Bmc Cancer
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Comparative Study
Continual reassessment method for dose escalation clinical trials in oncology: a comparison of prior skeleton approaches using AZD3514 data.
The continual reassessment method (CRM) requires an underlying model of the dose-toxicity relationship ("prior skeleton") and there is limited guidance of what this should be when little is known about this association. In this manuscript the impact of applying the CRM with different prior skeleton approaches and the 3 + 3 method are compared in terms of ability to determine the true maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and number of patients allocated to sub-optimal and toxic doses. ⋯ Prior skeletons for the CRM for phase 1 clinical trials are proposed in this manuscript and applied to a real clinical trial dataset. Highly accurate initial skeleton estimates may not be essential to determine the true MTD, and, as expected, all CRM methods out-performed the 3 + 3 method. There were differences in performance between skeletons. The choice of skeleton should depend on whether minimizing the number of patients allocated to suboptimal or toxic doses is more important.
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The predictive accuracy of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stages of colorectal cancer (CRC) is mediocre. This study aimed to develop postoperative nomograms to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) after CRC resection without preoperative therapy. ⋯ We propose two prognostic nomograms that exhibit improved predictive accuracy and net benefit for patients who have undergone CRC resection. The established nomograms are intended for risk assessment and selection of suitable patients who may benefit from adjuvant therapy and intensified follow-up after surgery. Independent external validations may still be required.
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Anthracyclines, as the most effective therapy, are the cornerstone of advanced stage sarcoma treatment. However, anthracyclines can also contribute to myocardial dysfunction and congestive heart failure, ultimately limiting the therapeutic potential of the drug. Coadministration of Dexrazoxane has been shown to effectively reduce cardiotoxicity, however primarily in patients suffering in diseases other than sarcoma. ⋯ Chemotherapy with high cumulative doses of anthracyclines in addition with DRZ demonstrated a remarkable OS in these advanced disease patients. Cardiac side-effects due to high cumulative doses of anthracyclines requiring discontinuation of anthracycline treatment were rare. A PFS of 9 months from the beginning of the coadministration of DRZ indicates that continuing anthracycline therapy beyond established cumulative doses is a promising therapeutic option.
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Thrombocytosis has been associated with poor ovarian cancer prognosis. However, comparisons of thresholds to define thrombocytosis and evaluation of relevant timing of platelet measurement has not been previously conducted. ⋯ Our EMR approach yielded associations comparable to published findings from medical record abstraction approaches. In addition, our results indicate that lower thrombocytosis thresholds and platelet measures up to 8 weeks before diagnosis may inform ovarian cancer characteristics and prognosis.
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Radiation recall gastritis is rare but can be induced after concurrent chemoradiation for pancreatic cancer. We report a patient with pancreatic cancer who developed radiation-recall gastritis related to a combination of gemcitabine and erlotinib. ⋯ Physicians should be aware of the possibility of radiation recall gastritis associated with a combination of gemcitabine and erlotinib. Administration of PPIs may mitigate the adverse effects of gemcitabine and erlotinib in the presence of radiation recall gastritis; however further studies are warranted.