Combination chemotherapy with gencitabine and cisplatin in anthracycline and taxane pretreated metastatic breast cancer

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Background: Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) anthracycline (A) and taxane (T) resistant has a complicated management.Combination chemotherapy, even in 2nd line, may have advantages over single agent therapy. Gencitabine (G) - cisplatin (C) combinations have been used as synergistic salvage therapy in MBC and it’s another option for patients with important symptoms and aggressive visceral disseminated disease. Methods: This trial analyses the safety and efficacy of G-C in A-T pretreated MBC. Eligibility criteria include: confirmatory pathological analyses; measurable disease; adequate performance status, organ and hematological functions. It was not allowed patients with exclusive bone metastasis. They received IV G 750mg/m2 and C 30mg/m2, both d1 and d8 every three weeks for 6 cycles up to a maximum of 9 cycles. Response evaluation was performed every third cycle and in the end of treatment. Results: From February 2005 through December 2006, 31 patients have been evaluated for response and toxicity from G-C combination. For 20/31 patients this treatment was 2nd line palliative chemotherapy. 26/31 received at least 3 or more cycles (medium 4 cycles) and no one treatment was discontinued due to toxicity. The most frequent site of metastasis was lung (20/31), followed by hepatic in 13 patients, bone in 11, skin in 10, lymph nodes in 7, brain metastasis in 3 and pericardium in only one. Each patient had at least lung or hepatic metastasis and medium of 2 different metastatic sites. According to RECIST criteria, partial response were observed in 8/31, stable disease in 17/31 (55%) and progressive disease in 6 patients. 90% of cycles were given at full dose and at the right time. Hematological toxicity was modest with grade 2–3 (NCI-CTC) leucopenia in 58/140 cycles, grade 1–2 anemia in 40/140, grade 1–2 thrombocytopenia in 27/140 and was none febrile neutropenia. Non hematological toxicity: grade 2 fatigue in 4 patients and grade 2 nausea in 6/31. Following 22 months, global survival was at mean 4.8 months. Conclusions: Combination chemotherapy with gencitabine 750mg/m2 and cisplatin 30mg/m2 both d1 and d8 is feasible and effective in A-T pretreated MBC and demonstrated good tolerance with low intensity of collateral effects.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Primary chemotherapy in breast cancer shows excellent clinical and pathological response with docetaxel and epirubicin

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Background: Primary chemotherapy is becoming the standard of care for locally advanced breast cancer. Recently tested regimens using new drugs have been showing better results than usual anthracycline based treatments. Methods: From April 1998 through April 2004, 104 patients (18 stage IIA; 36 stage IIB; 13 stage IIIA; 33 stage IIIB; 4 stage IV) were included in the trial and received three cycles of docetaxel 75 mg/m2 and epirubicin 50 mg/m2 (q3w). Patients with stable or progressive disease were excluded from the trial, receiving alternative treatment. Those with partial response after three cycles but still not suitable for conservative surgery received up to 3 additional cycles. Following completion of the chemotherapy regimen, tumour response was assessed and appropriate surgery performed. Pathological response was evaluated in excised specimens. Results: According to the UICC criteria for clinical evaluation, 79 pts (76%) had objective regression (14 CR and 65 PR); 21 resulted in stabilised disease and 4 showed progression (24%). There was no toxicity in 62 patients, grade I/II in 4 and grade III/IV in seven patient. Ninity-nine patients became eligible for surgery (95%); 60 underwent conservative surgical treatment (60.6%) and in 39 patients a modified radical surgery was done (39.4%). No axyllary involvement were detected in 22 patients, other 23 had 1–3 positive nodes and 54 had 3 or more positives node in axillary dissection. 338 chemotherapy cycles were given, with an average of previously expected 3.25 cycles per patient. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates a high response rate with primary docetaxel and epirubicin chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer and high axillary envolvement group, enabling conservative surgery to take place and carrying no significant toxicity. Survival rate was directly linked to pathological response and complete response was associated to highest rate of survival in the group.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Microinvasive carcinoma of the cervix. Analysis of prognostic factors

INTRODUCTION

Superficially invasive neoplasias of the uterine cervix are a matter of controversy in terms of their definition, prognostic factors and selection of treatment to minimize the risk of recurrences. We reviewed our treatment to determine whether any factors affect this risk.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The present study was conducted on 59 patients seen at our service, 22 of them with early stromal invasion (IA1) and 37 with microinvasive carcinoma (IA2) according to FIGO criteria (1995). Ten patients were submitted to conization as definitive treatment, although for three of them treatment was complemented with Wertheim-Meigs surgery due to recurrence in the remaining cervix. The other 49 patients were submitted to total abdominal hysterectomy.

RESULTS

Forty-four patients underwent diagnostic or therapeutic conization, and 14 of them presented involvement of the endocervical margin. Seven patients presented recurrence with involvement of the endocervical margin in five. The age of recurrence ranged from 40 to 70 years, with a mean of 52.3 years, as opposed to a general mean of 42.3 (p<0.05). Angiolymphatic invasion was positively correlated to recurrence and death (p<0.01) as well as depth of invasion.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the presence of a cone with an involved endocervical margin represents a high risk of recurrence and that this condition occurs in older patients who are prone to present more extensive lesions. Thus, age should be regarded as an important risk factor. Angiolymphatic invasion and depth of invasion have a poor prognosis in terms of recurrence and death.

Effect of transitory hyperprolactinemia on in vitro fertilization of human oocytes

OBJECTIVE

To examine the changes in plasma prolactin (PRL) during ovarian hyperstimulation (OH) and the influence of hyperprolactinemia on folliculogenesis, oocyte retrieval and in vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates and the usefulness of the metoclopramide (MCP) test in predicting the onset of hyperprolactinemia.

STUDY DESIGN

Forty-nine cycles of OH were induced in 32 infertile women using follicle-stimulating hormone, human menopausal gonadotropin and human chorionic gonadotropin (GI) (n = 36), also in association with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GII) (n = 13). The MCP test (10 mg, intravenously) was performed on fertile control women (control group, n = 9) and in GI (n = 21) and GII (n = 8) patients.

RESULTS

Plasma PRL and estradiol levels increased during OH, reaching maximum levels on the day preceding oocyte retrieval in GI and GII. Since these two groups exhibited similar PRL curves, they were evaluated as a single group. Patients showing an increase in PRL of > 200% presented a greater number of follicles with a mean diameter > or = 12 mm and more mature oocytes and better IVF success rates than patients with a PRL increase < or = 200%. Oocyte retrieval did not differ between the groups. The MCP test showed hyperresponsiveness in the three groups studied, but no correlation was found between the PRL increase in this test and that during OH.

CONCLUSION

Plasma PRL and estradiol levels increase during OH, while the MCP test cannot predict the onset of hyperprolactinemia. Transitory hyperprolactinemia seems to be associated with an increase in the numbers of follicles with a mean diameter > or = 12 mm and with more mature oocytes and better IVF success rates.