Final results of the real-life observational VICTOR-6 study on metronomic chemotherapy in elderly metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients.

Nowadays, treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) has been enriched with novel therapeutical strategies. Metronomic chemotherapy (mCHT) is a continuous and frequent administration of chemotherapy at a lower dose and so whit less toxicity. Thus, this strategy could be attractive for elderly MBC patients. Aim of this analysis is to provide insights into mCHT's activity in a real-life setting of elderly MBC patients. Data of patients ≥ 75 years old included in VICTOR-6 study were analyzed. VICTOR-6 is a multicentre, Italian, retrospective study, which collected data on mCHT in MBC patients treated between 2011 and 2016. A total of 112 patients were included. At the beginning of mCHT, median age was 81 years (75-98) and in 33% of the patients mCHT was the first line choice. Overall Response Rate (ORR) and Disease Control Rate (DCR) were 27.9% and 79.3%, respectively. Median PFS ranged between 7.6 and 9.1 months, OS between 14.1 and 18.5 months. The most relevant toxicity was the hematological one (24.1%); severe toxicity (grade 3-4) ranged from 0.9% for skin toxicity up to 8% for hematologic one. This is a large study about mCHT in elderly MBC patients, providing insights to be further investigated in this subgroup of frail patients.

Nutritional management of the patient with pancreatic cancer: from the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway to an integrated hospital-territory approach.

Abstract: Pancreatic cancer is associated to a high risk of malnutrition and neoplastic cachexia even at first diagnosis. Malnutrition is a negative prognostic factor for the outcome of surgery or medical oncology treatments. Despite the good awareness of the problem and the knowledge of the guidelines, the early recognition of malnutrition and its management are still uneven, mainly due to the lack of implementation of standardized and shared protocols and the shortage of dedicated clinical nutritionists and dieticians. An early and appropriate nutritional intervention is mandatory to improve the outcome of patients with pancreatic cancer at any stage of disease. The Mini Nutritional Assessment is useful tool to screen patients malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. The need for the establishment and implementation of an integrated hospital - territorial assistance as well as a home-delivered nutrition service is discussed.

Management of Patients with Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer: From Theory to Integrated Clinical Path- ways Implementation in the Real World.

Introduction: Best care of esophagogastric junction and gastric cancer (EGC) requires a complex, timely interaction between members of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT). An integrated clinical pathway (ICP) is necessary to achieve this goal as well as the implementation of its use in daily practice. The objective of this study was to elaborate on an integrated clinical pathway for the multi-disciplinary management of ECG. Authors also put in act an implementation program to improve adherence to guidelines thought an ICP. Method: This prospective work carried out by a multi-institutional MDT in Italy identified expert panel extracted relevant recommendations and/or statements from published papers and guidelines obtaining a set of crucial interventions employed the Estimate-Talk-Estimate method. A flow-chart diagram was elaborated to elicit the process at a glance. The primary outcome measure was the elaboration of an ICP with a high consensus rate also reported as a snapshot diagram and its implementation in daily clinical practice. An accredited certification body agency validated results, and an implementation process was started in several hospitals known to treat ECG. Results: A methodologist aggregated a multi-disciplinary panel of experts from different institutions. The panel elaborated a flow-chart diagram with crucial intervention highlight and connecting lines, as well as outcome measures. An accredited certification body agency validated the entire process, representing the basis for empowerment and implementation among patients and oncological professionals in various hospitals. Conclusion: The multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional expert panel successfully elaborated on a validated ICP for all stages ECG. An in-hospital implementation program has been programmed.

Metronomic chemotherapy (mCHT) in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients: results of the VICTOR-6 study.

