Seminars in oncology
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Seminars in oncology · Apr 1996
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialCisplatin and ifosfamide with various doses of vinorelbine (navelbine) in advanced non-small lung cancer.
From November 1992 to March 1994 we concluded a phase II trial of the combination of cisplatin 75 mg/m2 and ifosfamide 3 g/m2 on day 1 and increasing doses of vinorelbine (Navelbine; Burroughs Wellcome Co, Research Triangle Park, NC; Pierre Fabre Medicament, Paris, France). Group A was given vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 on day 1, group B 25 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8, and group C 25 mg/m2 on days 1 and 15 and 12.5 mg/m2 on day 8. Inclusion criteria were histologically proven non-small cell lung cancer, stage IIIB or IV disease, no underlying disease, performance status < 2, no previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy, not older than 75 years, and informed consent. ⋯ Dose intensity for vinorelbine was 8.1 mg/m2/wk in group A, 14.7 mg/m2/wk in group B, and 16.9 mg/m2/wk in group C. This study shows that increased dose intensity with vinorelbine is feasible and seems to increase the response rate and median survival, which was 28 weeks in group A and 38 weeks in group B. Median survival had not been reached in group C.
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Seminars in oncology · Apr 1996
ReviewPalliative and supportive care of patients with pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer tends to be diagnosed at a relatively late stage of disease and often secondary to significant complaints of pain. In addition there is evidence of higher rates of depressive symptoms at diagnosis in pancreatic cancer than in other forms of cancer. These factors, along with the specific tumor anatomy and pathophysiology of pancreatic cancer make palliative considerations central to the care of patients with the disease. ⋯ Depression should be treated with pharmacotherapy and supportive psychotherapy as indicated. Hospice should be considered early on in the treatment relationship and can provide pain and symptom management services as well as play an important role in providing emotional support to the patient and family. Attention to pain, mood, psychological distress, and other quality of life issues can often allow for successful treatment of symptoms and improvement in functioning even in the setting of late stage pancreatic cancer.
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Seminars in oncology · Apr 1996
Clinical TrialPreliminary report on a phase I study of ifosfamide and vinorelbine (navelbine) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Vinorelbine (Navelbine; Burroughs Wellcome Co, Research Triangle Park, NC; Pierre Fabre Medicament, Paris, France), a semisynthetic vinca alkaloid, and ifosfamide have each shown activity as a single agent and in various combination-chemotherapy regimens against non-small cell lung cancer. Vinorelbine usually has been given on a once-weekly schedule. We designed a phase I study adding escalating doses of vinorelbine on a novel schedule of 3 consecutive days to ifosfamide in a dose-intensive regimen with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. ⋯ The maximum tolerated dose of vinorelbine given on days 1, 2, and 3 is 30 mg/m2 when given with ifosfamide at 1.6 g/m2 on days 1, 2, and 3 and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support. Myelosuppression is the dose-limiting toxic effect. Future analyses of the data will report the overall response and survival rates in these patients.
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Seminars in oncology · Feb 1996
ReviewPaclitaxel couplets with cyclophosphamide or cisplatin in metastatic breast cancer.
Determining active combinations containing paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) to treat metastatic breast cancer has been the focus of recent clinical development. Paclitaxel combined with either cyclophosphamide or cisplatin has several potential advantages: cisplatin and cyclophosphamide are active single agents against previously untreated metastatic breast cancer, colony-stimulating factors can modulate overlapping toxicities like myelosuppression, and no mechanisms of cross-resistance between paclitaxel and these agents are yet known. Major questions include the optimal schedule of administration and the sequence dependence of toxicities with these combinations. ⋯ As expected, dose-limiting toxicity in all studies has been hematologic. However, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor has ameliorated myelosuppression and allowed considerable dose escalation of cyclophosphamide. This combination has demonstrated activity in previously treated patients with metastatic breast cancer, including the anthracycline-refractory subpopulation that will be reviewed.