Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027627 (metastases)
 103,950 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Based on the recommended phase II doses for doxorubicin (60 mg/m2) and docetaxel (60 mg/m2) and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project's (NSABP) experience with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2), we conducted a phase II trial at 18 institutions using doxorubicin/docetaxel/cyclophosphamide (ATC) given every 21 days, in preparation for a major adjuvant breast cancer study (NSABP B-30), in which ATC would be used. Eligibility requirements included measurable stage IIIB/IV breast cancer, performance status 0-2, normal left ventricular ejection fraction, and no prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease (nontaxane adjuvant chemotherapy was allowed if completed > 12 months before entry and if the cumulative dose of doxorubicin was =240 mg/m2). Eighty-nine patients were entered who ranged in age from 30-78 years (38.2% < 50 years; 61.8% =50 years). A total of 33.7% of patients had stage IIIB disease, and 66.3% had stage IV disease. Among the stage IV patients, 20.3% had received prior adjuvant chemotherapy. Dexamethasone premedication (8 mg p.o. b.i.d. for 3 days) and prophylactic ciprofloxacin (500 mg p.o. b.i.d. days 5-15) were used. Colony-stimulating growth factors were reserved for secondary prophylaxis after prolonged or febrile neutropenia (FN) or documented severe infection in a prior cycle. After a cumulative dose of doxorubicin 480 mg/m2, patients could continue with docetaxel/cyclophosphamide alone. Eighty-nine patients and 577 courses were evaluable for toxicity. Median time on study as of May 2002 was 36.5 months (range, 28-47 months). Febrile neutropenia occurred in 34 patients (38%); 8 developed FN in the absence of prior prophylactic growth factor support; 26 developed FN despite prior growth factor support (for one patient this information was unavailable). There were no septic deaths. One patient died from pulmonary embolism. Other grade 3/4 adverse events included: nausea (9%), vomiting (7%), stomatitis (6%), diarrhea (4%), arthralgia/myalgia (3%), and neurotoxicity (1%). Clinical congestive heart failure was seen in 3 patients (3.4%). Seventy-seven patients were evaluable for best response within 6 cycles of therapy. Thirteen patients (16.9%) had a complete response, 43 (55.8%) had a partial response, for an overall response rate of 72.7%. The median response duration was 23.8 months (95% CI, 16.2-37.8 months), and the median time to progression or death was 23.5 months (95% CI, 16.3-38.7 months). The median survival time was 35.6 months (95% CI, 26.6-39.4 months). The administration of ATC with primary ciprofloxacin and secondary colony-stimulating factor prophylaxis is feasible and active. Its value in the adjuvant setting is currently under investigation.
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PMID:Phase II trial of doxorubicin/docetaxel/cyclophosphamide for locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer: results from NSABP trial BP-58. 1253 63

The management of metastasis from parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is an unusual challenge. Systemic therapy has minimal effect on the course of the disease and its associated hypercalcemia. Resection of isolated pulmonary metastases is an attractive option in the setting of recurrent hypercalcemia. We report a case of a patient who underwent resection of multiple functional PC pulmonary metastases almost 20 years after the original neck resection. The patient originally presented in 1982 with what was thought to be hyperparathyroidism secondary to a parathyroid adenoma. Surgical exploration revealed the presence of a well differentiated PC. The patient was transiently normocalcemic, but underwent surgical exploration in 1993 and 1996 for recurrent PC in the neck. The patient again improved, but presented in 2001 with diffuse arthralgia, fatigue, malaise, weight loss, and decreased appetite. She was found to have a serum calcium of 12.7 mg/dL and an intact parathyroid hormone of 1542 pmol/L. Computed tomography identified the presence of two right-sided and two left-sided pulmonary masses. Sternotomy with bilateral pulmonary metastectomy was performed. Functional PC metastasis was confirmed on pathological examination. One year following metastectomy the patient is hypocalcemic, requiring oral calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Functional pulmonary metastasis from PC is a rare cause of hypercalcemia. Complete resection of isolated pulmonary metastases can provide effective palliation with long-term survival.
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PMID:Resection of pulmonary metastasis from parathyroid carcinoma. 1450 26

