Predictive value of optimal morphologic response to first-line chemotherapy in patients with colorectal liver metastases.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that morphologic response to preoperative chemotherapy is an independent prognostic factor in patients who undergo hepatic resection of colorectal liver metastases (CLM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of morphologic response to first-line chemotherapy in patients with CLM. METHODS: We assessed 41 patients with CLM who received fluorouracil-based chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab as the first-line chemotherapy between April 2006 and June 2012. Three blinded radiologists evaluated computed tomography images and classified them as optimal, incomplete or no response according to the morphologic criteria. Response to systemic chemotherapy was also evaluated according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). Predictive factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) were identified in multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (56%) received chemotherapy with bevacizumab, while 18 patients (44%) received chemotherapy without bevacizumab. Optimal morphologic response was observed in 11 patients (48%) treated with bevacizumab and in 5 patients (28%) treated without bevacizumab (p = 0.19). Eight patients (20%) underwent hepatic resection after chemotherapy. The median follow-up period was 31.3 months. The median PFS was 13.3 months for patients with optical morphologic response and 8.7 months in those with incomplete/no morphologic response (p = 0.0026). On multivariate analysis, performance status and morphologic response were significant independent predictors of PFS. CONCLUSION: Optimal morphologic response was significantly associated with PFS in patients with CLM who were treated with fluorouracil-based chemotherapy as the first-line chemotherapy.

Non-randomized comparison between irinotecan plus mitomycin C and irinotecan alone in patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to fluoropyrimidine and platinum.

BACKGROUND: Irinotecan alone and plus mitomycin C have been proven to be effective as second-line chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer. The objective of the present study was to compare the efficacy and safety of irinotecan alone (CA) and with mitomycin C (CM) in clinical practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between November 2006 and December 2011, 46 patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to fluoropyrimidine and platinum were treated with CM (n=22) or CA (n=24). RESULTS: Baseline characteristics of the patients were similar in the two treatment groups, with the exception of the sex ratio. The median progression-free survival was 3.9 months in the CM arm and 3.7 months in the CA arm (p=0.25), and the median overall survival was 9.6 and 8.7 months (p=0.36), respectively. The overall response rate was 18% in the CA arm and 9% in the CM arm (p=0.38). Grade 3/4 neutropenia (45% vs. 25%), anemia (36% vs. 4%), febrile neutropenia (14% vs. 8%), anorexia (14% vs. 8%) tended to be higher in the CM arm than in the CA arm. CONCLUSION: Although the efficacy of CM and CA for advanced gastric cancer refractory to fluoropyrimidine and platinum was not significantly different, CM tended to lead to greater incidence of adverse events in clinical practice.

Irinotecan plus mitomycin C as second-line chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer resistant to fluoropyrimidine and Cisplatin: a retrospective study.

Background. S-1 plus cisplatin has been established to be standard first-line chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer in Japan. The optimal second-line treatment refractory to S-1 plus cisplatin remains unclear. Methods. We retrospectively studied the efficacy, toxicity, and survival of irinotecan plus mitomycin C in patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to a fluoropyrimidine plus cisplatin. Results. Twenty-four patients were studied. Prior chemotherapy was S-1 plus cisplatin in 15 patients, S-1 plus cisplatin and docetaxel in 8, and 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin with radiotherapy in 1. The overall response rate was 17.4%. The median overall survival was 8.6 months, and the median progression-free survival was 3.6 months. Grade 3 or 4 toxicities included leukopenia (33%), neutropenia (50%), anemia (33%), thrombocytopenia (4%), anorexia (13%), diarrhea (4%), and febrile neutropenia (13%). Conclusion. A combination of irinotecan and mitomycin C is potentially effective in patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to a fluoropyrimidine plus cisplatin.

Efficacy of weekly paclitaxel in patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to docetaxel-based chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Only partial cross-resistance between docetaxel and paclitaxel has been demonstrated in breast and ovarian cancers. Whether weekly paclitaxel is effective in patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to docetaxel-based chemotherapy remains unclear, and we aimed to clarify the efficacy and safety of weekly paclitaxel in such patients. METHODS: Patients who had received docetaxel-based regimens were assigned to the prior-docetaxel group, and those who had never received docetaxel were designated as the non-docetaxel group. Paclitaxel at 80 mg/m(2) was administered by intravenous infusion in all patients, and this was repeated weekly for 3 weeks out of 4. RESULTS: Between April 2006 and June 2011, 65 patients were studied: 26 in the prior-docetaxel group and 39 patients were non-docetaxel group. The median age, gender, performance status, histological type, history of gastrectomy, and the locations and numbers of metastatic sites did not differ significantly between the two groups. In the prior-docetaxel group, the response rate (RR) was 14.2% (3/21) among patients with measurable lesions, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 79 days [95% confidence interval (CI), 47-135 days], and overall survival (OS) was 123 days (95% CI, 90-215 days) from the initiation of paclitaxel treatment. In the non-docetaxel group, the RR was 11.5% (3/26) among patients with measurable lesions, PFS was 82 days (95% CI, 52-106 days), and OS was 143 days (95% CI, 121-178 days). The efficacy of weekly paclitaxel thus appeared to be similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Weekly paclitaxel was modestly active in patients with gastric cancer refractory to docetaxel-based chemotherapy.

[A case of long survival for rectal cancer with chemotherapies, for postoperative pulmonary lymphangitis carcinomatosa].

A 58-year-old man underwent a high anterior resection for rectal cancer in May, 2005.T he pathological finding was stage IIIa, and he therefore started taking UFT in August, 2005.H e had dyspnea in August, 2006, however, and his diagnosis was lymphangitis carcinomatosa of the lung.mFOLFOX6 was started in the same month.Although the dose was reduced because of side effects, chemotherapy was performed for 26 courses.In November, 2007, however, computed tomography(CT) showed that the lymphangitis carcinomatosa had worsened and that a mass lesion had appeared at the S8 segment of the liver.Therefore, FOLFIRI was started in December, 2007. After that, the lesions were stable disease.Bevacizumab was added in August, 2008, but the lung lesion had worsened by May, 2009, and the chemotherapy was therefore changed to CPT-11 and cetuximab.The lesion and his condition were gradually getting worse, however, and he was admitted to the hospital for dyspnea in January, 2010.H e died the following month.Although lymphangitis carcimonatosa causing colorectal cancer is very rare and known to have a poor prognosis, we experienced a case of about 41-months long survival.This case is reported together with some bibliographical comments here.