Glioblastoma (GBM) in elderly patients: A randomized phase III trial comparing survival in patients treated with 6-week radiotherapy (RT) versus hypofractionated RT over 2 weeks versus temozolomide single-agent chemotherapy (TMZ).

2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. LBA2002-LBA2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Malmstrom ◽  
B. H. Grønberg ◽  
R. Stupp ◽  
C. Marosi ◽  
D. Frappaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Survival Data ◽  
Treatment Time ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Tumor Resection ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Primary Study ◽  
Significant Difference

LBA2002 Background: Despite treatment advances, survival of elderly GBM patients (pts) is usually < 12 months. Hypofractionated RT is advocated in order to shorten treatment time, and chemotherapy has been proposed as an alternative to RT. In a randomized trial we compared two different RT schedules with single-agent TMZ chemotherapy. Methods: Newly diagnosed GBM pts age ≥ 60 years with PS 0-2, were randomized to either standard RT (60 Gy in 2 Gy fractions over 6 weeks) or hypofractionated RT (34 Gy in 3,4 Gy fractions over 2 weeks) or 6 cycles of chemotherapy with TMZ (200 mg/m2 day 1-5 every 28 days). Follow-up including quality of life, symptom checklist, and steroid dosing was completed at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after start of treatment. The primary study end point was overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 342 pts were included. 291 pts were randomized between the 3 treatment options, 51 pts between hypofractionated RT and TMZ. Median age was 70 years (range 60-88), 59% were male and 72% had undergone tumor resection, the remaining 28% had a diagnostic biopsy only. Performance status was 0-1 for 75% of pts. Survival data are available for 334 pts (98%), with 11 pts (3%) being alive. There was no significant difference in OS between the three treatment arms, with median survival being 8 months for TMZ, 7.5 months for hypofractionated RT and 6 months for 6 weeks RT (p=0.14). Conclusions: Elderly patients with GBM have a short survival. Time-consuming therapy that does not offer longer survival should therefore be avoided. Our study showed no advantage of standard 6 weeks RT compared to hypofractionated RT over 2 weeks or 6 cycles of TMZ chemotherapy. These results indicate that standard RT should no longer be offered to the elderly pt population with GBM. Exclusive TMZ chemotherapy may be an alternative to RT. Subgroup analyses and determination of molecular markers is ongoing. Whether outcome could be improved by concomitant chemoradiotherapy is subject of ongoing clinical trials. [Table: see text]

Efficacy of the addition of cisplatin to single-agent first-line chemotherapy in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): A joint analysis of the multicenter, randomized phase III MILES-3 and MILES-4 studies.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 9002-9002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cesare Gridelli ◽  
Alessandro Morabito ◽  
Luigi Cavanna ◽  
Andrea Luciani ◽  
Paolo Maione ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Advanced Nsclc ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Joint Analysis ◽  
Hematologic Toxicity ◽  
First Line ◽  
Single Agent Chemotherapy

