number of mediastinal lymph nodes as a prognostic factor in pn2 non small cell lung cancer a single centre experience and review of the literature

Lung cancer is one of the most common cause of cancer-related death for men and women in the world. The prevalent histology is non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), including squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma (Moretti et al., 2009), with a 5year survival rate of 67% (stage IA) to <5% (stage IV) (End, 2006). Currently the most important predictor of survival in lung cancer is the stage (TNM) (Kligerman and Abbot, 2010; Goldstraw, 2009). Despite the new staging system (Kligerman and Abbot, 2010), stage III NSCLC remains a very heterogeneous disease , with a 5-year survival rate ranging from 35% to 5%. There are two major treatment targets for of patients with stage III : locoregional control and control of micrometastases, preventing distant metastatic disease (Penland et al., 2004; Bradley et al., 2005). The standard of care is represented by multimodality treatment, comprehending surgery for resectable disease, perioperative chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT) for patients with pathological (p) N2 disease (Okamoto, 2008). In current TNM classification system, N category is defined exclusively by anatomic nodal location, though number of lymph nodes confirmed to be a fundamental prognostic factor as in other type of tumours. In our study, we assessed, in patients with stage III N2 category NSCLC disease, the prognostic value of the number of lymph nodes after multimodality treatment

Multiple bone metastases from glioblastoma multiforme without local brain relapse: A case report and review of the literature

Extracranial metastases from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are a very rare event, even if an increasing incidence has been documented. We report the case of a young woman with primary GBM who developed bone metastases without local brain relapse. Because of persistent headache and visual disturbances, in March 2011 the patient underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidencing a temporoparietal mass, which was surgically resected. Histology revealed GBM. She was given concomitant chemoradiotherapy according to the Stupp regimen. After a 4-week break, the patient received 6 cycles of adjuvant temozolomide according to the standard 5- day schedule every 28 days. In December 2011 she complained of progressive low back pain, and MRI showed multiple bone metastases from primary GBM, confirmed by histology. Cases of metastatic GBM in concurrence with a primary brain tumor or local relapse are more common in the literature; only a few cases have been reported where extracranial metastases from GBM occurred without any relapse in the brain. Here we report our experience

Neoadjuvant-intensified treatment for rectal cancer: Time to change?

AIM: To investigate whether neoadjuvant-intensified radiochemotherapy improved overall and disease-free survival in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. METHODS: Between January 2007 and December 2011, 80 patients with histologically confirmed rectal adenocarcinoma were enrolled. Tumors were clinically classified as either T3 or T4 and by the N stage based on the presence or absence of positive regional lymph nodes. Patients received intensified combined modality treatment, consisting of neoadjuvant radiation therapy (50.4-54.0 Gy) and infusional chemotherapy (oxaliplatin 50 mg/m(2)) on the first day of each week, plus five daily continuous infusions of fluorouracil (200 mg/m(2) per die) from the first day of radiation therapy until radiotherapy completion. Patients received five or six cycles of oxaliplatin based on performance status, clinical lymph node involvement, and potential risk of a non-sphincter-conserving surgical procedure. Surgery was planned 7 to 9 wk after the end of radiochemotherapy treatment; adjuvant chemotherapy treatment was left to the oncologist's discretion and was recommended in patients with positive lymph nodes. After treatment, all patients were monitored every three months for the first year and every six months for the subsequent years. RESULTS: Of the 80 patients enrolled, 75 patients completed the programmed neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy treatment. All patients received the radiotherapy prescribed total dose; five patients suspended chemotherapy indefinitely because of chemotherapy-related toxicity. At least five cycles of oxaliplatin were administered to 73 patients. Treatment was well tolerated with high compliance and a good level of toxicity. Most of the acute toxic effects observed were classified as grades 1-2. Proctitis grade 2 was the most common symptom (63.75%) and the earliest manifestation of acute toxicity. Acute toxicity grades 3-4 was reported in 30% of patients and grade 3 or 4 diarrhoea reported in just three patients (3.75%). Seventy-seven patients underwent surgery; low anterior resection was performed in 52 patients, Miles' surgery in 11 patients and total mesorectal excision in nine patients. Fifty patients showed tumor downsizing >= 50% pathological downstaging in 88.00% of tumors. Out of 75 patients surviving surgery, 67 patients (89.33%) had some form of downstaging after preoperative treatment. A pathological complete response was achieved in 23.75% of patients and a nearly pathologic complete response (stage ypT1ypN0) in six patients. An involvement of the radial margin was never present. During surgery, intra-abdominal metastases were found in only one patient (1.25%). Initially, 45 patients required an abdominoperineal resection due to a tumor distal margin <= 5 cm from the anal verge. Of these patients, only seven of them underwent Miles' surgery and sphincter preservation was guaranteed in 84.50% of patients in this subgroup. Fourteen patients received postoperative chemotherapy. In the full analysis of enrolled cohort, eight of the 80 patients died, with seven deaths related to rectal cancer and one to unrelated causes. Local recurrences were observed in seven patients (8.75%) and distant metastases in 17 cases (21.25%). The fiveyear rate of overall survival rate was 90.91%. Using a median follow-up time of 28.5 mo, the cumulative incidence of local recurrences was 8.75%, and the overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 90.00% and 70.00%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest oxaliplatin chemotherapy has a beneficial effect on overall survival, likely due to an increase in local tumor control. (C) 2013 Baishideng. All rights reserved

