I F Tannock

..Our results suggest that repopulation of PTEN-negative cancer cells between courses of chemotherapy might be inhibited by CCI-779...

..Strategies developed to overcome repopulation have improved clinical outcomes, and now new strategies to inhibit repopulation are emerging in parallel with advances in the understanding of underlying biological mechanisms...

..Formal tests such as the HSCS may fail to adequately capture the perceived impact of symptoms...

..Here we evaluate the effect of PgP expression on doxorubicin distribution in vivo...

..Poor distribution of some anticancer drugs in solid tumors may limit their anti-tumor activity...

..Ultimately, strategies that may be individualized among a group of patients with histologically similar tumors will need to be evaluated against the current standard (and homogeneous) treatment...

..We compared such treatment with docetaxel plus prednisone in men with this disease...

....

....

....

....

..Here, we analyze adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of targeted anticancer agents from updated drug labels and their reporting in corresponding pivotal RCTs...

..To investigate the benefit of chemotherapy in patients with symptomatic hormone-resistant prostate cancer using relevant end points of palliation in a randomized controlled trial...

..002 at tolerated doses of the four drugs used to treat KHT tumours. The experiments demonstrate the activity of drugs that inhibit the regulation of pHi against murine tumours when delivered by chronic infusion...

..Acid-mediated therapy can lead to cell death in murine solid tumours, but further measures will be required before the strategy can be exploited clinically...

..PSA response was associated with longer survival. Patients treated with M + P were more likely to achieve a PSA response and a palliative response than those treated with P...

..Women with breast cancer frequently undergo menopause following adjuvant chemotherapy. Here, we investigated whether they have more severe symptoms than women undergoing natural menopause...

..When apoptosis is observed following treatment with anti-cancer drugs it may be a secondary event which occurs in lethally-damaged cells, leading to their lysis, rather than a primary event that leads to loss of reproductive integrity...

..At progression, many patients were treated with the other drug. Here, we provide a retrospective report of survival and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response after second-line therapy...

..A cost-utility analysis was therefore performed to create a rank order on the basis of effectiveness, quality of life, and economic considerations...

..Weak acids that are normal cellular metabolites are not toxic in vivo, but weak acids carrying cytotoxic groups offer the potential for selective uptake and toxicity under the conditions of low pHe that exist in many solid tumours...

..Correlations were sought between the number of clinical trials and incidence, mortality and prevalence of the cancers studied (obtained from GLOBOCAN 2002) and stratified by region of the world...

..Our data provide evidence that tissue penetration of methotrexate is through the extracellular space, that its distribution in solid tissue may be limited and that it may be possible to improve its tissue penetration...

..We conclude that modifiers of endosomal pH might increase therapeutic effectiveness of basic drugs by increasing their toxicity and/or tissue penetration in solid tumours...

..Here, we report an updated analysis of survival...

..We compared physical and cognitive function, and quality of life in a cross-sectional study of 57 patients receiving androgen deprivation therapy for nonmetastatic prostate cancer and 51 healthy age matched controls...

..Here, we report a non-randomized sub-study in which cognitive function of participants was evaluated at 12-30 months after chemotherapy...

..Phase III randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have become larger and are powered to detect small absolute benefits. Temporal changes in absolute benefits of experimental medical therapies reported in RCTs are unknown...

..We conclude that acid-induced cell death depends on bax and on SAPK signaling pathways, but not on the caspase proteases. Therapeutic manipulation of bax and SAPK may enhance acid-induced tumor cell killing...

....

..Our results suggest the feasibility of pharmacological inhibition of Na+/H+ exchange activity as an approach to therapy directed against nutrient-deprived tumour cells...

..To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of gemcitabine (2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine) in previously untreated patients with advanced transitional cell carcinoma...

....

..Classic CMF should be used when this regimen is selected for adjuvant treatment, and dose adjustment resulting in moderate myelosuppression should be explored in future clinical trials...

..Large phase III trials comparing docetaxel with mitoxantrone have completed accrual. There is no role for chemotherapy in earlier stages of disease except in the context of a well-designed clinical trial...

..CONCLUSIONS: Our results did not suggest an increase in proliferation of tumor cells after this type of chemotherapy in the majority of patients with ovarian cancer...

..CONCLUSION: Adjuvant chemotherapy causes cognitive dysfunction, fatigue, and menopausal symptoms in women with breast cancer. Priority should be given to the study of strategies that might reduce these toxic effects...

..22). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study demonstrate that the concurrent administration of CMF and RT is associated with a low risk of serious toxicity and is an acceptable adjuvant regimen for patients with breast carcinoma...

..CONCLUSION: Fatigue, menopausal symptoms, and cognitive dysfunction are important adverse effects of chemotherapy that improve in most patients. Hormonal treatment has minimal impact on them...

..Median survival has not been reached. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that GEM is an active and tolerable drug for patients with NPC...

..Clinical trials evaluating drug combinations are often stimulated by claims of synergistic interactions in preclinical models. Overuse or misuse of the term synergy could lead to poorly designed clinical studies...