9002 Background: The role of platinum in first line treatment of elderly patients with advanced NSCLC is still debated. We tested its efficacy in two parallel phase 3 trials. Methods: Advanced NSCLC patients, > 70 years, ECOG performance status 0-1, were eligible. In MILES-3 (started in 2011) patients with any tumor histology were randomly assigned 1:1 to cisplatin/gemcitabine (C 60 mg/m² d1, G 1000mg/m² dd1,8) or gemcitabine (G 1200 mg/m² dd1,8). In MILES-4 (started in 2013 with a factorial design) patients with non-squamous histology were randomly assigned 1:1:1:1 to CG, G, cisplatin/pemetrexed (C 60 mg/m² d1, P 500 mg/m² d1) or pemetrexed (P 500 mg/m² d1). Six cycles were planned. In each trial, to have 80% power in detecting a HR of death 0.75 (corresponding to 3-month prolongation of median survival), with 0.05 two-tailed α, 382 events were required. The two trials were closed prematurely because of slow accrual but a joint analysis allowed to properly perform the final analysis, according to IDMC advice. Analysis was based on intention-to treat and adjusted by possible confounding factors. Results: From Mar 2011 to Aug 2016, 531 patients (MILES-3: 299, MILES-4: 232) were assigned to cisplatin-doublet (n = 263) or single-agent chemotherapy (n = 268). Median age was 75, 79% were male, 70% had non-squamous histology. Median number of cycles was 4 and 3 with and without cisplatin, respectively. With a median follow-up of 2 years, 384 deaths and 448 progression-free survival (PFS) events were reported. With and without cisplatin, median OS was 9.6 vs 7.5 months (HR 0.86, 95% CI: 0.70-1.04, p = 0.14); median PFS was 4.6 vs 3.0 months (HR 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63-0.92, p = 0.005); response rate was 15.5% vs 8.5% (p = 0.02). Significantly more severe hematologic toxicity and fatigue were reported with cisplatin. Conclusions: Although improving PFS and response rate, addition of cisplatin to single-agent chemotherapy does not significantly prolong overall survival of elderly patients with advanced NSCLC. QOL data will be reported separately. Partially supported by AIFA (grant FARM8KAJZK) and Eli Lilly. Clinical trial information: NCT01405586 and NCT01656551.

Bevacizumab (bev) in combination with capecitabine (cape) for the first-line treatment of elderly patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC): Results of a randomized international phase III trial (AVEX).

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 337-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Cunningham ◽  
Istvan Lang ◽  
Vito Lorusso ◽  
Janja Ocvirk ◽  
Dongbok Shin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Randomized Study ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
First Line ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Phase Iii Trial

337 Background: Elderly patients (pts) comprise the majority of pts diagnosed with mCRC, although they are in general underrepresented in clinical trials. AVEX, an open-label phase III trial, evaluated the efficacy and safety of cape ± bev in elderly pts with previously untreated mCRC. Methods: Pts ≥70 years with mCRC, for whom single-agent chemotherapy was deemed appropriate, were randomized 1:1 to receive first-line cape (1000 mg/m2 bid days 1–14) as monotherapy or in combination with bev (7.5 mg/kg) q3w. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR), and safety. The study was powered to show a difference in PFS, but not OS, between treatment arms. PFS and OS estimates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Results: 280 pts across 10 countries were randomized to cape + bev (n=140) and cape alone (n=140). Median age at enrollment was 76 years (range, 70–87), and 91.1% of pts had an ECOG performance status of 0–1. Baseline pt and disease characteristics were well balanced between arms. Bev + cape was associated with significantly prolonged PFS compared with cape alone (median of 9.1 vs 5.1 months; hazard ratio [HR], 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41–0.69; p<0.001). The ORR was also significantly improved in the bev + cape arm (19.3% vs 10.0%; p=0.042). OS was longer in pts treated with bev + cape vs cape alone, although this difference did not reach statistical significance (median of 20.7 vs 16.8 months; HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.57–1.09; p=0.182). Grade ≥3 adverse events occurred in 59.0% vs 44.1% of pts in the bev + cape and cape arm, respectively. Treatment was in general well tolerated and the safety profile consistent with previously reported data for bev + cape. Conclusions: This is the first randomized study prospectively evaluating bev specifically in elderly pts with mCRC. Based on the efficacy and safety results, bev plus cape might be an optimal treatment approach to improve outcomes in elderly pts. Clinical trial information: NCT00484939.

Adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) choices: An analysis of elderly Australian patients with stage III colorectal cancer (CRC).

