Capecitabine Plus Aromatase Inhibitor as First Line Therapy for Hormone Receptor Positive, HER2 Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer

(1) Background: recent evidence suggests that long low-dose capecitabine regimens have a synergistic effect with endocrine therapy as aromatase inhibitors (AIs), and might increase overall survival for hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative, metastatic breast cancer compared to both treatments. We performed a retrospective study to confirm the efficacy and expand the safety data for capecitabine plus AI (a combination henceforth named XELIA) for this indication. (2) We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study of 163 hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer patients who received either the XELIA regimen, capecitabine, or an aromatase inhibitor (AI) as single agents in first-line treatment. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival, and the secondary endpoints were overall survival, best objective response, and toxicity incidence. (3) Results: the median progression-free survival for patients receiving XELIA, AI, and capecitabine was 29.37 months (20.91 to 37.84; 95% CI), 20.04 months (7.29 to 32.80; 95% CI) and 10.48 (8.69 to 12.28; 95% CI), respectively. The overall response rate was higher in the XELIA group (29.5%) than in the AI (14.3%) and capecitabine (9.1%) groups. However, the differences in overall survival were not statistically significant. Apart from hand-foot syndrome, there were no statistically significant differences in adverse events between the groups. (4) Conclusions: this retrospective study suggests that progression-free survival and overall response rates improved with the XELIA regimen compared to use of aromatase inhibitors and capecitabine alone. Combined use demonstrated an adequate safety profile and might represent an advantageous treatment in places where CDK 4/6 is not available. Larger studies and randomized clinical trials are required to confirm the effects shown in our study.

Detección temprana de cáncer de pulmón en México

La detección temprana de cáncer pulmonar (CP) en población de alto riesgo tiene el potencial de diagnosticar la enfermedad en estadios tempranos y facilitar el tratamiento oportuno con el fin de disminuir la tasa de mortalidad. En México, como en otros países en vías de desarrollo, además del tabaquismo, la exposición al humo de leña se posiciona como uno de los principales factores de riesgo para desarrollar CP, lo cual no se ha considerado en estudios de tamizaje previamente publicados. Distintas interrogantes surgen en relación con quiénes son las personas que presentan un alto riesgo de desarrollar CP en América Latina, cuál es el costo-beneficio de poner en marcha un programa de detección oportuna de CP en México y cuáles son los obstáculos que los países de la región enfrentan para su implementación.

[National consensus of diagnosis and treatment of non-small cell lung cancer]

Mexican specialists in oncology, oncologic surgery, thoracic surgery, pneumology, pathology, molecular biology, anesthesiology, algology, psychology, nutrition, and rehabilitation (all of them experts in lung cancer treatment) in order to develop the National Consensus on Lung Cancer. The consensus has been developed as an answer to the need of updated Mexican guidelines for the optimal treatment of the disease, as well as to the requirements that such guidelines be established by multidisciplinary panel, depicting the current attention given to cancer lung cases in Mexico. Thus, this paper analyses the epidemiological review, screening, diagnosis, staging, pathology, translational medicine, and the suitable therapies for early, locally advanced, and metastatic disease in the first, second, and third lines of management, as well as rehabilitation and palliative measures.

Use of bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer: report from the Mexican opinion and analysis forum on colorectal cancer treatment with bevacizumab (September 2009)

