Andreas Skolarikos

..We conducted a randomized, open label study to assess the efficacy of erythropoietin in preventing transfusions and significant anemia (hemoglobin <10 g/dl) in patients with solid tumors receiving platinum-based chemotherapy...

..Apart from VEGF, PDGF, FGF and angiopoietins present a therapeutic interest. We are reviewing the results of published clinical studies using anti-angiogenic factors in advanced ovarian cancer...

..Ovarian carcinomas have been classified into types I and II according to the hypothesised mode of carcinogenesis and molecular characteristics. The prognostic significance of this classification has not been studied...

..We investigated the efficacy of risk-adapted adjuvant paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy in early-stage ovarian carcinoma...

..In this multicenter adjuvant phase III trial, we evaluated the addition of irinotecan to weekly 5FU plus LV in patients with stage II or III colon cancer...

..Certain factors are used to select patients in high-risk for relapse. We report the outcome and safety of a risk-adapted strategy by the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group...

..Objective response rate in 23 evaluable patients was 39.2%. The combination of LV5FU2 with bimonthly 90 mg/m2 cisplatin is feasible and active and should be further evaluated in patients with advanced gastric cancer...

..To investigate potential prognostic and predictive factors in patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) treated with docetaxel chemotherapy...

..We compared the tolerability and efficacy of first-line platinum (cisplatin or carboplatin)-based chemotherapy in elderly patients (> or =70 years) with those in younger patients...

..The objective of the current multicenter Phase II study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the combination of gemcitabine and carboplatin as first-line treatment in unselected patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma...

..Cycloxygenase (COX)-2 has been associated with proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis in urothelial cancer. The prognostic significance of COX-2 in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy for urothelial cancer was examined...

..We studied the prognostic significance of baseline characteristics and we compared the risk stratification with the established Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) model...

..Finally, issues of improving therapeutic efficacy and directing clinical research are discussed...

..The true role of such therapies is currently being evaluated...

..We have investigated the association of cytokines in the ascites from patients with ovarian cancer with these populations, the platinum resistance and the prognosis of these patients...

..We are presenting a pooled analysis of prognostic factors from two randomized studies of adjuvant treatment conducted by the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group...

..We evaluated safety and efficacy of first-line gemcitabine/carboplatin in unfit-for-cisplatin patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma and the effect on the quality of life and functional status of elderly patients (aged >70)...

..We performed a prospective study of T lymphocytes isolated from ascites from patients with ovarian carcinoma and we compared them with the respective populations in blood and tumors...

..It may represent an attractive option in patients at high risk for developing specific irinotecan toxicity...

..Early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer represents a prognostically heterogenous group. We studied prognostic factors in patients treated with adjuvant paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy...

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..The toxicity of this regimen compared favorably with that reported for MVAC. We thus designed a randomized phase III trial to compare DC with MVAC...

..Surgery can cure a significant percentage of ovarian carcinoma confined to the pelvis. Nevertheless, there is still a 10-50% recurrence rate. We administered paclitaxel/carboplatin as adjuvant treatment in early-stage ovarian carcinoma...

..Although cure is the rule, relapses still occur, especially in high-risk populations. We report the results of a risk-adapted strategy by the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group...

..However, the possibility that a benefit by the addition of RT was not detected due to decreased power of the study should not be excluded...

..We prospectively studied a cohort of patients who underwent surgery for high-risk carcinoma of the upper urinary tract to assess the feasibility of the combination of paclitaxel and carboplatin as adjuvant treatment...

..The authors compared the outcome of these subtypes with that of serous tumors in patients who were treated with combination paclitaxel/platinum at their center...

..The application of such protocols instead of commonly used toxicity criteria should be further validated...

..We are reporting the results of a phase II study using this combination as neoadjuvant treatment in patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer...

..CONCLUSION: The modified 3-day BEP regimen was safe and effective in patients with OGCT. Further improvements are needed for patients with advanced, suboptimally debulked non-dysgerminomatous tumors...

..The survival advantage of young patients may be attributed to the association with low tumor grade, more complete surgical debulking and better performance status...

..Synergism between gemcitabine and cisplatin is supported by preclinical and clinical data. The present study explores the efficacy of a biweekly regimen in platinum-resistant/refractory, paclitaxel-pretreated ovarian and peritoneal cancer...

