6 research outputs found

    Metabolic evaluation of patients with recurrent idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis.

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    Background: Metabolic evaluation in recurrent idiopathic calcium renal stone-formers (RCSF) was analysed with respect to the following questions: (1) do three 24-h urines provide more diagnostic accuracy in the metabolic evaluation of RCSF than 1 or 2 urines?; (2) does time after stone event influence the diagnostic yield?; (3) is urine composition at weekends different from that at mid-week?; (4) what are the prevalences of the most important risk factors (RF) of idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis, i.e. low volume (LV), hypercalciuria (HC), hyperoxaluria (HO), hyperuricosuria (HU), hypocitraturia (Hypo-Cit), and hypomagnesiuria (Hypo-Mg)?; and (5) do male RCSF differ from females with respect to urinary RFs? Methods: Seventy-five RCSF (59 men, 16 women) collected three 24-h urines (U1-3) while on free-choice diet. To account for possible variations in lifestyle and diet, U1 and U3 had to be collected midweek and U2 at a weekend. Results: When considering all three urines together (U1 + U2 + U3), the number of RF abnormalities/patient was 2.8 +/- 0.1, higher than numbers of any combination of two urines or of any single urine (P = 0.0001 for all comparisons). The number of RF abnormalities also rose with time after stone event, from 0.8 +/- 0.1 (range 0-4) in U1 to 1.1 +/- 0.1 (range 0-4) in U3 (P = 0.011 vs U1). Whereas all other RF did not change between collections, urine volume was lower in U2 (1793 +/- 90 ml) than in U1 (2071 +/- 97 ml, P = 0.0001 vs U2) and U3 (1946 +/- 97 ml, P = 0.046 vs U2). At least 1 abnormality was found in 85.3% of all RCSF, and multiple abnormalities occurred in 47%. The most frequent RF was HC (39%), followed by HO and LV (32% each), Hypo-Cit (29%), HU (23%) and Hypo-Mg (19%). Males more often had Hypo-Cit (P < 0.001) and Hypo-Mg (P < 0.01) than females, whereas HO was more frequent in female RCSF (P < 0.025 vs males). Conclusions: Diagnostic accuracy of metabolic evaluation in RCSF increases both with the number of urines collected and the time passing after a stone event. Urines collected at weekends differ from those of the week only by their lower volumes. Abnormalities of RF for calcium nephrolithiasis can be detected in 85.3% of RCSF, and HC is the most common RF both in male and female RCSF

    Breast cancer: screening, treatment and follow-up

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    Treatment of breast cancer is complex and needs multidisciplinarity. Preferably it should be performed in breast cancer units. Chemo-/endocrine treatment modalities are chosen by the targets (eg hormone receptors, Her2 receptor) and not by the risk any more (bi-annual St. Galler Konsensus meeting). The choice of local and systemic treatment should be adapted to the patient's conditions (age, co-morbidities, sometimes preferences) and must strongly consider the risk of relapse. Treatment of breast cancer patients is demanding and requires knowledge and skills, both of which is best available in breast cancer units

    Metabolic evaluation of patients with recurrent idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis

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    BACKGROUND: Metabolic evaluation in recurrent idiopathic calcium renal stone-formers (RCSF) was analysed with respect to the following questions: (1) do three 24-h urines provide more diagnostic accuracy in the metabolic evaluation of RCSF than 1 or 2 urines?; (2) does time after stone event influence the diagnostic yield?; (3) is urine composition at weekends different from that at mid-week?; (4) what are the prevalences of the most important risk factors (RF) of idiopathic calcium nephrolithiasis, i.e. low volume (LV), hypercalciuria (HC), hyperoxaluria (HO), hyperuricosuria (HU), hypocitraturia (Hypo-Cit), and hypomagnesiuria (Hypo-Mg)?; and (5) do male RCSF differ from females with respect to urinary RFs? METHODS: Seventy-five RCSF (59 men, 16 women) collected three 24-h urines (U1-3) while on free-choice diet. To account for possible variations in lifestyle and diet, U1 and U3 had to be collected midweek and U2 at a weekend. RESULTS: When considering all three urines together (U1 + U2 + U3), the number of RF abnormalities/patient was 2.8 +/- 0.1, higher than numbers of any combination of two urines or of any single urine (P = 0.0001 for all comparisons). The number of RF abnormalities also rose with time after stone event, from 0.8 +/- 0.1 (range 0-4) in U1 to 1.1 +/- 0.1 (range 0-4) in U3 (P = 0.011 vs U1). Whereas all other RF did not change between collections, urine volume was lower in U2 (1793 +/- 90 ml) than in U1 (2071 +/- 97 ml, P = 0.0001 vs U2) and U3 (1946 +/- 97 ml, P = 0.046 vs U2). At least 1 abnormality was found in 85.3% of all RCSF, and multiple abnormalities occurred in 47%. The most frequent RF was HC (39%), followed by HO and LV (32% each), Hypo-Cit (29%), HU (23%) and Hypo-Mg (19%). Males more often had Hypo-Cit (P < 0.001) and Hypo-Mg (P < 0.01) than females, whereas HO was more frequent in female RCSF (P < 0.025 vs males). CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic accuracy of metabolic evaluation in RCSF increases both with the number of urines collected and the time passing after a stone event. Urines collected at weekends differ from those of the week only by their lower volumes. Abnormalities of RF for calcium nephrolithiasis can be detected in 85.3% of RCSF, and HC is the most common RF both in male and female RCS

    Fulvestrant with or without selumetinib, a MEK 1/2 inhibitor, in breast cancer progressing after aromatase inhibitor therapy: A multicentre randomised placebo-controlled double-blind phase II trial, SAKK 21/08.

