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ABSTRACT: Cervical alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare condition associated with poor prognosis. An 18-year-old patient presented with vaginal bleeding and a protruding mass from the vagina. Biopsy of the mass revealed alveoler rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS), and radiological evaluation demonstrated that it originated from the uterine cervix. First, Wertheim's operation was carried out followed by four cycles of vincristine, actinomycine-D, ifosfamide (VAI) chemotherapy. However, the disease relapsed within three months, and the patient died of disease progression. Despite combination treatment, we could not achieve a desirable survival advantage in ARMS. Future studies may unveil the genomic profile of this rare condition, leading to invention of targeted therapies, which is the emerging trend in the treatment of sarcomas.
European journal of gynaecological oncology 01/2011; 32(2):196-8. · 0.47 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Kaposi's sarcoma has a higher incidence in organ transplant recipients. We report on a 41-year-old Turkish man with liver transplantation-associated Kaposi's sarcoma that involved the skin and the gut. Immediately after discontinuation of immunosuppressive medication, there was an acute rejection episode. After controlling the acute rejection with steroids, the immunosuppressive treatment was continued together with vincristine, which resulted in disease remission. After 6 months, withdrawal of vincristine lead to relapse of the disease, prompting commencement of vincristine again, which has maintained the patient in remission for more than 3 years without any significant side effects. In conclusion, long-term vincristine may be an effective, safe treatment option for Kaposi's sarcoma.
Transplantation Proceedings 07/2005; 37(5):2188-9. · 1.00 Impact Factor
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E Kurt,
C Sezgin,
T Evrensel,
U Yalcinkaya,
O Kanat,
A Veral,
M Demiray,
M Arslan,
B Karabulut,
I Ercan, E Goker,
O Manavoglu
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ABSTRACT: In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics with special emphasis on c-kit expression and the treatment results of patients with extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma (EPSCC). The medical records of the patients with EPSCC were reviewed, and the data regarding patient and tumour characteristics, treatment and clinical outcome were retrieved and analysed. A total of 28 patients with the diagnosis of EPSCC were identified. There were 19 males and 9 females, with a mean age of 56.5 years. Patients with limited disease (LD) (n = 13) were treated with surgery, chemotherapy (CT) and radiotherapy with different sequences. Patients with extensive disease (ED) (n = 15) were mainly treated with combination CT. The median overall survival was 14.5 months in patients with LD compared to 11 months in those with ED (p = 0.029). Ten patients (36%) showed c-kit overexpression. There was no significant difference between the survival of c-kit-positive and c-kit-negative patients (p = 0.367). In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the prognosis of EPSCC is poor despite currently available treatments. C-kit may be considered as a potential target for novel therapeutical approaches.
International Journal of Clinical Practice 06/2005; 59(5):537-43. · 2.41 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The authors compare results obtained from weekly paclitaxel treatment in advanced breast cancer patients with biological and clinical prognostic factors. Expression of c-erbB-2, Ki-67, p53 and hormone receptors (HR) was examined by immunohistochemistry in samples of breast tissue from 30 patients. Univariate analysis showed that Ki-67 positivity and low performance status (PS) were associated with poor outcome (P <0.05). We observed that expression of p53 and c-erbB-2 did not have any negative effect on response to chemotherapy and survival. HR-negative patients had better response and slightly statistically significant overall survival (OS) rates compared to HR-positive patients (P >0.05). In a multivariate analysis low PS was the only significant predictor of shorter survival (P <0.05). In conclusion, while the expression of p53 and c-erbB-2 did not have any effect on treatment results, negative Ki-67 expression and negative HR status were associated with better OS in this patient population. PS was the only significant predictor for OS.
Journal of chemotherapy (Florence, Italy) 02/2005; 17(1):96-103. · 1.08 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Lack of effective treatment for surgically unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma has made this disease dismal. Although, systemic and/or locoregional chemotherapy and chemo-embolization are among the established treatment options, the results of these modalities are still far from being satisfactory. Systemic interferon administration is also used for the treatment of this disease however it has high toxicity rates. We conducted a pharmacology guided phase I/II study with the aim to explore the effect of hypoxy and interferon alpha-2a in vitro using the HepG2 Hepatoma cell line. We then translated the in-vitro results to the clinical setting and designed a treatment protocol. This schema consisted of lipiodol embolisation via a hepatic artery port in between two sets of seven loco-regional injections of IFNalpha-2a, 3 MU every other day. The in-vitro study revealed the best sequence of hypoxy and IFN as IFN-Hypoxy-IFN. Based on this finding, ten patients with HCC were treated with loco-regional IFN and lipiodolisation. Seven of them achieved partial response and the mean duration of response was 10 months. There was no Grade 4 toxicity. In conclusion, our preliminary clinical results suggest that the combined use of IFN and lipiodolisation in the optimal sequence may provide a new therapeutic option for patients with HCC.
Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research: CR 10/2004; 23(3):403-9. · 1.50 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We studied the effect of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) on prostate and ovarian carcinoma cell lines. As2O3 has been shown to be effective in leukemia, and acute promyelocytic leukemia in particular, both in vitro and in vivo. As model cell lines, we used DU145 and PC-3 for prostate cancer and MDAH 2774 for ovarian cancer. New modalities of treatment are essential in these kinds of cancers, which produce a high death toll. The 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazoyl-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay was used to evaluate cytotoxicity. Flow cytometric analysis and mono-oligo nucleosome detection-based ELISA were used to determine the apoptosis. Isobologram analysis was used to evaluate synergism and/or the additive effects of As2O3 and conventional chemotherapeutic agents. We clearly demonstrated that As2O3 has significant cytotoxic effect on both prostate and ovarian carcinoma cell lines. The dose range of As2O3 in all three cell lines was approximately 10(-6) M. The mechanism underlying cytotoxicity of As2O3 was shown to be apoptosis. The experiments by butylated hydroxyanisole showed that the cytotoxic effect of As2O3 was not through superoxide generation. There was no synergism, but the additive effects of As2O3 were demonstrated with cisplatin, adriamycin, and etoposide. We strongly suggest that As2O3 alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic agents be evaluated further as a new agent for the treatment of prostate and ovarian cancers.
