[Two Cases of Advanced Colorectal Cancer Achieving Complete Response by FOLFOXIRI plus Bevacizumab-A Case Report]

We report 2 cases of advanced colorectal cancer achieving complete response by FOLFOXIRI plus bevacizumab. Case 1 was a 65-year-old male diagnosed with descending colon cancer with multiple liver metastases. Six courses of FOLFOXIRI plus bevacizumab were administered after laparoscopic-assisted left hemicolectomy. Ten partial hepatectomies and 1 radiofrequency ablation were performed as the liver metastases resolved. A pathological complete response was confirmed. Adjuvant chemotherapy was not administered, and recurrence-free survival was 21 months after hepatectomy. Case 2 was a 77-yearold male diagnosed with rectal cancer invading the pelvic wall and sacral foramen with bilateral lateral lymph node metastasis. Additionally, there was a cancer embolism in the right internal iliac vein. Six courses of FOLFOXIRI plus bevacizumab were administered, and the cancer tissue was absent on subsequent CT and MRI. The cancer was scarred by colonoscopy, and the biopsy showed no malignant cells. Six courses of FOLFIRI plus panitumumab were administered as second-line chemotherapy, and the patient survived without any recurrence after 12 months from initiation of chemotherapy.

[A Case of FOLFOXIRI plus BV Therapy Responding to Liver Metastasis of Rectal Cancer with the Portal Venous Tumor Thrombi(Vp4)as Oncologic Emergency]

A 65-year-old woman was diagnosed with simultaneous hepatic metastasis of rectal cancer with portal venous tumor thrombi(Vp3)that developed in the bifurcation of the portal vein. Four days from the first visit, abdominal dynamic contrastenhanced CT image on the portal venous phase shows that the tumor thrombi progressed in the main trunk of the portal vein (Vp4). We decided that it was a condition of oncologic emergency and initiated FOLFOXIRI plus BV therapy. After 12 courses, tumor shrinkage and regression of the portal venous tumor thrombi were achieved, but conversion surgery was impossible because the collateral circulation of the hepatic portal region remained. The treatment target was changed to the extension of the survival period. The initiation and reinitiation of FOLFOXIRI plus BV therapy and maintenance of 5-FU/l-LV plus BV therapy contributed to disease control in 24 months and survival period of 36months.

[A Case of Anaphylactic Shock after First Administration of Oxaliplatin]

A 48-year-old woman with advanced gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination was treated with weekly paclitaxel from October 2015 and was then administered the CapeOX regimen. Although she had no adverse event during the 2-hour administration of the first oxaliplatin(L-OHP), sudden wheezing, subsequent decrease in blood pressure, and vomiting occurred after completing the administration. After intravenous injection of epinephrine(1mg)and drip infusion of methylprednisolone( 500mg), she received continuous administration of norepinephrine for 5 days. Hypersensitivity reaction to LOHP typically occurs after several cycles and within 30 minutes of starting the administration. However, we have to recognize that the hypersensitivity can also occur after the first cycle and at a later onset.

[Review of High-Risk Factors and Adjuvant Chemotherapy Indication in T4-pStage Ⅱ Colon Cancer]

BACKGROUND

T4 is one of the high-risk factors, but the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy for T4-Stage Ⅱ colon cancer are unclear.

METHOD

We retrospectively reviewed 211 patients with primary pStage Ⅱ colon cancer who underwent radical resection between 2004 and 2015.

RESULTS

The 5-year overall survival rate(OS)of Stage ⅡA/ⅡB/ⅡC were 90.2/83.4/ 59.2%, and the 5-year recurrence-free survival rate(RFS)were 87.3/73.3/42.8%. Multivariate analysis of OS as a high-risk factor of T4 revealed male, ly2/3, no adjuvant chemotherapy, and in RFS, male, ly2/3. However, compared the cases with or without adjuvant chemotherapy, 5-year OS was no difference. There were no cases used oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

An adjuvant chemotherapy without oxaliplatin were not enough to improve the prognoses of T4-Stage Ⅱcolon cancer, so the oxaliplatin based regimen might be recommended.

