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Introduction: Esophageal cancer is the seventh most frequent malignancy in Iranian men and the fourth most common cancer in Iranian women. It is also among the 10 most frequent cancers in the world. Definitive chemoradiation using cisplatin with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is known as the standard of care among various chemotherapy regimens used with esophageal cancer patients who are not eligible for surgery. Cisplatin with paclitaxel and cisplatin with irinotecan also have been used often during the past five years. The aim of this research was to compare overall survival (OS) and hematological toxicity rates between these regimens. Methods: This single-institutional study included 55 patients who were treated with definitive chemo-radiation in the radiation-oncology ward at Shohada-e-Tajrish Hospital in Tehran, Iran, between 2006 and 2013. They received one of four regimens, i.e., cisplatin, cisplatin with 5-FU (old chemotherapy regimens), cisplatin with paclitaxel, or cisplatin with irinotecan (new chemotherapy regimens) as part of their definitive chemo-radiation with curative intent. The Kaplan-Meier estimator was used to estimate the overall survival times, which were compared by using the Breslow test. Results: The follow-up period was between 26-109 months, with a median of 72 months. OS was not different between the old and new chemotherapy regimen groups (p = 0.18). Hematological toxicity (leucopenia) in the old chemotherapy regimen groups (10%) was significantly lower than in the new chemotherapy regimen groups (43%, p = 0.012). But OS in cisplatin or cisplatin with 5-FU scheme was statistically better than with the cisplatin with paclitaxel scheme (p = 0.026, p = 0.028, respectively). Conclusion: This study showed that OS are similar in both the old and new chemotherapy treatment regimens in esophageal cancer patients who were treated with definitive chemo-radiation. The new chemotherapy treatment regimens should be used with caution as an alternative treatment of cisplatin with 5-FU for further evaluation

Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is experienced by 50% to 90% of cancer patients and can severely affect their quality of life and functional capacity. Several randomized trials have recommended various ways to alleviate the symptoms of CRF with or without recourse to medications. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of processed honey and royal jelly on the symptoms of CRF in cancer patients who are undergoing hormone therapy, chemotherapy, chemo-radiation, or radiotherapy. Methods: Fifty-two participants from the patients who visited the oncology clinic of Shohada-e-Tajrish hospital in Tehran (Iran) between May 2013 and August 2014 were selected and divided into two groups. The study group (26 patients) received processed honey and royal jelly, while the control group received pure honey. Both groups were instructed to consume their 5mL supplement twice daily for 4 weeks. Both groups were assessed at the beginning of the study, after 2 weeks, and then at the end of 4 weeks of treatment. Fatigue was measured using a visual analogue fatigue scale (VAFS) and fatigue severity scale (FSS). The results were compared between the two arms of study, and equality of probability distributions was assessed using a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Results: The mean age of the 52 patients was 54.84. After two and four weeks of treatment with processed honey and royal jelly, VAFS and FSS due to treatment was better in the study group than in the control group, and the http://www.ephysician.ir Page 2476 differences were statistically significant (p

Introduction: Prostate cancer is now the third most frequent noncutaneous malignancy in Iranian men and the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Measurement of total serum prostate specific antigens (PSAs) has been one of the strongest predictors of biochemical progression and overall survival in determining the efficacy of definitive external beam radiation therapy in patients with localized prostate cancer. The aim of this research was to identify the 5-year biochemical progression-free survival (BFS) and related prognostic and predictive factors of localized prostate cancer patients who were treated with definitive external beam radiotherapy. Methods: This study analyzed 192 localized prostate cancer patients from stage T1aN0M0 to stage T3N0M0; they were treated with definitive radiation therapy and followed up in the radiation-oncology ward of Shohada-e- Tajrish Hospital in Tehran (Iran) between 2006 and 2013. The 5-year BFS was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier estimate. For multivariate analysis, the Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the strengths of various factors for 5-year BFS. Results: The follow-up period was between 14-81 months, with a median of 31 months. The median cumulative prostate dose in our series was 64 Gray (Gy) (range 62 to 78 Gy). The 5-year BFS for all patients was 65.1%, and 5-year BFS in low-risk, intermediate-risk and high-risk groups were 100%, 86.5%, and 54.9% respectively. Multivariate analysis found statistically significant relation between 5-year BFS and initial PSA>20, Gleason score 8-10, high risk group, TNM stage≥T2cN0M0, radiotherapy dose