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 16-16
Author(s):  
Oliver Piercey ◽  
Clara Leung ◽  
Margaret Lee ◽  
Jeanne Tie ◽  
Justin Yeung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Disease Free Survival ◽  
Stage Iii ◽  
P Value ◽  
T Stage ◽  
N2 Disease ◽  
Significant Difference

16 Background: The optimal adjuvant treatment regimen for stage III CRC patients aged ≥70 years remains unclear. Subgroup analyses of randomised trials support the use of single agent fluoropyrimidines (FP) but no survival benefit has been observed for the addition of oxaliplatin. This study assessed rates of AC use in elderly patients with stage III CRC, analysed reasons why elderly patients did not receive AC and compared disease free survival (DFS) between those who did and did not receive AC. Methods: Data was analysed from the ACCORD-CRC registry, which prospectively collects treatment and outcome data from patients with CRC in Australia. All patients aged ≥70 years with resected stage III CRC from seven institutions between January 2005 and December 2018 were included. Where patients did not receive AC, reasons for this were documented prospectively. Using univariate analysis, baseline demographics and clinicopathological variables were compared between patients who were and were not offered AC. Differences were defined as statistically significant if a two-tailed p value was < 0.05. DFS was defined as time from surgical resection to time of recurrence and cases of death without recurrence were censored at the time of death. Results: Data was obtained for 685 patients; median age was 78 years (range 70-97). AC was offered to 72% of patients; these patients were significantly more likely to be aged 70-74y (34% vs 12%, p < 0.0001), have an ECOG score of 0-1 (88% vs 57%, p < 0.0001), have proficient mismatch repair (pMMR) (87 vs 75%, p = 0.01) and T1-3 tumours (74% vs 65%, p = 0.02) compared to patients not offered AC. Nodal status and tumour differentiation did not differ significantly. 15% of patients offered AC declined systemic treatment. The most frequent documented reasons for not offering AC were age plus comorbidities, followed by comorbidities alone and age alone (42%, 29% and 23%, respectively). Of the patients who commenced AC, 27% received oxaliplatin-FP. These patients were significantly more likely to be aged 70-74y (71% vs 28%, p < 0.0001), have an ECOG score of 0-1 (94% vs 87%, p = 0.04), have N2 disease (39% vs 26%, p = 0.02) and poorly differentiated tumours (42% vs 29%, p = 0.02) compared to those receiving FP alone. T-stage and MMR status did not differ significantly. After median follow up of 32 months, the 3-year DFS rate was higher for patients who received AC compared to those who did not (71% vs 64%; HR 0.72, p = 0.046) but no significant difference was observed for the addition of oxaliplatin (75% vs 69%; HR 0.76, p = 0.18) compared to FP alone. Conclusions: In this real world cohort, approximately 75% of elderly patients with stage III CRC were offered AC. Younger age, better performance status, pMMR and lower T stage were significantly associated with physicians offering elderly patients AC. Those who received AC had improved DFS compared to those who did not.

scholarly journals A Population-Based Retrospective Study of Biliary Tract Cancers in Alberta, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 417-427
Author(s):  
Carissa Beaulieu ◽  
Arthur Lui ◽  
Dimas Yusuf ◽  
Zainab Abdelaziz ◽  
Brock Randolph ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biliary Tract ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ◽  
Intrahepatic Bile Duct ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
First Line ◽  
Biliary Tract Cancers

Background: Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are uncommon malignancies and are underrepresented in the literature. Methods: We performed a retrospective population-based review of adult patients with biopsy-confirmed BTC in Alberta from 2000 to 2015. Demographic data, risk factors, symptoms, treatment, and staging data were collected and analyzed. Survival analyses were completed. Results: A total of 1604 patients were included in our study, of which 766 (47.8%) were male. The median age at diagnosis was 68 (range 19–99). There were 374 (23.3%) patients with resectable tumors at diagnosis versus 597 (37.2%) with unresectable tumors. Of the patients, 380 (21.5%) received chemotherapy (CT) and 81 (5.0%) underwent radiation therapy. There was a clear trend with worsening stage and performance status associated with shorter median overall survival (OS). Ampulla of Vater tumors had the best median OS (25.69 months), while intrahepatic bile duct cancers had the worst (5.78 months). First-line palliative CT regimens included gemcitabine+cisplatin (OS 14.98 months (mo), n = 212), single agent gemcitabine (OS 12.42 mo, n = 22), capecitabine (OS 8.12 mo, n = 8), and capecitabine+gemcitabine (OS 6.93 mo, n = 13). Patients with advanced or metastatic disease who received first-line gemcitabine+cisplatin had a median OS of 11.8 months (n = 119). Conclusion: BTCs have poor survival. Worse outcomes occur in higher stage and poorer Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status patients across all tumor subtypes. Tumor resectability at diagnosis was associated with better OS. Our study supports the use of gemcitabine+cisplatin as a combination first-line palliative CT, as patients treated in Alberta have a comparable OS to that reported in the ABC-02 phase III study.

