Publications (12)74.39 Total impact
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Article: UFT/leucovorin and mitomycin C as salvage treatment in patients with advanced colorectal cancer - a retrospective analysis.
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ABSTRACT: Active anticancer drugs and/or combination regimens for the treatment of patients failing oxaliplatin, irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil are desperately needed. In this analysis we describe the safety and efficacy of the combination of mitomycin C, UFT and leucovorin in such an extensively pretreated patient population. Between January 2002 and June 2004, a total of 41 patients were treated with mitomycin C (8 mg/m on day 1) and UFT (350 mg/m)+ leucovorin (90 mg) both divided into three daily doses from day 1 to day 14 every 4 weeks. All patients had failed prior first-line and second-line treatment with oxaliplatin, irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety data of this potential salvage therapy regimen. Thirty-nine patients were evaluable for the response. The overall response rate (intent-to-treat) was 7.3% (95% confidence interval, 2.5-19.4%) and disease stabilization was achieved in 29.3%. Median time to progression was 2.5 months (range, 1.5-13.5) and median overall survival was 6 months (range, 1.5-26). Myelosuppression was the most frequent side effect. Grade 3 hematotoxicity, however, was observed in only three patients. The most common nonhematological toxicities consisted of mild and reversible nausea, emesis and diarrhea; again, severe symptoms were only occasionally seen. These data show that the combination of mitomycin C/UFT/leucovorin is safe and active in about one-third of patients in terms of abrogation of progression in extensively pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer.Anti-Cancer Drugs 08/2007; 18(6):709-12. · 2.41 Impact Factor -
Article: Downregulation of TSLC1 and DAL-1 expression occurs frequently in breast cancer.
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ABSTRACT: TSLC1 and DAL-1 are tumor suppressor genes involved in cell adhesion. In this study, we examined the expression and methylation pattern of these genes in breast cancer cell lines and primary breast carcinomas. TSLC1 expression was lost in 5 of 8 (63%) and DAL-1 expression was lost in 6 of 8 (75%) breast cancer cell lines, respectively. Downregulation of TSLC1 expression was observed in 43 of 50 (86%) and of DAL-1 expression in 26 of 55 (47%) primary breast carcinomas. TSLC1 methylation was found in 4 of 8 (50%) and DAL-1 methylation was observed in 6 of 8 (75%) breast cancer cell lines, respectively. Of 95 primary breast carcinomas 46 (48%) were TSLC1 methylated and 26 (27%) were DAL-1 methylated. Twenty of 43 (47%) and 10 of 26 (38%) primary breast cancer samples which showed downregulation of TSLC1 and DAL-1 expression were unmethylated for these genes. Re-expression of TSLC1 and DAL-1 was observed after treatment of BT-20 cells with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine and TSA. Samples from patients with grade 3 tumors were more frequently TSLC1 and TSLC1 and/or DAL-1 methylated than samples from patients with grade 1 and 2 tumors (P = 0.032, P = 0.023). Moreover, TSLC1 methylation correlated with loss of both ER and PgR staining (P = 0.011, P = 0.02). Our findings suggest that TSLC1 and DAL-1 are involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer and are frequently inactivated by methylation.Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 08/2007; 103(3):283-91. · 4.43 Impact Factor -
Article: Phase II trial of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx) plus Gemcitabine in chemotherapeutically pretreated patients with advanced breast cancer.
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ABSTRACT: A phase II trial was performed to investigate the efficacy and tolerance of combined gemcitabine and liposomal doxorubicin +/- recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in patients with chemotherapeutically pretreated metastatic breast cancer. Thirty-four patients were entered in this trial. Chemotherapy consisted of gemcitabine and liposomal doxorubicin +/- G-CSF. Twenty seven patients received this regimen as 2nd line therapy, five patients as 3rd line and two patients as 4th line therapy after having failed taxane- and/or anthracycline-based chemotherapy or other drug combinations. After a median of six courses, an overall response rate of 26% (9 PR in 34 enrolled patients) was observed; 14 patients had disease stabilization (41%), and eight (24%) progressed. Three patients were not evaluable for response due to anaphylaxis after the first course and protracted thrombocytopenia. The median TTP was 7.5 months, and median overall survival was 15 months. Myelosuppression was the most frequently observed toxicity. Non-haematological side effects were generally mild to moderate. Our data suggest that gemcitabine and liposomal doxorubicin +/- G-CSF is an effective and fairly well tolerated regimen for chemotherapeutically pretreated patients with advanced breast cancer.Acta Oncologica 02/2007; 46(2):208-13. · 3.33 Impact Factor -
Article: Randomized multicenter phase II trial of two different schedules of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin as first-line treatment in advanced colorectal cancer.