[A Case of Curatively Resected Rectosigmoid Colon Cancer That Invaded the Urinary Bladder after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy]

The patient was a 65-year-old man. His complaints included bloody stools and pain on urination. A detailed examination suggested vesical wall invasion, leading to a diagnosis of rectosigmoid cancer(cT4b, N+, M0). For R0 surgery, total cystectomy was considered necessary. To maintain vesical function, tumor-reducing chemotherapy was selected. After colostomy for the sigmoid colon, 4 courses of mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab therapy were administered. There was a marked reduction in the tumor size; therefore, 3 courses of mFOLFOX6 plus panitumumab therapy were administered as preoperative chemotherapy before resection. Partial response(PR)was achieved, and there was no urinary bladder infiltration. Therefore, surgery was performed. There was no tumor invasion to any other organ. High anterior rectal resection was performed. The pathological diagnosis also confirmed the efficacy of chemotherapy. We report about a patient in whom extended surgery could be avoided by administering chemotherapy for advanced rectosigmoid cancer with urinary bladder invasion.

[A Case of Primary Anal Fistula Cancer with Extensive Intrapelvic Spreading That Was Successfully Treated with Bevacizumab plus mFOLFOX6]

The patient was a 68-year-old man who had an anal fistula for>10 years. He was referred to our institution after visiting a local physician with left femoral pain as the main complaint and received a diagnosis of high inflammatory response. We then found discharge of pus in the perianal region during a medical examination. We also found an extensive intrapelvic tumor during a computed tomography(CT)/magnetic resonance imaging examination. In addition, the level ofa tumor marker and inflammatory response were high. To control the inflammation, we performed seton drainage and sigmoid colostomy. On the basis of the pathological findings from the mucus component, we confirmed a diagnosis of fistula cancer. Considering that the progressive lesion had extensively spread, we decided to initiate chemotherapy alone because ofthe absence ofan indication for radiotherapy. We administered bevacizumab plus mFOLFOX6, and partial response was observed on a CT scan. We could control the progression ofthe disease for>6 months. The present case suggests that bevacizumab plus mFOLFOX6 can be an effective regimen for unresectable advanced fistula cancers.

[Long-Term Effectiveness of Chemotherapy Containing mFOLFOX6 plus Panitumumab and 5-FU/l-LV plus Panitumumab after Primary Tumor Resection in a Case of Ascending Colon Carcinoma and Multiple Hepatic Metastases]

The patient was a 79-year-old man. He had ascending colon carcinoma and multiple hepatic metastases, and right hemicolectomy( D2)was performed in June 2012(SE, N1, P0, M1[H3], Stage Ⅳ). After surgery, 8 courses of mFOLFOX6 plus panitumumab biweekly, then, 5-FU/l-LV biweekly and panitumumab every 4 weeks were administered because he had wild- type KRAS. Before chemotherapy, his serum CEA level was 122 ng/mL, but the value decreased rapidly to a normal level after 7months. The hepatic metastases also decreased, and the lesion was only slightly observed on CT after 7months. Five years after the surgery, images and his CEA level are both normal, and the effectiveness is maintained. Even for right colon cancer, anti-EGFR antibodies might be effective if RAS is wild-type.

[Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Presenting with Perforation That Was Successfully Resected after Preoperative Chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 plus Panitumumab]

We report a case of locally advanced rectal cancer presenting with perforation that was successfully resected after preoperative chemotherapy. A 66-year-old woman visited our emergency room complaining of lower abdominal pain. Abdominal CT showed a rectal tumor with fluid collection and free air in the pelvis. The patient was diagnosed with panperitonitis secondary to cancerous perforation and underwent sigmoid colostomy. A biopsy specimen of the rectal tumor showed well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma and wild-type RAS. After 8 courses of mFOLFOX6 plus panitumumab, the tumor shrank remarkably, and radical surgery(low anterior resection with D3 lymph node dissection)was performed. Microscopic examination of the resected specimen showed that almost half of the tumor cells were replaced by histiocytes and necrotic tissue. Preoperative chemotherapy with panitumumab may be an effective treatment for RAS wild-type locally advanced colon cancer, even if the primary tumor develops perforation.

[Expression of α-smooth Muscle Actin in Advanced Colorectal Cancer Tissue and Its Significance in Chemotherapy Response Prediction and Prognosis]

Objective To investigate the expression of α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)in advanced colorectal cancer tissue and its association with chemotherapy response and prognosis.Methods The expression of α-SMA was detected by immunohistochemistry in tissues from 52 advanced colorectal cancer patients who received oxaliplatin plus 5-fluorouracil regimen as first-line chemotherapy. Its relationship with clinical characteristics,chemotherapy response,and survival were analyzed.Results Of these 52 patients,29(55.8%)were α-SMA overexpression,and the expression of α-SMA protein was not significantly associated with the age(χ ²=0.113,P=0.730),gender(χ ²=0.515,P=0.332),tumor location(χ ²=3.675,P=0.159),and tissue differentiation(χ ²=1.852,P=0.604). The chemotherapy resistance rate was 65.5%(19/29)in patients with high α-SMA expression,which was significantly higher than that (13.0%,3/23)in patients with low α-SMA expression(χ ²=14.470,P=0.000). Patients with high α-SMA expression exhibited a significantly shorter progression-free survival(PFS)compared with those with low α-SMA expression [(6.4±1.0)months vs.(16.0±3.5)months; χ_log-rank²=5.985,P=0.018]. Conclusion High α-SMA expression is associated with resistance to first-line chemotherapy and poor prognosis in advanced colorectal cancer patients.

[A Postoperative Case of Rectal Cancer with Anal Pain Caused by Side Effects of Oxaliplatin]

This case involved a 28-year-old female with rectal cancer in the inner pelvis. Two courses of SOX plus Cmab therapy, and 4 courses of FOLFOX-Cmab therapy were administered as preoperative chemotherapies, which resulted in a reduction in the major lesion. Subsequently, laparoscopic low anterior resection and dissection of the bilateral lymph nodes were performed. After the surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFOX was administered. Afterwards, the patient developed severe anal pain and visited us for treatment. The severe anal pain continued even after FOLFOX treatment and increased with defecation. A side effect of oxaliplatin was suspected, and sLV5FU chemotherapy was administered. As a result, the anal pain disappeared. Thus, the pain was considered to be induced by oxaliplatin. While peripheral neuropathy is a widely known side effect of oxaliplatin, this case was considered to be unique because anal pain occurs very rarely with oxaliplatin treatment.

[Curative Transanal Resection after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Lower Rectal Cancer-A Case Report]

A 53-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with melena. Examinations revealed advanced rectal cancer involving the anal canal with invasion of the left-sided levator ani muscle. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered to preserve anal function. A first course of capecitabine and oxaliplatin(CapeOX)plus bevacizumab was administered. CapeOX plus panitumumab was administered from the 2nd to the 8th courses after confirming the absence of RAS mutation. Endoscopy and computed tomography confirmed the disappearance of the tumor after completion of the chemotherapy. A biopsy of the scar tissue revealed no cancer cells. However, diffusion weighted-magnetic resonance imaging(MRI-DWI)revealed a suspected residual tumor. To determine the subsequent treatment, a transanal resection was performed. No carcinoma was identified in the specimen. Thus, additional surgical treatment and adjuvant chemotherapy were not administered. The patient was followed-up over 2.5 years post local resection and showed no recurrence.

