OBJECTIVE: To summarize the clinical effect of TPF regimen in the treatment of hypopharyngeal carcinoma and explore various clinical factors affecting treatment efficacy. METHOD: The clinical data of 20 cases with hypopharyngeal carcinoma, who received TPF treatment, were analyzed retrospectively. After two courses of chemotherapy, based on radiographic outcomes, next treatment plan was developed. To sum up the clinical information, including the clinical type, patterns of tumor growth, pathologic type, tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, age and so on. To analyze possible influencing factors affecting curative effect. RESULT: (1) After 20 cases with hypopharyngeal carcinoma received two courses of TPF treatment, the effect was evaluated. Objective response rate was 65%. (2) In patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma, the efficacy of TPF therapy was significantly related to the clinical type, patterns of tumor growth and pathologic type; there was no statistical significance in tumor stage, lymph node metastasis and age. CONCLUSION According to the clinical type, patterns of tumor growth and pathologic type of hypopharyngeal carcinoma, resistance to chemotherapy in hypopharyngeal carcinoma can be assessed, which provides important basis for designing individualized treatment plan.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Cisplatin ; therapeutic use ; Fluorouracil ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms ; therapy ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

Pancreatic cancer is a very lethal cancer. It is the 5th most common cause for cancer related mortality in Korea. Most of patients have unresectable pancreatic cancer, and systemic chemotherapy remains the only treatment option for them. Gemcitabine has been adopted as the standard first-line agent for advanced pancreatic cancer, but the progression free survival with gemcitabine is short. Many of patients need further treatment. We reviewed the clinical trials of second line chemotherapy for gemcitabine refractory pancreatic cancer and tried to show currently available treatment options.
Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use ; Camptothecin/therapeutic use ; Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Fluorouracil/therapeutic use ; Humans ; Organoplatinum Compounds/therapeutic use ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/*drug therapy ; Taxoids/therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo observe clinical effect of integrated Chinese medical (CM) treatment (as maintenance therapy) on the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after first-line chemotherapy.

METHODSThe study was a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Totally 69 non-progressive advanced NSCLC patients treated with first-line chemotherapy were randomly assigned to the test group (34 cases) and the control group (35 cases). Patients in the control group were treated with one Western drug chemotherapy (Gemcitabine or Alimta or docetaxel). Those in the test group were treated with integrated CM treatment (CM decoction, CM Intravenous preparation, and point application). Each cycle consisted of 21 days. Treatment lasted till the disease progressed, or intolerable toxic/adverse reactions occurred, or patients refused to continue the treatment. Patients' life spans were regularly followed-up.

RESULTS(1) The median cycle of maintenance therapy was 2 cycles for two groups with no statistical difference (P =0.274). The median PFS was 12.43 weeks in the test group and 10.00 weeks in the control group, showing statistical difference (P =0.025). The middle survival time (MST) was 18.8 months in the test group and 16.73 months in the control group, showing no statistical difference (P =0.437).

CONCLUSIONCM treatment (as maintenance therapy) showed quail effect to one Western drug chemotherapy in prolonging patients' life span.

Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; Deoxycytidine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Pemetrexed ; therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; therapeutic use ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; drug therapy ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Radiation-Sensitizing Agents ; therapeutic use ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use

BACKGROUNDNasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a squamous-cell carcinoma especially prevailing among the natives of southern China. The regimen of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) that include platinum and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is considered to be the standard treatment for NPC. However, its clinical use is limited by its toxicity. Our purpose was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the regimen of CCRT with taxanes and platinum versus the regimen of CCRT with 5-FU and platinum in NPC treatment.

METHODSMedline, the Cochrane library, and the Chinese medical literature database were searched for eligible studies. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager (Version 5.2).

RESULTSSix random controlled trials (RCTs) including 514 patients met our criteria. Meta-analysis showed that the regimen of CCRT with taxanes and platinum had an improved significant difference in complete remission (CR) and less incidence rate in adverse reactions such as gastrointestinal impairment grades III-IV, liver and kidney impairment grades I-II, and radiodermatitis grades III-IV versus the conventional regimen of CCRT with 5-FU and platinum, while the longterm effectiveness rate of overall survival, locoregional failure-free survival, or distant metastasis failure-free survival between the two groups was therapeutic equivalence.

CONCLUSIONSThe regimen of CCRT with taxanes and platinum in NPC therapy may be more efficient and safe compared to the conventional modality of 5-FU and platinum in CCRT. However, we need more high-quality studies of multi-center and randomized double-blind clinical trials to further compare, analyze, and confirm the findings.

Carcinoma ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Fluorouracil ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Platinum ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Taxoids ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel liposomal and docetaxel for neoadjuvant chemotherapy of breast cancer.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 188 operable patients with breast cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. According to the treatment regimens, they were divided into the group of paclitaxel liposome (86 patients) and group of docetaxel (102 patients) treatment. All the patients received a combination therapy with epirubicin and cyclophosphamide, i.e. neoadjuvant chemotherapy with three drugs, 21 days as a cycle, and a total of 6 cycles. Surgery was carried out three weeks after the end of chemotherapy, and the chemotherapy efficacy and adverse reaction of both groups were evaluated.