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ABSTRACT: Capecitabine and oxaliplatin, two new agents with potential synergistic activity, have demonstrated promising antitumor efficacy in advanced colorectal cancer (ACC). Preclinical and clinical evidence indicating that dose intensification of the oral fluorouracil prodrug might result in improved therapeutic results led us to the present randomized multicenter phase II study. Eighty-nine patients with bidimensionally measurable ACC previously untreated for metastatic disease were randomly allocated to receive oxaliplatin 130 mg/m(2) day 1 plus capecitabine 2,000 mg/m(2)/d days 1 to 14 every 3 weeks (arm A) or to receive oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) days 1 and 14 combined with capecitabine 3,500 mg/m(2) days 1 to 7 and 14 to 21 every 4 weeks (arm B). In both treatment arms, chemotherapy was continued for a total of 6 months unless there was prior evidence of progression of disease. Patients allocated to the high-dose capecitabine combination arm B had a higher radiologically confirmed response rate (54.5% v 42.2%) and a significantly longer median progression-free survival time than those allocated to control arm A (10.5 v 6.0 months; P =.0013). Median overall survival times cannot be calculated for either treatment arm at this point. Despite a 34% higher dose intensity of capecitabine in arm B, there was no difference in hematologic toxicity between treatment arms (neutropenia/thrombocytopenia: 60%/43% in arm B v 56%/33% in arm A). Similarly, the incidence rate and degree of nonhematologic adverse events were comparable: The most commonly encountered symptoms (all grades, arm A and arm B) included nausea/emesis (A: 58%; B: 62%), diarrhea (A: 44%; B: 31%), peripheral sensory neuropathy (A: 80%; B: 83%), and fatigue (A: 40%; B: 50%). Results of this study indicate that both combination regimens are feasible, tolerable, and clinically active. The dose-intensified bimonthly capecitabine arm, however, seems to be more effective in increasing both response rate and progression-free survival time.Journal of Clinical Oncology 05/2003; 21(7):1307-12. · 18.37 Impact Factor -
Article: Significant increase in breast conservation in 16 years of trials conducted by the Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group.
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ABSTRACT: To confirm evidence that breast-conserving treatment (BCT) does not impair the prognosis in breast cancer patients as compared to mastectomy and to argue that it be regarded as the treatment of choice in stage I and II disease. Scientifically, survival rates in breast cancer have been shown to be stage-dependent, but independent of the extent of surgical breast tissue removal, as long as the resection margins are free of tumor infiltration. Between 1984 and 1997, six different trials conducted by the Austrian Breast & Colorectal Cancer Study Group accrued a total of 4,259 women with hormone-responsive disease. The authors selected and compared three patient groups (n = 3,316) according to pathologic stage, age, and the surgical procedure applied. Over this interval, the BCT rate in the premenopausal node-positive subgroup experienced a highly significant increase from 27.2% to 73.2% overall. In the group of postmenopausal node-negative patients, the BCT rate grew significantly by 37.3% to 77.3% in total. With an overall BCT rate growing from 22.5% to 56.8% in postmenopausal node-positive women, those presenting with T1 tumors saw a significant increase from 35.1% to 65.9%. Mortality and local recurrence rates proved stable or even decreased considerably over time and in all subgroups. The presented outcome of BCT rates, significantly improved over this 16-year period and in no way counterbalanced by higher local recurrence or death rates, reflects an excellent example of surgical quality control. BCT can safely be regarded as the standard of therapy for T1 and increasingly for T2 disease. Especially in multi-institutional adjuvant breast cancer trials, the highest priority should be given to breast-conserving procedures.Annals of Surgery 04/2003; 237(4):556-64. · 7.49 Impact Factor -
Article: Effective combination chemotherapy with bimonthly docetaxel and cisplatin with or without hematopoietic growth factor support in patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancer.