The standard adjuvant endocrine treatment for postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive localised breast cancer is 5 years of tamoxifen, but recurrences and side-effects restrict its usefulness. The aromatase inhibitor anastrozole was compared with tamoxifen for 5 years in 9366 postmenopausal women with localised breast cancer. After a median follow-up of 68 months, anastrozole significantly prolonged disease-free survival (575 events with anastrozole vs 651 with tamoxifen, hazard ratio 0.87, 95% CI 0.78-0.97, p=0.01) and time-to-recurrence (402 vs 498, 0.79, 0.70-0.90, p=0.0005), and significantly reduced distant metastases (324 vs 375, 0.86, 0.74-0.99, p=0.04) and contralateral breast cancers (35 vs 59, 42% reduction, 12-62, p=0.01). Almost all patients have completed their scheduled treatment, and fewer withdrawals occurred with anastrozole than with tamoxifen. Anastrozole was also associated with fewer side-effects than tamoxifen, especially gynaecological problems and vascular events, but arthralgia and fractures were increased. Anastrozole should be the preferred initial treatment for postmenopausal women with localised hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer.
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PMID:Results of the ATAC (Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) trial after completion of 5 years' adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. 1581 48

Paclitaxel (Taxol) is formulated in 50% Cremophor EL (CrEL)/absolute ethanol for clinical use. In order to reduce vehicle-related side effects, Genetaxyl was developed to have paclitaxel formulated in a solution containing lesser amounts of CrEL and ethanol plus 2 other solvents. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Genetaxyl as first-line therapy to treat breast cancer patients. Patients with newly diagnosed stage III (N = 8) or IV (N = 10), or recurrent (N = 11) breast cancer received single-agent Genetaxyl at 175 mg/m(2) administered in a 3-h infusion every 3 weeks for 3-6 cycles. A total of 148 cycles were delivered to 29 patients. The overall response rate was 41.4% (95% confidence interval, 23.4 to 59.2%), and that of patients with metastatic disease (N = 20) was 30%. Median survival for all patients was 32.4 months and 24.3 months for patients having metastatic disease. The toxicity profile seems favorable, especially regarding myelosuppression and myalgia/arthralgia. No severe hypersensitivity reaction occurred. These phase II trial results demonstrate that a 60% reduction of CrEL by Genetaxyl's formulation does not affect the activity of paclitaxel and could allow for better control of several CrEL-related toxicities.
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PMID:Paclitaxel in a novel formulation containing less Cremophor EL as first-line therapy for advanced breast cancer: a phase II trial. 1574 94

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) is a clinico-radiological syndrome characterized by digital clubbing, periosteal proliferation, bone pain, synovitis and arthralgia, all of these being commonly symmetrical. It is occasionally associated with nasopharyngeal lymphoepitheliomas and may develop before or after development of lung metastases in these patients. We report a case of a healthy 22-year-old female who presented to our institution with pain and swelling in the thighs and legs. She had a history of childhood nasopharyngeal lymphoepithelioma. Radiographs of the knees were negative. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed features suggestive of bilateral periostitis. Because of the propensity of the rare childhood nasopharyngeal lymphoepithelioma to present with HOA, this entity was included in the differential diagnosis. A subsequent chest radiograph and CT demonstrated a lung and mediastinal mass that were histologically confirmed to be metastatic. To the best of our knowledge, HOA and metastases from nasopharyngeal lymphoepithelioma occurring after such a long time interval have not been previously reported. Early demonstration and consideration of HOA on the basis of MRI, lead to expeditious and appropriate subsequent investigation.
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PMID:MRI diagnosis of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy from a remote childhood malignancy. 1695 48

