Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common neoplasm and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In Latin America (LA), the burden of this disease is higher and is the leading cause of cancer dea...Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common neoplasm and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In Latin America (LA), the burden of this disease is higher and is the leading cause of cancer death in some countries. Chemotherapy is the standard treatment for advanced-stage GC. However, the best regimen for specific populations, such as LA, is as yet unknown. Cisplatin and fluoropyrimidine continue to be the standard of care in light of the findings of phase III studies, while docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) are alternatives for patients with suitable overall health. Oxaliplatin or irinotecan with fluoropyrimidine can also be used in elderly patients who are not candidates for cisplatin, or have a limited performance status. This review examines studies conducted in LA. Patients from LA are under-represented in multicenter trials of chemotherapy and targeted therapies. The major challenges currently lie in implementing strategies in which patients are selected on the basis of regional, racial or molecular characteristics, to consider the molecular subtype of GC for enrolment, and in selecting patients according to prognostic factors to optimize the benefits of chemotherapy.展开更多
Background: The standard therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is sorafenib (SOR), which has the inconvenience of toxicity and discontinuation. Patient selection and the use of early markers are critical ...Background: The standard therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is sorafenib (SOR), which has the inconvenience of toxicity and discontinuation. Patient selection and the use of early markers are critical for optimizing the potential benefit of SOR. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has an established role in HCC prognosis. The objective was to evaluate whether AFP variation during SOR treatment reflects the lack of progression to SOR and can be used as a prognostic factor. Methods: AFP levels were prospectively analyzed in 114 patients to determine whether the time to progression of AFP (TPA) at 3 months had a prognostic value for survival. Results: Between July 2007 and October 2012, 114 patients were included (mean age 64 years, 97 male, 96 with cirrhosis). Etiology was alcohol 47 (41%) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) 31 (27%). According to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system: A (one case), B (24 cases) and C (89 cases). The Child-Pugh was Class A in 89 cases. The general condition of the patient according to ECOG-PS was 0 in 73 cases. The median duration of treatment was 5 months (3.47 - 6.53, 95% CI). The median overall survival (OS) was 9.23 months. The standard dose was maintained in 26 patients (22.8%). Sixty-seven percent of patients experienced at least one adverse event grade 3-4. The time to progression of AFP lower or higher than 3 months was an independent prognostic factor of OS (univariate and multivariate analysis): 8.10 vs. 18.85 months, P < 0.001. Conclusion: HCC treated with SOR with TPA > 3 months had longer OS, and TPA was an independent prognostic factor.展开更多
文摘Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common neoplasm and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In Latin America (LA), the burden of this disease is higher and is the leading cause of cancer death in some countries. Chemotherapy is the standard treatment for advanced-stage GC. However, the best regimen for specific populations, such as LA, is as yet unknown. Cisplatin and fluoropyrimidine continue to be the standard of care in light of the findings of phase III studies, while docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) are alternatives for patients with suitable overall health. Oxaliplatin or irinotecan with fluoropyrimidine can also be used in elderly patients who are not candidates for cisplatin, or have a limited performance status. This review examines studies conducted in LA. Patients from LA are under-represented in multicenter trials of chemotherapy and targeted therapies. The major challenges currently lie in implementing strategies in which patients are selected on the basis of regional, racial or molecular characteristics, to consider the molecular subtype of GC for enrolment, and in selecting patients according to prognostic factors to optimize the benefits of chemotherapy.
文摘Background: The standard therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is sorafenib (SOR), which has the inconvenience of toxicity and discontinuation. Patient selection and the use of early markers are critical for optimizing the potential benefit of SOR. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has an established role in HCC prognosis. The objective was to evaluate whether AFP variation during SOR treatment reflects the lack of progression to SOR and can be used as a prognostic factor. Methods: AFP levels were prospectively analyzed in 114 patients to determine whether the time to progression of AFP (TPA) at 3 months had a prognostic value for survival. Results: Between July 2007 and October 2012, 114 patients were included (mean age 64 years, 97 male, 96 with cirrhosis). Etiology was alcohol 47 (41%) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) 31 (27%). According to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system: A (one case), B (24 cases) and C (89 cases). The Child-Pugh was Class A in 89 cases. The general condition of the patient according to ECOG-PS was 0 in 73 cases. The median duration of treatment was 5 months (3.47 - 6.53, 95% CI). The median overall survival (OS) was 9.23 months. The standard dose was maintained in 26 patients (22.8%). Sixty-seven percent of patients experienced at least one adverse event grade 3-4. The time to progression of AFP lower or higher than 3 months was an independent prognostic factor of OS (univariate and multivariate analysis): 8.10 vs. 18.85 months, P < 0.001. Conclusion: HCC treated with SOR with TPA > 3 months had longer OS, and TPA was an independent prognostic factor.