..Our results indicate that cariporide and S3705 are selective cytostatic agents under in vitro conditions that reflect the slightly acidic microenvironment found in solid tumours...

....

..In view of the low response rate, accrual was terminated and the trial was aborted...

....

..The lack of effective systemic therapies for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has stimulated interest in evaluating novel treatment strategies for this disease...

..Some patients with cancer suffer cognitive impairment after chemotherapy. A brief, sensitive instrument is required to screen patients for cognitive impairment. In this study, we compare three possible screening instruments...

..To report the long-term results and examine factors associated with bladder preservation, risk of relapse, and survival in patients treated with radical radiotherapy for invasive bladder cancer...

..A randomised, double-blind crossover trial is underway to determine the effect of dexamethasone on nausea and vomiting, and the impact of side effects of dexamethasone and of nausea and vomiting on quality of life...

....

..Here, we examine whether serum levels of total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) influence breast cancer outcome...

..We compared the effects of concurrent and sequential administration of chemotherapy and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor temsirolimus (CCI-779) on tumor cells and xenografts...

..05 for each comparison). Accelerating repopulation after sequential treatments with cyclophosphamide or 5FU can lead to effective drug resistance in the absence of changes in the sensitivity of constituent cells...

..Women who receive adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer develop fatigue, and a subset reports cognitive impairment. Methylphenidate is reported to improve fatigue and to decrease cognitive impairment in other populations...

..There is evidence that some cancer survivors suffer cognitive impairment after chemotherapy. Determining if a patient has cognitive impairment is challenging, especially because impairment is usually subtle...

..No other symptom/QOL domains differed significantly. In conclusion, no significant difference was found in patient preference, QOL, or symptoms regardless of whether dexamethasone or placebo was used after adjuvant chemotherapy...

..To review the current status and future prospects of combined treatment of cancer with radiation and drugs...

..001 for Italian vs other groups). Performance status was correlated with QoL and most closely related with the extent of disease. Understanding of cultural differences is important for optimal management of patients with cancer...

....

....

..Scheduling of short-acting SERMs between courses of chemotherapy has the potential to improve therapeutic index...

..The randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the gold standard for establishing new therapies in clinical oncology. Here we document changes with time in design, sponsorship, and outcomes of oncology RCTs...

..This study supports clinical evaluation of AQ4N in combination with conventional anticancer agents, such as mitoxantrone...

..Other trials should address the role of molecular markers in selecting patients for chemotherapy. Whenever possible, chemotherapy for locally advanced muscle-invasive TCC should be given in the context of a well-designed clinical trial...

..Before receiving PSA results 76% reported some level of anxiety and 15% reported extreme anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: PSA related anxiety represents a substantial problem in patients with metastatic prostate cancer...

..We conclude that treatment strategies of urologic oncologists are influenced minimally by opinions of their colleagues, but that the method of using surrogate questionnaires is a valuable aid to the design of clinical trials...

..Our results indicate that cyclophosphamide produces only a small effect on the host in this system, but the model is a potentially useful one to investigate the contribution of the host in the acquisition of drug resistance...

..Treatment of the whole patient requires attention to communication, and to the management of symptoms such as pain and fatigue. Cancer care must be of high quality and delivered with compassion...

..Cancer patients receive numerous medications, including antineoplastic agents, drugs for supportive care, and medications for comorbid illnesses. Therefore, they are at risk for drug interactions and duplicate prescribing...

..The technique described here can be adapted to studying the distribution of other drugs within solid tumors and the effect of strategies to modify their distribution...

..The scheduling of short-acting hormonal agents between courses of adjuvant chemotherapy for human breast cancer has potential to improve the outcome of treatment...

..2 kg); 24% and 6% improved appetite and health-related quality of life (HQOL), respectively. Mirtazapine is a promising agent for the treatment of CRCA...

....

..Grade 3/4 adverse events were reported in 12% of patients. This study presents sorafenib's efficacy and safety in a less selected cohort of patients enrolled in an expanded access program...

..To investigate the prevalence of underpowered randomized controlled trials (RCTs) presented at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meetings...

....

..A randomized controlled trial was undertaken to examine the effectiveness of low-dose PLT transfusions and to determine the need for further studies...

..The prophylactic insertion of a feeding tube may facilitate therapy completion and weight recovery in some patients...

..However, physical activity might modify cytokine levels and decrease fatigue in patients with cancer, and might also improve their prognosis...

..We discuss the pathogenesis, differential diagnosis, and association of DIC with prostate cancer along with the management of this condition...

..Although these results add to evidence that manipulation of intracellular pH within the acidic environment of solid tumors can influence the effects of chemotherapy, they are too small and inconsistent to warrant clinical evaluation...

..To develop a prognostic model and nomogram using baseline clinical variables to predict death among men with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer (HRPC)...

..We hypothesized that administration of placebos would improve symptom control and quality of life but would not lead to tumor response...

....

..Because these columns are intended to address the concerns of ASCO members, the Committee welcomes suggestions for future topics at vignettes@asco.org. Martin D. Abeloff, MD, Chair, Ethics Committee...