PURPOSE: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a subtype of breast cancer which lacks the expression of oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2): TNBC accounts for approximately 20% of newly diagnosed breast cancers and is associated with younger age at diagnosis, greater recurrence risk and shorter survival time. Therapeutic options are very scarce. Aim of the present analysis is to provide further insights into the clinical activity of metronomic chemotherapy (mCHT), in a real-life setting. METHODS: We used data included in the VICTOR-6 study for the present analysis. VICTOR-6 is an Italian multicentre retrospective cohort study, which collected data of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients who have received mCHT between 2011 and 2016. Amongst the 584 patients included in the study, 97 were triple negative. In 40.2% of the TNBC patients, mCHT was the first chemotherapy treatment, whereas 32.9% had received 2 or more lines of treatment for the metastatic disease. 45.4% out of 97 TNBC patients received a vinorelbine (VRL)-based regimen, which resulted in the most used type of mCHT, followed by cyclophosphamide (CTX)-based regimens (30.9%) and capecitabine (CAPE)-based combinations (22.7%). RESULTS: Overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 17.5% and 64.9%, respectively. Median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 6.0 months (95% CI: 4.9-7.2) and 12.1 months (95% CI: 9.6-16.7). Median PFS was 6.9 months for CAPE-based regimens (95% CI: 5.0-18.4), 6.1 months (95% CI: 4.0-8.9) for CTX-based and 5.3 months (95% CI: 4.1-9.5) for VRL-based ones. Median OS was 18.2 months (95% CI: 9.1-NE) for CAPE-based regimens and 11.8 months for VRL- (95% CI: 9.3-16.7 and CTX-based ones (95%CI: 8.7-52.8). Tumour response, PFS and OS decreased proportionally in later lines. CONCLUSION: This analysis represents the largest series of TNBC patients treated with mCHT in a real-life setting and provides further insights into the advantages of using this strategy even in this poor prognosis subpopulation.

Metronomic chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer patients in the real world practice: Final results of the VICTOR-6 study.

Metronomic chemotherapy (mCHT) refers to the minimum biologically effective dose of a chemotherapy agent given as a continuous dosing regimen, with no prolonged drug-free breaks, that leads to antitumor activity. Aim of the present study is to describe the use of mCHT in a retrospective cohort of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients in order to collect data regarding the different types and regimens of drugs employed, their efficacy and safety. Between January 2011 and December 2016, data of 584 metastatic breast cancer patients treated with mCHT were collected. The use of VRL-based regimens increased during the time of observation (2011: 16.8% - 2016: 29.8%), as well as CTX-based ones (2011: 17.1% - 2016: 25.6%), whereas CAPE-based and MTX-based regimens remained stable. In the 1st-line setting, the highest ORR and DCR were observed for VRL-based regimens (single agent: 44% and 88%; combination: 36.7% and 82.4%, respectively). Assuming VRL-single agent as the referee treatment (median PFS: 7.2 months, 95% CI: 5.3-10.3), the longest median PFS were observed in VRL-combination regimens (9.5, 95%CI 88.8-11.3, HR = 0.72) and in CAPE-single agent (10.7, 95%CI 8.3-15.8, HR = 0.70). The VICTOR-6 study provides new data coming from the real-life setting, by adding new information regarding the use of mCHT as an option of treatment for MBC patients.

Nine weeks versus 1 year adjuvant trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy: final results of the phase III randomized Short-HER study‡.

Background: Chemotherapy plus 1-year trastuzumab is the standard adjuvant treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. The efficacy of less extended trastuzumab exposure is under investigation. The short-HER study was aimed to assess the non-inferiority of 9 weeks versus 1 year of adjuvant trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy. Patients and methods: HER2-positive breast cancer patients with node-positive or, if node negative, with at least one risk factor (pT>2 cm, G3, lympho-vascular invasion, Ki-67 > 20%, age ≤35 years, or hormone receptor negativity) were randomly assigned to receive sequential anthracycline-taxane combinations plus 1-year trastuzumab (arm A, long) or plus 9 weeks trastuzumab (arm B, short). This study was designed as a non-inferiority trial with disease-free survival (DFS) as primary end point. A DFS hazard ratio (HR) <1.29 was chosen as the non-inferiority margin. Analyses according to the frequentist and Bayesian approach were planned. Secondary end points included 2-year failure rate and cardiac safety. Results: A total of 1254 patients from 82 centers were randomized (arm A, long: n = 627; arm B, short: n = 626). Five-year DFS is 88% in the long and 85% in the short arm. The HR is 1.13 (90% CI 0.89-1.42), with the upper limit of the CI crossing the non-inferiority margin. According to the Bayesian analysis, the probability that the short arm is non-inferior to the long one is 80%. The 5-year overall survival (OS) is 95.2% in the long and 95.0% in the short arm (HR 1.07, 90% CI 0.74-1.56). Cardiac events are significantly lower in the short arm (risk-ratio 0.33, 95% CI 0.22-0.50, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: This study failed to show the non-inferiority of a shorter trastuzumab administration. One-year trastuzumab remains the standard. However, a 9-week administration decreases the risk of severe cardiac toxicity and can be an option for patients with cardiac events during treatment and for those with a low risk of relapse. Trial Registration: EUDRACT number: 2007-004326-25; NCI ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT00629278.

