[Pain flare following palliative external beam radiotherapy: Prospective study of 41 cases]

PURPOSE

Radiotherapy plays a major role in relieving pain caused by bone metastases; paradoxically initial flare of symptom is common. Our objectives were to assess prospectively the incidence, and to identify predictor's factors of this acute complication.

PATIENT AND METHODS

Forty-one patients treated with analgesic external beam radiotherapy were followed prospectively. Patients recorded pain severity and analgesic intake was documented. Pain flare was defined as an increase of two points in the intensity of pain on the numerical scale with no reduction in analgesic intake and/or 25% increase of the analgesic intake without decreasing pain intensity.

RESULTS

Primary cancer was the breast, lung and prostate in 49%, 29% and 22% of patients respectively. Twelve patients (29%) had a pain flare. No factor was significantly associated with the occurrence of this complication. A favorable analgesic response was observed in 27 patients. The pain flare was not related to subsequent analgesic response.

CONCLUSION

Radiotherapy is an effective treatment of pain related to bone metastasis, but with a high incidence of painful exacerbation.

Unusual evolution of leiomyosarcoma of the rectum: a case report and review of the literature

Background

Leiomyosarcoma of the rectum is a rare entity that comprises less than 0.1 % of all rectal malignancies. Given the uncommon nature of this tumor and the controversy about its treatment we report one case and review the literature in an attempt to report a particular evolution and to discuss the most appropriate treatment.

Case presentation

This case report describes the presentation of leiomyosarcoma of the rectum. A 30-year-old man from the north of Morocco presented with rectorrhagia and constipation. On physical examination we found a mass in his rectum approximately 6 cm from his anal margin. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging showed a rectal mass with a parietal attachment that invaded the fascia and his perirectal tissue. Before any treatment he defecated spontaneously the tumor. On histopathological examination a diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma was made. An anterior resection of his rectum was performed with adjuvant radiotherapy at a dose of 50 Gy. After 1 year of surveillance, he has not presented any clinical symptoms and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging was normal.

Unfortunately, histological analysis of a superficial biopsy of a rectal leiomyosarcoma may not be reflective of the entire tumor mass, and a diagnosis is based essentially on postoperative pathological examination. The optimal treatment modality in patients with rectal leiomyosarcomas is controversial. Prognosis is also poor; tumor size, histological grade, mitotic index, and local staging are the most known prognosis factors.

Conclusion

The prognosis of rectal leiomyosarcoma is poor; more investigations are necessary to understand the progression of these tumors and to define an optimal treatment modality.

Impact of cervical cancer on quality of life: beyond the short term (Results from a single institution): Quality of life in long-term cervical cancer survivors: results from a single institution

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most widespread gynecological malignancies in women worldwide. Treatment strategies and screening modalities have largely evolved these past years resulting in an improvement of survival. However, treatment modalities are associated with long term side effects that significantly impacts quality of life (QOL) in cervical cancer survivors. The aim of this study is to evaluate QOL (General and sexual QOL) in cervical cancer survivors up to 10 years after the diagnosis.

Material and methods

In a cross-sectional descriptive study design, 110 cervical cancer survivors (CCS) and 80 healthy controls completed questionnaires assessing QOL.

Results

Participants were Arabic White, sexually active. The mean age at diagnosis was 34 years and was 43 years at the time of the interview. In our series long term CCS have generally a good global QOL comparable with healthy controls. However, issues concerning emotional functioning were over expressed by CCS. As to the sexual impact of cervical cancer; CCS experienced less sexual functioning and enjoyment and less satisfaction with their body image when compared to healthy controls.

In a multivariate analysis, spiritual well-being and social support were the predictor factors that statistically affected QOL among the studied cohort, it accounted for 81 % of the variance in QOL scores.

Conclusions

A better understanding of the complexity of the relationship between QOL and cervical cancer sequelae in one hand and socio-demographic factors in the other hand is necessary to improve QOL among cervical cancer survivors. More efforts should make to inform disease free patients about expected side effects and symptoms to face the physical changes that would affect their QOL and sexual activity.

Abstract P2-19-05: Inhibitor Screening Utilizing Human Kinase Multiplex Arrays

Protein kinase pathways show dysregulation in cancer, usually displaying increased activation. Kinases are typically influenced by extracellular signals, and many kinases are now considered to be therapeutic targets. Upon phosphorylation, kinases regulate signaling pathways that effect cellular processes. Individual cell lines, including cancer cells, express different kinase activation patterns. Previously, we have shown the phospho-tyrosine kinase profile of MDA-MB-453 cells, most notably the Erb family of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases, to be hyperactivated in this breast cancer cell line. Using a new kinase multiplex plate-based array, we have seen similar activation of multiple intracellular kinases, such as Akt and Erk. As a result, the MDA-MB-453 cells were selected for treatment with a kinase inhibitor library (Enzo, Catalog # BML-2832-0100). While several of the inhibitors block kinase activation, other inhibitors block proteins that are upstream from their kinase target. After incubation with the inhibitor library, a multiplex kinase array was utilized to screen the effects of the inhibitors on the MDA-MB-453 cells. In contrast with MCF-7 cells, MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells showed a basal hyperactivation of the Akt and GSK-3β kinases. The activation of Akt could be selectively inhibited by SB-203580, SB-202190, ML-7, and BML-265 inhibitors. The results obtained in the multiplex assay were verified by singleplex ELISA for Akt. Hence, the data collected with the multiplex assay provide a rapid analysis of the inhibitors’ effects on defined signaling pathways. This allows for a faster identification of kinase inhibitors that may affect cancer cells.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-19-05.