Gan to kagaku ryoho. Cancer & chemotherapy
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Gan To Kagaku Ryoho · Feb 2006
Comparative Study[Direct conversion from low-dose morphine to transdermal fentanyl: efficacy for cancer pain and quality of life].
The efficacy and QOL in a cancer pain patient who converted to transdermal fentanyl from low-dose morphine (n=5) or high-dose morphine (n=5) were retrospectively compared. Cancer pain control was evaluated by visual analogue scales (VAS) score. ⋯ The number of morphine rescues was also significantly less in the low-dose conversion group. In conclusion, conversion from low-dose morphine is useful for cancer pain control from the aspect of efficacy and QOL.
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Neurological dysfunction is a common adverse effect of many chemotherapeutic agents. Any part of the peripheral or central nervous system can be affected. Various clinical syndromes including encephalopathy, cerebellar syndrome, cranial neuropathy, seizure,myelopathy, and peripheral neuropathy commonly occur. ⋯ Extravasation of vesicant drugs into the subcutaneous tissue results in severe local pain and ulceration with progressive tissue destruction. Strategies to reduce the incidence of extravasation and minimize its associated morbidity are crucial to quality of life for cancer patients. The more common clinical features of chemotherapy-induced neurologic and dermatologic toxicities are discussed below.
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Gan To Kagaku Ryoho · Jan 2006
[Two patients effectively treated with S-1 therapy for liver metastasis of breast cancer resistant to other anticancer drugs].
We had 2 patients with marked shrinkage of liver metastasis by administration of the oral fluorinated pyrimidine anticancer drug S-1 for advanced/recurrent breast cancer that was resistant to taxane and another antitumor drugs. Both patients almost completed the full dose through the whole course of treatment,and the drug showed good tolerability. S-1 was considered to possess beneficial antitumor efficacy and tolerability and to be promising as home chemotherapy for advanced/recurrent breast cancer.
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Gan To Kagaku Ryoho · Dec 2005
Case Reports[Peritoneal dissemination from gastrointestinal stromal tumor of small intestine responding completely to imatinib mesylate (STI 571)].
The prognosis of metastatic or recurrent GISTs is poor, because these tumors resist chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We report a patient with recurrent GIST who underwent molecularly targeted therapy with imatinib, a novel oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor. A 64-year-old man presented with large intra-abdominal mass. ⋯ Computed tomographic scanning at 11 months revealed that the tumor had completely disappeared. The major side effect was drug eruption,which was easily manageable with 2 weeks drug holidays. Imatinib shows promise as a safe and effective drug for the treatment of patients with recurrent GISTs.
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Gan To Kagaku Ryoho · Dec 2005
Case Reports[A case report of a terminally ill patient who died of cancer at home under pain control].
Ninety percent of patients we handle at our visiting nurse group are last stage cancer patients. We report a terminally ill cancer patient who died at home under a high dose of powerful opioids to control pain. The patient was a 69-year-old woman with colorectal cancer. ⋯ We increased the frequency of home visits and telephone calls in order to give medical and spiritual support for both the patient and her family. As a result, we could keep the patient's good QOL up to the time of her death. Based on the experiences through taking care of the patient, we strongly felt that the timing of proper guidance for the peaceful death to the family, a communication method or a communication system and telephone call visits were very important, in addition to controlling the condition of illness in order to keep up a good QOL for both the patient and her family.