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ABSTRACT: A phase II trial was performed to determine the antitumor efficacy and tolerance of combined docetaxel and cisplatin with or without hematopoietic growth factor support in patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancer. Thirty-seven patients with histologically confirmed metastatic gastroesophageal cancer were entered in this trial. Treatment consisted of 4-weekly courses of docetaxel 50 mg/m(2) and cisplatin 50 mg/m(2) both given on day 1 and 15. Depending on absolute neutrophil counts on the days of scheduled chemotherapeutic drug administration (1,000-2,000/microl), a 5-day course of human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) 5 microg/kg/day was given subcutaneously; in addition, if hemoglobin was <12.0 mg/dl, erythropoietin 10,000 IU was administered subcutaneously 3 times per week. The confirmed overall response rate (intent-to-treat) was 46%, including 4 complete responses (11%) and 13 partial responses (35%). Eleven patients (30%) had stable disease and 9 (24%) progressed while on treatment. The median time to response was 3 months, the median time to progression was 7 months and the median overall survival time was 11.5 months with 16 (43%) patients currently alive. Hematologic toxicity was common, though WHO grade 4 neutropenia occurred only in 3 patients. Nonhematologic adverse reaction were usually mild to moderate; grade 3 toxicities included alopecia in 5 patients (14%), infection in 1 (3%), neutrotoxicity in 2 (5%) and anaphylaxis in 1 patient. Our data suggest that the combination of docetaxel and cisplatin with or without G-CSF and/or erythropoietin has a promising therapeutic index in patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancer.Oncology 01/2003; 65(3):211-7. · 2.27 Impact Factor -
Article: Treatment of advanced breast cancer with docetaxel and gemcitabine with and without human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.
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ABSTRACT: A multicenter Phase II trial was performed to investigate the efficacy and tolerance of combined docetaxel and gemcitabine +/- recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Fifty-two patients participated in this trial, 51 of whom are evaluable for response. Thirty-eight patients received this combination as first-line chemotherapy, and 14 patients received this combination as second-line chemotherapy, including 10 patients who had failed anthracyclines. Therapy consisted of 1500 mg/m2 gemcitabine and 50 mg/m2 docetaxel, both administered on days 1 and 15 every 4 weeks. Depending on the absolute neutrophil counts on the day of scheduled chemotherapeutic drug administration, a 5-day course of 5 microg/kg G-CSF was given. The overall response rate was 60.5% (95% confidence interval, 43.4-75.9%) in patients receiving docetaxel plus gemcitabine as first-line chemotherapy, including 4 complete responses (10.5%) and 19 partial remissions (50%); 9 patients (24%) had disease stabilization, and only 5 (13%) progressed. Second-line treatment with this regimen resulted in 6 of 14 (43%) objective responses, 5 had stable disease, and 3 progressive disease. The median time to progression was 8.5 months in the first-line setting and 6.6 months in the second-line setting, respectively. After a median follow-up time of 15 months, 36 patients (69%) are still alive with metastatic disease. Myelosuppression was commonly observed; WHO grade 3 or 4 neutropenia, however, occurred in only 15 (29%) patients and was complicated by septicemia in 2 cases; grade 3 anemia was seen in 1 patient (2%). Severe (grade 3) nonhematological toxicity except for alopecia was rarely observed and included nausea/vomiting in 3 (6%), stomatitis in 2 (4%), anaphylaxis in 2, and peripheral neuropathy, skin toxicity, and increase of liver enzymes each in one patient. Our data suggest that docetaxel and gemcitabine with and without G-CSF is an effective and fairly well-tolerated regimen for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. It might be particularly useful in patients exposed previously to adjuvant or palliative anthracyclines and/or alkylating agents.Clinical Cancer Research 06/2002; 8(5):1051-6. · 7.74 Impact Factor -
Article: Randomized phase II study of irinotecan plus mitomycin C vs. oxaliplatin plus mitomycin C in patients with advanced fluoropyrimidine/leucovorin-pretreated colorectal cancer.
