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Introduction Cancer patients are among the groups at high risk in the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we aimed to determine the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) during the pandemic period and examine the prognostic factors in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Method Patients with stage I-III NSCLC were treated in our hospitals between 2020-2022. Treatment responses were evaluated in patients who underwent NACT. Prognostic factors and the nutritional and inflammatory indexes were investigated. Results Thirty-eight patients received NACT. 57.9% of patients were stage-III. The objective response rate was 57.9%. Pathological complete response was obtained in 10.5% of patients. No prognostic role of inflammatory indices was determined. 21.1% of patients developed a COVID-19 infection. Disease-free survival was 19 months. Survival decreased with large tumor size and presence of metastasis. Conclusion NACT has high response rates. NACT can be used as bridging therapy in suitable patients whose surgery is postponed during the pandemic period.

Aim: The goal of this study is to evaluate possible factors affecting the survival of patients treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues. Methods: Demographic characteristics, treatment modalities, overall survival (OS) and the possible factors affecting the survival a total of 554 premenopausal breast cancer patients in Turkey evaluated retrospectively. Results: The median duration of GnRH analogues use was 22 ± 13.6 (range, 1–87) months. Patients were divided into three groups according to the duration of GNRH analogues use; 4–12 months (Group A), 13–24 months (Group B) and ≥25 months (Group C). Overall, 530 patients were analyzed; 23.2%, 45.8%, 30.9% of the patients were in Group A, B and C, respectively. The median follow-up duration was 34 ± 30.3 (range, 4–188) months. The OS in patients ≤35 years of age was found to be significantly longer than that of patients >35 years of age in Group B (log rank, P = 0.023). The disease-free survival of the patients in Group A was significantly shorter than that of patients in Group C (log rank, P = 0.003). The OS of Group A patients was significantly shorter in comparison to that of Group B and Group C patients (log rank, P = 0.000) and the OS of Group B patients was significantly shorter than Group C (log rank, P = 0,000). Conclusion: There is currently no definite data on the optimal duration of GnRH analogues use. One of the important results of this study that will provide an insight to the future studies is the improvement gained in OS by the increase in the duration of GnRH analogues use. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd

We compared the efficacy and safety of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) in patients with cancer who are at low risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Patients were treated by medical oncologists in Turkey at 15 sites, where they were enrolled and followed up for a period of 12 months. Due to the study design, there was no specific treatment protocol for LMWH. Primary end points were efficacy and the time to change in VTE status. Of the included 250 patients, 239 (95.6%), 176 (70.4%), 130 (52.0%), and 91 (36.4%) completed their day 15, month 3, month 6, and month 12 visits, respectively. Number of patients treated with enoxaparin, bemiparin, and tinzaparin were 133, 112, and 5, respectively. Anticoagulant therapy provoked thrombus resolution in 1.2% and 12.7% of patients using enoxaparin and bemiparin, respectively ( P = .004). Thrombus resolution was observed in 81 more patients at month 3 visit. This ratio was 35 (40.2%) of 87 and 46 (54.1%) of 85 patients administered enoxaparin and bemiparin at the third visit, respectively ( P = .038). Thrombus resolution was observed in 21 more patients during month 6 visit. This ratio was 5 (7.7%) of 65 and 15 (23.4%) of 64 patients administered enoxaparin and bemiparin at the fourth visit, respectively ( P = .022). The LMWH was discontinued in only 2 patients due to gastrointestinal bleeding. This pioneering study shows bemiparin is more effective than enoxaparin in thrombosis resolution and has a similar tolerability profile.

WOS:000455820300004, PubMed ID: 30683024, Introduction: Sleep quality is known to be associated with the distressing symptoms of cancer. The purpose of this study was toanalyze the impact of cancer symptoms on insomnia and the prevalence of sleep-related problems reported by the patients with lung cancer in Turkey. Materials and Methods: Assesment of Palliative Care in Lung Cancer in Turkey (ASPECT) study, a prospective multicenter study conducted in Turkey with the participation of 26 centers and included all patients with lung cancer, was re-evaluated in terms of sleep problems, insomnia and possible association with the cancer symptoms. Demographic characteristics of patients and information about disease were recorded for each patient by physicians via face-to-face interviews, and using hospital records. Patients who have difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep (DIMS) is associated with daytime sleepiness/fatigue were diagnosed as having insomnia. Daytime sleepiness, fatigue and lung cancer symptoms were recorded and graded using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. Results: Among 1245 cases, 48.4% reported DIMS, 60.8% reported daytime sleepiness and 82.1% reported fatigue. The prevalence of insomnia was 44.7%. Female gender, patients with stage 3-4 disease, patients with metastases, with comorbidities, and with weight loss 5 kg had higher rates of insomnia. Also, patients with insomnia had significantly higher rates of pain, nausea, dyspnea, and anxiety. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients with moderate to severe pain and dyspnea and severe anxiety had 2-3 times higher rates of insomnia. Conclusion: In conclusion, our results showed a clear association between sleep disturbances and cancer symptoms. Because of that, adequate symptom control is essential to maintain sleep quality in patients with lung cancer., Giriş: Uyku kalitesinin, kanser semptomlarının şiddetiyle ilişkili olduğu bilinmektedir. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’de akciğer kanseri hastalarında uyku ile ilişkili sorunların prevalansı ve kanser semptomlarının insomnia üzerine etkisinin araştırılması amaçlandı. Materyal ve Metod: Türkiye’de 26 merkezin katılımıyla gerçekleştirilen, akciğer kanserli olguların dahil edildiği çok merkezli bir çalışma olan ASPECT çalışması verileri, bu hastalarda görülen uyku sorunları, insomni ve bunların kanser semptomları ile ilişkisi yönüyle yeniden değerlendirildi. Hastaların demografik özellikleri ve hastalıkları hakkında bilgi, hasta ile yüz yüze görüşülerek ve hastane kayıtları aracılığıyla derlendi. Uykuyu başlatma ve sürdürme zorluğu (DIMS) ile gündüz artmış uyku hali veya yorgunluk tanımlayan olgular insomni olarak değerlendirildi. Gündüz uyku hali, yorgunluk ve akciğer kanseri semptomları Edmonton Semptom Değerlendirme Skalası kullanılarak kaydedildi. Bulgular: Katılan 1245 olgunun, %48.4’ünde DIMS, %60.8’inde gündüz uyku hali ve %82.1’inde yorgunluk mevcuttu. Insomni prevalansı %44.7 olarak bulundu. Kadın cinsiyet, evre 3-4 hastalık, metastatik hastalık, komorbid hastalıklar ve kilo kaybı 5 kg olan olgularda insomnia oranı anlamlı olarak daha yüksekti. Diğer yandan insomnisi olan hastalarda ağrı, bulantı, dispne ve anksiyete semptomları anlamlı düzeyde yüksek bulundu. Multivariate lojistik regresyon analizi, orta ileri şiddetli ağrısı ve dispnesi olan, ayrıca ciddi anksiyetesi olan hastalarda insomni sıklığının 2-3 kat fazla olduğunu ortaya koydu. Sonuç: Çalışmamız, kanser semptomları ile uyku kalitesi arasında yakın bir ilişki olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bu nedenle, akciğer kanserli hastalarda kaliteli bir uyku için, kanser semptomların yeterince kontrol edilmesi gereklidir.

