Continuous versus intermittent extended adjuvant letrozole for breast cancer: final results of randomized phase III SOLE (Study of Letrozole Extension) and SOLE Estrogen Substudy.

BACKGROUND: Late recurrences in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancers remain an important challenge. Avoidance or delayed development of resistance represents the main objective in extended endocrine therapy (ET). In animal models, resistance was reversed with restoration of circulating estrogen levels during interruption of letrozole treatment. This phase III, randomized, open-label Study of Letrozole Extension (SOLE) studied the effect of extended intermittent letrozole treatment in comparison with continuous letrozole. In parallel, the SOLE estrogen substudy (SOLE-EST) analyzed the levels of estrogen during the interruption of treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: SOLE enrolled 4884 postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive, lymph node-positive, operable breast cancer between December 2007 and October 2012 and among them, 104 patients were enrolled in SOLE-EST. They must have undergone local treatment and have completed 4-6 years of adjuvant ET. Patients were randomized between continuous letrozole (2.5 mg/day orally for 5 years) and intermittent letrozole treatment (2.5 mg/day for 9 months followed by a 3-month interruption in years 1-4 and then 2.5 mg/day during all of year 5). RESULTS: Intention-to-treat population included 4851 women in SOLE (n = 2425 in the intermittent and n = 2426 in the continuous letrozole groups) and 103 women in SOLE-EST (n = 78 in the intermittent and n = 25 in the continuous letrozole groups). After a median follow-up of 84 months, 7-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 81.4% in the intermittent group and 81.5% in the continuous group (hazard ratio: 1.03, 95% confidence interval: 0.91-1.17). Reported adverse events were similar in both groups. Circulating estrogen recovery was demonstrated within 6 weeks after the stop of letrozole treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Extended adjuvant ET by intermittent administration of letrozole did not improve DFS compared with continuous use, despite the recovery of circulating estrogen levels. The similar DFS coupled with previously reported quality-of-life advantages suggest intermittent extended treatment is a valid option for patients who require or prefer a treatment interruption.

The role of MRI in the assessment of the local status of anal carcinomas and in their management.

This study aims to define the role of Magnetic Resonance (MR) examinations in the assessment and therapy of anal cancer (AC), and to present the main features of the MR examinations and the typical tumor spread pattern. The MR examinations of 67 anal cancer patients with histologically confirmed planocellular cancer were analyzed retrospectively. The tumor size and the signal intensity, the nodal status were examined before and after the treatment, and in recidive tumors (N = 13). At the time of the diagnosis the primary tumor was in early stage (Tis, T1, T2) in 71.5 % of the cases, and it was localized in 97 %. In 97.4 % of the cases the tumor had relatively increased signal intensities compared to the adjacent muscles. Patients received chemo-radiotherapy (CRT). After CRT in 26 out of 39 patients (66.7 %) the size of the tumor decreased (in 75 %), and the signal intensity decreased on the T2 weighted (T2w) images. In the residual tumor cases (19/39) verified 6 patients out of 19 had further decrease in size, and signal intensity a year after the end of the therapy. The MR examination plays a key role in the therapy of AC, by assessing the precise local status, the possible recidive tumors, and monitoring the therapy.

Cetuximab, gemcitabine and capecitabine in patients with inoperable biliary tract cancer: a phase 2 study.

PURPOSE: Biliary tract cancer is rare and has dismal prognosis. Chemotherapy has its role in inoperable disease but the role of targeted agents like cetuximab remains to be defined. On the basis of high epidermal growth factor receptor expression of biliary tract cancers this study aims to investigate the efficacy of cetuximab, gemcitabine and capecitabine in an exploratory phase 2 trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Inoperable biliary tract cancer patients were treated with the combination of gemcitabine (1000 mg/m(2) on day 1 and 8), capecitabine (1300 mg/m(2)/d on day 1-14) and weekly cetuximab (400mg/m(2) loading and 250 mg/m(2) maintenance dose) in 21-d cycles until progression or the appearance of intolerable side-effects. RESULTS: Out of 34 patients (mean age 59.7 years) accrued in this study 16 had intrahepatic, eight extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and 10 gall bladder cancer. The best overall response rate was 17.6% (two complete responses and four partial responses) and the clinical benefit rate was 76.5%. After a median of 15.4 months follow-up the median progression free survival was 34.3 weeks and the median overall survival was 62.8 weeks. The performance status and chemotherapy efficacy were independent and significant markers of survival. Only moderate side-effects were registered in this study. KRAS mutation was evaluable in 24 tumours, all of these were of wild type. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of cetuximab, gemcitabine and capecitabine combination is encouraging and a well tolerated treatment of inoperable biliary tract cancers.