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    BACKGROUND: Second line endocrine therapy has limited antitumour activity. Fulvestrant inhibits and downregulates the oestrogen receptor. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is one of the major cascades involved in resistance to endocrine therapy. We assessed the efficacy and safety of fulvestrant with selumetinib, a MEK 1/2 inhibitor, in advanced stage breast cancer progressing after aromatase inhibitor (AI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This randomised phase II trial included postmenopausal patients with endocrine-sensitive breast cancer. They were ramdomised to fulvestrant combined with selumetinib or placebo. The primary endpoint was disease control rate (DCR) in the experimental arm. ClinicalTrials.gov Indentifier: NCT01160718. RESULTS: Following the planned interim efficacy analysis, recruitment was interrupted after the inclusion of 46 patients (23 in each arm), because the selumetinib-fulvestrant arm did not reach the pre-specified DCR. DCR was 23% (95% confidence interval (CI) 8-45%) in the selumetinib arm and 50% (95% CI 27-75%) in the placebo arm. Median progression-free survival was 3.7months (95% CI 1.9-5.8) in the selumetinib arm and 5.6months (95% CI 3.4-13.6) in the placebo arm. Median time to treatment failure was 5.1 (95% CI 2.3-6.7) and 5.6 (95% CI 3.4-10.2) months, respectively. The most frequent treatment-related adverse events observed in the selumetinib-fulvestrant arm were skin disorders, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, oedema, diarrhoea, mouth disorders and muscle disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of selumetinib to fulvestrant did not show improving patients' outcome and was poorly tolerated at the recommended monotherapy dose. Selumetinib may have deteriorated the efficacy of the endocrine therapy in some patients

    Eribulin as first-line treatment in older patients with advanced breast cancer: A multicenter phase II trial [SAKK 25/14].

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    Standard-dose eribulin mesylate (1.4 mg/m &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; d1 + 8) achieves clinical benefit rates of 26%-52% in patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC). &lt;10% of patients in the registration trial were ≥ 70 years old; dose reductions were common in these older patients. This single-arm phase II trial explored the efficacy of reduced starting dosing of first-line eribulin at 1 mg/m &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; d1 + 8 q3 weeks in patients with mBC aged ≥70 years. The primary endpoint was a disease control rate (DCR) ≥55%. The secondary endpoints were objective response (OR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and patient-reported neurotoxicity. Overall, 77 patients were accrued; their median age was 76 years and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status was 0-1 in 90%. The DCR was 40% (90% confidence interval [CI]: 31-50); therefore, the primary endpoint was not reached. The overall response rate was 22% (95%CI: 13-33), median PFS 5.4 months (95%CI: 4.5-7.7), and median OS 16.1 months (95%CI: 13.5-26.9). Dose modifications were necessary in 35% of patients. In nine patients, more than fifteen cycles were given; 48 patients (62%) experienced at least one grade 3 toxicity. Median patient-reported neurotoxicity scores remained stable for at least fifteen cycles. The main reason for treatment discontinuation was disease progression (57%). We report the first prospective data on first-line eribulin in older patients. The reduced starting dose of 1.1 mg/m &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; was safe, with prolonged treatment and DC achieved in a considerable proportion of patients (but less than the 55% assumed), without cumulative neurotoxicity. The reduced dose was apparently within the range of the minimal effective dose, as shown by the efficacy lack in patients requiring further dose reductions. Thus, our results do not support the approach of a reduced starting dose for older patients

    A randomized phase II study evaluating different maintenance schedules of nab-Paclitaxel in the first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer: final results of the IBCSG 42-12/BIG 2-12 SNAP trial.

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    peer reviewedBackground: The phase II SNAP trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy of alternative chemotherapy schedules for prolonged administration in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC), after a short induction at conventional doses. Methods: Between April 2013 and August 2015, 258 women untreated with chemotherapy for MBC were randomly assigned to receive three different maintenance chemotherapy schedules after three cycles of identical induction chemotherapy: Arm A, nab-Paclitaxel 150 mg/m2 days 1,15 Q28; Arm B, nab-Paclitaxel 100 mg/m2 days 1,8,15 Q28; Arm C, nab-Paclitaxel 75 mg/m2 days 1,8,15,22 Q28. Induction was three cycles nab-Paclitaxel 150/125 mg/m2, days 1,8,15 Q28. The primary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of each maintenance schedule, in terms of progression-free survival (PFS), as compared to the historical reference of 7-month median PFS reported by previous studies with first-line docetaxel. One-sample, one-sided log-rank tests were utilized. Quality-of-life evaluation was performed, global indicator for physical well-being was defined as the primary endpoint; completion rates of quality-of-life forms were >90%. Results: 255 patients were evaluable for the primary endpoint. After 18.2 months median follow-up, 182 PFS events were observed. Median PFS was 7.9 months (90%CI 6.8-8.4) in Arm A, 9.0 months (90%CI 8.1-10.9) in Arm B and 8.5 months (90%CI 6.7-9.5) in Arm C. PFS in Arm B was significantly longer than the historical reference of first-line docetaxel (P=0.03). Grade>/=2 sensory neuropathy was reported in 37.9%, 36.1% and 31.2% of patients in Arm A, Arm B and Arm C, respectively (Grade>/=3 in 9.1%, 5.6% and 6.6% of patients, respectively). Noteworthy, the quality-of-life scores for sensory neuropathy did not worsen with prolonged nab-Paclitaxel administration in any of the maintenance arms. Conclusion: The SNAP trial demonstrated that alternative nab-Paclitaxel maintenance schedules with reduced dosages after a short induction at conventional doses are feasible and active in the first-line treatment of MBC. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01746225
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