PubMed ID: 25743846 Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate clinicopathological characteristics of our early stage breast cancer patients who are epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpressed/ amplified (HER2+), the efficacy of trastuzumab treatment and survival results. Materials and Methods: Patients with HER2- positive early stage breast cancer receiving adjuvant trastuzumab were investigated retrospectively. Clinicopathological features of 210 patients and treatment outcome were analysed. To evaluate survival rates, the Kaplan-Meier method was used. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted with the Cox regression model. Results: Mean age of the patients was 51.8, 71.9% being postmenopausal. Some 37.6% of patients were node negative, and 31% had T1 tumor size and 52.4% were positive for estrogen receptor. Of 210 patients, 89.5% completed planned 52 weeks adjuvant trastuzumab treatment. The median follow up was 27.5 months (6.0-86.0 ). Relapse free survival (RFS) was 68.0 months (95% CI: 62.1-74.0) and overall survival (OS) was 74.8 months (95% CI: 69.5-80.1). The 3 year OS for all patients was 92.0% and RFS was 79.6%. During follow up, relapse was detected at the rate of 14.3%. Trastuzumab associated cardiotoxicity was found at the rate of 3.3%. In univariate analyses, larger tumor size and grade III were significantly associated (p

PubMed ID: 25684531 Purpose: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of sex-based non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) varieties on survival rates. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed in patients with NSCLC who were diagnosed by histological methods between the years 2000 and 2010. A chi-square test was used to compare variables. Overall survival (OS) was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Of the 844 patients, 117 (13.9%) were women and 727 (86.1%) were men. Adenocarcinoma was more common in women than in men (p10%, stage, LDH, albumin and treatment between women and men. Women younger than 65 years (17.0 vs 12.0 months; p=0.03), who had adenocarcinoma histology (15.0 vs 10.0 months; p=0.006) and who had a hemoglobin level ?12g/dL (18.0 vs 12.0 months; p=0.01) were found to have a better median OS rate than men. Median OS rates were found to be 13.0 months in females and 12.0 months in males (p=0.14). Among metastatic patients, the median OS was 11.0 months in females and 8.0 months in males (p=0.005). Among stage IIIB and stage IV patients who had first line platinum-based chemotherapy, the median OS was 17.0 months in women and 11.0 months in men (p=0.002). The response rate of chemotherapy was higher in women than in men (p=0.03). Conclusions: In our study, we found that survival duration is longer and chemotherapy response is better in women with NSCLC who do not have anemia or comorbidities and who are mostly non-smokers with adenocarcinomas. Further studies regarding the causes of these differences may provide clarity on this subject.

Background: The disclosure of a diagnosis of cancer is complex, particularly in older patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between age and not knowing the diagnosis, and its impact on mood. Materials and Methods: The study included 70 patients with various types of solid and hematologic cancer in early stages, which were followed up in an outpatient oncology/hematology clinic in Turkey between January, 2014 and June, 2014. Initially the caregivers of patients were asked whether the patients knew their diagnosis or not. A questionnaire for the Geriatric Depression Scale was then administered to the patients. Patient age, gender, marital status and education level were noted and analyzed with respect to knowing the diagnosis and depression. Results: Of the 70 patients, 40% of them were female. The mean age was 68.2 ± 8.9. The rate of the patients who does not know their diagnosis was 37.1% (n=26). The overall depression rate with GDS was found 37.1% (n=26) among the participants. There was no association with knowing the diagnosis (p=0.208) although the association between not knowing the diagnosis and age was significant (p=0.01). Conclusions: In this study we revealed no association between not knowing the diagnosis and depression in elderly patients. Contrary to what some has thought, the patient is not protected from psychological distress by not being informed about the diagnosis. We believe this study and similar ones will help to discuss and further explore patient autonomy, the principle of respect to self-determination and end of life issues in different cultures.

Background Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are rare malignant tumors of embryogenic mesoderm origin. Primary thoracic STSs account for a small percentage of all STSs and limited published information is available. This study aimed to identify the prognostic factors for thoracic STSs and evaluate the disease's clinical outcomes. Methods The medical records of 109 patients with thoracic STSs who were treated between 2003 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' survival rates were analyzed and potential prognostic factors evaluated. Results The median follow-up period was 29 months (range: 1–121 months). STSs were most frequently localized on the chest wall (n = 42; 38.5%) and lungs (n = 42; 38.5%). The most common histological types were malignant fibrous histiocytoma (n = 23; 21.1%), liposarcoma (n = 17; 15.6%), and leiomyosarcoma (n = 16; 14.7%). The median survival time of all patients was 40.3 months (95% confidence interval, 14.22–66.37 months), with one and five-year survival rates of 93.4% and 63.5%, respectively. Univariate analysis of all groups revealed that metastatic stage, unresectability, tumor diameter of >10 cm, tumor location other than the chest wall, and grade 3 diseases were predictable of poor survival. However, only grade 3 diseases and tumor location other than the chest wall were confirmed by multivariate analysis as poor prognostic factors. Conclusions Primary thoracic STSs are rarely seen malignant tumors. Our results indicated that patients with low-grade tumors and those localized on the chest wall often experienced better survival outcomes.

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the lung is classified as a variant of large cell lung carcinoma by the World Health Organization, however, the clinical and biological behavior of LCNEC resembles small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) with a high mitotic index and a positivity of tumor cells with neuroendocrine markers. As there have only been a small number of patients with LCNEC recorded in literature, there is no consensus about the management of this subset. In the present study, we evaluated the incidence and prognosis of LCNEC in four oncology centers in Turkey.We analyzed 24 patients with diagnoses of LCNEC from 3138 non-small cell lung cancer patients who were diagnosed and treated between 2008 and 2010 in four different medical oncology centers in Turkey.The median age was 56 (range; 36-64) and most patients were male, with three women included in the study. Ten out of 24 patients (41.6%) had locally advanced or metastatic disease, therefore, surgery could not be performed. Five patients (20.8%) were staged with stage I, six (25%) with stage II, five (20.8%) with stage III, and eight (33.3%) with stage IV. All patients had a history of smoking. Nine patients received chemotherapy postoperatively. At the 14.4-month follow-up period (range; 3-59) the median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 32.7 and 9.5 months respectively. Tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage, performance status (PS) and the performance of surgery were significantly related to rates of both OS and PFS (P 0.05).LCNEC was generally diagnosed postoperatively. Prognosis of LCNEC is poor and surgery has not proven an effective solution for long-term survival, therefore, adjuvant chemotherapy has been suggested.

