Multidisciplinary approach in decision who is a proper candidate

Multidisciplinary approach in decision who is a proper candidate for PEG tube placement is recommended.”
“Renal transplantation provides the best quality of life for the patients with chronic end-stage renal failure. However, the immunosuppression

necessary for graft survival may give rise to infectious complications, an increased risk of cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases, all of which can shorten the patient’s survival. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the proliferation signal inhibitor immunosuppressant drugs everolimus among patients who develop neoplasms after renal transplantation. selleck screening library This retrospective study included 25 patients (mean age -56.5 +/- 14.1 years) who were diagnosed with posttransplant neoplastic disease and immunosuppressed with calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs). Treatment was initiated with everolimus with or without CNIs. During the follow-up, the renal function (initial serum creatinine 1.4 mg/dL vs final serum creatinine 1.3 mg/dL) and proteinuria levels (initial 0.3 g/d vs final 0.4 g/d) remained stable. There was a low percentage of patients with relapse of their tumor. One patient had a relapse of bladder cancer with tumor progression at 3 years; another patient with melanoma developed lymph node invasion. There were

neither acute rejection episodes nor cardiovascular complications. The results suggested that tumor relapse was low. The results suggested that immunosuppression Epacadostat Metabolism inhibitor with everolimus combined with low doses of CNIs or in single-drug therapy is safe immunosuppression for patients who develop posttransplant malignant diseases.”
“Purpose: Currently, no imaging modality is used routinely to assess tumor responses to radiotherapy 3MA within hours to days after the delivery of treatment. In this study, we show the

application of quantitative ultrasound methods to characterize tumor responses to cancer radiotherapy in vivo, as early as 24 hours after treatment administration.\n\nExperimental Design: Three mouse models of head and neck cancer were exposed to radiation doses of 0, 2, 4, and 8 Gray. Data were collected with an ultrasound scanner using frequencies of 10 to 30 MHz. Ultrasound estimates calculated from normalized power spectra and parametric images (spatial maps of local estimates of ultrasound parameters) were used as indicators of response.\n\nResults: Two of the mouse models (FaDu and C666-1) exhibited large hyperechoic regions at 24 hours after radiotherapy. The ultrasound integrated backscatter increased by 6.5 to 8.2 dB (P < 0.001) and the spectral slopes increased from 0.77 to 0.90 dB/MHz for the C666-1 tumors and from 0.54 to 0.78 dB/MHz for the FaDu tumors (P < 0.05), in these regions compared with preirradiated tumors. The hyperechoic regions in the ultrasound images corresponded in histology to areas of cell death.

ACE 10/10 mice overexpress ACE in monocytic cells; macrophages fr

ACE 10/10 mice overexpress ACE in monocytic cells; macrophages from ACE 10/10 mice demonstrate increased polarization toward a proinflammatory phenotype. As a result, ACE 10/10 mice have a highly effective immune response following challenge with melanoma, bacterial infection, or Alzheimer disease.

As shown in ACE 10/10 mice, enhanced monocytic function greatly contributes to the ability of the immune response to defend against a wide variety of antigenic and non-antigenic challenges.”
“Because of its retrogastric location and appearance, which is similar to mesenteric fat, for centuries the pancreas has been a mysterious, hidden organ that has received little attention. selleckchem However, its importance was intuited and described by Herophilus, Ruphos of Ephesus and Galen.

This gland began to appearin distinct medical treatises from the 16th century. There are two important scientists in the history of the pancreas. The fist, Johann Georg Wirsung, described the main pancreatic duct in 1642, a date considered by many to be the start of Pancreatology. The second, Claude Bernard, described pancreatic exocrine function between 1849 and 1856 and is considered the father of pancreatic physiology. Besides these two outstanding figures, there is a constellation of personalities who contributed to improving knowledge of this enigmatic gland with the results of their studies. The aim of this article is to call attention to some of the most notable findings see more that have enhanced knowledge of this gland over the years. (C) 2014 Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. and AEEH y AEG. All rights reserved.”
“BRCA1 is an important tumor suppressor gene associated with inherited breast and ovarian cancers. In this investigation, two novel BRCA1 splicing variants were cloned from breast cancer cell line ZR-75-30. These transcripts, named BRCA1-PI21-Delta 2-21