[A Super-Elderly Patient with Recurrent Colon Cancer with Metastasis Effectively Treated with Capecitabine plus Bevacizumab Chemotherapy-A Case Report]

The safety and feasibility of chemotherapy for elderly patients is unclear. We report a super-elderly patient with liver metastases from colorectal cancer successfully treated with capecitabine plus bevacizumab chemotherapy. An 87-year-old woman underwent a colectomy for transverse colon. At 4 months postoperatively, she underwent hepatectomy for liver metastases. At 9 months after the first surgery, a new liver metastases(S4)was found. At this time, she rejected another hepatectomy. Therefore, we selected capecitabine plus bevacizumab chemotherapy, considering her age. After 18 courses of administration, the liver metastasis did not progress, and no new metastatic lesions were found on CT examination. Although as adverse events Grade 2 hand-foot syndrome developed, no other adverse event occurred. The patient's PS score was maintained at 0. We suggest capecitabine plus bevacizumab chemotherapy is an effective regimen for super-elderly patients with colorectal cancer.

[A Case of Advanced Sigmoid Colon Cancer That Was Resected after Chemoradiation Therapy Following Ineffective Chemotherapy]

We report a case of advanced sigmoid colon cancer that was resected after chemoradiation therapy(CRT)following ineffective chemotherapy. A 59-year-old woman harbored a lower abdominal tumor the size of an infant's head and was diagnosed with a huge sigmoid colon cancer with invasion to the urinary bladder and metastases to the para-aortic lymph nodes. The patient received 2 courses of modified FOLFOX6(mFOLFOX6)plus cetuximab therapy, which was assessed as ineffective; She then received CRTwith 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions plus concurrent oral S-1(100mg/day for 28 days). Tumor shrinkage in the primary lesion was achieved after CRT; total pelvic exenteration with the removal of metastatic para-aortic lymph nodes was then performed 5 months after the first diagnosis. This case of locally distant advanced colon cancer in the pelvic cavity coexisting with resectable metastatic lesions suggested that CRTmight contribute to successful local treatment after the failure of preoperative chemotherapy.

[A Case of Resistance to Systemic Therapy in Hypermutation of Colorectal Cancer]

A 78-year-old man was admitted with diarrhea. Colonoscopy and computed tomography(CT)revealed rectal cancer with multiple liver metastases. Low anterior resection was performed for local control. After the operation, 5 courses of mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab chemotherapy were administered as first-line systemic therapy, but CT showed progressive disease with liver metastases. After the first-line systemic therapy, 2 courses of FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab chemotherapy were performed as second-line systemic therapy, but CT also revealed progressive disease with liver metastases. We retrospectively performed comprehensive genomic sequencing with a 415-gene panel and found that the patient had a hypermutation subtype. Interestingly, the panel also revealed that he had mismatch-repair(MMR)deficiency with MSH2 mutation, which is reported as a possible cause of resistance to 5-fluorouracil in colorectal cancer.

[A Case That Was Complicated with Pulmonary Artery Thrombosis during Chemotherapy of the Regimen of CapeOX plus Bevacizumab against Recurrence of Colon Cancer]

An 80-year-old woman with peritoneal dissemination after laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for appendicular carcinoma (mucinous adenocarcinoma, pT4aN1M0, stage Ⅲa)underwent CapeOX plus bevacizumab chemotherapy. The patient achieved stable disease over 5 courses of the treatment. Subjective and objective symptoms were not observed; however, chest computed tomography findings revealed a thrombus in the pulmonary artery that was considered to be associated with bevacizumab. Chemotherapy was discontinued, and anticoagulation therapy was initiated with heparin and then switched to apixaban. The thrombus resolved with treatment, but the patient died following an increase in peritoneal dissemination. CapeOX plus bevacizumab is a recommended colon cancer treatment, and even though it is generally considered safe, the side effects of bevacizumab include relatively rare occurrences of gastrointestinal perforation or thrombosis. The frequency of pulmonary embolism associated with bevacizumab is approximately 0.1%, and fatalities have been reported. The possibility of asymptomatic thrombosis warrants regular monitoring of this serious side effect in patients receiving bevacizumab. Early detection and prompt antithrombotic treatment are necessary to ensure patient safety and continued disease management.