scholarly journals Brain Tumor Resection in Elderly Patients: Potential Factors of Postoperative Worsening in a Predictive Outcome Model

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2320
Author(s):  
Paolo Ferroli ◽  
Ignazio Gaspare Vetrano ◽  
Silvia Schiavolin ◽  
Francesco Acerbi ◽  
Costanza Maria Zattra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tumor ◽  
Postoperative Complications ◽  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Tumor Resection ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Invasive Treatment ◽  
Tertiary Referral Center ◽  
Surgical Complexity

The decision of whether to operate on elderly patients with brain tumors is complex, and influenced by pathology-related and patient-specific factors. This retrospective cohort study, based on a prospectively collected surgical database, aims at identifying possible factors predicting clinical worsening after elective neuro-oncological surgery in elderly patients. Therefore, all patients ≥65 years old who underwent BT resection at a tertiary referral center between 01/2018 and 12/2019 were included. Age, smoking, previous radiotherapy, hypertension, preoperative functional status, complications occurrence, surgical complexity and the presence of comorbidities were prospectively collected and analyzed at discharge and the 3-month follow-up. The series included 143 patients (mean 71 years, range 65–86). Sixty-five patients (46%) had at least one neurosurgical complication, whereas 48/65 (74%) complications did not require invasive treatment. Forty-two patients (29.4%) worsened at discharge; these patients had a greater number of complications compared to patients with unchanged/improved performance status. A persistent worsening at three months of follow-up was noted in 20.3% of patients; again, this subgroup presented more complications than patients who remained equal or improved. Therefore, postoperative complications and surgical complexity seem to influence significantly the early outcome in elderly patients undergoing brain tumor surgery. In contrast, postoperative complications alone are the only factor with an impact on the 3-month follow-up.

Randomized Phase III Trial of Gemcitabine Compared With Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin in Patients With Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (19) ◽  
pp. 2811-2818 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Mutch ◽  
Mauro Orlando ◽  
Tiana Goss ◽  
Michael G. Teneriello ◽  
Alan N. Gordon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Liposomal Doxorubicin ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Therapeutic Index ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
End Points ◽  
Platinum Resistant ◽  
Significant Difference

Purpose Ovarian cancer (OC) patients experiencing progressive disease (PD) within 6 months of platinum-based therapy in the primary setting are considered platinum resistant (Pt-R). Currently, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) is a standard of care for treatment of recurrent Pt-R disease. On the basis of promising phase II results, gemcitabine was compared with PLD for efficacy and safety in taxane-pretreated Pt-R OC patients. Patients and Methods Patients (n = 195) with Pt-R OC were randomly assigned to either gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 (days 1 and 8; every 21 days) or PLD 50 mg/m2 (day 1; every 28 days) until PD or undue toxicity. Optional cross-over therapy was allowed at PD or at withdrawal because of toxicity. Primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Additional end points included tumor response, time to treatment failure, survival, and quality of life. Results In the gemcitabine and PLD groups, median PFS was 3.6 v 3.1 months; median overall survival was 12.7 v 13.5 months; overall response rate (ORR) was 6.1% v 8.3%; and in the subset of patients with measurable disease, ORR was 9.2% v 11.7%, respectively. None of the efficacy end points showed a statistically significant difference between treatment groups. The PLD group experienced significantly more hand-foot syndrome and mucositis; the gemcitabine group experienced significantly more constipation, nausea/vomiting, fatigue, and neutropenia but not febrile neutropenia. Conclusion Although this was not designed as an equivalency study, gemcitabine and PLD seem to have a comparable therapeutic index in this population of Pt-R taxane-pretreated OC patients. Single-agent gemcitabine may be an acceptable alternative to PLD for patients with Pt-R OC.

