bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phase I Trial of Preoperative Concurrent Doxorubicin and Radiation Therapy, Surgical Resection, and Intraoperative Electron-Beam Radiation Therapy for Patients With Localized Retroperitoneal Sarcoma
Authors: Pisters Peter W.T. , Ballo Matthew T. , Fenstermacher Mark J. , Feig Barry W. , Hunt Kelly K. , Raymond Kevin A. , Burgess Michael A. , Zagars Gunar K. , Pollock Raphael E. , Benjamin Robert S. , Patel Shreyaskumar R. 
Published: August 2003

Purpose: The primary objective of this phase I trial was to define the maximum-tolerated dose of external-beam radiation with concurrent fixed-dose continuous-infusion doxorubicin followed by surgical resection and electron-beam intraoperative radiation therapy (EB-IORT) for patients with localized, potentially resectable retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPS). Patients and Methods: Thirty-five patients with radiographically resectable primary or recurrent intermediate- or high-grade RPS were treated. Doxorubicin was administered each week for 4 or 5 weeks as an initial bolus (4 mg/m2) followed by a 4-day continuous infusion (4 mg/m2/d). Concurrent radiation therapy was administered in escalating doses of 18.0, 30.6, 36.0, 41.4, 46.8, or 50.4 Gy in 1.8-Gy fractions. Radiographic restaging was performed 4 to 8 weeks after chemoradiation, and patients with localized disease underwent surgical resection with EB-IORT (15 Gy). Results: Chemoradiation was completed as outpatient therapy in 31 patients (89%); four patients required hospital admission during chemoradiation or in the postchemoradiation preoperative period. At the highest radiation dose of 50.4 Gy, two (18%) of 11 patients had grade 3 or 4 nausea. Twenty-nine patients (83%) underwent laparotomy; six patients had interval disease progression and did not undergo surgery. Grossly complete resection (R0 or R1) was performed in 26 (90%) of 29 patients who had surgery. EB-IORT was feasible and successfully administered to 22 patients who had R0 or R1 resections. Conclusion: Preoperative chemoradiation, surgical resection, and EB-IORT are feasible for patients with RPS. Preoperative external-beam radiation can be administered to a total dose of 50.4 Gy with continuous-infusion doxorubicin.
Durable Remissions of Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Acute Myeloid Leukemia After Reduced-Intensity Allografting
Authors: Taussig D.C. , Davies A.J. , Cavenagh J.D. , Oakervee H. , Syndercombe-Court D. , Kelsey S. , Amess J.A.L. , Rohatiner A.Z.S. , Lister T.A. , Barnett M.J. 
Published: August 2003

Purpose: To evaluate the use of reduced-intensity (RI) conditioning with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from HLA-identical family donors in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Patients and Methods: Sixteen patients (median age, 54 years; range, 37 to 66 years) underwent RI-HSCT using a conditioning regimen of fludarabine 25 mg/m2 daily for 5 days and either cyclophosphamide 1 g/m2 daily for 2 days (14 patients) or melphalan 140 mg/m2 for 1 day (two patients). The median number of CD34+ cells and CD3+ cells infused per kilogram of recipient weight was 4.5 × 106 (range, 1.8 to 7.3 × 106 cells) and 2.9 × 108 (range, 0.1 to 9.6 × 108 cells), respectively. Results: There was no transplant-related mortality (TRM) within 100 days of HSCT. Grade 1 to 2 acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurred in three patients, but neither grade 3 nor grade 4 disease was observed. Chronic GVHD occurred in 10 patients. One patient had cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation but did not develop CMV disease. With a median follow-up of 26 months (range, 15 to 45 months), 11 patients are alive (nine in continuous complete remission and one in complete remission after a second transplantation), and five have died (four from disease progression and one from bone-marrow aplasia induced by cyclosporine withdrawal). The 2-year actuarial overall and event-free survival rates were 69% (95% confidence interval [CI], 40% to 86%) and 56% (95% CI, 30% to 68%), respectively. Conclusion: This strategy of RI-HSCT resulted in reliable engraftment with low incidence of acute GVHD and TRM. Durable remissions were observed in patients with MDS and AML consistent with a graft-versus-leukemia effect.
Randomized Study of High-Dose and Low-Dose Interleukin-2 in Patients With Metastatic Renal Cancer
Authors: Yang James C. , Sherry Richard M. , Steinberg Seth M. , Topalian Suzanne L. , Schwartzentruber Douglas J. , Hwu Patrick , Seipp Claudia A. , Rogers-Freezer Linda , Morton Kathleen E. , White Donald E. , Liewehr David J. , Merino Maria J. , Rosenberg Steven A. 
Published: August 2003