WOS: 000391457100008, PubMed ID: 27780164, Objective: To investigate the symptoms of lung cancer in Turkey and to evaluate approaches to alleviate these symptoms. Subjects and Methods: This study included 1,245 lung cancer patients from 26 centers in Turkey. Demographic characteristics as well as information regarding the disease and treatments were obtained from medical records and patient interviews. Symptoms were evaluated using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) and were graded on a scale between 0 and 10 points. Data were compared using the. 2, Student t, and Mann-Whitney U tests. Potential predictors of symptoms were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Results: The most common symptom was tiredness (n = 1,002; 82.1%), followed by dyspnea (n = 845; 69.3%), appetite loss (n = 801; 65.7%), pain (n = 798; 65.4%), drowsiness (n = 742; 60.8%), anxiety (n = 704; 57.7%), depression (n = 623; 51.1%), and nausea (n = 557; 45.5%). Of the 1,245 patients, 590 (48.4%) had difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep. The symptoms were more severe in stages III and IV. Logistic regression analysis indicated a clear association between demographic characteristics and symptom distress, as well as between symptom distress (except nausea) and well-being. Overall, 804 (65.4%) patients used analgesics, 630 (51.5%) received treatment for dyspnea, 242 (19.8%) used enteral/parenteral nutrition, 132 (10.8%) used appetite stimulants, and 129 (10.6%) used anxiolytics/antidepressants. Of the 799 patients who received analgesics, 173 (21.7%) reported that their symptoms were under control, and also those on other various treatment modalities (dyspnea: 78/627 [12.4%], appetite stimulant: 25/132 [18.9%], and anxiolytics/antidepressants: 25/129 [19.4%]) reported that their symptoms were controlled. Conclusion: In this study, the symptoms progressed and became more severe in the advanced stages of lung cancer, and palliative treatment was insufficient in most of the patients in Turkey. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel

Aim: Metaplastic breast cancer has poor prognosis and is usually triple negative. Although it is morphologically more heterogeneous than triple negative breast cancers, expression profile is more homogeneous. In this study, we investigated our metaplastic breast cancer cases regarding their pathology and clinical characteristics. Material and Method: 16 metaplastic breast cancer cases from four different center were included in the study. Pathology and clinical characteristics of the cases were evaluated retrospectively. Results: All the cases are female and median age is 48 (39-45). Tumor is commonly localized to the outer quadrant and mean diameter of the mass is 37.5 (15-100) mm. Tumor diameter is ≤20 mm in 3 (15.8%), >20-≤50 mm in 11 (57.9%) and >50 mm in 3 (10.51%) of the cases. Only 4 (16.1%) patients have axillary lymph node involvement. When considering histological subtypes, five of the cases has squamous cell, five of them has spindle cell, one of them has mucoepidermoid, and in five cases the subtype was not identified. Considering hormone receptor status ER and PR was negative in 78.9%, 63.2% respectively. HER2 protein expression was positive by immunohistochemical staining in 1 (5.3%) case. CK5/6 and CK17 was both positive in 7 (36.8%) cases. EGFR expression was positive in 4 (21.1%) cases, was negative in 5 (26.3%) cases and not identified in 7 (36.8%) cases. Three of the cases were offered neoadjuvant chemotherapy. As neoadjuvant chemotherapy, anthracycline and taxane combination (n:2 TAC, n:1 AC-paclitaxel) was preferred. Mean follow-up was 41 months. Mean survival was 42.4 months in EGFR negative patients and 47.5 months in EGFR positive patients. This difference was not statistically significant. During follow-up 3 cases had recurrence. Discussion: EGFR expression is seen in metaplastic breast cancer. Although EGFR expression is related to poor prognosis, it is not a predictive marker. Therefore, predictive molecular markers are required for new approaches in treatment.

Background: The clinical characteristics of patients who had lymph node-negative early breast cancer were assessed. Patients and Methods: We assessed a total of 576 patients in the study, including 74 patients (12.8%) with T1a, 119 patients (20.7%) T1b, and 367 patients (63.7%) with T1c. Patients with T1 tumors were further classified into three groups according to hormone receptor (HR) and human epidermal growth factor-receptor 2 (HER2) status. Results: In patients with T1a, the disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 98.4% at 2 years (P = 0.001). In subgroup analysis of early breast cancers, 10-year-DFS rates of the patients in HR+/HER2–, HR–/HER2+, and HR–/HER2– subgroups were not significantly different (P = 0.917). Conclusion: The T1a group had a worse prognosis than T1b and T1c groups in second years (P = 0.001); however, there was not statistically important difference between HR+, HER2+ and triple negative subgroups (P = 0.917). Although there are differences in patients and tumor features, the prognosis of patients with T1a, b, c N0M0 breast cancer is excellent.

WOS:000331528900069 PubMed: 24460317 Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the one of the most common cancers in women. It is also a leading cause of death. Unfortunately, some patients initially present with distant metastases and are diagnosed with stage IV disease that is nearly always, by then, incurable. This retrospective analysis investigated the risk factors for stage IV BC that may underlie such late presentation. Materials and Methods: In all, 916 patients with BC who visited the medical oncology polyclinic of eight different centres in Turkeybetween December 2011 and January 2013 were analysed. Results: A total of 115 patients (12.6%) presented with stage IV disease. In univariate analysis; to comparing these with patients at other stages, no statistical difference was found for median diagnosis age or age at menarche (p=0.611 and p=0.820), whereas age at menopause and age at first live birth were significant (p=0.018 and p=0.003). No difference was detected in terms of accompanying diseases, use of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy, smoking, alcohol consumption and the rate of family history of BC between the patients (p=0.655, p=0.389, p=0.762, p=0.813, p=0.229, p=0.737). However, screening methods were employed less often, the rate of illiteracy was higher, and the rate of other cancers was higher in patients with stage IV BC (p=0.022, p=0.022, p=0.018). No statistical difference was observed between the patients in terms of tumour histopathology, and status of oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, or human epidermal growth factor-2 receptor (p=0.389, p=0.326, p=0.949, p=0.326). Grade 3 tumours were more frequent in patients with stage IV disease (p

Background: Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the lung is classified as a variant of large cell lung carcinoma by the World Health Organization, however, the clinical and biological behavior of LCNEC resembles small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) with a high mitotic index and a positivity of tumor cells with neuroendocrine markers. As there have only been a small number of patients with LCNEC recorded in literature, there is no consensus about the management of this subset. In the present study, we evaluated the incidence and prognosis of LCNEC in four oncology centers in Turkey. Method: We analyzed 24 patients with diagnoses of LCNEC from 3138 non-small cell lung cancer patients who were diagnosed and treated between 2008 and 2010 in four different medical oncology centers in Turkey. Results: The median age was 56 (range; 36–64) and most patients were male, with three women included in the study. Ten out of 24 patients (41.6%) had locally advanced or metastatic disease, therefore, surgery could not be performed. Five patients (20.8%) were staged with stage I, six (25%) with stage II, five (20.8%) with stage III, and eight (33.3%) with stage IV. All patients had a history of smoking. Nine patients received chemotherapy postoperatively. At the 14.4-month follow-up period (range; 3–59) the median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 32.7 and 9.5 months respectively. Tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage, performance status (PS) and the performance of surgery were significantly related to rates of both OS and PFS (P