and BRCA1-Delta 2-14, lacked most exons of full length BRCA1 gene, but maintained the original reading frame. Quizartinib cost We also demonstrated the presence of BRCA1-PI21-Delta 2-21 in several human cell lines. Expression of both variants fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP) showed that they targeted different subcellular compartments in the transfected cells. Viability of the cells expressing both fusion proteins decreased notably compared with the viability of cells expressing only GFP. Fluorescence activated cell sorting assay confirmed that the overexpression of two splicing variants resulted in cell apoptosis. Taken together, the different subcellular localization and cell effects of two BRCA1 splicing variants imply that they can have different biological functions in breast cancer cells. Elucidating the functions of BRCA1 splicing variants would help to understand the exact roles of the BRCA1 gene in tumor suppression.”
“Huntington’s disease is initiated by the expression of a CAG repeat-encoded polyglutamine region in full-length huntingtin, with dominant effects that vary continuously with CAG size.

Field samples were collected in 2011 from 48 field sites across a

Field samples were collected in 2011 from 48 field sites across a 767 km transect. Historic samples from museum specimens ere collected Buparlisib at five sites with the greatest number and longest duration of collection (1957-987), four of which were sampled in the field in 2011. None of the museum specimens were positive for Bd, but four P. cinereus from field surveys positive The overall Bd prevalence from 1957-2011 for 12 Plethodon species sampled across a 757

km transect was 0.2% (95% CI 0.1-0.7%). All 94 samples were negative for Bs and ranavirus. We conclude that known amphibian pathogens are unlikely causes for declines in these Plethodon populations. Furthermore, these exceptionally low levels of Bd, in a region known to harbor Bd, may indicate that Plethodon specific traits limit Bd infection.”
“Background: Ionizing radiation (IR) is a mainstay of cancer therapy, but irradiation can at times also lead to stress responses, which counteract IR-induced cytotoxicity. IR also triggers cellular secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor, transforming growth factor beta and matrix metalloproteinases, among others, to promote tumor progression. Lysyl oxidase is known to play an important role in hypoxia-dependent cancer cell dissemination and metastasis. Here, we investigated the effects of IR on the

expression and secretion of lysyl oxidase (LOX) from tumor cells. Methods: LOX-secretion along with enzymatic activity was investigated in multiple tumor cell lines in response to irradiation. Transwell migration assays were performed to evaluate https://www.selleckchem.com/products/ABT-737.html invasive capacity BIBF 1120 inhibitor of naive tumor cells in response to IR-induced

LOX. In vivo studies for confirming IR-enhanced LOX were performed employing immunohistochemistry of tumor tissues and ex vivo analysis of murine blood serum derived from locally irradiated A549-derived tumor xenografts. Results: LOX was secreted in a dose dependent way from several tumor cell lines in response to irradiation. IR did not increase LOX-transcription but induced LOX-secretion. LOX-secretion could not be prevented by the microtubule stabilizing agent patupilone. In contrast, hypoxia induced LOX-transcription, and interestingly, hypoxia-dependent LOX-secretion could be counteracted by patupilone. Conditioned media from irradiated tumor cells promoted invasiveness of nai’ve tumor cells, while conditioned media from irradiated, LOX-siRNA-silenced cells did not stimulate their invasive capacity. Locally applied irradiation to tumor xenografts also increased LOX-secretion in vivo and resulted in enhanced LOX-levels in the murine blood serum. Conclusions: These results indicate a differential regulation of LOX-expression and secretion in response to IR and hypoxia, and suggest that LOX may contribute towards an IR-induced migratory phenotype in sublethally-irradiated tumor cells and tumor progression.

