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Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and tolerability of the combination of oxaliplatin, capecitabine, and radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Methods: Eighteen patients with clinically locally advanced and/or inoperable rectal cancer received 45-50.4 Gy of radiotherapy with concomitant weekly oxaliplatin 60 mg/m2 and capecitabine 750 mg/m2 bid for 5 days/week followed by definitive resection or exploratory laparotomy. Results: Seventeen of the 18 subjects had complete (R0) resection. High-grade pathologic response was observed in 17 of the 18 patients, and downstaging and complete pathologic response was recorded in 78% and 22% of patients respectively. Survival and relapse-free survival at 3 years were 78% and 61% respectively. Treatment-related toxicities were manageable with no grade IV toxicities, and grade III anemia, urinary frequency, tenesmus, and diarrhea, alone or in combination, were seen in four patients. Conclusion: Preoperative radiotherapy in combination with oxaliplatin/capecitabine is active in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, producing near-universal high-grade tumor pathologic response, significant tumor downstaging and downsizing, and high rate of complete resection with intriguing 3-year survival data. The current study regimen has a favorable toxicity profile and warrants further evaluation in a larger trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: For patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hepatectomy remains one of the best treatment options to provide long-term survival. However, more than 50% of the patients have unresectable disease upon diagnosis even though there are no distant metastases. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a well-established treatment option that offers a palliative survival benefit for this group of patients. A better treatment for unresectable HCC has been sought after. There is some evidence that transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with the agent yttrium-90 produces encouraging outcomes, especially in patients with portal vein tumor thrombus. This study aims to analyze the outcomes of TARE at our center., Methods: From August 2009 to April 2013, 16 patients underwent TARE at our center. Sixteen patients with similar tumor characteristics were selected to undergo TACE alone for comparison. A retrospective analysis of the prospectively collected data of the patients was conducted. Only patients with newly diagnosed primary tumors were included in this study., Results: The median survival for patients having TARE was 19.9 versus 14.0 months in the TACE group (P=0.615). There was no difference in terms of tumor response according to the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) (P=0.632). The 1-, 2- and 3-year survival rates in the TARE group were 80.0%, 30.5% and 20.3% respectively. The 1-year survival in the TACE group was 58.3% (P=0.615). For patients who had major vascular invasion (eight in each group), the 1- and 2-year survival rates in the TARE group were 62.5% and 15.6% respectively, while the 1-year survival in the TACE group was 35.0% (P=0.664)., Conclusions: The two groups showed similar results in terms of tumor response and overall survival benefit. TARE might provide a survival benefit for patients with major vessel invasion.

Aim: This paper is a report of a study conducted to (1) assess the quality of life (QoL) and physical functioning status of patients diagnosed with advanced cancer and receiving palliative care; (2) determine if there was a statistically significant relationship between their physical functioning and QoL and (3) identify the demographic and disease-related variables related to their QoL., Background: Achieving the best possible QoL is a major goal in palliative care. However, research findings about the relationship between QoL and demographic variables have been inconsistent., Method: Three hundred patients with advanced cancer were recruited from four district hospitals in Hong Kong between February 2005 and July 2006. Their QoL and physical functioning status were assessed by face-to-face interview, using the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (Hong Kong version) and the Palliative Performance Scale respectively., Results: Participants reported reduced ambulation, inability to perform hobbies or housework, and the need for occasional assistance in self-care (mean: 64.6 out of 100, sd: 19.3, range: 20-100). QoL was fair (mean: 6.2 out of 10, sd: 1.5, range: 0.9-10). There was a weak positive association between physical functioning and QoL scores. Multiple regression analysis showed that patients who were older, female, had ever been married, or had higher physical functioning tended to have better QoL., Conclusion: More could be done in symptom and psychosocial management to improve patients' QoL, in particular for those who are younger, male or single, or who have lower physical functioning.