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ABSTRACT: Irinotecan and oxaliplatin are two new agents with promising activity in advanced colorectal cancer. Based on preclinical and clinical evidence that both drugs might act synergistically with mitomycin C, a randomized study using a 'pick the winner' design was undertaken to determine the effectiveness and tolerance of these two combination schedules in patients with fluoropyrimidine/leucovorin-pretreated advanced colorectal cancer. Sixty-four patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, who progressed while receiving or within 6 months after discontinuing palliative chemotherapy with fluoropyrimidines/leucovorin were enrolled onto this study. They were randomly assigned to treatment with irinotecan 120 mg/m2 on days 1 + 15 plus mitomycin C 8 mg/m2 on day 1 (arm A) or oxaliplatin 85 mg/M2 on days 1 + 15 plus mitomycin C 8 mg/m2 on day 1 (arm B). In both treatment arms, courses were repeated every 4 weeks. The objective response rate in arm A is 7/33 (21.2%; 95% confidence interval, 9.0-38.9%) as compared to 5/31 in arm B (16.1%; 95% CI, 5.5-34.7%). Stable disease was noted in 48.5 vs. 45.2%, whereas the tumor progressed in 30.3 vs. 38.7%, respectively. Similar to the recorded response activities, the difference of the two combination regimens in terms of median time to progression (7.0 vs. 5.2 months) and overall survival (12.0 vs. 11.2 months) was only minor and clincally insignificant. The tolerance of treatment was acceptable in both arms, though severe adverse reactions requiring dose reductions (30 vs. 16%) and treatment delays (22 vs. 13% of courses) were more commonly noted with irinotecan/mitomycin C. The most common toxicities in arm A were neutropenia (85%; WHO grade 3/4 in 33%), thrombocytopenia (52%), diarrhea (45%), emesis (52%) and alopecia (92%). In arm B, common toxicities included neutropenia (68%; grade 3/4 in 13%), thrombocytopenia (81%), emesis (52%), and peripheral neutropathy (48%). Both mitomycin C combination regimens seem to provide an acceptable therapeutic index in patients with fluoropyrimidine/leucovorin-pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer. In view of the increasing need for a broader chemotherapeutic armentarium for second-line therapy of this common malignant disease, both regimens may be worthwhile to undergo further clinical investigation.Cancer Investigation 02/2002; 20(1):60-8. · 1.85 Impact Factor -
Article: Randomized multicenter phase II trial of oxaliplatin plus irinotecan versus raltitrexed as first-line treatment in advanced colorectal cancer.
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ABSTRACT: Irinotecan and oxaliplatin are two new agents with promising activity in advanced colorectal cancer. Based on preclinical and clinical evidence that both drugs act synergistically, a randomized phase II study was initiated to investigate the therapeutic potential and tolerance of this combination in the front-line setting. Ninety-two patients with previously untreated, measurable disease were randomized to receive biweekly oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) plus irinotecan 175 mg/m(2) or raltitrexed 3 mg/m(2) given on day 1 every 3 weeks. Upon development of progressive disease, second-line treatment with the opposite arm was effected. Patients allocated to oxaliplatin/irinotecan had a significantly better radiologically confirmed response rate (43.5% v 19.6%; P =.0025) and longer progression-free survival (median, 7.1 v 5.0 months; P =.0033). Improvement in overall survival, however, did not reach the level of significance (median, 16.0 v 16.5 months; P =.3943). The response rate after cross-over was 33.3% (eight of 24) for assessable patients treated with oxaliplatin/irinotecan compared with 14.2% (three of 21) for those treated with second-line raltitrexed. Oxaliplatin/irinotecan caused more hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicities, necessitating dose reductions in 10 of the first 20 patients. After adjustment of the irinotecan starting dose from 175 to 150 mg/m(2), tolerance of treatment was acceptable; the most commonly encountered events (all grades) were neutropenia (81%), alopecia (65%), nausea/emesis (62%), peripheral sensory neuropathy (62%), and diarrhea (46%). Oxaliplatin/irinotecan seems beneficial as first-line therapy in advanced colorectal cancer, with an acceptable toxicity profile at the reduced irinotecan dose level. Its promising therapeutic potential is supported by the high response activity noted in the raltitrexed control arm after cross-over, which may also explain the lack of a difference in overall survival.Journal of Clinical Oncology 02/2002; 20(1):165-72. · 18.37 Impact Factor -
Article: Oxaliplatin plus raltitrexed in patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma
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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND Oxaliplatin and raltitrexed both are active anticancer agents in the treatment of patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma: They have different mechanisms of action and toxicity profiles and have shown at least additive effects in experimental and preliminary clinical studies. The aim of this disease oriented Phase I–II study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), the dose-limiting toxicities (DLT), and the objective response rate of this combination in patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma.METHODS Between April 1998 and March 1999, 69 patients with measurable metastatic colorectal carcinoma who previously were unexposed to palliative chemotherapy were enrolled. In the Phase I part of the study, 27 patients were treated with 3-weekly courses of a fixed dose of raltitrexed (3 mg/m2 given as a 15-minute intravenous infusion) followed by a 2-hour infusion of oxaliplatin, which was escalated in consecutive cohorts of three to six patients from 85 mg/m2 to 100 mg/m2, 120 mg/m2, 130 mg/m2, and 140 mg/m2. After having defined the toxic dose, 42 additional patients were entered at one dose level below to define the therapeutic index of this combination more precisely.RESULTSIn the Phase I part of the study, during the first three dose levels, only one patient each experienced DLT (Grade 3 increase in transaminases, diarrhea, and stomatitis); at level 4, two of the first six patients entered had Grade 3 neutropenic infection or peripheral neurotoxicity, whereas dose level 5 (oxaliplatin 140 mg/m2) constituted the toxic dose with three of three patients experiencing DLT (Grade 3 asthenia, transient amaurosis, and diarrhea with Grade 4 neutropenia). Externally reviewed objective responses were noted in 9 of these 27 patients (33%), and stable disease occurred in 12 patients (44.4%). Among the 42 patients who were treated subsequently at the MTD level (Phase II portion), 20 patients (47.6%) responded (95% confidence interval, 32–62.6%), and 21 patients (50%) had stable disease. Their median progression free survival was 9.0 months, and the median overall survival, with 42 patients (67%) currently alive, is > 14.5 months. Treatment tolerance at the MTD was acceptable, with only 9 of 42 patients (21%) experiencing Grade 3–4 neutropenia; Grade 3 nonhematologic adverse reactions included increase in serum transaminases in 6 patients, peripheral neuropathy in 3 patients, diarrhea in 3 patients, and both stomatitis and emesis in only 1 patient each.CONCLUSIONS The described objective response and toxicity data, which are in agreement with preliminary results of other Phase I–II studies, support the promising therapeutic potential of this combination in the treatment of patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma. Due to its substantial antitumor activity, tolerance (at the recommended MTD level), and convenient 3-weekly outpatient administration schedule, further evaluation of this regimen seems warranted. Cancer 2001;91:1264–71. © 2001 American Cancer Society.Cancer 03/2001; 91(7):1264 - 1271. · 4.77 Impact Factor -
Article: Pirarubicin (4′-o-tetrahydropyranil-adriamycin) for treatment of advanced breast cancer
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ABSTRACT: In a phase II study, 77 patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with pirarubicin, 70 mg/m2 iv every 3 weeks. Most of them had received prior hormonal (n = 39) and/or chemotherapeutic drug treatment for advanced disease, including anthracycline-containing regimens in 17. After a median of 5.5 treatment cycles (range 1–14), objective tumor response was seen in 22/71 (31%) evaluable patients (4CR, 18 PR). Stable disease occurred in 34 (48%) patients, whereas the tumor progressed in 15 (21%). Significant hematologic toxicity (WHO grade III–IV) requiring interval and/or dose adjustments was observed in 41 (58%) patients. Other treatment-related side effects were generally mild, and included alopecia in 52 (73%), nausea and/or emesis in 50 (70%), and stomatitis and diarrhea in 3 patients each. There was no treatment-related death, nor was there any evidence of cardiac toxicity thus far. In summary, the early results of this trial suggest that pirarubicin is an active and rather well tolerated drug in pretreated patients with advanced breast cancer.Investigational New Drugs 04/1990; 8(2):207-210. · 3.36 Impact Factor -
Article: MDR1 gene expression and prognostic factors in primary breast carcinomas
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ABSTRACT: To prospectively assess the role of the MDR1 gene in breast carcinomas, MDR1 RNA levels of breast carcinoma specimens were determined by slot blot analysis. In 59 evaluable patients with primary breast carcinomas, MDR1 RNA levels of the carcinomas were negative in 54%, low in 29% and high in 17% of the patients. No differences in age, menopause status, oestrogen and progesterone receptor levels, tumour size, lymph node involvement and c-erbB-2/neu gene expression were observed between MDR1 RNA negative patients and MDR1 RNA positive patients.European Journal of Cancer and Clinical Oncology.
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2002–2007
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Medical University of Vienna
- • Klinische Abteilung für Onkologie
- • Institut für Sozialmedizin
Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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