Efficacy and safety of Everolimus and Exemestane in hormone-receptor positive (HR+) human-epidermal-growth-factor negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer patients: New insights beyond clinical trials. The EVA study.

BACKGROUND: The BOLERO-2 trial reported efficacy and safety of Everolimus (EVE) and Exemestane (EXE) combination in HR+ advanced breast cancer (ABC) patients. The BALLET trial further evaluated the safety of EVE-EXE in HR+ ABC patients, without reporting efficacy data. Aim of the EVA real-life study was to collect data of efficacy and safety of EVE-EXE combination in the clinical setting, as well as exploring efficacy according to EVE Dose-Intensity (DI) and to previous treatment with Fulvestrant. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study aimed to describe the outcome of ABC pts treated with EVE-EXE combination in terms of median duration of EVE treatment and ORR in a real-life setting. RESULTS: From July 2013 to December 2015, the EVA study enrolled 404 pts. Median age was 61 years (33-83). Main metastatic sites were: bone (69.1%), soft tissue (34.7%) and viscera (33.2%). Median number of previous treatments was 2 (1-7). 43.3% of the pts had received Fulvestrant. Median exposure to EVE was 31.0 weeks (15.4-58.3) in the whole population. No difference was observed in terms of EVE exposure duration according to DI (p for trend = 0.27) or type of previous treatments (p = 0.33). ORR and Disease Control Rate (DCR) were observed in 31.6% and 60.7% of the patients, respectively, with the lowest ORRs confined in CHT pre-treated patients or in those who received the lowest DI of EVE. Grade 3-4 adverse events (AEs) were reported in 37.9% of the patients. Main AEs were: stomatitis (11.2%), non-infectious pneumonitis - NIP (3.8%), anaemia (3.8%) and fatigue (3.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The EVA study provided new insights in the use of EVE-EVE combination in HR+ ABC pts many years after the publication of the pivotal trial. The combination is safe and the best response could be obtained in patients receiving the full dose of EVE and/or after hormone-therapy as Fulvestrant in ABC.

A randomized, multicenter, phase II study of vandetanib monotherapy versus vandetanib in combination with gemcitabine versus gemcitabine plus placebo in subjects with advanced biliary tract cancer: the VanGogh study.

BACKGROUND: The management of biliary tract cancers (BTCs) is complex due to limited data on the optimal therapeutic approach. This phase II multicenter study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of vandetanib monotherapy compared with vandetanib plus gemcitabine or gemcitabine plus placebo in patients with advanced BTC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were randomized in a 1 : 1 : 1 ratio to three treatment groups: vandetanib 300 mg monotherapy (V), vandetanib 100 mg plus gemcitabine (V/G), gemcitabine plus placebo (G/P). Vandetanib (300 mg or 100 mg) or placebo was given in single oral daily doses. Gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2) was i.v. infused on day 1 and day 8 of each 21-day cycle. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary end points were: objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate, overall survival, duration of response, performance status and safety outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 173 patients (mean age 63.6 years) were recruited at 19 centers across Italy. Median (95% confidence intervals) PFS (days) were 105 (72-155), 114 (91-193) and 148 (71-225), respectively, for the V, V/G and G/P treatment groups, with no statistical difference among them (P = 0.18). No statistical difference between treatments was observed for secondary end points, except ORR, which slightly favored the V/G combination over other treatments. The proportion of patients reporting adverse events (AEs) was similar for the three groups (96.6% in V arm, 91.4% in the V/G arm and 89.3% in the G/P arm). CONCLUSIONS: Vandetanib treatment did not improve PFS in patients with advanced BTC. The safety profile of vandetanib did not show any additional AEs or worsening of already known AEs. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: NCT00753675.

Non-pegylated liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin citrate plus cyclophosphamide or vinorelbine in metastatic breast cancer not previously treated with chemotherapy:a multicenter phase III study.