Purpose: This three-arm randomized study compares response rates and overall survival of patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (RCC) receiving high-dose or one of two low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) regimens. Patients and Methods: Patients with measurable metastatic RCC and a good performance status were randomized to receive either 720,000 U/kg (high-dose [HD]) or 72,000 U/kg (low-dose [LD]), both given by intravenous (IV) bolus every 8 hours. After randomly assigning 117 patients, a third arm of low-dose daily subcutaneous IL-2 was added, and an additional 283 patients were randomly assigned. Results: A total of 156 patients were randomly assigned to HD IV IL-2, and 150 patients to LD IV IL-2. Toxicities were less frequent with LD IV IL-2 (especially hypotension), but there were no IL-2-related deaths in any arm. There was a higher response proportion with HD IV IL-2 (21%) versus LD IV IL-2 (13%; P = .048) but no overall survival difference. The response rate of subcutaneous IL-2 (10%, partial response and complete response) was similar to that of LD IV IL-2, differing from HD IV (P = .033). Response durability and survival in completely responding patients was superior with HD IV compared with LD IV therapy (P = .04). Conclusion: Major tumor regressions, as well as complete responses, were seen with all regimens tested. IL-2 was more clinically active at maximal doses, although this did not produce an overall survival benefit. The immunological factors which constrain the curative potential of IL-2 to only a small percentage of patients need to be further elucidated.
Phase I/II Trial of Capecitabine, Oxaliplatin, and Radiation for Rectal Cancer
Authors: Rödel Claus , Grabenbauer Gerhard. G. , Papadopoulos Thomas , Hohenberger Werner , Schmoll Hans-Joachim , Sauer Rolf 
Published: August 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish the feasibility and efficacy of preoperative radiotherapy (RT) with concurrent capecitabine and oxaliplatin (XELOX-RT) in patients with rectal cancer. Patients and Methods: Thirty-two patients with locally advanced (T3/T4) or low-lying rectal cancer received preoperative RT (total dose, 50.4 Gy). Capecitabine was administered concurrently at 825 mg/m2 bid on days 1 to 14 and 22 to 35, with oxaliplatin starting at 50 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 22, and 29 with planned escalation steps of 10 mg/m2. End points of the phase II study included downstaging, histopathologic tumor regression, resectability of T4 disease, and sphincter preservation in patients with low-lying tumors. Results: Dose-limiting grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity was observed in two of six patients treated with 60 mg/m2 of oxaliplatin. Thus, 50 mg/m2 was the recommended dose for the phase II study. Toxicities observed at this dose level were generally mild, with only two cases of short-lived grade 3 diarrhea. Myelosuppression, mainly leukopenia, was restricted to grade 2 in 19% of patients. T-category downstaging was achieved in 17 (55%) of 31 operated patients, and 68% of patients had negative lymph nodes. Pathologic complete response was found in 19% of the resected specimens. Radical surgery with free margins could be performed in 79% of patients with T4 disease, and 36% of patients with tumors ≤ 2 cm from the dentate line had sphincter-saving surgery. Conclusion: Preoperative XELOX-RT is a feasible and well tolerated treatment. This regimen is proposed for phase III evaluation comparing standard fluorouracil-based therapy with XELOX chemoradiotherapy.
Zoledronic Acid Versus Placebo in the Treatment of Skeletal Metastases in Patients With Lung Cancer and Other Solid Tumors: A Phase III, Double-Blind, Randomized Trial—The Zoledronic Acid Lung Cancer and Other Solid Tumors Study Group
Authors: Rosen Lee S. , Gordon David , Tchekmedyian Simon , Yanagihara Ronald , Hirsh Vera , Krzakowski M. , Pawlicki M. , de Souza Paul , Zheng Ming , Urbanowitz Gladys , Reitsma Dirk , Seaman John J. 
Published: August 2003