RESULTSPathological complete response (pCR) rate in the paclitaxel liposome group and docetaxel group was 10.5% and 9.8%, respectively, the objective response rate (ORR) was 80.2% and 79.4%, respectively, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 95.3% and 93.1%, respectively, showing a non-significant difference in therapy efficacy between the two groups (P > 0.05). Safety analysis indicated that all the occurrence rates of skin and nail toxic reaction, body fluid retention, oral mucositis, allergic reaction (such as facial blushing, chest distress, palpitation, dyspnea. etc.), and grade III-IV leukopenia and neutropenia in the paclitaxel liposome group were significantly lower than that of the docetaxel group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCompared with docetaxel, paclitaxel liposome has the same anti-tumor efficacy, but causes fewer and milder adverse reactions with a higher safety in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Cyclophosphamide ; therapeutic use ; Epirubicin ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Liposomes ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Neutropenia ; Paclitaxel ; therapeutic use ; Remission Induction ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use

Hormone-independent prostate cancer (HIPC) is the end stage of prostate cancer, with a short median survival of 9-18 months for the patients. Two large phase III studies have demonstrated a survival advantage of docetaxel chemotherapy in HIPC patients. New combined protocols have been developed with promising results. These protocols propose a combination with docetaxel, chemotherapy, antiangiogenic agents, vaccine and biological drugs. This review focuses the progress achieved the combined therapies for HIPC.
Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Biological Products ; therapeutic use ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use ; Vaccines ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MSHA (PA-MSHA) vaccine combined with TAC scheme in the treatment of breast carcinoma.

METHODSA non-blinded, randomized, controlled trial was conducted between January 2008 and June 2008 among 60 patients with breast carcinoma. The patients were randomized into control group (30 cases) with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and PA-MSHA group (30 cases) with PA-MSHA treatment in addition to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The therapeutic effect, adverse effects, surgical approaches, postoperative complications and cost-effectiveness in both groups were analyzed before and after the treatment.

RESULTSThe response rate in PA-MSHA group were significantly higher than that in the control group at 2, 3, and 4 weeks after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P<0.05). The Karnofsky scores underwent no significant changes in PA-MSHA group after the chemotherapy, but significantly reduced in the control group (P<0.05). The incidence and severity of the toxic reactions and the rates of subcutaneous fluid, skin flap necrosis and infection in PA-MSHA group were significantly lower than those in the control group. The rate of operation following two neoadjuvant chemotherapy sessions was significantly higher in PA-MSHA group than in the control group. The cost of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for a 1% increment of the response rate was also significantly lower in PA-MSHA than in the control group.

CONCLUSIONPA-MSHA vaccine combined with TAC scheme can significantly enhance the therapeutic effect of breast carcinoma, lowers the rate of postoperative complications, and improve the efficacy of chemotherapy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms ; therapy ; Cancer Vaccines ; therapeutic use ; Cyclophosphamide ; therapeutic use ; Doxorubicin ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; methods ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; immunology ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the efficacy and safety of taxane, cisplatin, and fluorouracil (Tax-PF) as induction chemotherapy for advanced head and neck cancer. METHOD: Literature about the efficacy and safety of Taxane-cisplatin-fluorouracil as induction chemotherapy for advanced head and neck cancer was retrieved from digital databases of PubMed, Embase, SpringerLink, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library before February 2015. Data extraction and quality assessment of included studies were conducted by two reviewers independently. Stata 13.0 was then used to perform Meta-analysis. RESULT: A total 7 randomized controlled trials involving 2,702 were included. The 3-year OS rate [HR = 1.14, 95% CI (1.03, 1.25), P < 0.01], 3-year PFS rate [HR = 1.24, 95% CI (1.08, 1.43), P < 0.01], 5-year OS rate [HR = 1.30, 95% CI (1.09, 1. 55), P < 0. 01], 5-year PFS rate [HR = 1.39, 95% CI (1.14, 1.70), P < 0.01] and ORR to chemotherapy [OR = 1.66, 95% CI (1.35, 2.05), P < 0.01] of the patients in the Tax-PF group were statistically superior to those in the PF group. In terms of toxicities, the incidence of febrile neutropenia [OR = 2.36, 95% CI (1.62, 3.46), P < 0.01], alopecia [OR = 8.22, 95% CI (3.99, 16.92), P < 0.01], diarrhea [OR = 1.57, 95% CI (1.05, 2.36), P< 0.05] and leucopenia [OR = 2.79, 95% CI (1.86, 4.21), P < 0.01] was higher in the Tax-PF group than that in the PF group. CONCLUSION The Tax-PF induction chemotherapy improved PFS and OS, and the ORR was better as compared to PF-based therapy regimens at the cost of a higher incidence of adverse events.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Cisplatin ; therapeutic use ; Fluorouracil ; therapeutic use ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use

The standard first-line treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is docetaxel-based chemotherapy. However, CRPC may not respond to docetaxel due to drug resistance or other causes. Several new therapeutic agents have been developed, some of which are approved by FDA or on clinical trials. The mechanisms of action of these agents include stabilizing microtubules, inhibiting hormone synthesis, blocking androgen receptor, bone targeting or immune regulation. In this article we review the novel therapeutic options for CPRC after docetaxel failure.
Bone Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; secondary ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use