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עמוד בית
Wed, 16.10.24

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February 2023
Shir Schlosser BMedSc, Svetlana Zalmanov MD, Raphael M. Pfeffer MD, Yoav Lipski MD, Vladislav Grinberg MD, Yael Kalmus RN, Daphne Levin PhD, Keren Hod RD PhD, Merav A. Ben David MD

Background: Anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASqCC) is a rare malignancy, traditionally treated with combined chemoradiation, with a continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and mitomycin C (MMC). Replacing intravenous (IV) 5-FU with oral capecitabine (oral fluoropyrimidine) has been reported as a non-inferior treatment option. However, these data are scarce, with variable results.

Objectives: To examine the outcome of patients with ASqCC treated with either IV 5-FU or capecitabine concomitantly with radiation therapy. To compare treatment side effects, local recurrence, and general outcome.

Methods: We reviewed charts of patients who were diagnosed with stage I–III ASqCC. All participating patients received chemoradiation at the Assuta Medical Center between 2011 and 2019.

Results: In this study, 43 patients with ASqCC were eligible; 14 received 5-FU and 29 were treated with capecitabine. Basic characteristics were similar between the two groups, with longer follow-up for the 5-FU group. Six months following treatment, 100% (13/13 with adequate follow-up) of the 5-FU group had complete clinical response, compared to 84% in the capecitabine group (21/24), P = 0.143. The local recurrence incidence was higher in the 5-FU group at 23% (7, 10, 26 months following therapy, and none in the capecitabine group (P = 0.088). Although local and hematological toxicities were similar between groups, one patient receiving capecitabine died during chemoradiotherapy.

Conclusions: Oral capecitabine demonstrated non-inferior disease control in ASqCC treated with chemoradiotherapy. We recommend oral capecitabine over continuous IV 5-FU in locally and locally advanced ASqCC. Close monitoring of side effects is required to reduce major toxicity.

May 2013
S. Billan, O. Kaidar-Person, F. Atrash, I. Doweck, N. Haim, A. Kuten and O. Ronen
 Background: The role of induction chemotherapy in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is under constant debate. Surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies are part of the treatment strategy in these patients, but their sequence remains to be defined.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of induction chemotherapy with docetaxel-cisplatin-5-flurouracil (TPF) followed by external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) with concomitant chemotherapy (CRT) or cetuximab (ERT) in the treatment of patients with advanced SCCHN.

Methods: We reviewed the data of all patients with advanced SCCHN, stage III and IV, treated in 2007–2010. Tolerability was assessed and scored according to the proportion of patients completing the planned study protocol. Toxicity was scored using the U.S. National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (version 4) for classification of adverse events.

Results: The study included 53 patients. TPF was initiated at a reduced dose in 13 patients (25%). Twenty-two patients (41.5%) received primary prophylaxis with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) and 42 (77%) completed treatment according to schedule. During the induction phase one patient (2%) died and 24 (45%) had one or more grade 3-4 complications. The number of patients who developed neutropenia was lower in the group that received primary GCSF prophylaxis. Secondary dose reductions were required in 21% of the patients.

Conclusions: Induction TPF was associated with grade 3-4 toxicity. Prophylaxis with GCSF should be part of the treatment regimen.

 

December 2006
M. Tokar, D. Bobilev, S. Ariad and D.B. Geffen

Background: Disseminated intravascular coagulation associated with malignant bone marrow involvement has been described as a rare complication of gastric carcinoma and most patients die within 1–4 weeks. Effective chemotherapy of the underlying malignancy may be the only way to control acute DIC[1].

Objectives: To assess the benefit of infusional 5-fluorouracil as the primary treatment of metastatic gastric carcinoma and DIC at diagnosis.

Methods: From February 2001 to January 2005, six women (median age 48 years) with gastric carcinoma who presented with diffuse bone metastases and acute DIC were treated in our department. Diagnosis was based on primary gastric and bone marrow biopsies. DIC was confirmed by laboratory findings. Initial treatment consisted of infusional 5FU[2] 200 mg/m2/day. When the bleeding tendency stopped, cisplatin 60 mg/m2 and epirubicin 50 mg/m2 given every 3 weeks were added.

Results: Within one week of starting the treatment, the clinical and laboratory signs of acute DIC were resolved in five of six patients. Upon clinical improvement, five patients subsequently received epirubicin and cisplatin. Survival, however, was short (mean 15 weeks). All patients died with symptoms of bleeding, showing clinical and laboratory signs of DIC.

Conclusions: Based on our experience, infusional 5FU is an effective regimen with negligible myelosuppression; thus, it may be a good choice as initial therapy for this group of patients. The response induced by protracted 5FU was usually short and lasted for a few weeks only. Therefore, once DIC symptoms are controlled, the addition of newer cytotoxic drugs may be necessary to consolidate the remission.







[1] DIC = disseminated intravascular coagulation

[2] 5FU = 5-fluorouracil





 

August 2005
Y. Niv
 Colorectal cancers develop as a consequence of genomic instability. Microsatellite instability is involved in the genesis of about 15% of sporadic colorectal cancers and in most hereditary non-polyposis cancers. High frequency MSI[1] has been associated with a favorable prognosis, however it is not clear whether this is because MSI-H[2] tumors are inherently less aggressive or because they are more sensitive to chemotherapy. Chemotherapy with a combination of 5-fluorouracil and leukovorin or levamizole has been the standard of care for high risk stage II and stage III CRC[3]; it is also used in stage IV CRC. Several in vitro studies have shown that colon cancer cell lines displaying MSI-H are less responsive to fluorouracil than microsatellite-stable cell lines. Human studies, all of them retrospective, yielded conflicting results. The selection of patients with CRC for 5-FU[4] treatment has been based so far on the stage of tumor rather than the biology of the tumor. Although surgical staging is highly predictive of survival, there are indications that the form of genomic instability within a patient’s colorectal tumor has clinical implications, with and without 5-FU treatment. This review suggests that patients with MSI-H colorectal tumors may not benefit from 5-FU-based chemotherapy and can avoid its potential side effects (nausea, diarrhea, stomatitis, dermatitis, alopecia, and neurologic symptoms) that occur in half the treated patients. If confirmed by future prospective randomized controlled studies, these findings would indicate that microsatellite-instability testing should be conducted routinely and the results used to direct rational adjuvant chemotherapy in colon cancer.


 


[1] MSI = microsatellite instability

[2] MSI-H - high frequency MSI

[3] CRC = colorectal cancer

[4] 5-FU = 5-fluorouracil


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