In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of me

In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of melatonin against oxygen-glucose

deprivation, followed by reperfusion-(OGD/R-) induced injury, in bEnd.3 cells. The effect of melatonin was examined by western blot analysis, cell viability assays, measurement of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and immunocytochemistry (ICC). Our results showed that treatment with melatonin prevents cell death and degradation of tight junction protein in the setting of OGD/R-induced injury. In response to OGD/R injury of bEnd.3 cells, melatonin activates Akt, which promotes cell survival, and attenuates phosphorylation Bcl-2 inhibitor review of JNK, which triggers apoptosis. Thus, melatonin protects bEnd.3 cells against

OGD/R-induced injury.”
“BackgroundPathologic extracapsular extension (pECE) in metastatic lymph nodes is associated with poor prognosis for oropharyngeal carcinoma. The prognostic value of radiographic extracapsular extension (rECE) has not been studied. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted of 111 patients with locally advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma treated in the Mount Sinai Radiation Oncology Department with accessible pretreatment CT reports. Univariate Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses compared cohorts for locoregional control, distant control, progression-free (PFS), and overall survival (OS). ResultsSixty-four patients had rECE-present and 47 had rECE-absent scans. The patients with AS1842856 order rECE presence had significantly worse OS (3-year: 95% vs 77%; p = .006), PFS (3-year: 91% vs 71%; p = .002), and distant control (3-year: 98% vs 81%; p

= .008), with no difference in locoregional control. On multivariate analysis, rECE-presence was a negative prognosticator for OS, PFS, and distant control. ConclusionThis Napabucasin study suggests that rECE is an independent prognosticator of poor distant control and survival with little impact on locoregional control for oropharyngeal carcinoma. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: 1689-1694, 2014″
“Historically, the brainstem has been neglected as a part of the brain involved in language processing. We review recent evidence of language-dependent effects in pitch processing based on comparisons of native vs. nonnative speakers of a tonal language from electrophysiological recordings in the auditory brainstem. We argue that there is enhancing of linguistically-relevant pitch dimensions or features well before the auditory signal reaches the cerebral cortex. We propose that long-term experience with a tone language sharpens the tuning characteristics of neurons along the pitch axis with enhanced sensitivity to linguistically-relevant, rapidly changing sections of pitch contours.

Plasma concentrations of L-arginine are decreased after

t

Plasma concentrations of L-arginine are decreased after

trauma or surgery but have been variably reported to be normal or decreased in patients with sepsis.\n\nMethods: We searched MEDLINE and Embase from database inception until January 2010 for the MESH terms “arginine,” ” amino acids,” and “sepsis” and reviewed all studies that reported plasma arginine concentrations in humans with sepsis. Studies were grouped according to the presence or absence of trauma and surgery. We performed a pooled quantitative analysis on the subset of studies that reported appropriate data.\n\nResults: We identified 285 citations, of which 16 met inclusion criteria and 10 were included in the quantitative analysis. Plasma arginine concentration was lower GSK J4 clinical trial in sepsis patients compared with concurrent or historical controls in three of four studies of surgical sepsis, one of four of sepsis after trauma,

and all eight studies of predominantly medical sepsis. In the quantitative analysis, mean plasma L-arginine concentration was 33.9 mu mol/L (95% confidence interval, 41.2-26.6) lower in sepsis patients than in concurrent nonseptic controls (p<.001), which is a relative decrease of 41%.\n\nConclusion: Plasma concentrations of plasma L-arginine are substantially decreased in patients with sepsis in the absence of trauma or surgery. There are not enough studies of sufficient quality to determine whether this is also the case for trauma-associated or surgery-associated sepsis. (Crit Care Med 2011; 39:380-385)”
“Raman and SERS spectra of homodipeptide Gly-Gly and Gly were recorded and compared in this paper, and band assignment for the PHA-848125 functional groups contained in these molecules was analyzed in detail. Time-dependent and pH-dependent SERS spectra of Gly-Gly molecule adsorbed on nano-colloidal silver surface MK-2206 were also studied. The time-dependent SERS spectra of Gly-Gly are characterized by the increase in intensity of bands primarily representing the vibrational signatures emanating from

the amino and amide moiety of Gly-Gly molecule. Iris found that the adsorption style of Gly-Gly on the silver colloid changes as time goes on; at 5 min after adding the sample to the silver colloid, Gly-Gly adsorbs on silver surface firstly through the carboxylate, amino and amide groups, and then the carboxylate group is far away from the silver surface at 10 min to 3 days. The SERS variation of Gly-Gly with the change of pH suggests that the adsorption style is pH-dependent, the different adsorption behavior of the Gly-Gly occurs on silver surface at different pH values. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Background: ASCOT (Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial) showed in hypertensive patients that blood pressure-lowering treatment with an amlodipine-based regimen reduces events compared with an atenolol-based regimen and that atorvastatin was more effective than placebo.