..CONCLUSIONS: The combination of an every-2-week regimen of docetaxel, EMP, and zoledronic acid is an effective, well-tolerated regimen that results in symptomatic improvement in a significant proportion of patients with AIPC...

..To present our 10-year experience with patients surgically treated for upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma...

..In view of these promising results, large-scale, randomized, controlled trials are warranted to clearly define the exact role of lanreotide and other somatostatin analogs in the treatment of patients with CRPC...

..The aim of the present study was to correlate bcl-2 protein expression and DNA-ploidy status with established prognostic parameters in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and to examine their impact on disease progression and patient survival...

..Well-known prognostic factors in transitional cell carcinomas were also associated with prognosis in mixed carcinomas...

..It is unknown whether these young patients have a poorer outcome compared to older patients or whether elderly patients have inferior outcome than younger patients when treated with combination chemotherapy...

..To provide a comprehensive review of the evidence supporting the necessity for follow-up after nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma...

..We also defined potential risk factors for extravesical recurrence prospectively giving emphasis to the management of the perforation...

..To assess the efficacy and safety of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) administered after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP)...

..To compare the effectiveness and the safety of photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) to open prostatectomy (OP) for the surgical treatment of large prostatic adenomas...

..Nevertheless, to the authors' knowledge, the best antibiotic regimen and the feasibility of ambulatory treatment have not been clearly defined...

..In the present phase II multicenter study, we assessed the efficacy and tolerability of the combination of gemcitabine and carboplatin in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer...

..Results from relevant clinical studies, comparative with PSA, are warranted in order to confirm the perspective of PCA3 to substitute PSA...

..Further study of the role of the Wnt pathway, potential crosstalk with other pathways and potential candidate therapeutic targets in urothelial cancer is needed...

..Length of exposure seems to be the most important risk factor for this complication. The type of bisphosphonate may play a role and previous dental procedures may be a precipitating factor...

..046). In conclusion, RF is reversible in the majority of newly diagnosed MM patients treated with high-dose dexamethasone containing regimens. The addition of novel agents induces a more rapid RF reversal...

..Further studies are needed to compare the present regimen with higher doses of CPT-11 with LV plus different schedules of 5-FU administration in the treatment of metastatic CRC...

..The most frequent grade 3-4 toxicity was neutropenia. CONCLUSION: Chemotherapy with paclitaxel plus carboplatin is feasible and possibly prevents distant metastasis when used as adjuvant in UPSC and UCCC...

..To evaluate the effect of hexaminolevulinate (HAL)-induced fluorescence during resection of noninvasive bladder cancer on tumor recurrence compared with resection under white light...

..To assess the safety, feasibility, and effectiveness of percutaneous nephrostomy tube (PNT) insertion performed solely by a urologist on an outpatient basis. We present our relevant 10-year experience...

..TRUS-guided biopsy is an efficient tool in detecting local recurrence after RP and should be offered to all patients with biochemical relapse and absence of metastatic disease irrespective of the level of PSA...

..The most common sites of metastasis in prostate cancer include bone and regional lymph nodes followed by lung, liver, and brain. Peritoneal metastasis without skeletal involvement is extremely rare...

..The aim of the present study was to examine whether increased water load intake prior to ultrasound examination of the lower urinary tract, affects the measurement of postvoid residual urine volume...

..The study of newer targeted therapies in the treatment of bladder cancer is also discussed, as are future perspectives and a five-year view in the treatment of the disease in patients with renal impairment...

..In conclusion, pretreatment with corticosteroids, antihistamines and a slower infusion rate may make re-treatment possible in patients having experienced hypersensitivity to carboplatin...

..Uterine sarcomas are rare neoplasms characterized by a high rate of local recurrences and distant metastases. The role of chemotherapy in early-stage completely resected disease remains controversial...

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..Patients with isolated brain metastases have comparable survival to patients with relapse outside the CNS, and long-term remission can be achieved in some cases, provided that systemic chemotherapy is added to local treatment...

..We evaluated the irinotecan-oxaliplatin combination (IROX regimen) in previously untreated patients with non-favorable subsets of unknown primary carcinomas...

..The results of this study suggest that DNA ploidy can provide prognostic information on patients with muscle invasive carcinoma of the bladder and might represent a means of selection for postoperative management...

..To assess the use of the Clavien classification system in documenting the complications related to open retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP)...