We conducted a phase III multicenter randomized trial to compare the efficacy of the combination of liposome encapsulated doxorubicin (Myocet(©)) plus either cyclophosphamide (MC) or vinorelbine (MV). Since July 2006, 233 patients affected with metastatic breast cancer were randomized to receive the combination of Myocet (M) 60 mg/m(2) i.v. plus cyclophosphamide (C) 600 mg/m2 on Day 1 of a 21­day cycle (Arm A) or Myocet (M) at 50 mg/m2 plus vinorelbine (V) 25 mg/m2 i.v. on Day 1 and V 60 mg/m2 orally on Day 8 on a 21­day cycle (Arm B). The primary endpoints of the study was time to progression (TTP); secondary endpoints were RR, toxicity and OS. Response was observed in 53/116 (45.7%) evaluable patients of Arm A vs. 51/112 (45.5%) of Arm B, respectively (P=NS). Median TTP was 41 weeks (95% CI, 32­51) and 34 weeks (95% CI, 26­39), for M/C and M/V, respectively (P=0.0234). The difference in median OS was not statistically significant (131 vs. 122 weeks; P=0.107). With regard to toxicity, patients treated with MV showed a slight increase of neutropenia and constipation, as compared to those treated with MC. No clinical signs of cardiotoxicity were observed. The MC combination remains as an unbeaten 'standard' in first line treatment of MBC.

A phase I/II trial of non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, docetaxel and trastuzumab as first-line treatment in HER-2-positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

AIM: To assess the activity and safety of non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Myocet®) in combination with docetaxel and trastuzumab as first-line treatment of patients with HER-2/neu-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The maximum tolerated dose of the combination was defined in the phase I part of the study. In the phase II part, 45 HER-2/neu-positive MBC patients were enrolled to receive 6-8 cycles of Myocet® 50 mg/m2 (day 1), docetaxel 30 mg/m2 (days 2 and 9) plus trastuzumab (day 2, 4 mg/kg followed by 2 mg/kg/week) every 21 d until unacceptable toxicity or progression occurred. Objective response (primary end-point) and treatment tolerability were assessed according to World Health Organisation criteria. Cardiotoxicity was defined as signs and/or symptoms of congestive heart failure and/or a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). RESULTS: The overall response rate was 55.6% (complete response 8.9%, partial response 46.7%), with a median time-to-progression of 10.9 months (C.I. 8.7-15.0). Median overall survival was not reached. The most frequent grade 3-4 adverse events were granulocytopaenia (60.0%), leukocytopenia (43.2%) and alopecia (35.6%). Grade 3-4 diarrhoea, pain, oral and skin toxicity (4.4%, each) and nausea/vomiting, thrombocytopenia and elevated alkaline phosphatase (2.2%, each) were also reported. In 2 patients LVEF fell to <50%, with a decrease from baseline>15%. LVEF median values remained stable from baseline to the end of the study (60%). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of Myocet®, docetaxel and trastuzumab is safe and shows promising activity as first-line treatment of HER-2-positive MBC.

Cisplatin, fotemustine and whole-brain radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients with asymptomatic brain metastases: a multicenter phase II study of the Gruppo Oncologico Italia Meridionale (GOIM 2603).

