Evidence for a delay in diagnosis of Wilms' tumour in the UK compared with Germany: implications for primary care for children

The UK has a longstanding system of general practice which provides the vast majority of primary care, including that for children. It acts as a 'gatekeeper' to more specialist care. Parents may also use accident and emergency departments as their first point of medical contact for their children. Outcomes in the UK for many conditions in children appear to be worse than in comparable European countries where there is direct access to care by paediatricians. We have therefore looked at pathways to diagnosis and compared outcomes in the childhood kidney cancer, Wilms' tumour, which has been treated in the UK and Germany within the same clinical trial for over a decade. We find that Wilms' tumours are significantly larger in volume and have a more advanced tumour stage at diagnosis in the UK compared to Germany. There is a small (∼3%) difference in event free and overall survival between the two countries. Our data suggest that the system of primary care for children in the UK is less likely to result in the incidental finding of an abdominal mass in a child with no or vague symptoms. This may be a reason for the poorer outcome

Adjuvant treatment in colorectal cancer

British Journal of Cancer (2002) 86, 1525–1526. DOI: 10.1038/sj/bjc/6600280 www.bjcancer.co

Clinical benefit of systemic therapies for recurrent ovarian cancer-ESMO-MCBS scores

BACKGROUND: Licensed systemic treatment options for platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer are platinum-based chemotherapy and maintenance treatment with bevacizumab and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors. For platinum-resistant disease, several non-platinum options are available. We aimed to assess the clinical benefit of these treatments according to the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO)-Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (MCBS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A PubMed search was carried out including all studies evaluating systemic treatment of recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer, from 1990 onwards. Randomised trials with an adequate comparator and design showing a statistically significant benefit of the study arm were independently scored by two blinded observers using the ESMO-MCBS. RESULTS: A total of 1127 papers were identified, out of which 61 reported results of randomised trials of sufficient quality. Nineteen trials showed statistically significant results and the studied treatments were graded according to ESMO-MCBS. Only three treatments showed substantial benefit (score of 4 on a scale of 1-5) according to the ESMO-MCBS: platinum-based chemotherapy with paclitaxel in the platinum-sensitive setting and the addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy in the platinum-resistant setting. The WEE1 inhibitor adavosertib (not licensed) also scores a 4, based on a recent small phase II study. Assessment of quality-of-life data and toxicity using the ESMO-MCBS showed to be complex, which should be taken into account in using this score for clinical decision making. CONCLUSION: Only a few licensed systemic therapies for recurrent ovarian cancer show substantial clinical benefit based on ESMO-MCBS scores. Trials demonstrating overall survival benefit are sparse

Concurrent chemotherapy (carboplatin, paclitaxel, etoposide) and involved-field radiotherapy in limited stage small cell lung cancer: a Dutch multicenter phase II study

To improve the prognosis of limited stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) the addition of concurrent thoracic radiotherapy to a platinum-containing regimen is important. In the Netherlands, we initiated a multicenter, phase II study, of the combination of four cycles of carboplatin (AUC 5), paclitaxel (200 mg m−2) and etoposide (2 × 50 mg orally for 5 days) combined with 45 Gy (daily fractions of 1.8 Gy). The radiation was given to the involved field and concurrently with the second and third chemotherapy cycle. Patients with a partial or complete response received prophylactic cranial irradiation to a dose of 30 Gy. From January 1999 to December 2001, 37 of the 38 patients with LS-SCLC entered were eligible for toxicity analysis and response. Grade 3 and 4 haematological toxicity occurred in 57% (21/37) with febrile neutropenia in 24% (9/37). There were no treatment-related deaths or other grade 4 toxicity. Grade 3 toxicities were oesophagitis (27%), radiation pneumonitis (6%), anorexia (14%), nausea (16%), dyspnea (19%) and lethargy (22%). The objective response rate was 92% (95% confidence interval (CI) 80–98%) with a median survival time of 19.5 months (95% CI 12.8–29.2). The 1-, 2- and 5-year survival rate was 70, 47 and 27%, respectively. In field local recurrences occurred in six patients. Distant metastases were observed in 19 patients of which 13 in the brain. This study indicates that combination chemotherapy with concurrent involved-field radiation therapy is an effective treatment for LS-SCLC. Despite PCI, the brain remained the most important site of recurrence

Effects of interleukin-3 on myelosuppression induced by chemotherapy for ovarian cancer and small cell undifferentiated tumours.

Two clinical studies were undertaken to study the toxicity profile and effects of interleukin-3 (rhIL-3) on chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression. Fifteen patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma were treated with high dose carboplatin (800 mg m-2). All patients received 5.0 micrograms/kg/d rhIL-3 subcutaneously but timing and duration of rhIL-3 treatment differed. Constitutional symptoms were the major toxicity and in addition to the carboplatin-induced nausea and vomiting the combination was poorly tolerated. In 5/15 patients receiving high dose carboplatin rhIL-3 administration was discontinued due to nephrotoxicity (2 x), hypotension, severe malaise and bone pain. In this study, rhIL-3 ameliorated chemotherapy-induced neutropenia as well as thrombocytopenia and reduced the requirement for platelet transfusions in the second cycle of chemotherapy. However, rhIL-3 failed to prevent cumulative platelet toxicity. In the second study 12 patients with small cell undifferentiated cancers were treated with carboplatin, etoposide and ifosfamide. Three dose levels of rhIL-3 were explored (0.125, 5.0 and 7.5 micrograms/kg/d). In this study, toxicity of the treatment was mild, however, no beneficial haematologic effects of rhIL-3 could be demonstrated. In conclusion, the haematological effects of rhIL-3 were modest and dependent on the chemotherapeutic regimen, timing and duration of rhIL-3 treatment (in relation to the expected nadir). In general rhIL-3-induced toxicity was mild, but combination with high dose carboplatin could be hazardous if rhIL-3 is initiated at 24 h after the cytostatic agent