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and although associated mortality rates in South American countries are generally among the lowest in the world, they are on the rise. The prognosis of patients diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer has improved markedly over the last 12 years, increasing from 5 months with best supportive care to almost 2 years with combination chemotherapy plus bevacizumab. New prognostic and predictive biomarkers have been identified to guide therapy. Prognostic markers indicate patient survival independent of therapy and include disease stage, mutational status, and carcinoembryonic antigen. More recently, predictive markers of treatment outcomes have been identified. The most studied are mutations of the KRAS and BRAF genes, which are associated with resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted therapy. Tumor blood vessels have a number of structural and functional abnormalities that result in increased tumor vascularity and growth driven by angiogenesis. The anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monoclonal antibody bevacizumab, which binds to and neutralizes VEGF-A, has become a central part of the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. The addition of bevacizumab to fluorouracil (5-FU)/leucovorin, irinotecan plus bolus 5-FU/leucovorin, or irinotecan plus infusional 5-FU/leucovorin significantly improves the overall survival of patients with previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer. In addition, a significant increase in overall survival is seen when bevacizumab is added to oxaliplatin plus infusional 5-FU/leucovorin (FOLFOX) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who progressed on a non-bevacizumab-containing regimen. Although the majority of studies were performed prior to the identification of KRAS and BRAF as predictive biomarkers, subsequent analysis has shown the benefits of bevacizumab occur independently of the mutational status of these genes. In patients who have progressed on a bevacizumab-containing regimen, continuation of bevacizumab is significantly associated with an improved survival based on observational cohort studies. Surgical resection is recommended in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer where complete removal of tumors can be achieved. Perioperative chemotherapy using FOLFOX for 3 months before and 3 months after surgery is associated with a 9% improvement in 3-year survival. The use of chemotherapy in patients initially deemed unresectable has produced resection rates approaching 40%, and the addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy in this setting is feasible, safe, and effective. In a study of 219 patients, the addition of bevacizumab to FOLFOX was associated with a significant increase in major or complete pathologic response compared with FOLFOX alone. Improvements in patient survival have changed the treatment paradigm for metastatic colorectal cancer. Newer approaches view treatment not as distinct lines of therapy but as a continuum that includes personalized treatment plans offering maintenance therapy and even drug holidays between aggressive treatment periods. This approach achieves similar efficacy outcomes with reduced toxicity, and investigation of the role of bevacizumab as maintenance therapy is ongoing.

Matrix metalloproteinases expressed in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity: correlation with clinicopathologic features and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy response

Secretion of gelatinases A (MMP-2) and B (MMP-9) from 21 tumoral explants of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and five samples of normal mucosa of the oral cavity is demonstrated here. The explants were cultured into fetal bovine serum- and phenol red-deprived medium for 48 hours. The gelatinases secreted into the medium were revealed and quantified by zymography and densitometry, respectively. The results showed high medians of the 66 kDa forms of gelatinase A in tumoral explants, in comparison to normal explants: 31.0 vs 5.9 densitometric units (DU) (p <0.01). There was also a relatioship between clinical response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and low activity of 66 kDa form of gelatinase A, as well as 84 kDa and 92 kDa forms of gelatinase B. The median of gelatinolysis of the inactive form of gelatinase A (72 kDa form) was higher in those patients who exhibited a complete response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. We conclude that gelatinase A is a useful and objective tool to evaluate the response to chemotherapy and the aggressiveness of carcinomas of the oral cavity.

Bioavailability of etoposide after oral administration of the solution marketed for intravenous use: therapeutic and pharmacoeconomic perspectives

BACKGROUND

Oral etoposide administration is a suitable alternative to the intravenous route; therefore, commercial capsules have been developed. Before these capsules were available in Mexico, we studied drug bioavailability after oral administration of the intravenous etoposide solution (IVES).

METHODS

Eight adult cancer patients received a 50-mg oral etoposide dose as IVES and blood samples were collected over a period of 24 h. Plasma etoposide concentration was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, plasma concentration against time curves were constructed, and bioavailability parameters were calculated.

RESULTS

Oral IVES yielded an adequate bioavailability profile because Cmax was 2.38 +/- 0.30 micrograms/mL, AUC was 12.87 +/- 2.02 micrograms/mL and half-life was 6.72 +/- 0.97 h.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering that the pharmacokinetic aim is to maintain plasma concentrations between 0.5 and 1.0 microgram/mL for several hours while avoiding high concentrations, i.e., of 10 micrograms/mL or higher, oral administration of 50-mg etoposide as IVES appears to be a suitable dosing option. In addition, oral IVES is considerably less expensive than intravenous administration in terms of both drug presentation and administration.