BACKGROUND: More than 50% of brain metastases (BMs) occur in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Untreated patients with BMs have a poor prognosis with a median survival of 2 months. In most cases BMs are multiple and their optimal therapy is whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT). The role of systemic therapies for these patients is still a matter for investigation due to concerns about the ability of these drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Cisplatin (CDDP) remains the backbone for medical treatment of NSCLC and fotemustine (FTM) is a nitrosurea able to cross the BBB. METHODS: Patients with advanced NSCLC, ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 and multiple BMs not amenable to surgery or stereotactic radiotherapy were treated with 2 cycles of FTM 80 mg/m(2) days 1, 8 and CDDP 80 mg/m(2) day 1, every 3 weeks followed by WBRT 30 Gy (3 Gy daily in 10 fractions). Radiological restaging was performed before WBRT to assess the role of chemotherapy both for cranial and extracranial disease. Patients with disease control (DC: complete response plus partial response) received 4 more cycles. To assess the basic activities of daily living (ADL), the Barthel ADL Index was used to score patients' performance every 2 cycles. The trial design provides a two-step evaluation according to the optimal two-stage design of Simon. In the first phase 29 patients were enrolled in order to verify if this schedule showed more than 25% response rate both for cranial and extracranial disease. If so, enrollment added up to a total of 81 patients. RESULTS: After the first evaluation 4 out of 29 patients were excluded from the study (3 untreated/1 not included for administrative reasons). At the time of the planned interim analysis patient's characteristics were the following: median age 61 years (range 44-70), M/F = 16/9, adenocarcinoma 11, squamous 5, large cell 2, undefined NSCLC 7; PS 0/1 in 11/14 cases, median Barthel Index score was 20 [13-20]. Three (12%) partial responses were observed, 9 subjects (36%) with stable disease and 13 (52%) showing disease progression. These data did not satisfy the pre-planned hypothesis and the study was stopped. At the time of the first evaluation before WBRT 12/25 (48%) patients had a systemic DC in contrast with 15/25 (60%) patients with BMs DC. Chemotherapy was relatively well tolerated with a prevalence of asthenia as the most relevant specific toxicity while the haematological toxicity was mild. CONCLUSION: CDDP and FTM combined with WBRT do not represent a therapeutic option for patients with NSCLC. Therefore further studies to evaluate the combination of systemic treatments with WBRT are warranted.

Scientific activity and needs among medical oncology units in sicily: a survey of the italian association of medical oncology.

In the era of targeted therapies and combined modalities of treatment, scientific research plays a role of paramount importance in improving knowledge of cancer treatment. The aim of this survey was to review the scientific activity of medical oncology units in Sicily and to analyze their needs and possible pitfalls in order to improve future scientific cooperation.The regional section of the Italian Association of medical Oncology (AIOM) approved this survey in November, 2007. A systematic review of scientific activity produced by medical oncology units in Sicily during the last 5 years has been reviewed. papers dealing with solid tumors reported in the pubmed web site have been included in the analysis. Data were reported as absolute number of published papers and impact factor per medical oncology unit and also as a ratio between global impact factor and the number of personnel working in each single unit to analyze scientific production according to the workforce of each institution.We identified a total of 283 papers reported in pubmed between 2004 and march, 2009. The mean number of publications/unit was 10.9 with a range of 0-50. The mean number of publications/year was 11.7 with a range of 0.2-10. The 15 units included in the impact factor evaluation published 252 papers with a total impact factor of 1014.6 points in 5 years with a mean of 63.4 points per institution and a mean of 4.02 points/paper. However only four medical oncology units reported a cumulative 5-year impact factor >100 points.This survey has shown that a minority of medical oncology units in Sicily is constantly involved in clinical research although at different levels of activity. Overall the percentage of patients enrolled in clinical trials is very low. The main reasons for lack of participation in clinical trials include insufficient medical personnel, the absence of a specifically dedicated research unit inside the medical oncology structures and in some cases lack of research experience and of specific interests in this field.

Carboplatin and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin for advanced ovarian cancer: preliminary activity results of the MITO-2 phase III trial.

BACKGROUND: Based on the efficacy of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) in relapsed ovarian cancer, we are conducting a phase III study comparing carboplatin plus either paclitaxel or PLD as first-line therapy in advanced ovarian cancer. Because of limited phase I and II data on PLD plus carboplatin in this setting, we conducted an interim activity analysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with stage 1c-IV epithelial ovarian cancer were randomized to carboplatin AUC 5 plus either paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) or PLD 30 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks for 6 cycles. The interim activity analysis was planned according to a single-stage phase II design with an auspicated 50% response rate; 50 patients eligible for response assessment were required. Response was defined according to RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors). RESULTS: A complete response was achieved in 14 patients (28%) and a partial response in 20 (40%), which produced an overall response rate of 68%. The activity exceeded the minimum required for study continuation. Stable disease was reported in an additional 10 patients (20%). CONCLUSIONS: The adopted schedule of PLD plus carboplatin demonstrates activity as a first-line treatment for advanced ovarian cancer.