Future introductions are a certainty and can only provide an incr

Future introductions are a certainty and can only provide an increasing source of new information

on which to test the validity of these predications.”
“Mechanical small bowel obstruction (SBO) remains a common clinical problem despite ever-increasing medical and surgical advances. ubiquitin-Proteasome system The predominant etiology continues to be postoperative adhesions, accounting for approximately two-thirds of all obstructive events. As opposed to high-grade or complete small bowel obstruction where the clinical and radiographic findings are typically more diagnostic and the treatment plan more defined, partial SBO represents a subgroup, where the evaluation is more arduous, the diagnosis more elusive, and the management less defined. Operative and nonoperative approaches to treatment are successful and are based on the etiology and clinical status of PCI-34051 the patient. A paradox remains, however, treating a predominantly surgically induced condition with repeated operations. Several advances in the treatment and prevention of SBO have become practice in past decade. This article reviews the clinical issues and technical advances

of this challenging condition.”
“Fractional radiofrequency microneedling is a novel radiofrequency technique that uses insulated microneedles to deliver energy to the deep dermis at the point of penetration without destruction of the epidermis. It has been used for the treatment of various dermatological conditions including wrinkles, atrophic scars and hypertrophic scars. There have been few studies evaluating the efficacy of fractional radiofrequency microneedling in the treatment of acne, and none measuring objective HSP990 ic50 parameters like the number of inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions or sebum excretion levels. The safety and efficacy of fractional radiofrequency microneedling in the treatment of acne vulgaris was investigated. In a prospective clinical trial, 25 patients with moderate to severe acne were treated with fractional radiofrequency microneedling. The procedure was carried out

three times at 1-month intervals. Acne lesion count, subjective satisfaction score, sebum excretion level and adverse effects were assessed at baseline and at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the first treatment as well as 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the last treatment. Number of acne lesions (inflammatory and non-inflammatory) decreased. Sebum excretion and subjective satisfaction were more favorable at every time point compared with the baseline values (P smaller than 0.05). Inflammatory lesions responded better than non-inflammatory lesions (P smaller than 0.05). Adverse effects such as pinpoint bleeding, pain and erythema were noted, but were transient and not severe enough to stop treatment. Fractional radiofrequency microneedling is a safe and effective treatment for acne vulgaris.

GLIA 2014;62:171-184″
“A male infant presented at birth with

GLIA 2014;62:171-184″
“A male infant presented at birth with intestine and liver herniated through a defect 3 cm below the left nipple on the anterior thoracic

wall. Riedel lobe, attached to the left liver lobe, and the transverse colon were seen protruding through the defect at the region of the left eighth intercostal space at surgery. A fibrous band extending from the lower defect border to the bladder was present. The hernia content was reduced inside the abdomen and the fibrous band, and Riedel lobe and necrotic-appearing omentum were excised. Thoracoschisis XMU-MP-1 ic50 is a very rare congenital anomaly with only 4 cases reported. This is the first isolated thoracoschisis case without an accompanying diaphragmatic hernia. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“This article reviews the problem of bone disease in prostate cancer and the evolving role of the novel agent denosumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand, in suppressing bone resorption and offering bone protection in this disease. Prostate cancer frequently metastasizes to Selleckchem RSL-3 bone, and additionally its treatment with androgen deprivation leads to accelerated bone loss resulting in clinically

relevant skeletal complications associated with disabling symptoms. Among the bone-targeting therapeutic-strategies investigated for the prevention of bone complications, the potent bisphosphonate zoledronic acid has been the most widely used agent for bone protection in the past decade. Denosumab is the first among a new class of osteoclast-targeting agents to show superior efficacy in several clinical scenarios in both prostate and breast cancer, as well as in osteoporosis, but the focus of this review will be on its role in prostate cancer. The safety and efficacy of denosumab versus zoledronic acid was established in a randomized trial, demonstrating a delay in skeletal-related events in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients. This BI-2536 study

led to the approval of denosumab in the US. The chief risks of denosumab were hypocalcemia and osteonecrosis of the jaw. Denosumab was also approved for fracture risk reduction in patients on androgen-deprivation therapy for nonmetastatic prostate cancer. Although denosumab extended bone metastasis-free survival in a Phase III trial in men with castration-resistant nonmetastatic prostate cancer to a statistically significant degree, a Food and Drug Administration committee found that the effect was not sufficiently clinically meaningful for regulatory approval, and the Food and Drug Administration issued a letter concurring with the committee’s recommendation. The role of denosumab in prostate cancer will continue to evolve either as monotherapy or in combination with other bone-targeting strategies.”
“Background and objective: Osteoporotic fractures involve a significant consumption of health resources.

