Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid for locally advanced gastric cancer

Aim: This study retrospectively assessed the efficacy and tolerability of combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, infusional 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid given every two weeks and subsequent chemoradiotherapy with continuous infusions of 5-fluorouracil, in gastric cancer following curative resection. Methods: Between August 2007 and January 2014, 58 patients received adjuvant cisplatin 50 mg/m2, leucovorin 400 mg/m2, 5-fluorouracil 400 mg/m2 IV bolus and 5-fluorouracil 2400 mg/m2 as 48-h continuous infusion, every 14 days for gastric adenocarcinoma. After the first 2 cycles of chemotherapy, adjuvant radiation therapy was administered concurrently with the continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil. Following the completion of radiation therapy, patients received another 4 cycles of combination chemotherapy. Results: A total of 58 patients were included in this study and out of these, 41 patients were male and the median age was 53.5 years. 81% of the patients (n = 47) could complete 6 courses of planned chemotherapy. The median follow-up time was 31.4 (9.33–88.77) months, the median disease free survival (DFS) was 26.43 (95% CI: 49.38–69.95) months. The median overall survival (OS) was 28.53 (95% CI: 49.46–69.55) months. The estimated 3-year DFS and OS rates were 58.75% and 64.04% respectively. Common grade 3 and 4 side effects were weakness (18.9%), nausea and vomiting (12%), diarrhea (10.3%) and neutropenia (10.3%). Conclusion: The addition of combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, infusional 5-fluorouracil and folinic acid before and after chemoradiotherapy was found to be safe and effective in patients with operated gastric cancer

Prognostic significance of the baseline serum uric acid level in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with first-line chemotherapy: a study of the Turkish Descriptive Oncological Researches Group

WOS: 000342079600034PubMed ID: 25216865Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common cancers. Most of the patients are inoperable at the time of diagnosis, and the prognosis is poor. Many prognostic factors have been identified in prior studies. However, it is not clear which factor is more useful. In this study, we investigated whether uric acid, the last breakdown product of purine metabolism in humans, has a prognostic significance in advanced NSCLC. A total of 384 NSCLC patients at stage IIIB/IV and who did not meet exclusion criteria were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. The patients' serum uric acid levels before first-line chemotherapy and demographic (age, gender, smoking), clinical (performance status, weight loss, disease stage, first-line treatment regimen), laboratory (hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase), and histologic (histologic type, tumor grade) characteristics were recorded. First, a cut-off value was determined for serum uric acid level. Then, the patients were stratified into four groups (quartiles) based on their serum uric acid levels. Descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate analyses, and survival analyses were used. Majority of the patients were males, smokers and metastatic at time of diagnosis and had history of weight loss and adenocarcinoma upon pathological examination. The serum uric acid levels of all patients were determined as 4.9 +/- 2.9 (range 1.9-11.3). The patients were stratified according to quartiles of serum uric acid concentration with cutoff values defined as 7.49 mg/dL (highest quartile, Group 4). Among the patients who had serum uric acid levels over 7.49, it was observed that those who also had squamous cell carcinoma had a greater rate of brain metastasis, a shorter time lapse until brain metastasis, and lower overall survival rate. It can be assumed that NSCLC patients who had histologically shown squamous cell carcinoma display brain metastasis and poor prognosis. It can be recommended to repeat this study with larger patient series including immunohistochemical, molecular, and wider laboratory investigations

The recurrence with isolated intra-abdominal lymph node in patients with colorectal cancer: A study of the Turkish Descriptive Oncological Researches Group (intra-abdominal lymph node and colon cancer)

Background: This study aimed to identify the risk factors related in recurrence with isolated intra-abdominal lymph node metastasis in patients with colorectal cancer. Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional study of 21 colorectal cancer patients with isolated intra-abdominal lymph node metastases. Preoperative demographic and laboratory/postoperative histological features of these patients were been analyzed. Results: Lymphovascular and perineural invasion and mutant-type K-ras status were more common in the study patients. In addition, a significant correlation was been detected between lymphovascular and perineural invasion, preoperative serum CEA level, preoperative thrombocyte count, mutant-type K-ras status, and pathological N3 disease. Mutant-type K-ras status and the presence of lymphovascular invasion were independent prognostic risk factors for isolated intra-abdominal lymph node metastasis. Conclusions: The presence of lymphovascular invasion and mutant-type K-ras status may be poor prognostic risk factors for isolated intra-abdominal lymph node metastasis in patients with colorectal cancer. However, studies involving larger patient series, molecular indicators, and cohorts with metastasis in other areas are been needed to verify this study