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of zoledronic acid in patients with bone metastases secondary to solid tumors other than breast or prostate cancer. Patients and Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive zoledronic acid (4 or 8 mg) or placebo every 3 weeks for 9 months, with concomitant antineoplastic therapy. The 8-mg dose was reduced to 4 mg (8/4-mg group). The primary efficacy analysis was proportion of patients with at least one skeletal-related event (SRE), defined as pathologic fracture, spinal cord compression, radiation therapy to bone, and surgery to bone. Secondary analyses (time to first SRE, skeletal morbidity rate, and multiple event analysis) counted hypercalcemia as an SRE. Results: Among 773 patients with bone metastases from lung cancer or other solid tumors, the proportion with an SRE was reduced in both zoledronic acid groups compared with the placebo group (38% for 4 mg and 35% for 8/4 mg zoledronic acid v 44% for the placebo group; P = .127 and P = .023 for 4-mg and 8/4-mg groups, respectively). Additionally, 4 mg zoledronic acid significantly increased time to first event (median, 230 v 163 days for placebo; P = .023), an important end point in this poor-prognosis population, and significantly reduced the risk of developing skeletal events by multiple event analysis (hazard ratio = 0.732; P = .017). Zoledronic acid was well tolerated; the most common adverse events in all treatment groups included bone pain, nausea, anemia, and vomiting. Conclusion: Zoledronic acid (4 mg infused over 15 minutes) is the first bisphosphonate to reduce skeletal complications in patients with bone metastases from solid tumors other than breast and prostate cancer.
Conditional Survival of Patients With the Four Major Histologic Subgroups of Lung Cancer in Denmark
Authors: Skuladottir Halla , Olsen Jørgen H. 
Published: August 2003

Purpose: The survival probability of patients with lung cancer is usually based on the extent of disease as assessed at the time of diagnosis. The discouraging 5-year survival is often reported (< 10%) without taking into account changes in the survival probability as time advances from diagnosis. Patients and Methods: Conditional survival estimates by sex, age, extent of disease, and histology were estimated for patients diagnosed with lung cancer in Denmark from 1943 to 1997. Survival probabilities were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and cumulative survival estimates were used to derive conditional survival estimates. Results: For every additional year survived, the probability of surviving the next 5 years increases from 33% (men) and 36% (women) after the first year, to 60% (men) and 67% (women) who have survived 5 years. The 5-year survival probability of patients younger than 49 years who had survived the first year was 33%, and increased to 81% after the fifth year. Corresponding estimates for 60- to 69-year-old patients were 23% and 52%. The conditional survival differed greatly among patients with localized and regional disease (29% and 10%, respectively) in the first year, but converged with time (52% and 47%, respectively) after 5 years. The conditional survival is similar in patients with squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large-cell carcinoma, but is markedly lower in patients with small-cell carcinoma. Conclusion: For patients who have survived more than 1 year, the conditional survival probability provides a more accurate estimate of survival as compared with the conventional observed survival rates.
Can Patients With Relapsed, Previously Untreated, Stage I Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Be Successfully Treated With Salvage Therapy?
Authors: Kolomainen Desiree F. , A’Hern Roger , Coxon Fareeda Y. , Fisher Cyril , King D. Michael , Blake Peter R. , Barton Desmond P.J. , Shepherd John H. , Kaye Stanley B. , Gore Martin E. 
Published: August 2003