Endorectal ultrasonography performance in staging rectal cancer before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

AIM: To evaluate accuracy of endorectal ultrasonography (ERUS) both in staging and restaging rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy treatment. METHODS: In a group of 80 patients with rectal cancer, we retrospectively selected 67 patients and divided in two groups: 41 patients affected by a stage I were investigated with a single preoperative endorectal sonography; 26 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (stage II or more) were restaged after neoadjuvant treatment, which consisted of 5,040 cGy in 28 daily fractions associated with continuous infusion of 5-Fluorouracil. All patients underwent surgery and ERUS findings were subsequently compared with histological findings. RESULTS: Diagnostic accuracy of ERUS in the first group of patients was high: in fact T-staging was accurate in 85% of cases. Results in the second group were significantly less accurate, with a correct T-staging just for 47% of cases. Nodes involvement was correctly evaluated in 86% of cases for the first group and in 63% of cases for the second one. CONCLUSIONS: Endorectal sonography is a valid staging modality for early rectal malignancy. Advanced cancer is treated with neoadjuvant preoperative chemoradiotherapy which is associated with better outcome than postoperative treatment. We found endorectal sonography, based on the layer model of rectal wall, often fails restaging and we think we have to develop new criteria for a correct preoperative assessment after neoadjuvant chemoradiation

Induction therapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin followed by hyperfractionated radiotherapy plus weekly concurrent chemotherapy and subsequent consolidation therapy in unresectable locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Aims and background: The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the safety and feasibility of a complete integrated approach, including induction chemotherapy with carboplatin/paclitaxel followed by accelerated hyperfractionatad radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy, and then by consolidation chemotherapy for locally advanced stage III non-small cell lung carcinoma. Methods: Systemic doses of carboplatin AUC 6 and paclitaxel (200 mg/m(2)), 3 weeks out of 4, were planned as induction and consolidation chemotherapy. Weekly carboplatin AUC of 2 plus paclitaxel (50 mg/m(2)) were given during thoracic radiotherapy. Results: Eighteen patients were enrolled: 10 were evaluated at the end of chemoradiation and 8 received consolidation chemotherapy. On an intent-to-treat basis, 55% of patients achieved a response after induction therapy, whereas chemoradiation and consolidation therapy increased the response rate by 33% and 16%, respectively. No patient experienced grade &gt;3 acute hematologic toxicity during systemic-dose chemotherapy. With the exception of one episode of a severe cardiac adverse event, non-hematologic toxicity was similarly tolerable. Severe acute adverse events observed during concurrent chemoradiation were mainly represented by esophagitis, resulting in interruption of the radiotherapy in 25% of patients. More notably, only one patient experienced serious non-hematologic late toxicity. Conclusions: Although the present approach seemed feasible, our data did not support any possible advantage in favor of this three-phase integrated treatment, and therefore the design will not be investigated in a subsequent phase II study

Buschke-Löwenstein tumor with squamous cell carcinoma treated with chemo-radiation therapy and local surgical excision: report of three cases.

Treatment of anorectal Buschke-Löwenstein tumor (BLT) with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) transformation is not univocal given the rarity of the disease. BLT is characterized by its large size and tendency to infiltrate into underlying tissues. Malignant transformation can occur and it is important to identify the presence of neoplastic foci to decide the proper treatment. Our aim was to assess the effectiveness of neo-adjuvant chemo-radiation therapy (CRT) and local excision in order to avoid abdomino-perineal resection (APR). Three cases of anorectal BLT with SCC transformation are presented. All patients were HIV positive and treated with antiretroviral drugs. They underwent preoperative endoanal ultrasound, biopsies, total body tomography and anal brushing. Treatment consisted of neo-adjuvant chemo-radiation therapy (45 Gy to the pelvis plus a boost with 14.40 Gy to the primary tumor for a total of 59.40 Gy, and mitomycin-C in bolus on the first day, plus 5-fluorouracil by continuous infusion in the first and in the sixth week) and subsequent local surgical excision. During the follow-up, patients were subjected to the same preoperative diagnostic investigations and high resolution anoscopy. All patients showed a complete regression of the lesion after CRT and were treated by local surgical excision, thus avoiding permanent colostomy. In conclusion neo-adjuvant chemo-radiation therapy with local surgical excision could be considered an effective therapy in the treatment of anorectal BLT with SCC transformation to avoid APR