A total of 318 patients were included in this study Total dose d

A total of 318 patients were included in this study. Total dose delivered and fractionation scheme were determined by protocols that varied based on location of tumor. Survival rates and prognostic factors were assessed. RESULTS: Overall actuarial survival rates at 1-year, 3-years, and 5-years were 89.5% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 85.7-93.1%), 64.7% (95% Cl, 56.6-72.9%), and 44.6% (95% Cl, 29.7-59.5%), respectively. Child-Pugh liver function (hazards ratio [HR], 2.84; P < .01), T stage (HR, 1,94; P < .05), performance status (HR, 2.12; P < .01), and planning target volume (HR, 2.12; P < .05) significantly impacted survival. The 3-year

and 5-year survival rates were 69.1% (95% Cl, 59.9-78.3%) and 55.9% (95% Cl, 41.5-70.3%), respectively, for patients with Child-Pugh www.selleckchem.com/products/gdc-0994.html A disease and 51.9% (95% Cl, 32.3-71.5%) and 44.5% (95% Cl,

23.1-65.8%), respectively, for patients with Child-Pugh B disease. The actuarial survival rates of patients with Child-Pugh class A were statistically different between groups of planned target volume <= 125 mL and >125 mL (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The authors have shown proton beam therapy to be both safe and effective for the treatment of patients with Quisinostat hepatocellular carcinoma. They strongly recommend the consideration of proton beam therapy in patients for whom other treatment options are risky or contraindicated. Cancer 2009;115:5499-506. (C) 2009 American Cancer Society.”
“PURPOSE. To evaluate the associations between visual acuity and self-reported visual function; visual acuity and health-related quality of life (QoL) metrics; a summary measure of self-reported visual function and health-related QoL; and individual domains of self-reported visual function and health-related QoL in patients with uveitis.\n\nMETHODS. Best-corrected visual acuity, vision-related functioning as assessed by the NEI VFQ-25, and health-related QoL as assessed by the SF-36 and EuroQoL EQ-5D questionnaires were obtained at enrollment in a clinical trial of uveitis

treatments. Multivariate regression and Spearman correlations were used CRT0066101 concentration to evaluate associations between visual acuity, vision-related function, and health-related QoL.\n\nRESULTS. Among the 255 patients, median visual acuity in the better-seeing eyes was 20/25, the vision-related function score indicated impairment (median, 60), and health-related QoL scores were within the normal population range. Better visual acuity was predictive of higher visual function scores (P <= 0.001), a higher SF-36 physical component score, and a higher EQ-5D health utility score (P < 0.001). The vision-specific function score was predictive of all general health-related QoL (P < 0.001). The correlations between visual function score and general quality of life measures were moderate (p = 0.29-0.52).\n\nCONCLUSIONS. The vision-related function score correlated positively with visual acuity and moderately positively with general QoL measures.

05) and I and IV (p 0 04) and

05) and I and IV (p 0.04) and JQ1 inhibitor groups II and III (p 0.01) and II and IV (p 0.01). The concentration of cGMP in 24 h urine collection was in group I – 40 24 pmol/L; in group II – 54 41 pmol/L; in group III – 38 32 pmol/L; and in group IV – 42 36 pmol/L. There were no significant

