Antihormonal treatment associated musculoskeletal pain in women with breast cancer in the adjuvant setting

Selcuk Seber,1 Dilek Solmaz,2 Tarkan Yetisyigit1 1Medical Oncology Department, 2Rheumatology Department, Namik Kemal University Hospital, Tekirdag, Turkey Purpose: Antihormonal treatment is an effective therapy in the adjuvant setting. However, musculoskeletal pain is a common adverse effect encountered in patients receiving this treatment. We aimed to evaluate the risk factors for the development of antihormonal treatment-associated musculoskeletal pain (AHAMP) and its impact on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL).Patients and methods: A cross-sectional survey of 78 consecutive breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant antihormonal treatment for early-stage breast cancer in an academic medical oncology clinic was conducted. AHAMP was assessed by Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS). HRQOL was assessed by self-administered short form 36 and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast subscale surveys.Results: AHAMP was found to be present in 37 (47.7%) patients. In multivariate regression analysis, having a normal body mass index (<30 kg/m2), cigarette smoking, and low serum vitamin D level (20 ng/mL) were found to be independent risk factors. In HRQOL assessment, physical and mental scores were found to be significantly lower in patients with joint arthralgia.Conclusion: AHAMP has an adverse effect on the quality of life of breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant antihormonal treatment, and assessment of predictive factors is important for identification of patient groups at risk of developing this condition. Keywords: antineoplastic hormonal agents, musculoskeletal pain, breast cance

Recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the skin treated successfully with single agent cetuximab therapy

Selcuk Seber,1 Aylin Gonultas,2 Ozlem Ozturk,2 Tarkan Yetisyigit1 1Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Namik Kemal University, 2Pathology Department, Tekirdag State Hospital, Tekirdag, Turkey Abstract: Recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is a rare but difficult to treat condition. Frequently, the disease presents itself in elderly patients with poor performance status and bearing many comorbidities, thus the decision to administer systemic chemotherapy becomes difficult to make. In addition, current chemotherapeutic protocols response rates are far from satisfactory. Recently cetuximab, a chimeric antibody against epidermal growth factor receptor, is increasingly being reported as an alternative treatment. We therefore report this case of a recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the skin in an elderly woman with poor performance status and who had an excellent clinical response to single agent cetuximab therapy with complete resolution of the disease and minimal toxicity during the course of the treatment to provide evidence for future prospective clinical trials. Keywords: cetuximab, EGFR inhibiton, squamous cell carcinoma of the ski

Central nervous system metastatic epithelial ovarian cancer. Clinical parameters and prognostic factors: a multicenter study of Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology

WOS: 000396649000012PubMed ID: 29953785Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis is a rare event in the course of late stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC); however its incidence is increasing in parallel with prolonged survival of patients. Objective: The authors assessed the clinical parameters and potential prognostic features in patients with CNS metastatic disease. Materials and Methods: Clinical data of the 33 patients from the participating centers were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Median age at the time of CNS metastasis was 57 years. Median time from the diagnosis of primiuy EOC until CNS metastatic disease was 22 months. Nearly half (45.5%) of the patients had single CNS metastatic lesions and all patients in the study group except two received radiotherapy as palliative treatment. Median overall survival (OS) from the time of CNS metastasis was 15 months (0-66). At univariate analysis only number of brain metastatic lesions (p = 0.001) and presence of extracranial disease (p = 0.004) were strongly associated with OS whereas multimodal treatment, size of metastatic lesions, platinum sensitivity, age, grade, and disease stage at presentation were not. Development of CNS metastasis carries a poor prognosis, however patients with single metastatic lesions and only intracranial metastatic disease can have prolonged survival after appropriate palliative management of their disease

Mitomycin-C in combination with fluoropyrimidines in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer after oxaliplatin and irinotecan failure

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of mitomycin-C (MMC) in combination with fluoropyrimidines as salvage 3rd -or 4th-line therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) patients

Crizotinib Efficacy in ALK-Positive Advanced Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients: A Real-World Experience from Turkey

WOS: 00045401450123