Scroll Up
Scroll Down
Play Play Play Play
Unregistered User
Click here if this is not your Personal Edition
 
Contact Us | Free E-Mail Updates | Journals | Register a colleague
 
 
Gastro Other
 
   
 
SEARCH   
Doctor's Guide Free CME
Medline
Congress Resource Centre
 

 EXPLORE :
   Most Read News
 All News  All News
 All Webcasts / CME  All Webcasts / CME
 All Cases  All Cases
 Congress Resource Centre  Congress Resource Centre
 All Medical Resources  All Medical Resources
 Medical  My Personal Edition



Warning | Privacy

 

 
 Recent news - Gastro Other
    European Commission Approves Methylnaltrexone Bromide for Opioid-Induced Constipation in Advanced Illness - (DGNews)
    Device Blocking Stomach Nerve Signals Shows Promise in Obesity - (DGNews)
    Gastric Bypass Surgery Linked to Increased Risk of Kidney Stones - (DGNews)
    Weight Loss After Gastric, Laparoscopic Surgery Improves Health in Adults, Teens - (DGNews)
    Oral Sodium Phosphate, Fasting Are Equal for Bowel Preparation Before Capsule Endoscopy for Obscure GI Bleeding - (DGNews)

    News archive

     Recent webcasts/CME - Gastro Other

    Webcasts/CME archive

     Recent cases - Gastro Other
      Torsion of Vermiform Appendix with Fecalith: A Case Report
      Pancreatitis with an Unusual Fatal Complication Following Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreaticography: A Case Report
      Candida Esophageal Perforation and Esophagopleural Fistula: A Case Report
      An Unusual Cause of Gastric Outlet Obstruction During PEG Feeding
      Gastrojejunocolic Fistula After Gastrojejunostomy: A Case Series

      Cases archive
        




      my personal edition > gastro other > news
      divider

        E-Mail this DGDispatch to a colleague

      DGDispatch


      Metastatic Gastric Cancer Patients Respond to Cetuximab Plus FOLFIRI Regimen: Presented at ASCO-GI

      By Ed Susman

      SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- January 30, 2006 -- At least 80% of patients with metastatic gastric cancer appear to achieve some clinical benefit from a chemotherapy regimen in which cetuximab is added to the standard FOLFIRI (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and irinotecan) regimen.

      "The combination of cetuximab and FOLFIRI appears to be active in nonresectable/metastatic gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma," said Carmine Pinto, MD, medical oncologist, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy.

      Dr. Pinto presented his poster here on January 26th at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology - Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium (ASCO-GI).

      His team of researchers conducted a phase 2 study to test the combination in 38 patients with advanced gastric cancer and overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptors in the primary or metastatic tumors.

      Patients were started on the FOLFIRI regimen in 2-week cycles while receiving cetuximab 400 mg/m2 as a loading dose in the first week, followed by 250 mg/m2 weekly through 24 weeks. Patients who achieved a complete or partial remission or experienced disease stabilization at 6 months continued on cetuximab 250 mg/m2 weekly.

      Twenty-five patients were evaluable for response and 28 were evaluable for toxicity. Three of the patients, 12%, achieved a complete response, confirmed through positron emission tomography (PET). Another 11 patients had partial responses; 11 other patients had stable disease for at least 3 months.

      "The progression-free survival at 3 months is 80%," Dr. Pinto said. One of the patients died of febrile neutropenia. Overall 53.6% of patients experienced grade 3 neutropenia. Two patients developed thrombocytopenia.

      "The treatment was well tolerated," Dr. Pinto said. "The major toxicity appears to be limited to neutropenia."

      The symposium was cosponsored by the American Gastrointestinal Association, the Society of Surgical Oncology and the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.


      [Presentation title: Phase II Study of Cetuximab in Combination With FOLFIRI as First-Line Treatment in Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction adenocarcinoma (FOLCETUX Study): Preliminary Results. Abstract 63]



      E-Mail this DGDispatch to a colleague   To print, use this version






      All contents Copyright (c) 1995-2008 Doctor's Guide Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.



      The NTK initiative. Physicians helping physicians identify Need-To-Know science
         Feedback
      Please rate this article: Strongly DISAGREE...Strongly AGREE NTK logo
      Question 1 - Physicians need to become aware of this information as soon as possible. Question 2 - This information is likely to have an impact on the way physicians practice medicine.
      1
      2
      3
      4
      5
      6
      7
      Send