21 research outputs found
Primary small cell carcinoma of the breast: report of seven cases and review of the literature
No full textAims and background. The aim of the study was to analyze the clinicopathological characteristics, treatment modalities, and clinical outcome of patients with primary small cell carcinoma of the breast. Methods. Fifty-three cases of primary small cell carcinoma of the breast were identified; 7 cases in this series and 46 from the English-language medical literature. Results. There were 52 females and 1 male. The mean age was 53 years. Tumor size ranged from 1 to 18 cm (mean, 4.53). Axillary node metastasis was present in 61.7%. Only one patient had distant metastases at presentation. The presence of hormone receptors was reported in 24.5% of the tumors. Modified radical mastectomy was the most common surgical procedure and was performed in 50.9% of the patients. Adjuvant radiotherapy was administered to 39.6% of the patients, and 69.8% underwent chemotherapy. Thirteen percent of patients received adjuvant tamoxifen therapy. The mean follow-up was 20.75 months (range, 3-60), and 10 of 53 cases (18.9%) died of metastatic disease. Conclusions. The prognosis of primary small cell carcinoma of the breast largely depends on the initial stage of the disease. Multimodality treatment including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy seems to be the most appropriate strategy for early disease. Chemotherapy is usually unsuccessful in treating metastatic disease
Semiometrics: producing a compositional view of influence
No full textHigh-impact academic papers are not necessarily the most cited. For example, Einstein's 'Special Relativity' paper from 1905 received (and continues to receive) fewer citations from other papers than his 'Brownian Motion" paper of the same year, despite the former radically changing the course of an entire scientific discipline to a much greater extent. Similarly, 'impact' metrics using citation count alone are, it is argued, not adequate for determining the scientific influence of papers, authors or small groups of authors. Although valid, they remain controversial when used to determine influence of larger groups or journals. While the term 'impact' has become closely linked to a journal's citation-based Journal Impact Factor score, this thesis uses the term 'influence' to describe the wider effectiveness of research, combining citation and metadata analysis to allow richer calculations to be performed over large-scale document networks. As a result, more qualitative influence ratings can be determined and a broader outlook on scientific disciplines can be produced. These ratings are best applied using an ontology-based data source, allowing more efficient inference than under a traditional RDBMS system, and allowing easier integration between heterogeneous data sources. These metrics, termed 'Semantic Bibliometrics' or 'Semiometrics', can be applied at a variety of levels of granularity, allowing a compositional framework for impact and influence analysis. This thesis describes the process of data preparation, systems architecture, metric value and data integration for such a system, introducing novel approaches at all four stages, thereby creating a working semiometrics system for determining influence at different semantic levels of granularity
Efficacy of lower dose capecitabine in patients with metastatic breast cancer and factors influencing therapeutic response and outcome
No full textObjective: Capecitabine exerts considerable therapeutic efficacy in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients previously treated with anthracyclines and taxanes. Materials and Methods: In this study, the efficacy and safety of lower dose capecitabine (2000 Mg/m(2)/d) in patients with anthra-cycline- and taxane-pretreated MBC were studied with a special emphasis on the potential predictors of time to tumor progression (TTP) and response to the capecitabine treatment. Results: The overall response rate (ORR) was 17%. The median TTP was 5 months. Among various factors analyzed, univariate analysis showed that a performance status (PS) of 2 and the presence of visceral metastases were inversely correlated with TTP. Multivariate analysis showed that a poor PS score was associated with impaired TTP. Conclusions: Our study indicates that lower dose capecitabine has substantial antitumor activity and a favorable safety profile in the treatment of anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated MBC. Also, only performance score was demonstrated to be a significant parameter affecting TTP
5-Fluorouracil, Epirubicin and Cisplatin in the Treatment of Metastatic Gastric Carcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis of 68 Patients
No full textBACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is one of the most common types of cancer
and one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related death. The
majority of gastric cancers show distant metastasis at the time of
diagnosis. At present, there is no general agreement over one standard
chemotherapy regimen for metastatic gastric cancer. AIMS: We evaluated
the activity and toxicity of the combination of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU),
epirubicin and cisplatin (FEP) in previously untreated patients with
metastatic gastric cancer. SETTING AND DESIGN: Medical Oncology
Department of Uludag University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa;
retrospective study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-eight patients
received 5-FU 300 mg/m2 on Days 1-5, epirubicin 50 mg/m2 on Day 1 and
cisplatin 60 mg/m2 on Day 1, every 4 weeks. A median of 3.5 cycles was
administered. The response rate, time to disease progression, survival
and toxic effects were analyzed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Overall
survival and time to progression were estimated using Kaplan-Meier
method. RESULTS: There were 4 partial responses and 1 complete
response (overall response rate 7.3%); 16 patients had stable disease.