..abstract:..

..Laparoscopic nephrolithotomy may be indicated to remove a stone from an anterior diverticulum or when PNL or flexible ureteroscopy have failed (III/B)...

..The aim of this article is to identify classification and grading systems of percutaneous nephrolithotomy-related complications and evidence for the prevention and treatment of these complications...

..Careful curriculum design in high-volume stone centres may be the key to optimizing URS training...

..Many of them remain undetected. The acknowledgement and recognition of these problems by health-care professionals might contribute to finding solutions in order to assist the difficult task of these individuals...

..All the agents have been proven more effective than the interferon as first or second-line treatment. This review will focus in these recent developments and the intense continuing clinical research in this field...

..Overall, our study shows that T cells secret VEGF and expresses VEGFR-2 upon activation. VEGF directly suppresses T cell activation via VEGF receptor type 2...

..The irinotecan-cisplatin combination has emerged as a new standard for the treatment of advanced-stage small-cell lung cancer (AS-SCLC). To move forward we developed a 3-day regimen of cisplatin, etoposide and irinotecan...

..The aim of the study was to determine the prognostic factors in RMEC after taxane-based chemotherapy...

..This phase III study was designed to compare the combination paclitaxel (Taxol)-gemcitabine (PG) versus carboplatin-gemcitabine (CG) in patients with advanced inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer...

..4), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin is feasible and could be used as adjuvant treatment for high risk bladder carcinoma. Its true value should be assessed in prospective, randomized trials...

..CONCLUSION: Bcl-2 and cathepsin D expression are associated with response to CP but not TP chemotherapy. P53, bcl-2, c-erb B-2 and cathepsin D expression was not correlated with PFS and OS in our study...

..We investigated whether the occurrence of ONJ decreased after the implementation of preventive measures in 128 patients with MM who received zoledronic acid...

..CONCLUSION: Our study showed a similar outcome for both squamous and non-squamous stage IV or recurrent cervical carcinomas treated with platinum-based combination chemotherapy...

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..We conclude that sunitinib can be administered to the majority of patients with RCC and significant renal function impairment...

..While medical therapy and shockwave lithotripsy possess a minor role, second-look flexible nephroscopy and/or flexible ureterorenoscopy seem to be the treatments of choice for residual stone fragments after PCNL...

..Splenogonadal fusion, although a rare condition, may account for a non-malignant testicular mass and should be suspected in young patients with other congenital anomalies...

..CONCLUSION: ESWL is a safe method to treat stones when proper indications are followed. The need for well-designed prospective randomised trials on aetiology and prevention of its complications arises through the literature review...

..In the outpatient office setting we evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of ureteroscopic removal of upward migrated ureteral stents using local or no anesthesia...

..They have already shown promising activity in multiple myeloma and are currently being evaluated in clinical studies...

..In an intent-to-treat analysis, there were no significant differences between the two arms in TTP (P=0.059) as well as in overall survival (OS) (P=0.38)...

..001). In conclusion, younger women with EOC have significantly improved survival compared to older patients. Age, PS, stage of the disease at diagnosis, and residual disease are important independent predictors for survival...

..Limited activity was demonstrated in patients with glioma, while thalidomide appears to be inactive in patients with head and neck cancer, breast or ovarian cancer...

..CONCLUSION: Late relapses of ovarian cancer occur in early stages, where they are relatively frequent, while the chemosensitivity of the disease may be less than expected...

..Simple renal cysts may not require treatment when asymptomatic. Radiological intervention with the use of sclerosants needs further evaluation and comparison with other treatment methods...

..To investigate whether immunocytochemical detection of cytokeratin (CK)-20 could serve as a reliable diagnostic marker for transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder...

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..Only a little number of solitary neurofibromas of the spermatic cord are reported in the literature...

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..CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a case of perforation of the large bowel caused by the drain tube placed in a 74-year-old patient who had undergone radical cystectomy for invasive bladder cancer...

..One year after the diagnosis, the patient is still on this therapy. Oncology providers should be aware of this rare but potentially serious, possible adverse effect of sunitinib...

..The aim of this retrospective study was to present the epidemiological, pathological and clinical characteristics and treatment results of Greek women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC)...

..Their expression and prognostic significance after resection of renal cell carcinoma have not been adequately studied...

..When corrected for stage, renal failure had no impact on survival...