Mucosal melanoma (MM) is a rare type of cancer that differs significantly from cutaneous melanoma. In this study, we aimed to evaluate clinical and demographical characteristics, prognoses and factors influencing survival, treatment alternatives, and features of different subtypes of the patients. The patients were followed up with and treated in different centers due to their diagnoses of MM. We retrospectively analyzed data of 107 patients who were diagnosed with MM in 14 different institutions in Turkey. The mean age of the patients was 64.5 years. Of the patients, 47 % were female and 53 % were male. The median overall survival (OS) was 17 months, and the mean follow-up duration was 27 months. The 2-year survival rate was 42 %, and the 5-year survival rate was 23 %. The best survival rate appeared in those patients with MM in the head-neck region (median survival rate was 27 months, P = 0.034). The most common anatomical site was the head-neck region. In a univariate analysis, variables including age ≥65 years, the anatomical site of the primary lesion other than head and neck region, the metastatic stage of the disease, high levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) of ≥1 were found to be associated with poor survival (P < 0.05). However, in a multivariate analysis, only advanced stage disease (HR = 2.70; 95 % CI, 1.64–4.45; P = 0.000) and high LDH levels (HR = 2.31; 95 % CI, 1.40–3.80; P = 0.001) were determined to be adverse prognostic variables. Primary MM presents a more aggressive behavior and offers a poorer prognosis compared to cutaneous melanoma. Because the disease is rarely seen, is heterogeneous, and lacks randomized studies, issues concerning optimal treatment approaches and management and clinical characteristics of the disease have not been clarified yet. © 2016, International Society of Oncology and BioMarkers (ISOBM).

Amaç: Düşme riski yaşlı hastalarda ileri yaşa eşlik eden komorbid hastalıklar nedeni ile yüksektir. Sensörimotor bir bozukluk olan huzursuz bacak sendromu (HBS) parestezi ve motor semptomlar ile karakterize olup uyku bozukluklarına yol açar. Bu çalışmanın amacı geriatrik hastalarda huzursuz bacak sendromunun düşmeler üzerine etkisini ve düşmelerle ilişkili diğer risk faktörlerini araştırmaktır.Materyal ve Metot: Çalışmamız kesitsel olup, 65 yaş ve üzeri hastaları kapsamaktadır. HBS tanısı Uluslararası Huzursuz Bacak Sendromu Çalışma Grubu, 2012 kriterlerine göre konulmuştur. Hastalar kapsamlı geriatrik muayene ile değerlendirilmiştir. HBS, geriatrik problemler ve düşmeler arasındaki ilişki binominal lojistik regresyon ile analiz edilmiştir.Bulgular: Çalışmaya toplam 70 hasta alınmıştır. Hastaların otuz yedisi kadın olup, %44.3’ü yaşlı bakım evinde kalmaktadır. Huzursuz bacak sendromu oranı %15.7’dir. Bir önceki yılda düşme oranı %24.3’tür. Komorbidite ve polifarmasi oranları sırasıyla %37.1 ve % 65.7’dir. Çalışmaya katılanların %21.4’ü günlük yaşam aktivelerinde (GYA) bağımlı bulunmuşken; %40’ında kalk ve yürü testi pozitiftir. Depresyon ve kognitif bozukluk tarama testleri sırasıyla %47.1 ve %38.6’sında pozitiftir. Huzursuz bacak sendromu, kalk ve yürü testi ile düşmeler arasındaki ilişki istatiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmuştur (p=0.041, OR=6.59 ve p=0.046, OR=6.31).Sonuç: Çalışmamız huzursuz bacak sendromunun yaşlı hastalarda düşmeler için bir risk faktörü olduğunu göstermiştir. Bu çalışma klinisyenlerin huzursuz bacak sendromunun bir düşme riski olabileceği konusundaki duyarlılığını arttıracaktır. Yaşlı hastalarda düşmelere sebep olan risk faktörleri araştırılıp, modifiye edilirken huzursuz bacak sendromu da göz önünde bulundurulmalıdır. Ayrıca düşme ve pozitif kalk ve yürü testi ilişkisi de anlamlı bulunmuştur. Bu bağlamda kalk ve yürü testi düşme değerlendirmesinin önemli bir parçası olarak ele alınmalıdır., Objectives: The fall risk increases in the elderly due to comorbidities and age. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) might be a potential risk factor since it is a sensorimotor disorder. It is associated with paresthesias and motor restlessness which may cause sleep problems. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of restless legs syndrome on falls among geriatric patients and identify the other risk factors for falls.Materials and Methods: This is a cross sectional study including patients 65 years and older. The diagnosis of RLS was established with 2012 International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group criteria. Patients were evaluated with comprehensive geriatric assessment. The association between falls and RLS and geriatric conditions was evaluated with binominal logistic regression analysis.Results: There were total 70 patients in the study. 44.3% of patients were living in the assisted living facility. There were 37 females. The rate of restless legs syndrome was shown 15.7%. The number of falls in the last one year was 24.3%. The rate of comorbidity and polypharmacy was 37.1% and 65.7% respectively. 21.4% patients were dependent on activities of daily living (ADL) and 40% had positive timed up and go (TUG) test. Possible depression and cognitive impairment rate was found 47.1% and 38.6 respectively. The association between falls and RLS and positive TUG test was found statistically significant (p=0.041, OR=6.59 and p=0.046, OR=6.31).Conclusion: Our study revealed that RLS is a risk factor for falls in elderly. It is essential to address and modify the underlying risk factors including RLS in older patients. This finding would increase the awareness of physicians about RLS as a risk factor for falls. Also the association between falls and positive TUG test has been found statistically significant. Our study suggests that performing TUG test should be an essential part of fall evaluation.

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine risk factors for brain metastasis as the first site of disease recurrence in patients with HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer (EBC) who received adjuvant trastuzumab. Methods Medical records of 588 female patients who received 52-week adjuvant trastuzumab from 14 centers were evaluated. Cumulative incidence functions for brain metastasis as the first site of disease recurrence and the effect of covariates on brain metastasis were evaluated in a competing risk analysis and competing risks regression, respectively. Results Median follow-up time was 36 months. Cumulative incidence of brain metastasis at 12 months and 24 months was 0.6% and 2%, respectively. HER2-enriched subtype (ER− and PR−) tumor ( p = 0.001, RR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.33–8.71) and stage 3 disease ( p = 0.0032, RR: 9.39, 95% CI: 1.33–8.71) were significant risk factors for development of brain metastasis as the first site of recurrence. Conclusions In patients with HER2 positive EBC who received adjuvant trastuzumab, HER2-enriched subtype (ER− and PR−) tumor and stage 3 disease were associated with increased risk of brain metastasis as the first site of disease recurrence.