[A Case of Complete Response to Lower Rectal Cancer after Preoperative Chemotherapy with CapeOX Therapy]

A 70 -year-old male patient was referred to our hospital with the chief complaint of hemafecia. Colonoscopy was performed and revealed bulky rectal cancer at 10 cm from the anal verge. After 4 courses of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin(Ca peOX)therapy as preoperative chemotherapy, colonoscopy and computed tomography(CT)revealed significant reduction of the tumor. We performed laparoscopic lower anterior resection and ileostomy. Histopathological examination revealed no residual tumor cells, and a diagnosis of pathological complete response was made. The patient has been disease-free for 1 year postoperatively.

A within-trial cost-effectiveness analysis of panitumumab compared with bevacizumab in the first-line treatment of patients with wild-type RAS metastatic colorectal cancer in the US

AIMS

This analysis investigated the cost-effectiveness of panitumumab plus mFOLFOX6 (oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin) compared with bevacizumab plus mFOLFOX6 in the first-line treatment of patients with wild-type RAS metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The cost-effectiveness analysis was developed from a third-party payer perspective in the US and was implemented using a partitioned survival model with health states for first-line treatment (progression-free), disease progression with and without subsequent active treatment, and death. Survival analyses of patients with wild-type RAS mCRC from the PEAK head-to-head clinical trial of panitumumab vs bevacizumab were performed to estimate time in the model health states. Additional data from PEAK informed the amount of each drug consumed, duration of therapy, subsequent therapy use, and toxicities related to mCRC treatment. Literature and US public data sources were used to estimate unit costs associated with treatment and duration of subsequent active therapies. Utility weights were calculated from patient-level data from panitumumab trials in the first-, second-, and third-line settings. A life-time perspective was taken with future costs and outcomes discounted at 3% per annum. Scenario, one-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Compared with bevacizumab, the use of panitumumab resulted in an incremental cost of US $60,286, and an incremental quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) of 0.445, translating into a cost per QALY gained of US $135,391 in favor of panitumumab. Results were sensitive to wastage and dose rounding assumptions modeled.

LIMITATIONS

Progression-free and overall survival were extrapolated beyond the follow-up of the primary analysis using fitted parametric curves. Costs and quality of life were estimated from multiple and different data sources.

CONCLUSIONS

The efficacy of panitumumab in extending progression-free and overall survival and improving quality of life makes it a cost-effective option for first-line treatment of patients with wild-type RAS mCRC compared with bevacizumab.

Design, synthesis and X-ray crystallography of selenides bearing benzenesulfonamide moiety with neuropathic pain modulating effects

A series of selenides bearing benzensulfonamide were investigated as inhibitors of the metalloenzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1). Potent inhibitory action, in the low nanomolar range, was detected against isoforms hCA II and VII, which are known to be involved in neuropathic pain modulation. These selenides showed on the other hand moderate inhibition against the cytosolic isoforms hCA I and transmembrane hCA IX. X-ray crystallographic data of two derivatives bound to hCA II allowed us to rationalize the excellent inhibitory data. In a mice model of neuropathic pain induced by oxaliplatin, some of the strong CA II/VII inhibitors induced a long lasting pain relieving effect.

A Prospective, Randomized, Multiple-Dose, Multi-Center, Comparative Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, Immunogenicity of a biosimilar Bevacizumab (Test product, Hetero) and Reference Medicinal Product (Bevacizumab, Roche) in Patients of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

OBJECTIVE

:To compare efficacy and safety of a biosimilar, Bevacizumab (Hetero) vs reference medicinal product (Bevacizumab, Roche) as first line therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in combination with chemotherapy.

