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Annals of Oncology 09/2010; 21(9):1923-4. · 6.43 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Because sunitinib can induce extensive necrosis in metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC), we examined whether criteria defined by Choi might be valuable to predict early sunitinib efficacy.
Computed tomography was used for measurement of tumour lesions in mm and lesion attenuation in Hounsfield units (HUs). According to Choi criteria partial response (PR) was defined as > or =10% decrease in size or > or =15% decrease in attenuation.
A total of 55 mRCC patients treated with sunitinib were included. At first evaluation, according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) 7 patients had PR, 38 stable disease (SD), and 10 progressive disease (PD), whereas according to Choi criteria 36 patients had PR, 6 SD and 13 PD. Median tumour attenuation decreased from 66 to 47 HUs (P< or =0.001). In patients with PR, Choi criteria had a significantly better predictive value for progression-free survival and overall survival (both Ps<0.001) than RECIST (P=0.685 and 0.191 respectively). The predictive value for RECIST increased (P=0.001 and <0.001 respectively), when best response during treatment was taken into account.
Choi criteria could be helpful to define early mRCC patients who benefit from sunitinib, but the use of these criteria will not change the management of these patients.
British Journal of Cancer 02/2010; 102(5):803-9. · 5.04 Impact Factor
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Clinical radiology 01/2010; 65(1):94-6; author reply 96-7. · 1.65 Impact Factor
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British Journal of Cancer 09/2009; · 5.04 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Sunitinib has been registered for the treatment of advanced renal cell cancer (RCC). As patient inclusion was highly selective in previous studies, experience with sunitinib in general oncological practice remains to be reported. We determined the efficacy and safety of sunitinib in patients with advanced RCC included in an expanded access programme. ECOG performance status >1, histology other than clear cell and presence of brain metastases were no exclusion criteria. Eighty-two patients were treated: 23% reached a partial response, 50% had stable disease, 20% progressed and six patients were not evaluable. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9 months and median overall survival (OS) was 15 months. Importantly, 47 patients (57%) needed a dose reduction, 35 (43%) because of treatment-related adverse events, 10 (12%) because of continuous dosing, and two because of both. Stomatitis, fatigue, hand-foot syndrome and a combination of grade 1-2 adverse events were the most frequent reasons for dose reduction. In 40 patients (49%), there was severe toxicity, defined as dose reduction or permanent discontinuation, which was highly correlated with low body surface area, high age and female gender. On the basis of age and gender, a model was developed that could predict the probability of severe toxicity.
British Journal of Cancer 08/2008; 99(2):259-65. · 5.04 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Distinguishing malignant thyroid nodules in patients with follicular cytology by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) remains problematic. The large majority of thyroid nodules (> 85%) are overtreated. Therefore, a clear need exists to develop more accurate initial diagnostic tests for follicular thyroid nodules. Galectin-3 is the most recent promising marker to aid discrimination between benign and malignant thyroid lesions; however, this biomarker can be absent in follicular malignancies.
This study was undertaken to determine whether additional biomarkers can help to discriminate between benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
Surgical specimens of 36 patients with benign (n = 12) and malignant (n = 24) thyroid nodules showing follicular cytology were assessed by immunohistochemistry for the expression of galectin-3 and novel biomarkers.
Expression of hexokinase III (HK III) (P = 0.000) cyclin A (P = 0.002) and galectin-3 (P = 0.003) differed significantly between benign and malignant thyroid nodules. HK III had a sensitivity of 79% [95% confidence interval (CI) 60-91] and a specificity of 100% (95% CI 76-100) in predicting malignancy. Galectin-3 had a sensitivity of 79% (95% CI 56-91) and a specificity of 75% (95% CI 47-91) in predicting malignancy. Combining HK III, cyclin A and galectin-3 in a parallel test increased the sensitivity to 96% (95% CI 80-99) while the specificity remained at a high level of 75% (95% CI 47-91). Leave-one-out cross-validation demonstrated a stable predictive validity of a model based on HK III, cyclin A and galectin-3.
In this study, we have demonstrated that in addition to galectin-3, HK III and cyclin A profiles could be important biomarkers in predicting malignancy in follicular thyroid nodules. The use of these biomarkers may allow an accurate preoperative diagnosis of thyroid cancer, which can be cost saving and may avoid serious morbidity such as vocal cord paralysis. The value of the suggested biomarkers warrants further evaluation in a large prospective study on cytological samples of follicular thyroid nodules.
Clinical Endocrinology 02/2008; 68(2):252-7. · 3.17 Impact Factor
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Annals of Oncology 11/2007; 18(10):1747-50. · 6.43 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Erythermalgia is a rare clinical syndrome characterised by intermittent, usually symmetrical burning pain, warmth and dermal erythema of the extremities with an amelioration of discomfort by cooling of the extremity. In this report, we describe a patient with erythermalgia caused by long-term verapamil use. After discontinuing the verapamil, the symptoms improved dramatically within two weeks.
The Netherlands Journal of Medicine 11/2007; 65(9):349-51. · 2.07 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Three patients with advanced renal-cell cancer were treated with sunitinib 50 mg daily for 4 weeks followed by a rest period of 2 weeks because of progressive disease. The first patient developed stomatitis and a painful blister on his foot. Complaints disappeared after temporary discontinuation of treatment. Re-treatment at a lower dosage was successful until disease progression. The second patient developed skin discolouration, fatigue, fever and diarrhoea. After treatment was interrupted shortly, these symptoms disappeared and sunitinib was recommenced at a lower dosage. The patient went on to develop stomatitis, thrombocytopenia and hypertension (treated with amlodipine). She subsequently had hand-foot syndrome. She died due to brain metastases. In the third patient symptoms of disease returned during the rest period, because of which he received a reduced dosage of sunitinib on a continuous base. He developed diarrhoea which disappeared after a short interruption of the drug. Sunitinib has been approved for the treatment of advanced renal-cell cancer and imatinib-resistant gastro-intestinal stromal tumours. This novel targeting molecule is a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth-factor receptors, platelet-derived growth-factor receptors and c-Kit. It can induce adverse events that differ from those observed in treatment with conventional cytotoxic agents. The adverse effects are reduced by lowering the dosage and in the rest period within the treatment cycle.
Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde 06/2007; 151(20):1142-7.
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ABSTRACT: Patients suspected of recurrent differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) may require "blind" (131)I therapy, with the disadvantage of unpredictable efficacy and toxicity. Alternatively, positron emission tomography (PET) with [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)FDG) can document the recurrence, thereby rationalizing therapeutic options. This study compared (18)FDG uptake in vivo with biomarkers expected to be involved in the underlying biological mechanisms. Additionally, we investigated whether such features were present in the primary tumors. Preoperatively, 19 patients with recurrent DTC underwent PET. (18)FDG uptake was compared with histological and immunohistochemical features in surgical specimens of recurrent and primary tumor. Thirteen of 19 recurrences were positive at PET, and (18)FDG uptake was associated with the expression of hexokinase type I (HK I; P = 0.011). All lesions with HK I overexpression were positive on (18)FDG PET. HK I expression in the original primary tumor and the metastases was similar in 82% (rho = 0.648; P = 0.005). In suspected recurrent thyroid cancer, stratification for (18)FDG PET may benefit from pretest immunohistochemical analysis of HK I of the primary tumor, as HK I negativity indicates a low likelihood of PET positivity.
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 02/2005; 90(1):328-34. · 6.50 Impact Factor
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