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Edith A Perez

Publications and source records attributed to Edith A Perez.

65 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Phase III evaluation of fluoxetine for treatment of hot flashes.

PURPOSE: Hot flashes can be a prominent problem in women with a history of breast cancer. Given concerns regarding the use of hormonal therapies in such patients, other nonhormonal means for treating hot flashes are required. Based on anecdotal information regarding the efficacy of fluoxetine and other newer antidepressants for treating hot flashes, the present trial was developed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This trial used a double-blinded, randomized, two-period (4 weeks per period), cross-over methodology to study the efficacy of fluoxetine (20 mg/d) for treating hot flashes in women with a history of breast cancer or a concern regarding the use of estrogen (because of breast cancer risk). Eligible patients had to have reported that they averaged at least 14 hot flashes per week; they could have received tamoxifen or raloxifene as long as they were on a stable dose. The major outcome measure was a bivariate construct representing hot flash frequency and hot flash score, analyzed by a classic sums and differences cross-over analysis. RESULTS: Eighty-one randomized women began protocol therapy. By the end of the first treatment period, hot flash scores (frequency x average severity) decreased 50% in the fluoxetine arm versus 36% in the placebo arm. Cross-over analysis demonstrated a significantly greater marked hot flash score improvement with fluoxetine than placebo (P =.02). The results were not adjusted for potential confounding influences, including age and tamoxifen use. The fluoxetine was well tolerated. CONCLUSION: This dose of fluoxetine resulted in a modest improvement in hot flashes.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Weekly paclitaxel in women age 65 and above with metastatic breast cancer.

We evaluated therapy with weekly paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 in metastatic breast cancer patients age > or =65. There was a low incidence of serious toxicities, with similar tolerability profiles in younger and older patients. Response rates and overall survival times were comparable in the two age groups (<65 and > or =65). Weekly paclitaxel therapy is a reasonable option for older patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Gemcitabine and targeted therapy in metastatic breast cancer.

Gemcitabine, a new cytotoxic nucleoside analog, has demonstrable single-agent antitumor activity in metastatic breast cancer. Recently, nearly 20 phase II clinical trials of gemcitabine alone or as part of combination therapy have confirmed its role in this disease. As a single agent, gemcitabine leads to response rates ranging from 16% to 37% in either first-line and/or refractory settings. Combined with platinum, taxanes, vinorelbine, and anthracyclines as doublets or triplets, response rates in the range of 50% to 80% have been reported in small phase II clinical trials. The relatively mild toxicity profile of gemcitabine makes it an attractive agent to evaluate in combination with targeted drugs such as trastuzumab, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and angiogenesis inhibitors, among others. In this review we summarize current available data of gemcitabine in the management of metastatic breast cancer, and provide a perspective of gemcitabine in future clinical research for management of this disease.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗
PubMed2002

Phase I trial of edatrexate in advanced breast and other cancers.

Edatrexate (EDX) (10-ethyl-10-deazaaminopterin or 10-EDAM) is an analogue of methotrexate with improved pre-clinical antitumor activity, more selective cellular uptake, and with more extensive formation of intracellular polyglutamate metabolites. A phase I trial in advanced cancer using EDX was initiated to determine the toxicities associated with the use of a biweekly schedule of intravenous EDX, and to carry out a dose escalation to define the maximum tolerated dose employing this schedule. Thirty-four patients were enrolled in this phase I trial. Thirty-three patients were treated in cohorts of at least three patients (except at one dose level, 210 mg m-2, where there were only two patients). Dose escalations of EDX were administered starting with 100 mg m-2, and progressing through 120, 140, 160, 180, 210, 240, and 270 mg m-2. Edatrexate was administered by intravenous infusion over 20 min, and cryotherapy using ice chips was given prophylactically for 5 min before, during, and 15 min after each EDX treatment. The dose-limiting toxicity could not be reached in this study because it had to be closed on account of competing protocols using EDX in combination regimens. Of note though, was that the delivered dose intensity at the 160 mg m-2 week-1, was higher than the previously used or recommended phase II doses. Anemia was mild and white blood corpuscle toxicity was mostly of grade 1 or 2. One patient had grade 4 neutropenia and one had grade 3 thrombocytopenia. Of the non-hematological toxicities, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea were mild and tolerable. Mucositis, which was the dose-limiting toxicity in previous studies, was seen in 30% of the patients, but was predominantly a grade 1 toxicity. This could have been due to either the different schedule of EDX used in this study or the use of cryotherapy. Substantial antitumor effects were noted, with two near-complete complete responses at the 120 and 160 mg m-2 levels. Additionally, six partial responses and one minor response were observed, and stable disease was observed in seven patients. Despite achieving antitumor activity at different dose levels, a clear-cut dose response was not evident at the levels tested. We feel that the biweekly EDX schedule is a tolerable regimen, which allows a higher dose intensity than weekly administration, and that EDX is an active agent for the treatment of patients with metastatic cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Adjuvant therapy for breast cancer: recommendations for management based on consensus review and recent clinical trials.