The impact of improved treatments for the management of hormone-sensitive breast cancer extends beyond clinical responses. Thanks to appropriate literature and access to the internet, patient awareness of treatment options has grown and patients are now, in many cases, able to engage their oncologists in informed conversations regarding treatment and what to expect in terms of efficacy and safety. Indeed, patients realize that although there is no cure for metastatic disease, treatment can greatly reduce the risk of progression and in the adjuvant setting, where treatment is administered with a curative intent, current treatment options reduce the risk of relapse. The approval of letrozole throughout the breast cancer continuum has provided patients with many reassuring options. The improvement in outcome with letrozole is achieved without a detrimental effect on overall quality of life. Adverse events such as hot flushes, arthralgia, vaginal dryness, and potential osteoporosis are most significant from the patient's perspective, and it is important that caregivers pay attention to patients experiencing these events, as they can impact compliance unless effectively explained and managed. The major benefits of letrozole are to improve prospects for long-term survivorship in the adjuvant setting and to delay progression and the need for chemotherapy in the metastatic setting.
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PMID:The patient experience. 1791 39

To undertake a systematic review of three first-line treatments (letrozole, anastrozole and exemestane) for hormone sensitive advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in post-menopausal women. We searched six databases from inception up to January 2009 for relevant trials regardless of language or publication status. Randomised controlled clinical trials assessing the safety and efficacy of first-line AIs for post-menopausal women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+, i.e. ER+ and/or PgR+) with or without ErbB2 (HER2)-positive MBC, who have not received prior therapy for advanced or metastatic disease were included. Where meta-analysis using direct or indirect comparisons was considered unsuitable for some or all of the data, we employed a narrative synthesis method. Four studies (25 papers) met the inclusion criteria. From the available evidence, it was possible to directly compare the three AIs with tamoxifen. In addition, by using a network meta-analysis it was possible to compare the three AIs with each other. Based on direct evidence, letrozole seemed to be significantly better than tamoxifen in terms of time-to-progression (TTP) (HR = 0.70 (95% CI: 0.60, 0.82)), objective response rate (RR = 0.65 (95% CI: 0.52, 0.82)) and quality-adjusted time without symptoms or toxicity (Q-Twist difference = 1.5; P < 0.001). Exemestane seemed significantly superior to tamoxifen in terms of objective response rate (RR = 0.68 (95% CI: 0.53, 0.89)). Anastrozole seemed significantly superior to tamoxifen in terms of TTP in one trial (HR = 1.42 (95% CI: 1.15, NR)), but not in the other (HR = 1.01 (95% CI: 0.87, NR)). In terms of adverse events, no significant differences were found between letrozole and tamoxifen. Tamoxifen was associated with significantly more serious adverse events in comparison with exemestane (OR = 0.61 (95% CI: 0.38, 0.97)); while exemestane was associated with significantly more arthralgia in comparison with tamoxifen (OR = 2.33 (95% CI: 1.07, 5.11)). Anastrozole was associated with significantly more total adverse events (OR = 1.04 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.09)) and hot flushes (OR = 1.39 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.89)) in comparison with tamoxifen in one trial; however, the other trial showed no significant differences in adverse events between anastrozole and tamoxifen. The indirect comparison of AIs with each other in women with post-menopausal, hormone sensitive advanced or MBC showed that letrozole and exemestane were better in terms of objective response rate than anastrozole; while the more clinically relevant outcomes overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) showed no significant differences between AIs. OS and PFS showed no significant differences between AIs and hence based on these results a class effect for all AIs is possible. However, these results are based on indirect comparisons and a network analysis for which the basic assumptions of homogeneity, similarity and consistency were not fulfilled. Therefore, despite the fact that these are the best available data, the results need to be interpreted with appropriate caution. Head-to-head comparisons between letrozole, anastrozole and exemestane in the first-line MBC setting are warranted.
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PMID:Systematic review of aromatase inhibitors in the first-line treatment for hormone sensitive advanced or metastatic breast cancer. 2053 42