Gemcitabine Plus Capecitabine Compared With Gemcitabine Alone in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Randomized, Multicenter, Phase III Trial of the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research and the Central European Cooperative Oncology Group

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (16) ◽  
pp. 2212-2217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Herrmann ◽  
György Bodoky ◽  
Thomas Ruhstaller ◽  
Bengt Glimelius ◽  
Emilio Bajetta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Advanced Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer ◽  
Karnofsky Performance Score ◽  
Phase Iii Trial ◽  
Good Performance Status ◽  
Grade 3

PurposeThis phase III trial compared the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine (Gem) plus capecitabine (GemCap) versus single-agent Gem in advanced/metastatic pancreatic cancer.Patients and MethodsPatients were randomly assigned to receive GemCap (oral capecitabine 650 mg/m2twice daily on days 1 to 14 plus Gem 1,000 mg/m2by 30-minute infusion on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks) or Gem (1,000 mg/m2by 30-minute infusion weekly for 7 weeks, followed by a 1-week break, and then weekly for 3 weeks every 4 weeks). Patients were stratified according to center, Karnofsky performance score (KPS), presence of pain, and disease extent.ResultsA total of 319 patients were enrolled between June 2001 and June 2004. Median overall survival (OS) time, the primary end point, was 8.4 and 7.2 months in the GemCap and Gem arms, respectively (P = .234). Post hoc analysis in patients with good KPS (score of 90 to 100) showed a significant prolongation of median OS time in the GemCap arm compared with the Gem arm (10.1 v 7.4 months, respectively; P = .014). The overall frequency of grade 3 or 4 adverse events was similar in each arm. Neutropenia was the most frequent grade 3 or 4 adverse event in both arms.ConclusionGemCap failed to improve OS at a statistically significant level compared with standard Gem treatment. The safety of GemCap and Gem was similar. In the subgroup of patients with good performance status, median OS was improved significantly. GemCap is a practical regimen that may be considered as an alternative to single-agent Gem for the treatment of advanced/metastatic pancreatic cancer patients with a good performance status.

Long-term follow-up of a phase III intergroup study of cisplatin alone or in combination with methotrexate, vinblastine, and doxorubicin in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma: a cooperative group study.

1997 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 2564-2569 ◽  
Author(s):  
S B Saxman ◽  
K J Propert ◽  
L H Einhorn ◽  
E D Crawford ◽  
I Tannock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urothelial Carcinoma ◽  
Combination Chemotherapy ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Long Term Follow Up ◽  
Intergroup Trial ◽  
Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

PURPOSE A previously reported randomized intergroup trial demonstrated that combination chemotherapy with methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (M-VAC) was superior to single-agent cisplatin in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. We conducted a long-term analysis of patients included in the intergroup trial to examine factors associated with long-term survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS Two-hundred fifty-five assessable patients with urothelial carcinoma were randomized to receive either single-agent cisplatin (70 mg/m2 on day 1) or combination chemotherapy with methotrexate (30 mg/m2 on days 1, 15, and 22), vinblastine (3 mg/m2 on days 2, 15, and 22), doxorubicin (30 mg/m2 on day 2), and cisplatin (70 mg/m2 on day 2). Courses were repeated every 28 days. The association between patient characteristics and survival was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS With long-term follow-up evaluation, survival in the M-VAC arm continues to be superior to cisplatin (P = .00015, log-rank test). Predictors of survival include performance status, histology, and the presence of liver or bone metastasis. Only 3.7% of the patients randomized to M-VAC are alive and continuously disease-free at 6 years. CONCLUSION Long-term follow-up evaluation of the intergroup trial confirms that M-VAC is superior to single-agent cisplatin in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma; however, durable progression-free survival is rare. Patients with non-transitional-cell histology, poor performance status, and/or bone or visceral involvement fare poorly and are unlikely to benefit significantly from M-VAC chemotherapy.