Cetuximab and platinum-based chemoradio- or chemotherapy of patients with epidermal growth factor receptor expressing adenoid cystic carcinoma: a phase II trial.

BACKGROUND: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is highly expressed in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). The efficacy and toxicity of cetuximab with concomitant platinum-based chemoradio- or chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic ACC, respectively, was evaluated. METHODS: Eligible patients (9 with locally advanced tumour and 12 with metastases) had positive tumour EGFR expression. The cetuximab loading dose (400 mg m⁻²) was followed by 250 mg m⁻² per week. Locally advanced tumours were irradiated (mean dose 65 Gy) and treated with concomitant cisplatin (75 mg m⁻², intravenously). Patients with metastases received concomitant cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (4 × 1000 mg m⁻²). RESULTS: For patients with locally advanced disease (median follow-up: 52 months), the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 64 months and the 2-year overall survival (OS) rate was 100%. For patients with metastases (median follow-up: 72 months), the median PFS and OS were 13 and 24 months, respectively. In both groups the objective response rate was >40%. Skin rash, in-field dermatitis, mucositis and vomiting were the most frequent grade 3/4 adverse events. CONCLUSION: In this single-arm study, the efficacy of cetuximab plus chemoradio- or chemotherapy appeared favourable as compared with historical controls. All side effects were manageable and did not hamper the treatment.

The use of high dose d,l-leucovorin in first-line bevacizumab+mFOLFIRI treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer may enhance the antiangiogenic effect of bevacizumab.

The role of d,l-leucovorin (d,l-LV) dose on efficacy and toxicity of first-line bevacizumab+mFOLFIRI or mFOLFIRI treatment has never been investigated in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. This study was an investigator initiated retrospective observational investigation performed on 450 consecutive patients. The mFOLFIRI regimen consisted of irinotecan (180 mg/m(2)), d,l-LV low (200 mg/m(2)) or high (400 mg/m(2)) dose and bolus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (400 mg/m(2)), followed by a 46-h infusion of 5-FU (2400 mg/m(2)). The bevacizumab+mFOLFIRI regimen consisted of bevacizumab (5 mg/kg)+mFOLFIRI. The efficacy (objective response [OR], progression-free [PFS] and overall survival [OS]) and toxicity was evaluated and compared. The use of high versus low dose d,l-LV in bevacizumab+mFOLFIRI regimen improved the OR rate (63 and 38 %, respectively; P = 0.00015), median PFS (13 and 9 months, respectively; P = 0.000005) and median OS (26 and 21 months, respectively; P = 0.0058). The efficacy of mFOLFIRI and the toxicity pattern of both bevacizumab+mFOLFIRI and mFOLFIRI regimens were independent of d,l-LV dose. Beside the d,l-LV dose the bevacizumab-related hypertension was an independent marker of longer survival. The use of high d,l-LV dose in bevacizumab+mFOLFIRI regimen would enhance the antiangiogenic effect of bevacizumab and subsequently the efficacy of treatment without increasing the number of adverse events. These findings need to be further confirmed in a randomized controlled prospective trial.

Supraclavicular abscess caused by Salmonella enteritidis in patient without gastrointestinal symptoms.

Soft tissue infections are among the rare manifestations of extra intestinal salmonellosis and occur more frequently in immunocompromised patients. Herein we report a case of a 51-year-old white male with type II. diabetes mellitus, diagnosed with supraclavicular abscess caused by Salmonella enteritidis. The patient denied any gastrointestinal symptoms, and stool cultures were negative. After incision, drainage, and administration of intravenous ampicillin (4 x 1.5 g/day for two weeks) the patient recovered completely. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of cervical soft tissue abscess caused by Salmonella enteritidis without preceding gastrointestinal symptoms. We feel that the presence of diabetes was a risk factor for developing the infection.