Cetuximab in squamous cell head and neck carcinomas.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antagonist, cetuximab, has recently been shown to enhance the effects of radiotherapy, and reports to date indicate that this effect occurs without any change in the pattern and severity of toxicity usually associated with head and neck radiation and/or chemotherapy (CT) administration. Moreover, several studies have reported that the expression of EGFR is strongly linked to poor outcome in patients undergoing therapy. Therefore, the presence of the EGFR in almost all cases of head and neck carcinoma offers a new therapeutic opportunity to most patients. In this paper, we report a review of the major studies dealing with the use of cetuximab in advanced head and neck cancer.

Cetuximab: clinical results in colorectal cancer.

In recent years, the introduction of targeted therapies into clinical practice seems to offer incremental benefits in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), mainly when they are employed in combination with optimal chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. In this paper, we focus on Cetuximab and its role in the treatment of mCRC.

Second-line chemotherapy in advanced pancreatic carcinoma: a multicenter survey of the Gruppo Oncologico Italia Meridionale on the activity and safety of the FOLFOX4 regimen in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: In daily clinical practice second-line chemotherapy (SLCT) is frequently given to patients with advanced pancreatic cancer failing gemcitabine-based first-line chemotherapy without solid scientific support. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective survey was carried out including 42 patients. Patients received standard FOLFOX4 regimen biweekly until progression or unacceptable toxicity. RESULTS: Six partial responses (14%) and 16 stabilizations (38%) were recorded for a tumor growth control rate of 57%. The median time to progression (TtP) was 4 months (range 1-7 months), and median overall survival (OS) was 6.7 months (range 2-9 months). A stabilization of performance status (PS) and a subjective improvement of cancer-related symptoms were recorded in 27 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Data presented in this paper support the use of FOLFOX4 regimen in the second-line treatment of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas patients. The use of SLCT, however, should be carefully proposed to patients with good PS or those who had a good response to first-line therapy.

Adjuvant chemotherapy with epirubicin, leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil and etoposide regimen in resected gastric cancer patients: a randomized phase III trial by the Gruppo Oncologico Italia Meridionale (GOIM 9602 Study).

BACKGROUND: This randomized, multicenter, phase III trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of the combination of epirubicin, leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil and etoposide (ELFE regimen) as adjuvant therapy for radically resected gastric cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From June 1996 to June 2001, 228 stage IB-IIIB gastric cancer patients were enrolled. All patients received a total or subtotal gastrectomy with at least a D1 lymphoadenectomy and were randomly assigned to receive surgery alone or surgery followed by chemotherapy. RESULTS: A total number of 630 cycles was delivered with a median number of 5. With a median follow-up of 60 months, the 5-year overall survival (OS) was 48% in the treatment arm and 43.5% in the control arm [hazard ratio (HR) 0.91; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69-1.21; P = 0.610); the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 44% in the treatment arm and 39% in the control arm (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.78-0.91; P = 0.305). In node-positive patients, the 5-year OS was 41% in the treatment arm and 34% in the control arm (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.69-1.01; P = 0.068), while the 5-year DFS was 39% in the treatment arm and 31% in the control arm (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.78-0.91; P = 0.051). The most common grade 3-4 toxic effects according to World Health Organization criteria were hematological and gastrointestinal. CONCLUSIONS: In radically resected gastric cancer patients, adjuvant chemotherapy with ELFE regimen does not improve OS over surgery alone.

FOLFIRI with or without celecoxib in advanced colorectal cancer: a randomized phase II study of the Gruppo Oncologico dell'Italia Meridionale (GOIM).

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to verify the efficacy and safety of the addition of celecoxib to FOLFIRI combination therapy in patients affected by advanced colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-one chemotherapy-naïve patients entered in this randomized phase II trial of the GOIM (protocol no. 2301). Patients were randomized to receive FOLFIRI regimen (arm A): irinotecan 180 mg/m(2) on day 1 with LV5FU2 regimen (LV at 100 mg/m(2) administered as a 2-h infusion before FU at 400 mg/m(2) as an intravenous bolus injection, and FU at 600 mg/m(2) as a 22-h infusion immediately after 5-FU bolus injection on day 1 and 2); or FOLFIRI plus celecoxib 400 mg twice daily for 14 days (arm B). Both treatments were repeated every 2 weeks. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients (38 in arm A and 39 in arm B) were evaluable for response. The overall response rate was 41% in arm A (95% CI 27% to 57%) and 35% in arm B (95% CI 20% to 50%). When only assessable patients were analyzed, overall response rate was 45% in arm A (95% CI 29% to 61%) and 36% in arm B (95% CI 21% to 51%). Median time to progression, median duration of response and survival were, respectively, 8 months, 9 months and 16 months in arm A, and 7 months, 9 months and 19 months in arm B. All patients were evaluable for toxicity, which was globally mild in both arms; grade 3-4 toxicity was uncommon, and gastrointestinal disturbances were the most common. CONCLUSIONS: FOLFIRI regimen is effective and well-tolerated as a first-line treatment in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. The addition of celecoxib to FOLFIRI regimen does not improve results.

