Biomedical subjects

Corey J Langer

Publications and source records attributed to Corey J Langer.

39 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Irinotecan/Taxane combinations in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Although conventional therapies can produce median survival times of 8 months to 1 year in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, there is still much room for improvement. With the emergence of multiple new agents, there is an increased number of therapeutic options available. Irinotecan has demonstrated activity in small-cell lung cancer and promising overall response rates of up to 35% as a single agent in NSCLC. Irinotecan/paclitaxel is currently being tested in a phase II trial with encouraging preliminary results. The triplet irinotecan/carboplatin/paclitaxel has been tested in a phase II trial as well. This triplet combination has yielded an impressive median survival time of 12.5 months and a 1-year survival rate of 50%, suggesting that this treatment regimen should be further explored. When used in combination with docetaxel, irinotecan has demonstrated comparable survival and response rates to the conventional cisplatin/docetaxel doublet but with lower toxicities. Ongoing and future trials will further clarify the role of irinotecan/taxane combinations in the treatment of NSCLC, both in treatment-naive patients and in the second-line setting.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

P53 alteration in oral tongue cancer is not significantly associated with age at diagnosis or tobacco exposure.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: The tumor suppressor gene P53 is mutated in almost half of head and neck cancers. The current work assessed the prognostic significance of P53 alteration in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue treated with a curative intent, its association with age at diagnosis (using 45 years as a cut point), and risk exposure as defined by tobacco and/or alcohol consumption. METHODS: P53 alteration was determined immunohistochemically in 45 patients with tongue cancer treated with a curative intent. RESULTS: P53 alteration occurred in 20 of 45 tumors (44%) and was more common among younger patients (58% versus 36% for younger versus older patients, respectively) and those lacking tobacco/alcohol exposure (53% versus 40% for "no-risk" and "risk" groups, respectively), but the differences were not statistically significant. With a median follow-up of 56 months, 5-year progression-free survival rates were 48% and 66% in patients with and without P53 detection, respectively (P = 0.22). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a trend of a younger age at diagnosis in P53-altered tumors, results did not reach statistically significant differences. A trend of a worse clinical outcome with P53 alteration was noted.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Impact of zoledronic acid on renal function in patients with cancer: Clinical significance and development of a predictive model.

Zoledronic acid is a potent bisphosphonate licensed for the treatment of myeloma and bone metastases from solid tumors. Renal deterioration is the most significant toxicity associated with zoledronic acid. We attempted to define the incidence and clinical significance of renal deterioration in patients receiving zoledronic acid and to develop a risk-factor profile for this treatment sequela. This study is a retrospective analysis of all patients who received zoledronic acid at Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pa, between 1/10/02 and 1/30/04. Data recorded included patient demographics, tumor characteristics, comorbid illnesses, concomitant medications, cancer therapy, number of zoledronic acid doses administered, and serial creatinine measurements. In total, 3,115 evaluable doses of zoledronic acid were administered to 446 patients (median, 4 doses; mean, 6.98 doses; range, 1-28 doses) at a dose of 4 mg over 15 minutes every 3-4 weeks. Of these 446 patients, 42 experienced renal deterioration (median rise in creatinine level, 1.0 mg/dL; range, 0.5-4.4 mg/dL), requiring discontinuation of zoledronic acid therapy in 8 cases. No patient required dialysis and no patient died as a result of zoledronic acid-induced renal dysfunction. On multivariable analysis, predictive factors for the development of renal deterioration were patient age, a diagnosis of myeloma or renal cell cancer, cumulative number of doses, concomitant therapy with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and current or prior therapy with cisplatin. Using these factors, we constructed a predictive model with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.75. The incidence of clinically significant renal deterioration in patients treated with zoledronic acid is low.We present a predictive model for decision support when estimating this risk.

Acute Kidney Injury↗