Determining the optimal individual adjuvant systemic therapy for breast cancer patients is a challenging undertaking because it requires translating data from clinical trials that have involved thousands of patients into a highly individualized, risk-adjusted approach for the patient at hand. Choosing adjuvant therapy for women with breast cancer includes consideration of four issues: A) evaluation of risk of relapse; B) extrapolation of results from clinical trials; C) therapeutic ratio, and D) the patient's preferences following a thorough discussion with her physician. Data from recently completed phase III adjuvant trials and worldwide consensus conferences document the benefits of adjuvant therapy in improving disease-free survival and overall survival for patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer >1.0 cm in size. The benefits of hormonal therapy are clear, but limited to patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Anthracyclines lead to improved outcomes compared with nonanthracycline regimens. Taxanes appear to improve disease-free survival in patients with node-positive disease, although longer follow-up is required to assess their impact on overall survival. Some countries have reported a reduction in the mortality rate from breast cancer over the past several years. The improved survival rate is due, at least in part, to the use of adjuvant systemic therapy. Ongoing studies are evaluating targeted therapies, with the potential of remarkably improving patient outcome.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗
PubMed2002

Pilot evaluation of gabapentin for treating hot flashes.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain pilot prospective data regarding the efficacy and tolerability of gabapentin for alleviating hot flashes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective single-arm clinical trial was conducted between July 26, 2001, and November 30, 2001. Patients underwent a baseline week and then 4 weeks of gabapentin treatment, with increasing doses during the first 3 weeks, from 300 to 600 to 900 mg/d. Data were obtained primarily from patient-completed questionnaires. RESULTS: Data from 20 evaluable women (of 24 entered in the trial) were available. Four patients discontinued use of gabapentin for perceived drug-related untoward symptoms, primarily related to light-headedness and dizziness. The 16 patients who completed this clinical trial had a mean reduction in hot flash frequency, in the fourth treatment week compared to the baseline week, of 66%. Their corresponding hot flash score (frequency times average severity) reduction was 70%. Additionally, patients who completed the 4 treatment weeks had a strong tendency to report an improvement in several other symptoms. CONCLUSION: Although a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial should be conducted to better elucidate the efficacy and toxicity of gabapentin in patients with hot flashes, the available data suggest that gabapentin is a reasonable treatment to consider in patients with hot flashes if they do not wish to use hormonal therapy.

Acetates↗
PubMed2002

HER2 testing in patients with breast cancer: poor correlation between weak positivity by immunohistochemistry and gene amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate amplification of the HER-2/neu gene by fluorescence ir situ hybridization (FISH) in tumors with weakly positive (2+) immunohistochemical staining. METHODS: A total of 1556 breast tumor biopsy specimens were referred to Mayo Medical Laboratories, Rochester, Minn, for HER2 testing between August and December 2000. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was performed with use of a diagnostic test for the assessment of HER2 overexpression, the HercepTest. The IHC-stained slides were interpreted and scored on a scale ranging from 0 to 3+ according to Food and Drug Administration-approved guidelines. All specimens scored as 2+ were also routinely evaluated by FISH with use of a HER-2/neu DNA probe kit (PathVysion). Specimens were determined to be amplified if the ratio of HER-2/neu signals to chromosome 17 centromere (CEP17) signals was higher than 2.0. RESULTS: Thirty-eight percent of the specimens evaluated with the HercepTest were scored 0, 35% were 1+, 14% were 2+, and 13% were 3+. Of the 216 tumor specimens scored as 2+, 26 (12%) had a high level of HER-2/neu gene amplification, 54 (25%) demonstrated duplication of HER2, 4 (2%) deleted HER-2/neu and/or CEP17, and 123 (57%) had no apparent HER-2/neu anomaly, no apparent CEP17 anomaly, nor apparent single gain (aneusomy) of CEP17. CONCLUSION: We recommend that all specimens with a 2+ HercepTest result be evaluated by FISH for HER-2/neu gene amplification. The results of both assays should be considered before making a decision to recommend anti-HER2 therapy.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed2002

Anti-cancer treatment - 12th International Congress. 4-7 February 2002, Paris, France.

The 12th International Congress on Anti-Cancer Treatment (ICACT), endorsed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, was held in Paris, France. Led by Gabriel Hortbagyi (MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA) and David Khayat (Hopital de la Pitie Salpetriere, France), the meeting was well organized and attended by several thousand participants from many countries. The list of members forming the Scientific Committee included well-known international experts whose involvement was reflected in the scientific excellence of the presentations.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Appraising adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy.

Tamoxifen, once the gold standard adjuvant endocrine therapy for early breast cancer, is being challenged by third-generation aromatase inhibitors (AIs) that have demonstrated improved disease-free survival in a variety of adjuvant settings for early breast cancer. Tamoxifen and AIs have different safety profiles, which should allow physicians to begin to individualize treatment based on a patient's comorbidities and risk factors. Because of its properties as a partial estrogen agonist, tamoxifen has a positive effect on serum lipids and may confer a cardioprotective benefit, as well as a beneficial effect on bone health. However, tamoxifen increases the risk for endometrial cancer and cerebrovascular/thromboembolic events. In comparison, the major side effect of AIs is increased bone loss, which may heighten the risk for osteoporotic fractures and bone pain. Because of their superior efficacy and manageable side effects, AIs are a cost-effective alternative to tamoxifen, and clinical guidelines now embrace AIs as appropriate adjuvant therapy for hormone-sensitive early breast cancer. The anticipated results of ongoing trials will provide further insights into the long-term safety and application of AI therapy in the adjuvant setting.

Anastrozole↗