Raltitrexed plus levofolinic acid and bolus/continuous infusion 5-fluorouracil on a biweekly schedule for elderly patients with advanced colorectal carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the raltitrexed/5-fluorouracil/levofolinic acid combination regimen as first-line chemotherapy for elderly patients with advanced/metastatic colorectal cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Previously untreated patients with metastatic colorectal cancer received raltitrexed 2 mg/m(2) i.v. plus levofolinic acid and 5-fluorouracil according to the De Gramont' schedule given every 2 weeks as first-line chemotherapy. Patients were re-evaluated after six cycles and chemotherapy was continued up to tolerance or disease progression. RESULTS: Seventy patients aged >/=65 years were accrued from 11 centers between September 2001 and July 2002. According to the intention-to-treat analysis, the overall response rate was 35% (95% CI 29.5% to 40.5%) including one complete response (1%) and 24 partial responses (34%). Twenty patients (31%) showed a stabilization of disease for a tumor growth control rate of 64% (95% CI 57% to 71%). The median overall survival was 12.5 months and the median time to disease progression was 6.5 months. No toxic deaths or allergic reaction were recorded. Grade 4 toxicities were non-existent. The main hematological toxicity was grade 3 neutropenia, which occurred in 9% of patients, and grade 3 anemia in only one case, while no case of graded 3 thrombocytopenia was observed. Grade 3 non-hematological toxicities were asthenia (11%), transient increase of transaminases (10%) and diarrhea (4%). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the raltitrexed/5-fluorouracil/levolofinic acid combination is an effective and well tolerated regimen for the treatment of elderly patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Its ease of administration and patient's tolerance warrant further investigation over 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid regimens.

Gemcitabine and cisplatin for inoperable and/or metastatic biliary tree carcinomas: a multicenter phase II study of the Gruppo Oncologico dell'Italia Meridionale (GOIM).

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to test the clinical efficacy and toxicity profile of gemcitabine (GEM) in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) in a series of patients affected by unresectable and/or metastatic biliary tree carcinoma (BTC) previously untreated with chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Overall 38 consecutive patients who satisfied eligibility criteria (10 with gall-bladder carcinoma and 28 with bile duct carcinoma) were included in this phase II study. Median age was 61 years with median PS 1. Treatment included GEM 1000 mg/m(2)/week as 30 min i.v. on days 1 and 8, and CDDP 75-80 mg/m(2) on day 1 with adequate hydration protocol and forced diuresis. Treatment was repeated every 3 weeks for three cycles before first re-evaluation of disease status. RESULTS: According to an intent-to-treat analysis a complete response (CR) was achieved in 1 patient (3%) with duration of 8 months. A partial response (PR) was recorded in 11 cases (29%; 95% CI 6% to 48%) with a median duration of 6.4 months (range 5-11 months) for an overall response rate (ORR) of 32%. Stable disease (SD) was seen in eight cases (21%), while the remaining 18 patients showed progressive disease (PD). Tumor growth control rate was 53%. Objective responses were recorded at loco-regional disease, liver and nodal metastases. Lung and peritoneal metastases did not respond. Time-to-progression was 4 months (range 2-11 months) and median overall survival was 8+ months (range 2-15 months). Side-effects were mild with few cases of grade 4 hematological toxicity. Transient and reversible liver toxicity was recorded in nearly one-quarter of patients. Infection without severe grade 4 neutropenia was observed in three cases. In no case was chemotherapy withdrawn for toxicity. CONCLUSION: The GEM/CDDP regimen is active against advanced and/or metastatic BTC with a favourable toxicity profile. This regimen represents a reasonable therapeutic choice for palliation of advanced BTC. Inferences concerning overall survival are difficult to draw due to the phase II nature of the study.