Amaç: Çalışmanın amacı, böbrek hücreli karsinomlu (BHK) hastaların demografik özellikleri ve tedavi sonuçlarını değerlendirmektir.Materyal-Metot: 2005- 2014 yılları arasında Ankara Atatürk Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi’nde BHK tanısı ile takip edilen 100 hastaya ait veriler geriye dönük olarak incelendi. Sağkalım analizi için Kaplan–Meier yöntemi kullanıldı.Bulgular: Hastaların ortanca yaşı 62 (25.0 -89.0) olup, %40’ı 65 yaş üstündeydi. Erkek / kadın hasta oranı 2.1 olarak saptandı. Hastaların %64’üne radikal nefrektomi, %7’sine parsiyel nefrektomi uygulanmıştı. Histopatolojik olarak berrak hücreli tip %84 oranındaydı. Çoğunluğunu evre IV hastalar oluşturmaktaydı (%55.0) ve en sık metastaz bölgesi akciğerdi (%34). Hastaların 62’si metastaz sonrası ilk basamakta interferon (IFN) tedavisi, IFN sonrası tirozin kinaz inhibitörünü (TKI) ise 49 hasta almıştı. Tüm hastaların ortanca takip süresi 24 ay ve ortanca genel sağkalım (GS) 36 ay idi. Sunitinib kullanan hastalarda ise ortanca GS 30.0 ay ve ortanca progresyonsuz sağkalım (PS) 15 ay bulundu. Sunitinib tedavisi sırasında hastaların %53.8’inda doz azaltımı yapıldı ve %36.6’sında tedaviye ara verildi. Grade 3-4 toksisiteler içinde en sık halsizlik (%34.9) ve anemi (%27.9) saptandı. Sunitinib kullanan hastalarda Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) kriterlerine göre iyi, orta, kötü riskli hastalarda ortanca PS’ler ise sırasıyla 45, 15 ve 6 ay idi (p=0.05). Çok değişkenli analizde yaşın 65’in üstünde olması (p=0.04), gradın 3-4 olması (p=0.05) ve MSKCC kriterlerine (sunitinib için) göre kötü riskli olmanın (p=0.04) GS’ı kısalttığı saptandı. Sonuç: Çalışmamızda hastalarımızın çoğu erkek, 65 yaşından genç ve tanıda ileri evredeydi. Kliniğimizde takip ettiğimiz BHK’li nefrektomi geçiren hastalarda ve metastatik aşamada bir TKI olan sunitinib kullanan hastalarda sağkalım sürelerinde belirgin iyileşme olduğu gözlendi., Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate demographic characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with renal cell cancer. Materials and Methods: Data of 100 patients diagnosed with RCC at Atatürk Research and Education Hospital between the years 2005-2014 are analyzed retrospectively. Kaplan-Meier test were performed for survival analysis. Results: Median age of patients was 62 (25-89) and 40% of the population was over 65 years old. Sex ration (male/female) was 2/1. Radical nephrectomy was perfomed 64 % of patients also partial nephrectomy rate was 7%. Histopathologically, clear cell varient’s rate was 84 %. Most of the patients were stage 4 (55%) and the most common metastatic site was lung (34%). After the development of metastases, first line interferone (IFN) treatment was administered to 62 of patients and 49 of these took tirosine kinase inhibitor after IFN treatment. For all patients, median follow-up time was 24 months and median overall survival (OS) was 36 months. We determined that OS was 30 months and progression free survival (PFS) was 15 months among patients had recieved sunitinib. During sunitinib treatment, dose reduction was performed in 53.8% of the patients and treatment was interrupted in 36.6% of the patients. Fatigue (34.9%) and anemia (27.9%) were the most common grade 3-4 toxicities. In patients who used sunitinib, median PFS in the good, intermediate and poor risk patients according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) criteria respectively were 45, 15 and 6 months (p=0.05). In multivariate analysis, we found that age over 65 years (p=0.04), grade 3-4 tumors (p=0.05) and the poor risk according to MSKCC criteria (p=0,04) are associated with decreased overall survival.Conclusion: The majority of our patients were male, younger than 65 years and had advanced disease at diagnosis. The significantly improvement in survival has been observed between the nephrectomized and metastatic RCC patients who used sunitinib at our clinic.

Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) generally require second-line treatment although their prognosis is poor. In this multicenter study, we aimed to detect the characteristics related to patients and disease that can predict the response to second-line treatments in advanced NSCLC. Data of 904 patients who have progressed after receiving first-line platinum-based chemotherapy in 11 centers with the diagnosis of stage IIIB and IV NSCLC and who were evaluated for second-line treatment were retrospectively analyzed. The role of different factors in determining the benefit of second-line treatment was analyzed. Median age of patients was 57 years (range 19-86). Docetaxel was the most commonly used (20.9 %, n = 189) single agent, while gemcitabine-platinum was the most commonly used (6.7 %, n = 61) combination chemotherapy regimen in second-line setting. According to survival analysis, median progression-free survival after first-line treatment (PFS2) was 3.5 months (standard error (SE) 0.2; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 3.2-3.9), median overall survival (OS) was 6.7 months (SE 0.3; 95 % CI, 6.0-7.3). In multivariate analysis, independent factors affecting PFS2 were found to be hemoglobin (Hb) level over 12 g/dl and treatment-free interval (TFI) longer than 3 months (p = 0.006 and 0.003, respectively). Similarly, in OS analysis, Hb level over 12 g/dl and time elapsed after the first-line treatment that is longer than 3 months were found to be independent prognostic factors (p = 0.0001 and 0.045, respectively). In light of these findings, determining and using the parameters for which the treatment will be beneficial prior to second-line treatment can increase success rate.

To investigate whether the pretreatment neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have any prognostic significance in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer receiving adjuvant trastuzumab.187 patients were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were separated into two groups according to the mean value of NLR and PLR (low NLR≤2.38, high NLR2.38; and low PLR≤161.28, high PLR161.28, respectively). The relationship between pretreatment NLR, PLR and clinicopathological factors was investigated. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed. To evaluate survival rates, the Kaplan-Meier method with log rank test were used.The median duration of follow up was 26.0 months (range 6.0-84.0). In high NLR and PLR groups, the mean age was lower, tumor size was larger and the number of hormone receptor positive patients was higher. No statistically significant relationship was found between clinicopathological factors and both NLR and PLR groups. During follow up, the rate of relapse was 12.6% in the low NLR group, 16.2 % in the high NLR group, 12.6% in the low PLR group and 15.8% in the high PLR group (p=non significant). Although median disease free survival (DFS) was shorter in the high NLR than in the low NLR group, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.45). No statistically significant difference was found between high and low PLR groups with regard to median DFS and overall survival (OS) (p=0.76, p=0.29, respectively).We conclude that in HER2-positive early breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant trastuzumab with high pretreatment NLR, DFS was shorter. As for PLR, no effect either on DFS or on OS was registered. Prospective studies with larger number of patients are required in order to evaluate the prognostic effect of NLR and PLR in HER2-positive breast cancer patients.

WOS: 000374576200123 PubMed ID: 26276360 Skeletal-related events (SREs) for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with bone metastasis lead to serious morbidity. The aim of this study was to determine risk factors for SREs in NSCLC patients with bone metastasis and the factors influencing SRE-free survival and overall survival (OS). From 2000 to 2012, we evaluated retrospectively 835 NSCLC patients. Three hundred and thirty-five of them with bone metastasis were included in the study. SREs and the other prognostic factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis for SRE-free survival and OS. SREs were detected in 244 patients (72.8 %). The most common SREs were the need for radiotherapy (43.2 %) and malignant hypercalcemia (17.6 %). The median time to first SRE was 3.5 months at the median follow-up of 17 months. A multivariate analysis showed that the presence of bone metastasis at diagnosis (p < 0.001), the number of bone metastasis (p = 0.001), baseline hypercalcemia (p = 0.004), and the presence of palliative radiotherapy (p = 0.04) were independent prognostic factors for SRE-free survival. A logistic regression analysis identified that the presence of bone metastasis at diagnosis [odds ratio (OR), 12.6], number of bone metastasis (OR, 3.05), and baseline hypercalcemia (OR, 0.33) were found to be predictive factors in the developing of SRE. The median OS time for patients with SRE was worse than that for patients without SRE (7 vs 12 months, respectively). For OS, male gender, ECOG performance status (PS), high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, hypoalbuminemia, the presence of bone metastasis at diagnosis, the number of bone metastasis, the presence of SREs, the presence of bisphosphonate therapy, and palliative radiotherapy were independent prognostic indicators for OS by the multivariate analysis. Our results indicated that the frequency of SREs was high and the presence of bone metastasis at the time of diagnosis, baseline hypercalcemia, and multiple bone metastases were significant factors predicting the occurrence of SREs. If bone metastases diagnose earlier, treatments for the prevention of SREs may be initiated earlier; thus, the deterioration of quality of life may be preserved.

The impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) on immunohistochemical markers in breast cancer specimens remains controversial. We designed the current study to investigate the potential changes in estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), HER2, and Ki-67 expression before and after NACT in a cohort of Turkish patients with breast cancer.This research was designed as a prospective, observational study of 100 consecutive patients with breast cancer (mean age 47.8±11.4 years) who were scheduled to undergo anthracycline- and/or taxane-containing NACT before attempting cytoreductive surgery at the Department of Oncology of the Uludag University Medical Center, Bursa, Turkey. Immunohistochemistry was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens.Changes in immunohistochemical markers before and after NACT were only significant for HER-2 and Ki- 67. More specifically, the number of HER-2-positive specimens decreased from 21 before NACT to 8 after NACT (p0.001). Similarly, the number of tumor samples positive for Ki-67 decreased significantly from 65 to 24 after NACT (p0.001). Mean pre- and post-treatment tumor grades of differentiation before and after NACT were 2.56 ± 0.67 and 2.37±1.07, respectively (p0.05). We did not find any significant associations between baseline ER, PR, HER2, and Ki-67 expression with both overall survival (OS) and disease- free survival (DFS).Our study suggests that NACT reduces the expression of HER2 and Ki-67 in breast cancer specimens. The significance of NACT-induced changes in the immunohistochemical expression of HER2 and Ki-67 in patients with breast cancer should be further studied in future translational and clinical research.

Background: Utilizing geriatric screening tools for the identification of vulnerable older patients with cancer is important. The aim of this study is to evaluate the hospitalization risk of elderly hematologic cancer patients based on geriatric assessment and laboratory parameters. Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional study 61 patients with hematologic malignancies, age 65 years and older, were assessed at a hematology outpatient clinic. Standard geriatric screening tests; activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), timed up and go test (TUG), geriatrics depression scale (GDS) were administered. Demographic and medical data were obtained from patient medical records. The number of hospitalizations in the following six months was then recorded to allow analysis of associations with geriatric assessment tools and laboratory parameters. Results: The median age of the patients, 37 being males, was 66 years. Positive TUG test and declined ADL was found as significant risk factors for hospitalization (p=0.028 and p=0.015 respectively). Correlations of hospitalization with thrombocytopenia, vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency were statistically significant (p=0.004, p=0.011 and p=0.05 respectively). Conclusions: In this study, geriatric conditions which are usually unrecognized in a regular oncology office visit were identified. Our study indicates TUG and ADL might be use as predictive tests for hospitalization in elderly oncology populations. Also thrombocytopenia, and vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiencies are among the risk factors for hospitalization. The importance of vitamin B12 and folic acid vitamin replacement should not be underestimated in this population.

Purpose Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was evaluated as a potential prognostic factor in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Materials and methods Between December 2009 and April 2014, 14 female (35%) and 26 male (65%) MDS patients who were followed up in our hematology clinic were included in the study for NLR during diagnosis. Division was into two groups according to the NLR, and the correlation with mortality was evaluated. The prognostic significance of NLR regarding treatment outcome was also evaluated with adjustment for known confounding risk factors. Results The mortality rate of the patient group was 55%, and median survival was 18 months. There was no significant correlation between mortality and NLR at a median value of 1.8 (p=0.75). Thrombocytopenia was observed to increase mortality (p=0.027), and there was a significant correlation between mortality and pancytopenia (p=0.017). Conclusions This first study of NLR and mortality did not show any significant correlation . In centres with limited access to genetic evaluation for the presence of pancytopenia and/or thrombocytopenia at the time of diagnosis, a platelet level less than 50?109/l may be poor prognostic markers in MDS patients.

Background: Medication errors in oncology may cause severe clinical problems due to low therapeutic indices and high toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. We aimed to investigate unintentional medication errors and underlying factors during chemotherapy preparation and administration based on a systematic survey conducted to reflect oncology nurses experience. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in 18 adult chemotherapy units with volunteer participation of 206 nurses. A survey developed by primary investigators and medication errors (MAEs) defined preventable errors during prescription of medication, ordering, preparation or administration. The survey consisted of 4 parts: demographic features of nurses; workload of chemotherapy units; errors and their estimated monthly number during chemotherapy preparation and administration; and evaluation of the possible factors responsible from ME. The survey was conducted by face to face interview and data analyses were performed with descriptive statistics. Chi-square or Fisher exact tests were used for a comparative analysis of categorical data. Results: Some 83.4% of the 210 nurses reported one or more than one error during chemotherapy preparation and administration. Prescribing or ordering wrong doses by physicians (65.7%) and noncompliance with administration sequences during chemotherapy administration (50.5%) were the most common errors. The most common estimated average monthly error was not following the administration sequence of the chemotherapeutic agents (4.1 times/month, range 1-20). The most important underlying reasons for medication errors were heavy workload (49.7%) and insufficient number of staff (36.5%). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the probability of medication error is very high during chemotherapy preparation and administration, the most common involving prescribing and ordering errors. Further studies must address the strategies to minimize medication error in chemotherapy receiving patients, determine sufficient protective measures and establishing multistep control mechanisms.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare form of thrombotic microangiopathy that is characterized by microvascular thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, hemolysis and end organ damage. An extensive variety of drugs, including certain chemotherapeutic agents, have been associated with TTP. However, paclitaxel, cisplatin and ifosfamide regimen (TIP)-induced TTP has not previously been described. The present study reports the case of a 43-year-old patient with a refractory testicular germ cell tumor who developed acute TTP during TIP chemotherapy. Following the third cycle of TIP chemotherapy, the patient developed fever, anemia, thrombocytopenia and confusion. A diagnosis of TTP was established. Plasmapheresis was initiated as daily treatment in the first week, then continued every other day for 4 weeks. TIP chemotherapy was discontinued. The patient's clinical and neurological symptoms improved markedly after a week. Renal function and hemolysis improved, and the patient was discharged in a stable condition. The patient did not develop any complications and has been in remission for 5 months. The Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated a likely association between TTP and the TIP chemotherapy regimen in this patient. This case is also investigated with regard to the associated literature to increase the awareness of TTP following chemotherapy.