Primary spinal melanomas are extremely rare lesions. In 1906, Hirschberg reported the first primary spinal melanoma, and since then only 40 new cases have been reported. A 47-year-old man was admitted suffering from low back pain, fatigue and loss of body weight persisting for three months. He had a 17-year-old history of an operated primary spinal melanoma from T7-T9, which had remained stable for these 17 years. Routine laboratory findings and clinical symptoms aroused suspicion of a metastatic disease. Multislice computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed stage-IV melanoma with thoracic, abdominal and skeletal metastases without the recurrence of the primary process. Transiliac crest core bone biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma. It is important to know that in all cases of back ore skeletal pain and unexplained weight loss, malignancy must always be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially in the subjects with a positive medical history. Patients who have back, skeletal, or joint pain that is unresponsive to a few weeks of conservative treatment or have known risk factors with or without serious etiology, are candidates for imaging studies. The present case demonstrates that complete surgical resection alone may result in a favourable outcome, but regular medical follow-up for an extended period, with the purpose of an early detection of a metastatic disease, is highly recommended.
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PMID:Low back pain as the presenting sign in a patient with primary extradural melanoma of the thoracic spine--a metastatic disease 17 years after complete surgical resection. 2209 36

An 8-year-old castrated male hound mix was referred to the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for severe lameness, pollakiuria, and dyschezia. On presentation, the dog was nonweight bearing on the right rear limb and the right carpus was diffusely swollen. Synovial fluid analysis from the right carpus revealed a population of epithelial cells displaying marked anisocytosis, anisokaryosis, multinucleation, and prominent, variably sized nucleoli. A metastatic carcinoma with presumed prostatic or urothelial origin was diagnosed based on cytomorphology. Subsequent cytologic evaluation of peripheral lymph nodes revealed the presence of a similar neoplastic population. The dog was euthanized and synovial fluid from both stifle joints, as well as impression smears of the prostate gland, were collected. Carcinoma cells were identified in each stifle joint and in the prostate gland. Immunocytochemistry was performed on synovial fluid smears from 2 of the joints (right stifle and right carpus) and on impression smears of the prostate gland. The neoplastic population in the joints and prostate gland showed strong immunoreactivity to uroplakin III, a urothelial marker, indicating metastasis of a transitional cell carcinoma to multiple joints. In addition, evidence for epithelial to mesenchymal transition was identified using cytokeratin, an epithelial marker, and vimentin, a mesenchymal marker. A necropsy was performed and histopathology confirmed the presence of metastatic transitional cell carcinoma in various tissues. This case illustrates the importance of considering metastatic disease when a patient is presented with severe lameness and joint pain, and the clinical utility of synovial fluid cytology for diagnosis of metastasis in these cases.
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PMID:Multiple joint metastasis of a transitional cell carcinoma in a dog. 2361 84

Cryofibrinogenemia is a rare disorder in which plasma, not serum, forms a cryoprecipitate. Patients with cryofibrinogenemia may be asymptomatic, or they may have painful ulcers, purpura, livedo reticularis, Raynaud phenomenon, perniosis of the extremities, thrombosis, and arthralgia. Cryofibrinogenemia may be primary or secondary to an underlying disorder such as connective tissue disease, malignancy, infection, drugs, or thromboembolic disease. Here, we present a 41-year-old woman with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor who underwent a Whipple procedure in 2003 followed by 2 liver transplants for hepatic metastases. Three years posttransplant, we discovered a biopsy-proven metastatic lesion in her femur. Five years posttransplant, she developed acute, severe pain in both feet, and was found to have cryofibrinogenemia despite immunosuppression post-transplant. Testing for connective tissue diseases and hematologic malignancy were negative. She was treated with high-dose prednisone, which completely resolved her symptoms. We also conducted a review of the literature via a PubMed search to summarize the association of cryofibrinogenemia with malignancy and treating cryofibrinogenemia with corticosteroids. Our study is the first reported case of cryofibrinogenemia that developed secondary to a neuroendocrine tumor posttransplant. Our report suggests that cryofibrinogenemia may occur despite immunosuppression adequate to prevent graft rejection, and that high-dose corticosteroids are an effective treatment for posttransplant cryofibrinogenemia.
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PMID:Cryofibrinogenemia After a Liver Transplant: First Reported Case Posttransplant and a Case-Based Review of the Nontransplant Literature. 2467 54


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