METHODS

Patients of aged 18 to 65 with histologically pre-confirmed mCRC and treatment naïve with unresectable metastatic disease or distant metastases were enrolled and randomized to receive either Hetero-Bevacizumab or RMPBevacizumab along with chemotherapy (XELOX or FOLFOX-4) regimen over a period of 24 weeks (up to 8 cycles of Hetero-Bevacizumab/RMP-Bevacizumab+ XELOX regimen (each cycle of 3 weeks) or up to 12 cycles of Hetero-Bevacizumab/ RMP-Bevacizumab + FOLFOX-4 regimen (each cycle of 2 weeks). Bevacizumab was administered at 7.5 mg/kg as an IV infusion over 60-90 minutes on Day 1 of each treatment cycle. The efficacy endpoints were the overall response rate (CR+PR) and disease control rate (DCR) according to RECIST 1.1. The safety endpoints included assessments of treatment emergent adverse events and immunogenicity.

RESULTS

160 patients were screened; 111 patients were randomized in the study. No statistical significant difference in overall response rate between both the treatment groups (HB-MAB vs. RB-MAB: 35.56 % vs. 20%, P=0.28 at Week 6; 37.50 % vs. 30.77 %, P=0.73 at Week 12). Similar trend was observed for disease control rate (HB-MAB vs. RB-MAB: 100% vs. 96%, P=0.36 at Week 6; 95.83 vs. 100%, P=1.00 at Week 12).

CONCLUSIONS

Herero's Bevacizumab was found to be comparable to reference medical product, Bevacizumab in terms of efficacy and tolerability for the Indian patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Pharmacoeconomic Comparison between Chronochemotherapy and Folfox Regimen in the Treatment of Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Cost-Minimization Study

Aims and background

The addition of oxaliplatin to the widely employed De Gramont schedule (FOLFOX regimen) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer improved their outcome with a moderate toxicity pattern. The adaptation of the delivery rate of 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and oxaliplatin to circadian rhythms (chronotherapy) resulted in a very high drug tolerability with clinical results at least comparable to those achieved with the FOLFOX regimen. However, chronomodulated infusion seemed to be more expensive, requiring dedicated electronic pumps and several disposable materials. The present study aimed to compare the direct costs of the two regimens and to determine whether chronotherapy was effectively more expensive than the FOLFOX regimen.

Study design

The direct costs of drug delivery devices derived from various publicly available sources and of toxicity management as extrapolated from two published studies considering comparable patient subsets were added and compared.

Results

Pump, central venous system and disposable materials for a single chronotherapy cycle were € 193 or € 212 according to whether the pumps were bought or rented, compared to € 58 for the FOLFOX regimen. Toxicity management costs were € 144 vs € 288 for the two schemes, respectively. Globally, a single course of chronotherapy cost € 337 or € 356, whereas a single FOLFOX cycle cost € 346.

Conclusions

Direct costs for a single chronotherapy cycle appeared to be comparable to a single course of the FOLFOX regimen. In fact, the major material cost of chronochemotherapy devices was balanced by a better tolerability profile. The overall improvement in quality of life with chronochemotherapy affecting indirect costs, such as reduction of work, and intangible costs is worthy of further pharmacoeconomic attention.

Analgesic Effects of Transcutaneous Ultrasound Nerve Stimulation in a Rat Model of Oxaliplatin-Induced Mechanical Hyperalgesia and Cold Allodynia

This study investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) in a rat model of oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy. Animals received a total of eight injections with oxaliplatin (4 mg/kg), administered at 3-d intervals. TUS intervention (1 MHz, 0.5 W/cm²) started on the fifth oxaliplatin administration and continued for 10 consecutive d. Sensory behavioral examinations, protein levels of transient receptor potential channels (TRPM8 and TRPV1) in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and substance P (SP) in spinal dorsal horn were examined. Results indicated that TUS can reduce mechanical and cold hyper-responsive behaviors caused by repeated administration of oxaliplatin. Oxaliplatin-related increases in protein levels of TRPM8 in DRG and SP in the dorsal horn were also reduced after TUS. Taken together, the results revealed beneficial effects of TUS on oxaliplatin-induced mechanical hyperalgesia and cold allodynia and suggested involvement of TUS biochemicals in suppressing TRPM8 in DRG and SP in spinal cords.