Combination chemotherapy versus single-agent therapy as first- and second-line treatment in metastatic breast cancer: a prospective randomized trial.

1998 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 3720-3730 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Joensuu ◽  
K Holli ◽  
M Heikkinen ◽  
E Suonio ◽  
A R Aro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Combination Chemotherapy ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Objective Response ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Distant Metastases ◽  
World Health ◽  
Second Line ◽  
Significant Difference

PURPOSE We report results of a randomized prospective study that compared single agents of low toxicity given both as the first-line and second-line chemotherapy with combination chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer with distant metastases. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients in the single-agent arm (n = 153) received weekly epirubicin (E) 20 mg/m2 until progression or until the cumulative dose of 1,000 mg/m2, followed by mitomycin (M) 8 mg/m2 every 4 weeks, and those in the combination chemotherapy arm (n = 150) were first given cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2, E 60 mg/m2, and fluorouracil 500 mg/m2 three times per week (CEF) followed by M 8 mg/m2 plus vinblastine (V) 6 mg/m2 every 4 weeks. Exclusion criteria included age greater than 70 years, World Health Organization (WHO) performance status greater than 2, prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease, and presence of liver metastases in patients younger than 50. RESULTS An objective response (complete [CR] or partial [PR]) was obtained in 55%, 48%, 16%, and 7% of patients treated with CEF, E, M, and MV, respectively. A response to CEF tended to last longer than a response to E (median, 12 v 10.5 months; P = .07). Treatment-related toxicity was less in the single-agent arm and quality-of-life (QOL) analysis favored the single-agent arm. No significant difference in time to progression or survival was found between the two arms. Similarly, no difference in survival was found when the patients who received both the planned first-and second-line treatments were compared or when survival was calculated from the beginning of the second-line therapy. CONCLUSION Patients treated with single-agent E followed by single-agent M had similar survival, but less treatment-related toxicity and better QOL as compared with those treated with CEF followed by MV.

scholarly journals A Review of Docetaxel: Its Use in the Treatment of Gastric Cancer

2010 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. CMT.S5191
Author(s):  
Alessandro Inno ◽  
Michele Basso ◽  
Alessandra Cassano ◽  
Carlo Barone
Keyword(s):  
Gastric Cancer ◽  
Phase Ii ◽  
Performance Status ◽  
Single Agent ◽  
Progression Free Survival ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Poor Performance Status ◽  
Phase Ii Studies ◽  
Combination Regimens

Docetaxel, a member of the taxane family, promotes cell death by binding β-tubulin and has demonstrated activity against several human malignancies, both as a single agent and in combination therapy. It has been approved in Europe and the US as front-line treatment for advanced gastric cancer in combination with cisplatin and fluorouracil (DCF regimen). This approval was based on the results of a pivotal study (V325) which demonstrated that the addition of docetaxel to the reference regimen of cisplatin and fluorouracil improves overall survival and progression-free survival with a better quality of life despite increased toxicity (mainly haematological). Modifications of DCF regimen have been successfully investigated as a means of making the treatment more tolerable and suitable also for elderly patients or patients with poor performance status. Emerging data from several phase II studies suggest that other docetaxel-based combination regimens with anthracyclines or irinotecan have interesting activity with acceptable toxicity profiles, but the true efficacy of these regimens needs to be assessed in large randomized phase III studies. Thus, the best docetaxel-containing regimen has yet to be identified. Docetaxel also represents a good candidate for combination with novel molecular target agents. In light of the high response rates observed in phase II-III studies, a docetaxel-based chemotherapy regimen might also be considered a treatment option as perioperative or adjuvant therapy in potentially curable gastric cancer and further studies with or without biological agents are eagerly awaited in this setting.

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