Purpose We aimed to establish a laboratory prognostic index (LPI) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients based on hematologic and biochemical parameters and to analyze the predictive value of LPI on NSCLC survival. Patients and Methods The study retrospectively reviewed 462 patients with advanced NSCLC diagnosed between 2000 and 2010 in a single institution. We developed an LPI that included serum levels of white blood cells (WBC), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), albumin, calcium, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), based on the results of a Cox regression analysis. The patients were classified into 3 LPI groups as follows: LPI 0: normal; LPI 1: one abnormal laboratory finding; and LPI 2: at least 2 abnormal laboratory findings. Results The median follow up period was 44 months; the median overall survival (OS) and median progression-free survival (PFS) were 11 and 6 months, respectively. A multivariate analysis revealed that the following could be used as independent prognostic factors: an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score (ECOG PS) ≥2, a high LDH level, serum albumin 10.5 g/dL, number of metastases>2, presence of liver metastases, malignant pleural effusion, or receiving chemotherapy ≥4 cycles. The 1-year OS rates according to LPI 0, LPI 1, and LPI 2 were 54%, 34%, and 17% (p

Background Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are rare malignant tumors of embryogenic mesoderm origin. Primary thoracic STSs account for a small percentage of all STSs and limited published information is available. This study aimed to identify the prognostic factors for thoracic STSs and evaluate the disease's clinical outcomes. Methods The medical records of 109 patients with thoracic STSs who were treated between 2003 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' survival rates were analyzed and potential prognostic factors evaluated. Results The median follow-up period was 29 months (range: 1–121 months). STSs were most frequently localized on the chest wall (n = 42; 38.5%) and lungs (n = 42; 38.5%). The most common histological types were malignant fibrous histiocytoma (n = 23; 21.1%), liposarcoma (n = 17; 15.6%), and leiomyosarcoma (n = 16; 14.7%). The median survival time of all patients was 40.3 months (95% confidence interval, 14.22–66.37 months), with one and five-year survival rates of 93.4% and 63.5%, respectively. Univariate analysis of all groups revealed that metastatic stage, unresectability, tumor diameter of >10 cm, tumor location other than the chest wall, and grade 3 diseases were predictable of poor survival. However, only grade 3 diseases and tumor location other than the chest wall were confirmed by multivariate analysis as poor prognostic factors. Conclusions Primary thoracic STSs are rarely seen malignant tumors. Our results indicated that patients with low-grade tumors and those localized on the chest wall often experienced better survival outcomes.

WOS: 000329829200052, PubMed: 24377556, Background: Non-epithelial malignant ovarian tumors and clear cell carcinomas, Brenner tumors, transitional cell tumors, and carcinoid tumors of the ovary are rare ovarian tumors (ROTs). In this study, our aim was to determine the clinicopathological features of ROT patients and prognostic factors associated with survival. Materials and Methods: A total of 167 patients with ROT who underwent initial surgery were retrospectively analyzed. Prognostic factors that may influence the survival of patients were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Of 167 patients, 75 (44.9%) were diagnosed with germ-cell tumors (GCT) and 68 (40.7%) with sex cord-stromal tumors (SCST); the remaining 24 had other rare ovarian histologies. Significant differences were found between ROT groups with respect to age at diagnosis, tumor localization, initial surgery type, tumor size, tumor grade, and FIGO stage. Three-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates and median PFS intervals for patients with other ROT were worse than those of patients with GCT and SCST (41.8% vs 79.6% vs 77.1% and 30.2 vs 72 vs 150 months, respectively; p=0.01). Moreover, the 3-year overall survival (OS) rates and median OS times for patients with both GCT and SCST were better as compared to patients with other ROT, but these differences were not statistically significant (87.7% vs 88.8% vs 73.9% and 170 vs 122 vs 91 months, respectively; p=0.20). In the univariate analysis, tumor localization (p

Purpose To evaluate the incidence, clinicopathological characteristics, treatment outcomes, prognostic factors, and survival of gastric cancer patients with bone metastases. Materials and Methods Of 4,617 gastric cancer patients who were treated between 2001 and 2013, 176 patients with bone metastases were analyzed. Results The incidence of bone metastasis was 3.8%. The most common histopathological subtype was adenocarcinoma (79%) with poor differentiation (60.8%). The median interval from the diagnosis to bone metastasis was 11 months. The median survival time after bone metastasis was 5.4 months. Factors that were associated with longer median survival times included the following: isolated bone metastasis (P=0.004), well-differentiated tumors (P=0.002), palliative chemotherapy (P=0.003), zoledronic acid treatment (P

Objective: Although early-stage lung cancer patients are curable, the prognosis is limited and the 5-year survival rates range from 40 to 65 percent. In this study, clinicopathologic features, treatment responses and prognostic factors of non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with surgery were investigated. Methods: Seven-hundred-thirty-eight non-small cell lung cancer patients diagnosed and followed up between the years of 1999 and 2009 were evaluated retrospectively. Eighty patients who underwent surgery were included in the study. Results: There were 71 male and 9 female patients with the median age of 55 years (range, 39 to 71). Forty-six-point-three percent of the patients had squmous cell cancer and 35 % had adenocarcinoma. Thirty-one patients had stage I, 30 had stage II and 19 had stage IIIA disease. Forty-six percent of the patients had adjuvant radiotherapy and 50.7% had adjuvant chemotherapy. The median follow-up time after diagnosis was 34.2 months (range, 12 -132), the 5-year overall survival and the 5-year disease free survival rates were 45.5% and 32.8%, respectively. Performance status (p=0.024), tumor size (p=0.015), lymph node involvement (p=0.015) and anemia (p=0.001) were the prognostic factors associated with the overall survival. Stage (p=0.005), anemia(p=0.007) and adenocarcinoma subtype (p< 0.001) significantly affected the disease free survival. Conclusion: The performance status, stage, nodal involvement, presence of anemia are the prognostic factors affecting the survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: The overall prognosis for cancers of unknown primary (CUP) is poor, median overall survival (OS) being 6-12 months. We evaluated our multicentric retrospective experience for CUP administered docetaxel and cisplatin combination therapy. Materials and Methods: A total of 29 patients that were pathologically confirmed subtypes of CUP were included in the study. The combination of docetaxel (75 mg/m 2 , day 1) and cisplatin (75 mg/m 2 , day 1) was performed as a first line regimen every 21 days. Results: The median age was 51 (range: 27-68). Some 17 patients had multimetastatic disease on the inital diagnosis. Histopathological diagnoses were well-moderate differentiated adenocarcinoma (51.7%), undifferentiated carcinoma (27.6%), squamous cell cancer (13.8%), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (3.4%) and neuroendocrine differentiated carcinoma (3.4%). Median number of cycles was 3 (range: 1-6). Objective response rate was 37.9% and clinical benefit was 58.6%. Median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 6 months (range: 4.3-7.7 months) and 16 months (range: 8.1-30.9 months), respectively. Fourteen patients (60.8%) were treated in a second line setting. There was no treatment related death. Most common toxicities were nausia-vomiting (44.6%) and fatigue (34.7%), serious cases (grade 3/4) suffering nausia-vomiting (10.3%), neutropenia (13.8%) and febrile neutropenia (n=1). Conclusion: The combination of cisplatin and docetaxel is an effective regimen for selected patients with CUP.