The analgesic effect of orexin-A in a murine model of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain

Orexins are neuropeptides that are localized to neurons in the lateral and dorsal hypothalamus but its receptors are distributed to many different regions of the central nervous system. Orexins are implicated in a variety of physiological functions including sleep regulation, energy homeostats, and stress reactions. Furthermore, orexins administered exogenously have been shown to have analgesic effects in animal models. A type of intractable pain in patients is pain due to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Several chemotherapeutic agents used for the treatment of malignant diseases induce dose-limiting neuropathic pain that compromises patients' quality of life. Here, we examined the analgesic effect of orexin-A in a murine model of CIPN, and compared it with the effect of duloxetine, the only drug recommended for the treatment of CIPN pain in patients. CIPN was induced in male BALB/c mice by repeated intraperitoneal injection of oxaliplatin, a platinum chemotherapeutic agent used for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. Neuropathic mechanical allodynia was assessed by the von Frey test, and the effect on acute thermal pain was assessed by the tail flick test. Intracerebroventricularly administered orexin-A dose-dependently attenuated oxaliplatin-induced mechanical allodynia and increased tail flick latencies. Oxaliplatin-induced mechanical allodynia was completely reversed by orexin-A at a low dose that did not increase tail flick latency. Duloxetine only partially reversed mechanical allodynia and had no effect on tail flick latency. The analgesic effect of orexin-A on oxaliplatin-induced mechanical allodynia was completely antagonized by prior intraperitoneal injection of SB-408124 (orexin type-1 receptor antagonist), but not by prior intraperitoneal injection of TCS-OX2-29 (orexin type-2 receptor antagonist). Our findings suggest that orexin-A is more potent than duloxetine in relieving pain CIPN pain and its analgesic effect is mediated by orexin type-1 receptors. Orexin type-1 receptor agonists may have potential therapeutic roles in the treatment of CIPN pain in patients.

Inorganic Nano-Targeted Drugs Delivery System and Its Application of Platinum-Based Anticancer Drugs

As one of the most important anticancer drugs, cisplatin and its analogues have been widely used in chemotherapy regimens of various tumors. However, a series of side effects and resistance/cross-resistance have been becoming the main obstacles which limit their application and effectiveness. Recent researches suggest that inorganic nano-materials which act as targeted drug delivery carriers of platinum-based anticancer drugs not only enhance the antitumor activity of platinum-based drugs, but also reduce the side effects and resistance. The nano-targeted drugs delivery system provides a new strategy in clinical application of platinum-based anticancer drugs. This review will focus on recent advances in inorganic nano-carriers for platinum-based targeted drugs delivery system.

[Short-term efficacy comparison between preoperative three dimensional conformal radiotherapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy concurrently combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced rectal carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To compare the short-term efficacy and treatment-related adverse reaction between preoperative three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) concurrently combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced rectal carcinoma (LARC).

