169,919 research outputs found
Selective internal radiation therapy for liver metastases from colorectal cancer
No full textAbstract not availableAmanda R. Townsend, Li Chia Chong, Christos Karapetis, Timothy J. Pric
Cetuximab in metastatic colorectal cancer
No full textManagement of metastatic colorectal cancer has evolved in the last 10 years, with the availability of targeted therapies resulting in improvement in quality of life and overall survival. Cetuximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody that binds to the EGF receptor, and the net effects are inhibition of tumor growth, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis. Cetuximab binding to the EGF receptor is also known to augment the effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Only tumors expressing wild-type KRAS respond to cetuximab and improvements in progression-free survival and overall survival are seen, whereas patients with mutant KRAS are considered to be resistant. Cetuximab is currently available worldwide for use as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy in first-, second- or third-line settings in metastatic colorectal cancer patients with wild-type KRAS.Vy Tuong Broadbridge, Cristos S. Karapetis and Timothy Jay Pric
Hepatic functional imaging and genomics to predict irinotecan pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics: The PREDICT IR study
No full textIssue Section: Developmental therapeutics - Abstract #405PM. Michael, W. Liauw, S-A. McLachlan, E. Link, A. Matera, M. Thompson, M. Jefford, R.J. Hicks, C. Cullinane, I. Campbell, P.J. Beale, C.S. Karapetis, T.J. Price, M.E. Burg
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Mitomycin C in highly myopic eyes - Author reply
No full textOphthalmology. 2005 Feb;112(2):208-18; discussion 219.
Mitomycin C modulation of corneal wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy in highly myopic eyes.
Gambato C, Ghirlando A, Moretto E, Busato F, Midena E.
SourceRefractive Surgery Service and Antimetabolite Therapy Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of topical mitomycin C in corneal wound healing (CWH) after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in highly myopic eyes.
DESIGN: Prospective, double-masked, randomized clinical trial.
PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-two eyes of 36 patients affected by high (>7 diopters) myopia.
METHODS: In each patient, one eye was randomly assigned to PRK with intraoperative topical 0.02% mitomycin C application, and the fellow eye was treated with a placebo. Postoperatively, mitomycin C-treated eyes received artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months), whereas the fellow eye was treated with fluorometholone sodium 2% and artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity, manifest refraction, and biomicroscopy. Contrast sensitivity was determined using the Pelli-Robson chart. Corneal confocal microscopy documented CWH.
RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 18 months (range, 12-36). No side effects or toxic effects were documented. At 12-month follow-up examination, UCVAs (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) were 0.4+/-0.48 and 0.5+/-0.53 (P = .03) in mitomycin C-treated eyes and corticosteroid-treated eyes, respectively. At 1 year, corneal haze developed in 20% of corticosteroid-treated eyes, versus 0% of mitomycin C-treated eyes. At 12, 24, and 36 months, corneal confocal microscopy showed activated keratocytes and extracellular matrix significantly more evident in untreated eyes (Ps = 0.004, 0.024, and 0.046, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Topical intraoperative application of 0.02% mitomycin C can reduce haze formation in highly myopic eyes undergoing PRK.
Comment in
Ophthalmology. 2006 Feb;113(2):357; author reply 357-8
Pancreatic cancer epidemiology and survival in an Australian population
No full textSouth Australian registry data were used to explore age-standardised incidence and mortality rates and case survivals for pancreatic cancer during 1977 to 2006. Disease-specific survivals were investigated using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards regression. While annual incidence and mortality rates were relatively stable among males during 1983-2006, they were 14% and 17% lower respectively than for the 1977-82 baseline. A converse non-significant secular trend was suggested in females, in that incidence in 1989-2006 was 10% higher than in 1977-88, with a corresponding 9% increase in mortality. As a result, male to female incidence rate ratios decreased from 1.73:1 in 1977-82 to about 1.34:1 in 2001-06. One-year survival was 18.0% but this figure decreased to 3.6% at five years. Higher survivals were evident for more recent diagnostic periods, with one-year survival increasing from 14.3% in 1977-88 to 23.9% in 2001-06.