differences between the groups. Plasma ET-1 concentration was 3.86 0.52 pg/mL in group I, in group II – 4.05 0.71 pg/mL, in group III – 4.22 0.79 pg/mL and in group IV – 4.38 0.75 pg/mL. Statistically significant differences were between group I and III (p 0.05), I and IV (p 0.03), and between group II and IV (p 0.04). Endothelial dysfunction was not found in hypertensive patients without a family history of cardiovascular diseases and without other risk factors of atherosclerosis. Deterioration of endothelial function was observed in patients with hypertension with risk factors of atherosclerosis. It was most pronounced in those with CAD.”
“It is well accepted that atherosclerosis occurs in a site-specific manner especially at branch points where disturbed blood flow (d-flow) predisposes to the development of plaques. Investigations both in vivo and in vitro have shown that d-flow is pro-atherogenic by promoting oxidative and inflammatory states in signaling pathway the artery wall. In contrast, steady laminar blood flow (s-flow) is atheroprotective by inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation in the vessel wall. The mechanism

for inflammation in endothelial cells (ECs) exposed to d-flow has been well studied and includes redox-dependent

activation of apoptosis learn more signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) that ultimately lead to the expression of adhesive molecules. In contrast, s-flow leads to the activation of the mitogen extracellular-signal-regulated kinase kinase 5/extracellular signal-regulated kinase-5 (MEK5/ERK5) pathway that prevents pro-inflammatory signaling. Important transcriptional events that reflect the pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory condition of ECs in d-flow include the activation of activator protein 1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor kappaB (NF kappa B), whereas in s-flow, activation of Kruppel-like factor 2 (KLF2) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (Nrf2) are dominant. Recent studies have shown that protein kinase c zeta (PKC zeta) is highly activated under d-flow conditions and may represent a molecular switch for EC signaling and gene expression. The targeted modulation of proteins activated in a site-specific manner holds the promise for a new approach to limit atherosclerosis. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 15, 1405-1414.”
“Mouse induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are known to have the ability to differentiate into various cell lineages including neurons in vitro. We have reported that chick dorsal root ganglion (DRG)-conditioned medium (CM) promoted the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells into motor neurons.

More recently, we identified a novel gene encoding RFamide peptid

More recently, we identified a novel gene encoding RFamide peptides in the amphioxus. Molecular phylogenetic analysis and synteny analysis indicated that this gene is closely related to the genes of GnIH and NPFF of vertebrates. The results suggest that the identified protochordate gene is similar to the common ancestor of GnIH and NPFF genes, indicating that the origin of GnIH and NPFF may date back to the time of the emergence

of early chordates. The GnIH and NPFF genes may have diverged by whole-genome duplication during the course of vertebrate evolution.”
“Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is characterised by hyper-reactivity, autistic tendencies and social anxiety. It has been hypothesised Dactolisib solubility dmso that the FXS social phenotype is secondary to a generalised hyper-reactivity that leads to social avoidance. No study, however, has investigated whether hyperarousal in FXS is generalised or more specific to socially salient information.

We recorded skin conductance responses (SCRs) while females with FXS, as well as chronological age-(CA-) and mental age-(MA-) matched controls, viewed two sets of visual images: direct-gaze emotional faces and affectively arousing scenes. Explicit emotion recognition and subjective ratings of emotions aroused by images were also recorded. Overall, females with FXS displayed hyper-reactivity only when viewing the more socially salient stimuli (emotional faces), compared to CA-matched controls, but not MA-matched controls. Moreover, females with FXS also displayed atypical GSK1120212 datasheet emotion recognition abilities A-1210477 and subjective ratings of their own emotional states. These findings suggest that any

hyper-reactivity observed in FXS may be more specific to socially salient stimuli, rather than generalised. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“This study aims to assess survival, prognostic indicators, and pattern of failure for advanced oropharyngeal cancer treated by induction chemotherapy followed by concomitant chemoradiation (sequential CRT).\n\nA retrospective review of 80 consecutive patients who underwent chemoradiation [doublet cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (PF)] for local advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma at a tertiary center from March 2003 to July 2008 is reported. Seven studies utilizing a similar protocol were reviewed, and all outcomes are collated.\n\nAt a median follow-up of 32 months, the 3-year overall survival was 75 %. Tumor size (p < 0.001), age at presentation (p < 0.002), and failure to complete the full course of induction chemotherapy (p < 0.01) were all found to be significant factors affecting survival.\n\nInduction chemotherapy followed by concomitant chemoradiation utilizing doublet PF is an effective treatment for local advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma. At present, the addition of a taxane to the PF regimen cannot be assumed to provide benefit until further evidence emerges from a representative controlled trial.