METHODS

Clinical data of 334 patients with LARC undergoing preoperative 3D-CRT(172 cases) or VMAT(162 cases) with concurrent Xelox chemotherapy (main protocol: capecitabine plus oxaliplatin) and surgery in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from May 2007 to April 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. The total radiation dose of VMAT group was: 50 Gy/2.0 Gy per fraction ×23 fractions for planning target volume 1(PTV1) and 46 Gy/1.84 Gy per fraction ×25 fractions for PTV2; the total radiation dose of 3D-CRT group was: 46 Gy/2.0 Gy per fraction ×23 fractions for PTV. The treatment-related adverse reaction of both groups during chemoradiotherapy was measured according to the criteria of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v3.0 (CTCAE 3.0). Rate of adverse reaction and short-term efficacy between 3D-CRT and VMAT group were compared, in terms of radiotherapy break, hematological and non-hematological toxicity, average duration of surgery and perioperative hospitalization, intraoperative blood loss, surgical procedures, R0 excision, sphincter preservation, postoperative complications, pathological complete response (pCR), and postoperative pathological staging.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in baseline clinical parameters between 3D-CRT and VMAT group (all P>0.05), except for the distance from lower tumor margin to anal verge (P=0.009). The median radiation dose for all the patients was 46 (45 to 70) Gy. There was no significant difference in the rate of radiotherapy cessation between 3D-CRT and VMAT group [1.7%(3/172) vs. 1.2%(2/162), P=1.000]. During concurrent chemotherapy, incidences of grade 2 to 3 hematological toxicities, grade 2 diarrhea, and grade 3 non-hematological toxicities were not significantly different(all P>0.05), while in grade 2 non-hematological toxicities, ratio of radiodermatitis and hand-foot syndrome was higher in VMAT group as compared to 3D-CRT group [25.9%(42/162) vs. 10.5%(18/172), P=0.000; 3.7%(6/162) vs. 0, P=0.012]. There was no grade 4 adverse event in both groups. Surgical procedure, average duration of surgery, R0 excision, anus preservation, postoperative complications, pCR, and postoperative pathological staging were not significantly different(all P>0.05). As compared to 3D-CRT group, VMAT group had less intraoperative blood loss [(114.6±100) ml vs. (169±143.9) ml, P<0.001] and shorter perioperative hospitalization [16(8 to 84) d vs. 20(10 to 47) d, P<0.001]. There was no death case in two groups within 30 days after operation.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with 3D-CRT technique, preoperative VMAT technique can not significantly reduce the incidence of treatment-related adverse reaction and improve the short-term efficacy in the treatment of LARC.

The Efficacy of Adjuvant FOLFOX6 for Patients With Gastric Cancer after D2 Lymphadenectomy: A Propensity Score-matched Analysis

Adjuvant 5-fluorouracil, folinic acid, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX6) are widely used for treating resected gastric cancer in clinics in China, but only few clinical trials have investigated its efficacy. Using propensity score matching, we evaluated the efficacy of adjuvant FOLFOX6 following D2 lymphadenectomy. Patients who received adjuvant FOLFOX6 following D2 lymphadenectomy (FOLFOX6, n = 113) or D2 lymphadenectomy only (surgery-only, n = 512) between 1998 and 2007 at our center were propensity score-matched; we identified a balanced 1:2 cohort, with 96 patients in the FOLFOX6 group and 192 patients in the surgery-only group. The overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method; factors affecting survival were identified by Cox regression models. A nomogram incorporating independent prognosticators was constructed for predicting the 3-, 5-, and 7-year OS, and bootstrap validation was performed. The median follow-up was 9.3 years, and the 7-year OS was 52.1% in the FOLFOX6 group and 43.8% in the surgery-only group (P = 0.04), with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.69 (95% confidence interval = 0.49-0.98). A prognostic nomogram was generated with the identified significant prognosticators (adjuvant FOLFOX6, number of total harvested nodes, the interaction effect between these two variables, tumor size, T and N stage). Internal validation of the nomogram revealed good predictive abilities, with a bootstrap-corrected concordance index of 0.70. Adjuvant FOLFOX6 following D2 lymphadenectomy is associated with survival benefit in resected gastric cancer. Receiving adjuvant FOLFOX6 can be developed into a nomogram with other independent prognosticators to refine OS prediction and estimation of benefit from adjuvant FOLFOX6 for resected gastric cancer.