Multivariable proportional hazards regression indicated that case fatality was higher in the older age groups and lower for neuroendocrine than other histology types, patients from high and mid-high than lower socio-economic areas, and for more recent diagnostic periods. The differences by diagnostic period, socio-economic status and histology type applied both to the age range less than 60 years and between 60 and 79 years, but were not evident in older patients. The divergent secular trends in incidence and mortality in males and females and associated decreases in male to female rate ratio are consistent with trends in the USA and likely reflect differences in historic tobacco smoking trends by sex. While survival at five years from diagnosis is still only about 5%, patients are living longer with more surviving one year or more, probably due to gains in treatment and potentially in diagnostic technology.Luke, C; Price, T; Karapetis, C; Singhal, N; and Roder, D.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1964017
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
No full textWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
High rate of complications associated with peripherally inserted central venous catheters in patients with solid tumours
No full textThe definitive version may be found at www.wiley.comBackgroundPeripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) have been used extensively as a cost-effective and safe form of medium-term intravascular access. There are only limited data about complications of PICC lines in oncology patients despite theoretical concerns about the higher risks of complications in these patients as a result of cancer itself and cancer therapy.AimsTo document the frequency and type of PICC complications in patients with solid tumours.MethodsAll patients with solid tumours who were treated at Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia between January 2000 and March 2001 were included in a retrospective review of PICC complications.ResultsTwenty-seven PICC lines were inserted in 17 patients; 40.7% (11/27) of PICC lines developed complications requiring early removal of the PICC. Complications encountered were sepsis (systemic and cellulitis), thrombosis, blockage and leakage. Septic complications were found at a rate of 8/1000 PICC days or 25.7% (7/27) of PICC inserted. The median dwell time was 20 days. The mean time for a complication to occur was 27.5 days.ConclusionsThe present study demonstrates a high rate of complications, which is higher than the complication rates reported in studies of non-oncology patients. PICC lines should be used with caution in patients with solid tumours. Prospective studies of the factors influencing the incidence of complications might be warranted.K. Cheong, D. Perry, C. Karapetis and B. Koczwarahttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1515166
The role of biological therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer after first-line treatment: a meta-analysis of randomised trials
No full textPURPOSE: Biologic agents have achieved variable results in relapsed metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Systematic meta-analysis was undertaken to determine the efficacy of biological therapy. METHODS: Major databases were searched for randomised studies of mCRC after first-line treatment comparing (1) standard treatment plus biologic agent with standard treatment or (2) standard treatment with biologic agent with the same treatment with different biologic agent(s). Data were extracted on study design, participants, interventions and outcomes. Study quality was assessed using the MERGE criteria. Comparable data were pooled for meta-analysis. RESULTS: Twenty eligible studies with 8225 patients were identified. The use of any biologic therapy improved overall survival with hazard ratio (HR) 0.87 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82-0.91, P<0.00001), progression-free survival (PFS) with HR 0.71 (95% CI 0.67-0.74, P<0.0001) and overall response rate (ORR) with odds ratio (OR) 2.38 (95% CI 2.03-2.78, P<0.00001). Grade 3/4 toxicity was increased with OR 2.34. Considering by subgroups, EGFR inhibitors (EGFR-I) in the second-line setting and anti-angiogenic therapies (both in second-line and third-line and beyond settings) all improved overall survival, PFS and ORR. EGFR-I in third-line settings improved PFS and ORR but not OS. CONCLUSIONS: The use of biologic agents in mCRC after first-line treatment is associated with improved outcomes but increased toxicity.E Segelov, D Chan, J Shapiro, T J Price, C S Karapetis, N C Tebbutt and N Pavlaki
A Multi-Language Comparison of Influences on Author Verification using Character N-Grams
No full textWe create a new multi-language corpus for author verification based on Wikipedia talkpages, and evaluate the influence that differences in topic and time have on character n-gram author profiles. Topic alignment between two texts is found to increase author verification precision, and an authors writing style is found to change over time, but not more significantly after 3 years than after 1 year.Information ArchitectureWISElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
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