documented and there were no deaths. Twenty-three (64%) patients received a BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone) regimen, and 13 (36%) ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine) regimen. A total of 25 (69.5%) patients received radiation in addition to chemotherapy. Conclusions: Although the number of patients involved in the study is small and the median follow-up time was just two years, this retrospective study shows that treatment of HL can be successfully organized in a resource-limited setting.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.536-541
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• 1996

Between June 1988 and June 1994, twenty five patients with locAlly advanced esophageal carcinoma received preoperative chemotherapy (Cisplatln, 5-Fluorouracil with or without Etoposide) and followed by resection. All patients had clinical evidence of airway involvement or distant Iymphnode involve- ment (M 1 Iymphnode) on bronchoscopy or computed tomographic scans. The major response rate to chemotherapy decided by the postoperative stage was 48% (12125). The resection rate was 92% (23/25) with overall complete resection rate of 72% (18125). Two patients had exploratory laparotomy (thorn- cotomy) only. Thirteen patients had esophagogastrostomy with a combined abdominl and Rt. thoracic approach (Ivor Lewis operation), slx pAtients had transhiatal esophagectomy, four patients had esophagogastrostomy with a combined Rt. thoracotonly & abdominal, cervical approach. There were three postoperative deaths (12%). Follow-up duration was between 3.3 months to 65 months. Median survival ime of resected patients except hospital death was 14.8 months. Actuarial survival at 12, 24 months was 72.9%, 26.2%. Signifi- cant better survival was associated with responder group (postoperative stage less than lIB) (P=0.029). These results demonstrate that 1) Preoperative Cisplatin based combined chemotherapy Produce high response rate, 2) High complete resection rate with acceptable mortality rate occur after preoperative chemotherapy, 3) Better surviL dl can be anticipated if complete resection performed after major re- sponse to preoperative chemotherapy.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.85-89
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to report two patients with neutropenia caused by chemotherapy who prescribed Samul-tanggagambang. Samul-tanggagambang was prescribed three times a day to two patients with chemotherapy induced neutropenia. Complete blood cell count is measured before and after prescription. Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) was gradually increased after administration of Samul-tanggagambang to the cancer patients. Significantly, no related adverse events were found. Samul-tanggagambang has shown benefit in improving chemotherapy induced neutropenia. It is expected to be a promising treatment for improving chemotherapy induced neutropenia and more clinical research will be required for evidence based using.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8475-8478
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• 2014

Purpose: This systematic analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed-based chemoradiotherapy in treating patients with locally advanced or metastatic esophageal cancer. Methods: Clinical studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed based regimens on response and safety for relevant patients were identified using a predefined search strategy. Pooled response rates (RRs) were calculated. Results: For pemetrexed-based regimens, 4 clinical studies including 47 patients with locally advanced or metastatic esophageal cancer were considered eligible for inclusion. Systematic analysis showed that, in all patients, the pooled RR was 51% (24/47). Major adverse effects of grade III/IV were esophagitis, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia anorexia, fatigue, diarrhea, dysphagia and vomiting. No treatment related death occurred with pemetrexed-based treatment. Conclusion: This systematic analysis suggests that pemetrexed based radiotherapy is associated with reasonable activity and good tolerability in treating patients with locally advanced or metastatic esophageal cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.4797-4800
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• 2015

Background: This analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of crizotinib based regimens in treating Chinese patients with EML4-ALK positive non-small-cell lung cancer. Materials and Methods: Clinical studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of crizotinib based regimens on response and safety for Chinese patients with EML4-ALK positive non-small-cell lung cancer were identified by using a predefined search strategy. Pooled response rate (RR) of treatment were calculated. Results: In crizotinib based regimens, 3 clinical studies which including 128 Chinese patients with EML4-ALK positive non-small-cell lung cancer and treated with crizotinib based regimen were considered eligible for inclusion. Pooled analysis suggested that, in all patients, the pooled RR was 59.3% (76/128) in crizotinib based regimens. ALT/AST mild visual disturbances, nausea, and vomiting were the main side effects. No treatment related death occurred in these crizotinib based treatments. Conclusions: This pooled analysis suggests that crizotinib based regimens are associated with good response rate and accepted toxicities in treating Chinese patients with EML4-ALK positive non-small-cell lung cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.4591-4597
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• 2016

Purpose: Decisions as to whether to provide adjuvant treatment in older breast cancer patients remains challenging. Side effects of chemotherapy have to be weighed against life expectancy, comorbidities, functional status, and frailty. To aid decision-making, we retrospectively analyzed 110 women with breast cancer treated with a curative intention from 2006 to 2012. Survival data with clinical and pathological parameters were evaluated to address the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in this study population. Method: A total of 110 elderly (>70 years) patients that received mastectomy at two hospitals in Taiwan were observed retrospectively for a medium of 51 months. After mastectomy, patients received conservative treatment or adjuvant chemotherapy, or hormone therapy following clinical guidelines or physician's preference. Data were collected from the cancer registry system. Results: Median age at diagnosis was 75.7 years. Thirty-five percent of patients received adjuvant chemotherapy, these having a significantly younger age ($mean=74.0{\pm}5.3$ vs $77.5{\pm}5.3$, p<0.001) and higher tumor staging (p=0.003) compared with their non-chemotherapy counterparts.Five-year overall survival was non-significantly higher in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy (with chemotherapy 64.2% vs without chemotherapy 62.6%, p=0.635), while five-year recurrence free survival was non-significantly lower (with chemotherapy 64.1% vs without chemotherapy 90.5%, p=0.80). Conclusions: In this analysis, adjuvant chemotherapy tended to be given to patients with a younger age and higher tumor staging at our institute. It was not associated with any statistically significant improvement in survival and recurrence rate. Until age specific recommendations are available, physicians must use their clinical judgment and assess the tumor biology with the patient's comorbidities to make the best choice. Clinical trials focusing on this critical issue are warranted.