Median progression-free and overall survival rates were 3.1 months (95%
CI 1.9-4) and 6 months (95% CI 4.2-7), respectively. The principal
toxicity was myelosupression. Grade 3-4 neutropenia occurred in 27.9%,
anemia in 17.6%, and thrombocytopenia in 11.7% of patients.
Non-hematological toxicity was mild and manageable. CONCLUSIONS: We
concluded that FEP combination as used at the doses and schedules in
this study has inferior activity against metastatic gastric cancer
5-Fluorouracil, epirubicin and cisplatin in the treatment of metastatic gastric carcinoma: A retrospective analysis of 68 patients
No full textBACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is one of the most common types of cancer
and one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related death. The
majority of gastric cancers show distant metastasis at the time of
diagnosis. At present, there is no general agreement over one standard
chemotherapy regimen for metastatic gastric cancer. AIMS: We evaluated
the activity and toxicity of the combination of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU),
epirubicin and cisplatin (FEP) in previously untreated patients with
metastatic gastric cancer. SETTING AND DESIGN: Medical Oncology
Department of Uludag University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa;
retrospective study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-eight patients
received 5-FU 300 mg/m2 on Days 1-5, epirubicin 50 mg/m2 on Day 1 and
cisplatin 60 mg/m2 on Day 1, every 4 weeks. A median of 3.5 cycles was
administered. The response rate, time to disease progression, survival
and toxic effects were analyzed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Overall
survival and time to progression were estimated using Kaplan-Meier
method. RESULTS: There were 4 partial responses and 1 complete
response (overall response rate 7.3%); 16 patients had stable disease.
Median progression-free and overall survival rates were 3.1 months (95%
CI 1.9-4) and 6 months (95% CI 4.2-7), respectively. The principal
toxicity was myelosupression. Grade 3-4 neutropenia occurred in 27.9%,
anemia in 17.6%, and thrombocytopenia in 11.7% of patients.
Non-hematological toxicity was mild and manageable. CONCLUSIONS: We
concluded that FEP combination as used at the doses and schedules in
this study has inferior activity against metastatic gastric cancer
Association of breast cancer and cytokine gene polymorphism in Turkish women
No full textObjective: To investigate the association of cytokine gene polymorphism with the development of breast cancer
Treatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer with a Combination of Gemcitabine and 5-Fluorouracil: A Single Center Phase II Study
No full textAimTo determine the activity and toxicity of a combination of weekly gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil bolus intravenously in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.Patients and methodsTwenty-one patients with previously untreated metastatic pancreatic cancer were included in this phase II study. The schedule was gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2iv) and 5-fluorouracil (500 mg/m2bolus iv) weekly for 3 weeks every month.ResultsFour patients (19%) achieved a partial response and three stable disease. A clinical benefit was obtained in 7 patients (33%). Median survival for all the patients was 6 months. The treatment was well tolerated and toxicity was mild. WHO grade 3 leukopenia occurred in 2 (9.5%) patients, grade 3 anemia in 4 (19%) patients, grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia in 4 (19%) patients, grade 1 diarrhea in 1 (4.7%) patient and grade 1 mucositis in 3 (14.2%) patients.ConclusionThe weekly administration of gemcitabine combined with 5-fluorouracil bolus iv is an active and well-tolerated regimen in metastatic pancreatic cancer. However, its efficacy is relatively limited.</jats:sec
Single-Agent Irinotecan as Second-Line Treatment for Advanced Gastric Cancer
No full textAim To investigate the activity and toxicity of irinotecan (CPT-11) as a single agent in patients with advanced gastric cancer after failure of previous 5-fluorouracil-based combination chemotherapy. Patients and methods Sixteen patients with advanced gastric received CPT-11, 350 mg/m2 every 21 days. The median age of the patients was 54.6 years; ECOG performance status was 0-1 in 14 patients and 2 in 2 patients. Dominant metastatic sites included liver, lung, lymph nodes and peritoneum. Results No complete response was observed. Two patients (12.5%) achieved a partial response to treatment. One patient (6.25%) had a minor response. Ten patients (62.5%) had progressive disease on therapy, and 3 patients (18.75%) had stable disease. The median survival of all 16 patients was 5 months. Grade 3 neutropenia was observed in 3 patients (18.75%), grade 4 thrombocytopenia in 1 patient (6.25%), and grade 3 anemia in 1 patient (6.25%). Three patients (18.75%) suffered from grade 3 diarrhea. Conclusions CPT-11 is moderately active and a well-tolerated regimen for selected advanced gastric cancer patients who experience disease progression after receiving first-line treatment. </jats:sec