Purpose: The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) has been controversial. We have previously reported the cases of patients managed with a policy of observation only. We now present the salvage rate for the patients in that study who experienced relapse. Patients and Methods: One hundred ninety-four patients with stage I EOC presenting between 1980 and 1994 received no adjuvant chemotherapy, but were treated with platinum-based chemotherapy at relapse. We calculated the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for the whole cohort and the salvage rate for those who experienced relapse. We defined salvage as freedom from relapse for 5 years after platinum treatment. Results: Sixty-one (31%) of 194 patients experienced relapse, and 55 received platinum-based chemotherapy. Twenty-four percent were progression-free at 5 years after this treatment. Clear-cell histology and cyst rupture before the patients’ original surgery were independent prognostic factors for PFS after salvage chemotherapy. The OS for all 194 patients is 72% at 10 years (median follow-up, 8.7 years), with an 80% disease-specific survival (DSS). Conclusion: We have shown that some patients with stage I EOC can be successfully treated with a salvage chemotherapy regimen after a policy of observation only. Interestingly, approximately 30% of stage I patients who die within 10 years do so from causes other than EOC (OS, 72%; DSS, 80%). Our findings need to be taken into consideration when the results from recent randomized trials of adjuvant chemotherapy in this patient population (International Collaborative Ovarian Neoplasm Trial 1/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Ovarian Neoplasm Trial) are being discussed with patients.
Homocysteine, Pharmacogenetics, and Neurotoxicity in Children With Leukemia
Authors: Kishi Shinji , Griener James , Cheng Cheng , Das Soma , Cook Edwin H. , Pei Deqing , Hudson Melissa , Rubnitz Jeffrey , Sandlund John T. , Pui Ching-Hon , Relling Mary V. 
Published: August 2003

Purpose: Despite its clinical success, methotrexate (MTX) therapy is associated with toxicities such as seizures, the pathogenesis of which remains unclear. It has been suggested that hyperhomocysteinemia is caused by MTX and is responsible for its neurotoxic effects. The purposes of this study were to explore whether hyperhomocysteinemia was related to MTX administration and toxicity and whether homocysteine or MTX toxicity differed by methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) or reduced folate carrier (RFC) genetic polymorphisms. Patients and Methods: We studied 53 children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia who were consecutively treated on a single clinical protocol that included two courses of high-dose MTX (high-dose methotrexate [HDMTX]; 2.5 or 5.0 g/m2 per day) as consolidation therapy. Results: The study participants’ median plasma homocysteine concentrations at 23 and 44 hours after HDMTX (9.00 μmol/L and 10.12 μmol/L, respectively) were greater than the concentrations immediately before HDMTX (5.77 μmol/L, P < .0001 for both comparisons). Seven days after HDMTX treatment, their plasma concentration returned to baseline. Nine patients experienced seizures, and five patients experienced thrombosis during the first 15 months of therapy, with a tendency for there to be higher plasma homocysteine in patients with seizures across all time points (P = .063) but not in patients with thrombosis (P = .59). We observed no significant differences in plasma or cerebrospinal fluid homocysteine levels or in toxicity based on the MTHFR 677C/T or RFC 80G/A genotypes. Conclusion: We conclude that homocysteine was transiently elevated after HDMTX and may be related to seizure risk in children with leukemia.
Importance of Predosing of Recombinant Human Thrombopoietin to Reduce Chemotherapy-Induced Early Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Vadhan-Raj Saroj , Patel Shreyaskumar , Bueso-Ramos Carlos , Folloder Jody , Papadopolous Nicholas , Burgess Andrew , Broemeling Lyle D. , Broxmeyer Hal E. , Benjamin Robert S. 
Published: August 2003

