Phase II trial of carboplatin and vinblastine in advanced squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Programmed cell death, redox imbalance, and cancer therapeutics

Cancer cells are disordered by nature and thus featured by higher internal redox level than healthy cells. Redox imbalance could trigger programmed cell death if exceeded a certain threshold, rendering therapeutic strategies relying on redox control a possible cancer management solution. Yet, various programmed cell death events have been consecutively discovered, complicating our understandings on their associations with redox imbalance and clinical implications especially therapeutic design. Thus, it is imperative to understand differences and similarities among programmed cell death events regarding their associations with redox imbalance for improved control over these events in malignant cells as well as appropriate design on therapeutic approaches relying on redox control. This review addresses these issues and concludes by bringing affront cold atmospheric plasma as an emerging redox controller with translational potential in clinics.

Carboplatin and vinblastine for the treatment of metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelial tract

Many patients with metastatic transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC) are not appropriate candidates for standard cisplatin-based combination, because of inadequate renal function, poor performance status (PS), and other comorbid medical conditions. We have evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of a combination of carboplatin and vinblastine (CV) as a palliative regimen in these patients. The medical records of patients with metastatic TCC, who had been treated with CV at the British Columbia Cancer Agency from 1995 until 1999, were retrospectively reviewed. Treatment consisted of carboplatin (area under the curve = 5) on day 1, and vinblastine (4 mg/m(2)) on days 1 and 8, repeated every 4 weeks. A total of 42 patients were included in this study, of whom 39 had measurable disease. Median age was 73 years. Fifty-two percent of patients had a PS (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) of 2 or 3. Node-only disease was present in 26% of patients, bone metastasis in 26%, and liver metastasis in 24%. A total of 119 cycles were administered. Grade IV granulocytopenia occurred in 26% of patients, grade III anemia in 12%, and there were 3 episodes of febrile neutropenia occurring in two patients. The major nonhematologic toxicity was grade III fatigue in 17% of patients. There were no grade IV nonhematologic toxicity or treatment-related deaths. The overall response rate was 33% (13 of 39). Five patients (13%) achieved a complete response and 8 patients (20%) a partial response. The median duration of response was 32 weeks and median overall survival for all patients was 26 weeks. The combination of carboplatin and vinblastine given in this schedule is a feasible, well-tolerated, and active alternative for patients with metastatic TCC unfit for standard chemotherapy.