Clinical Cancer Research 01/2001; 6(12):4957-64. · 7.74 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Lung parenchymal metastases are common manifestations in patients with osteosarcoma; however, spread to the major airway itself is extremely rare. We present a young man who had been previously treated with surgical resection following preoperative chemotherapy and immediate postsurgical adjuvant chemotherapy for proximal tibial osteosarcoma. He developed metastasis to the major airways. The patient was treated with intraluminal radiotherapy (ILT) for the endobronchial metastasis. This is the first report of an endobronchial osteosarcoma that was treated with ILT with a complete endoscopic response. ILT provided excellent palliation in this particular case.
Chest 01/2000; 116(6):1811-4. · 5.25 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) on topoisomerase II levels using western blotting method on MDAH 2774 ovarian carcinoma cell culture. Experimental designs were established to determine the cytotoxic effects of As(2)O(3) on MDAH 2774 cells and the IC50 (fatal dose for the 50% of cells) value. Cytotoxicity experiments were carried out using various concentrations of As(2)O(3). The 2,3-bis[2-methyloxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl]-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) and trypan blue dye-exclusion tests were used to evaluate cytotoxicity. Topoisomerase II expressions were investigated using western blotting method with various concentrations of As(2)O(3). Densitometric analysis of topoisomerase 2 bands was carried out using Quantity One 1-D analysis software (Bio-Rad USA, Life Science Research, Hercules, CA). IC50 value of As(2)O(3) was found to be 5 x 10(-6) M for MDAH 2774 cells. When the bands were evaluated, it was observed that there was a decrease in topoisomerase II levels in MDAH 2774 cells with increasing concentrations of As(2)O(3). It was also observed by the densitometric analysis that topoisomerase II expression ratios of MDAH 2774 cells were decreased by approximately 50% at this concentration. Topoisomerase II levels were significantly decreased with the increasing concentrations of As(2)O(3). Inhibition of topoisomerase II enzyme was one of the antiproliferative influence mechanisms of As(2)O(3).
International Journal of Gynecological Cancer 16(4):1552-6. · 1.65 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To assess the efficacy and toxicity of the docetaxel and platinum combination in patients with locoregionally advanced or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).
A total of 24 patients with metastatic or locoregionally advanced SCCHN treated with docetaxel and platinum combination chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. All of them had histologically proven SCCHN, measurable disease and ECOG performance status of 2 or less, and were treated with docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) as a 60 min i.v. infusion on day 1, followed by cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) or carboplatin AUC 6 as a 60 min i.v. infusion on day 1 every 3 weeks, until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients were evaluated for response, survival and toxicity.
Seven (29%) patients showed partial response (PR) and 1 (4%) complete response (CR) for an overall response rate of 33%. Twelve (50%) patients had stable disease (SD). Disease control rate was 83%. The median follow-up time was 26.4 months (range 2-127), the median time to progression 16 months (range 2-20), and the median overall survival 19 months (range 2-22). Grade 3-4 hematologic toxicity occurred in 13 (54%) patients. Febrile neutropenia was seen in 5 (21%) patients.
Docetaxel plus cisplatin or carboplatin is an effective regimen with acceptable safety profile for palliation of locally advanced or metastatic SCCHN.
Journal of B.U.ON.: official journal of the Balkan Union of Oncology 13(2):199-203. · 0.61 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In this paper a patient with primary osteosarcoma of the sphenoid bone, which recurred twice following surgery and was managed with re-excision, irradiation and chemotherapy is presented due to its extremely rare presentation and atypical course. The relevant literature is also reviewed.
Journal of B.U.ON.: official journal of the Balkan Union of Oncology 7(1):71-4. · 0.61 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Previous findings showed that paclitaxel induces interleukin-8 (IL-8) transcription and secretion in ovarian cancer cells in vitro. We hypothesized that paclitaxel treatment, which is a standard care for ovarian cancer patients, may increase the secretion of IL-8, resulting in the elevated serum IL-8 levels. In this study, we investigated the relationship between paclitaxel exposure and IL-8 levels of an ovarian and a breast carcinoma cell line in vitro and serums of patients with ovarian carcinoma. Both MDAH 2774 ovarian and MCF-7 breast carcinoma cell lines were sensitive to paclitaxel-mediated cytotoxicity. However, supernatant levels of IL-8 assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before and after treatment with different concentrations of paclitaxel were significantly lower in MCF-7 than in MDAH 2774. Serum IL-8 levels were measured in serum samples from patients with ovarian carcinoma before and after paclitaxel-containing treatment regimens. Forty-eight patients were included in the study. The basal level of IL-8 after paclitaxel-containing treatment was found to be significantly higher in the serums of patients who had high tumor burden than in patients who had optimal debulking surgery and low tumor burden. These data strongly suggest that IL-8 may be an important predictive marker for tumor volume as well as sensitivity to paclitaxel.
International Journal of Gynecological Cancer 15(2):240-5. · 1.65 Impact Factor