Background: Surgery is the only curative treatment for operable non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) and the importance of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage IB patients is unclear. Herein, we evaluated prognostic factors for survival and factors related with adjuvant treatment decisions for stage I and IIA NSCLC patients without lymph node metastasis. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 302 patients who had undergone curative surgery for prognostic factors regarding survival and clinicopathological factors related to adjuvant chemotherapy. Results: Nearly 90% of the patients underwent lobectomy or pneumonectomy with mediastinal lymph node resection. For the others, wedge resection were performed. The patients were diagnosed as stage IA in 35%, IB in 49% and IIA in 17%. Histopathological type (p=0.02), tumor diameter (p=0.01) and stage (p

Background: We investigated the clinical outcome of patients with brain metastases (BMs) from human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) treated with lapatinib and capecitabine (LC). Patients and Methods: A total of 203 patients with HER2+ MBC, who had progressed after trastuzumab-containing chemotherapy, were retrospectively evaluated in 11 centers between September 2009 and May 2011. 85 patients who had developed BMs before the initiation of treatment with LC were included. All patients had received prior cranial radiotherapy. All patients were treated with the combination of lapatinib (1,250 mg/day continuously) and capecitabine (2,000 mg/m(2) on days 1-14 of a 21-day cycle). Results: The median follow-up was 10.5 months (range 1-38 months). An overall response rate of 27.1% was achieved, including complete response in 2 (2.4%) and partial response in 21 (24.7%) patients. Median progression-free survival was 7 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 5-9), with a median overall survival of 13 months (95% Cl 9-17). The most common side effects were hand-foot syndrome (58.8%), nausea (55.3%), fatigue (48.9%), anorexia (45.9%), rash (36.5%), and diarrhea (35.4%). Grade 3-4 toxicities were hand-foot syndrome (9.4%), diarrhea (8.3%), fatigue (5.9%), and rash (4.7%). There were no symptomatic cardiac events. Conclusion: LC combination therapy was effective and well-tolerated in patients with HER2+ MBC with BMs, who had progressive disease after trastuzumab-containing therapy., BACKGROUND: We investigated the clinical outcome of patients with brainmetastases (BMs) from human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+)metastatic breast cancer (MBC) treated with lapatinib and capecitabine (LC).PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 203 patients with HER2+ MBC, who had progressed after trastuzumab-containing chemotherapy, were retrospectively evaluated in 11centers between September 2009 and May 2011. 85 patients who had developed BMsbefore the initiation of treatment with LC were included. All patients hadreceived prior cranial radiotherapy. All patients were treated with thecombination of lapatinib (1,250 mg/day continuously) and capecitabine (2,000mg/m(2) on days 1-14 of a 21-day cycle).RESULTS: The median follow-up was 10.5 months (range 1-38 months). An overallresponse rate of 27.1% was achieved, including complete response in 2 (2.4%) and partial response in 21 (24.7%) patients. Median progression-free survival was 7months (95% confidence interval (CI) 5-9), with a median overall survival of 13months (95% Cl 9-17). The most common side effects were hand-foot syndrome(58.8%), nausea (55.3%), fatigue (48.9%), anorexia (45.9%), rash (36.5%), anddiarrhea (35.4%). Grade 3-4 toxicities were hand-foot syndrome (9.4%), diarrhea(8.3%), fatigue (5.9%), and rash (4.7%). There were no symptomatic cardiacevents.CONCLUSION: LC combination therapy was effective and well-tolerated in patientswith HER2+ MBC with BMs, who had progressive disease after trastuzumab-containingtherapy.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of long-term, low-dose oral etoposide as an advanced treatment option in patients with platinum resistant epithelial ovarian cancer. Materials and Methods: For the purposes of this study, 51 patients with histologically-confirmed, recurrent or metastatic platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) treated at six different centers between January 2006 and January 2011 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were treated with oral etoposide (50 mg/day for a cycle of 14 days, repeated every 21 days). Results: Among the 51 platinum-resistant patients, 17.6% demonstrated a partial response and 25.5% a stable response. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.9 months (95% CI, 2.1-5.7), while the median overall survival was 16.4 months (11.8–20.9). No significant relationship was observed between the pre-treatment CA 125 levels, post-treatment CA-125 levels and the treatment response rates (p=0.21). Among the 51 patients who were evaluated in terms of toxicity, grade 1 or 4 hematologic toxicity was observed in 19 (37.3%); and grade 1-4 gastrointestinal toxicity occurred in 15 patients (29.4%). Conclusions: Chronic low-dose oral etoposide treatment is generally effective and well-tolerated in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients.

INTRODUCTION: Urinary incontinence impacts the lives of older individuals and it is considered one of the most important and recurrent geriatric syndromes. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence in cancer patients and to evaluate its association with age and quality of life. METHODS: One hundred and thirty three patients with cancer were assessed at hematology/oncology outpatient clinic. The validated form of the Turkish version of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form was used to evaluate urinary incontinence and quality of life (QOL). Descriptive statistics were used. The association between urinary incontinence and age, gender, cancer type and quality of life were evaluated with chi square. RESULTS: A total of 133 patients including 84 male and 49 female were evaluated. The mean age of patients was 62.5±12.3. While 45.9% of patients are older than 65, 54.1% of them are less than 64. The rate of urinary incontinence was found 40.6% (n=54). The association between urinary incontinence and age, quality of life has been shown statistically significant with chi square (P DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that urinary incontinence is a significant problem which is underdiagnosed and undertreated in cancer patients. It inversely affects the quality of life. While focusing on cancer and chemotherapy, this important problem should not be underestimated. This leaves incontinent patients with unresolved physical, functional, and psychological morbidity, and diminished quality of life. The study suggests that awareness and education regarding incontinence should be increased among cancer patients and screening of Urinary Incontinence is an important part of their assessment.

Aim: We purposed to determine the risk factors for SREs (skeletal related events) SRE free survival and overall survival in NSCLC patients with bone metastasis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 335 NSCLC patients with bone metastasis. The association between clinicopathological features of the patients with respect to the presence of SRE was compared with the chi-squared test and Fisher’s exact test. The survival analyses and curves were established with the Kaplan-Meier method. To identify predictive factors related to SRE, logistic regression analysis was used. Results: Of the 335 patients, 244 (72.8%) patients developed SREs at the diagnosis or during treatment of disease. Of these, 145 required radiotherapy to the bone or pathological fracture, 59 developed malignant hypercalcemia, 21 developed compression fracture of the vertebrae and 5 required surgical treatment of the bone. The mean time-to first SRE was 6.9 months at the median follow-up of 17months. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that the presence of bone metastasis at diagnosis (p < 0.001, HR:1.96), number of bone metastasis (p < 0.001, HR:1.70) and the presence of palliative radiotherapy (p = 0.011, HR:1.68) were independent prognostic indicators for SRE-free survival. The results of univariate analysis revealed that PS, the presence of bone metastasis at diagnosis, number of bone metastasis, SRE, the presence of palliative radiotherapy and bisphosphonate therapy were significant prognostic factors for OS. The median OS interval for patients with SRE were worse than for patients without SRE (7 vs. 12 months, p < 0.001). All of significant factors were found to be independent prognostic indicators for OS in the multivariate analysis

European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) -- 42112 -- Geneva, SWITZERLAND WOS: 000354728700041 …