Purpose: Recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) increases platelets, and the peak response of rhTPO is delayed and is, therefore, not uniformly effective when administered after chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to identify an effective schedule of rhTPO to best attenuate early thrombocytopenia. Patients and Methods: Cohorts of six patients with sarcoma (66 assessable patients) were treated sequentially with doxorubicin and ifosfamide (AI), with rhTPO by a fixed dose and varying schedules being administered before and/or after chemotherapy in cycle 2 and subsequent cycles. Cycle 1 without rhTPO served as an internal control. Results: AI causes cumulative thrombocytopenia. The platelet nadir in cycle 2 was higher than in cycle 1 (mean nadir ± SEM, 119 ± 12 × 103/μL v 80 ± 7 × 103/μL, respectively; P < .001) in 24 (80%) of the 30 patients (P < .001) in whom rhTPO (1.2 μg/kg) was administered starting from 5 days before chemotherapy (pre/postdoses, three/one or one/one) compared with only four (17%) of 24 patients given rhTPO by other schedules (pre/postdoses, two/two, one/three, zero/four, or four/zero) and none of 15 historical control patients. The need for platelet transfusions in four cycles was significantly lower (13 [11%] of 114 cycles, P < .001) in patients who received rhTPO from day −5 (pre/post doses, three/one or one/one) compared with patients who received rhTPO at later time points (28 [47%] of 60 cycles). Bone marrow megakaryocytes increased markedly (four-fold) before chemotherapy with predosing rhTPO and remained elevated (two-fold) after chemotherapy, which may explain the possible mechanism for response. One patient developed subclavian vein thrombosis, and no patients developed neutralizing antibodies to rhTPO. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the importance of timing of rhTPO in relation to chemotherapy and indicate that, by optimizing the timing, only two doses of rhTPO (one before and one after chemotherapy) were required to significantly reduce the severity of chemotherapy-related early thrombocytopenia.
Risk of Acute Leukemia Following Epirubicin-Based Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Report From the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group
Authors: Crump Michael , Tu Dongsheng , Shepherd Lois , Levine Mark , Bramwell Vivien , Pritchard Kathleen 
Published: August 2003

Purpose: Cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, and fluorouracil (CEF), compared with classical cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) chemotherapy. has lead to an improvement in relapse-free and overall survival in premenopausal women with node-positive breast cancer. We undertook this analysis to more accurately define the estimate of risk of secondary acute leukemia (sAL) following epirubicin-containing chemotherapy regimens. Patients and Methods: We assessed the conditional probability of sAL among 1,545 women who received adjuvant (n = 1,477) or neoadjuvant (n = 68) chemotherapy in four National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group trials from 1990 to 1999. The risks associated with epirubicin-containing regimens (CEF or epirubicin and cyclophosphamide [EC]) and other regimens (doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide [AC] or CMF) were determined. Results: A total of 10 cases of sAL were observed (eight acute myelogeneous leukemia, two acute lymphoblastic leukemia): seven among women treated with CEF, two who had received AC, and one following CMF. Using competing risk statistics, the conditional probability of sAL was 1.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5 to 3.6) among 539 women treated with CEF chemotherapy at a follow-up of 8 years, 0.4% (95% CI, 0% to 1.3%) among the 678 who received CMF, and 1.3% (95% CI, 0% to 4.7%) among the 231 treated with AC. The conditional probability of death from breast cancer at 8 years for the entire group of women treated with epirubicin-containing regimens in all four trials was approximately 34.9%. Conclusion: CEF chemotherapy for breast cancer carries a small increased risk of sAL compared with CMF. These estimates of acute leukemia risk are important in discussing treatment with women, especially patients with a lower risk of death from breast cancer, such as those with node-negative breast cancer.
Prognostic Value of the Human Kallikrein Gene 15 Expression in Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Yousef George M. , Scorilas Andreas , Katsaros Dionyssios , Fracchioli Stefano , Iskander Lisa , Borgono Carla , Rigault de la Longrais Irene A. , Puopolo Manuela , Massobrio Marco , Diamandis Eleftherios P. 
Published: August 2003

Purpose: KLK15 is a newly cloned human kallikrein gene. Many kallikreins were found to be differentially expressed in ovarian cancer. Like other kallikreins, KLK15 is regulated by steroid hormones in cancer cell lines. KLK15 is upregulated mainly by androgens and to a lesser extent by progestins. The purpose of this study was to examine the prognostic value of KLK15 in ovarian cancer tissues. Materials and Methods: We studied KLK15 expression by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 168 consecutive patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Ten patients with benign ovarian tumors were also included in the study. An optimal cutoff point equal to the 50th percentile was defined based on the ability of KLK15 to predict progression-free survival and overall survival of the study population. Results: KLK15 expression levels were significantly higher in cancerous tissues compared with benign tumors. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that KLK15 overexpression is a significant predictor of reduced progression-free survival (PFS; P < .001) and overall survival (OS; P < .009). Univariate and multivariate analyses indicate that KLK15 is an independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS. A weak positive correlation was found between KLK15 expression and serum CA-125 levels. Conclusion: KLK15 expression, as assessed by quantitative RT-PCR, is an independent marker of unfavorable prognosis for ovarian cancer.