Papers by ignazio Carreca
American Journal of Cancer, 2002
Rivista di emoterapia ed immunoematologia, 1979
Anti-Cancer Drugs, 1993
Forty patients with chemotherapy-related diarrhea were randomized to receive (i) octreotide 0.5 m... more Forty patients with chemotherapy-related diarrhea were randomized to receive (i) octreotide 0.5 mg three times per day s.c. or (ii) loperamide 4 mg three times per day p.o. until complete remission of diarrhea was achieved. In the octreotide group 80% of patients showed complete resolution of loose bowel movements within 4 days of therapy, while in the loperamide group this goal was obtained in only 30% of cases (p < 0.001). If after 4 days no benefit was seen, patients were considered to have failed antidiarrheal therapy. Failure was recorded in only one case (5%) treated with s.c. octreotide and in five patients (25%) who received loperamide. The mean duration of antidiarrheal therapy necessary to achieve remission was 3.4 days in the octreotide group and 6.1 days in the loperamide group (p < 0.001). Treatment with octreotide was very well tolerated with mild abdominal pain in 15% of cases and pain in the injection site in 15% of patients. Subcutaneous octreotide is highly effective in the management of chemotherapy-related diarrhea in cancer patients.
Cancer letters, 1997
Nm23 gene codifies for a nucleoside diphosphate kinase allowing the intracellular transduction of... more Nm23 gene codifies for a nucleoside diphosphate kinase allowing the intracellular transduction of the signals. In colorectal cancer nm23 protein expression seems related to the progression of the disease. By immunohistochemistry we have studied the intracytoplasmatic nm23 H1 protein expression in 20 patients affected by colorectal cancer at initial stage. In 12 cases it resulted elevated and in four the disease recurred. The overexpression was not correlated with other prognostic factors. Nm23 H1-positive patients affected by colorectal cancer at initial stage could be considered at risk for disease recurrence and included in a more frequent follow-up protocol.
Cancer control : journal of the Moffitt Cancer Center
Approximately half of all breast cancer cases occur after age 65. Several aspects for the treatme... more Approximately half of all breast cancer cases occur after age 65. Several aspects for the treatment of early breast cancer may be influenced by patient age, including postoperative irradiation after partial mastectomy, axillary lymphadenectomy, primary medical treatment of early breast cancer, and adjuvant chemotherapy. The authors review the literature regarding age-specific issues in the management of breast cancer, and they report their own experience in treating older women with breast cancer. In terms of survival and disease-free survival, tamoxifen alone in primary breast cancer is inferior to surgical treatment followed by adjuvant tamoxifen. Tamoxifen alone should be reserved for patients with absolute contraindications to mastectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy is beneficial to women with hormone receptor-poor tumors. In those with hormone receptor-rich tumors, adjuvant chemotherapy is beneficial for HER2-positive tumors, and the regimen should contain an anthracycline. Although ...
British journal of cancer, Jan 4, 2001
The present study was aimed at defining the antitumour activity of the cisplatin-paclitaxel-topot... more The present study was aimed at defining the antitumour activity of the cisplatin-paclitaxel-topotecan (CPT) weekly administration with G-CSF support in chemo-naive SCLC patients with extensive disease (ED-SCLC). Chemonaive ED-SCLC patients received cisplatin 40 mg/m(2), paclitaxel 85 mg/m(2), and topotecan 2.25 mg/m(2)weekly, with G-CSF (5 microg/kg days 3-5) support, for a maximum of 12 weeks. 37 patients were treated, for a total of 348 cycles delivered. 8 complete responses (22%) and 22 partial responses (59%) were recorded, giving an 81% [95% CI = 65-92%] ORR. At a 13-month (range, 4-26) median follow-up, median progression-free and overall survival were 8 months and 12.5 months, with 1-year and 2-year projected survivals of 55% and 21%, respectively. No toxic deaths occurred. Grade 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 6 and 3 patients, respectively. Only one case of neutropenic sepsis was recorded, while haemorrhagic thrombocytopenia was never observed. Diarrhoea, par...
Anticancer research
To explain the overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) in relation to nm23-H1 prote... more To explain the overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) in relation to nm23-H1 protein, DNA-ploidy and S-phase fraction (SPF) in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Ninety-four samples were obtained from patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder examined between 1994 and 1996. The patients were underwent cistectomy or surgical biopsy and the material was histologically evaluated according to World Health Organization classification. Nm23-H1 protein expression in immunohistological staining and DNA ploidy, S-phase fraction by flow cytometric were performed. The correlation between OS and staging, grading, DNA-ploidy and S-phase was significant; whereas the overall survival and nm23-H1 protein, was not significant. The relationship between DFS and stage, DNA-ploidy and S-phase had a significant value. The correlation between DFS and age, sex, grading and nm23-H1 protein was not significant. There was no significant difference in age, sex, stage, gra...
International Journal of Oncology, 1994
European Journal of Cancer Supplements, 2009
overall survival, safety and QoL. After giving informed consent, QoL was evaluated using the EORT... more overall survival, safety and QoL. After giving informed consent, QoL was evaluated using the EORTC Q 30 breast cancer module, an established and validated questionnaire published by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer. In addition, geriatric assessment was examined using the Charlson or the VES 13 score. The EORTC Q 30 was completed at study entry, 18 weeks and 6 months after randomization and annually from year 1 to year 5. A total of 1,394 pts (697 per arm) with 497 events are needed to show an improvement in 5-year DFS from 65% to 71.5% with X, assuming a drop-out rate of 5%. This provides 80% power to detect a clinically relevant difference between the treatment arms at a = 0.05 (two-sided). Results: Between 06/2004 and 08/2008 1409 pts were recruited in 172 German centers; 706 pts received I alone and 703 pts received X+I. The median age was 71 years (range 64−88). At study entry, the median Charlson Score was 0 (range 0−3) and the median VES 13 score was 1 (range 0−27). 762 pts answered the EORTC Q 30 questionnaire at baseline (388 pts in the I only arm and 374 in the I+X arm), representing 54% feedback. During the follow-up period, 596 pts answered and returned their questionnaire (300 I alone and 296 I+X).
Oncology, 2005
The present study was aimed at defining the antitumor activity of the cisplatin-epirubicin-paclit... more The present study was aimed at defining the antitumor activity of the cisplatin-epirubicin-paclitaxel (PET) weekly administration with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support in chemonaive small-cell lung cancer patients with extensive disease (ED-SCLC). Chemonaive ED-SCLC patients received cisplatin 30 mg/sqm, epirubicin 50 mg/sqm and paclitaxel 120 mg/sqm, weekly, with G-CSF (5 microg/kg from day 3 to 5) support, for a maximum of 12 weeks. Thirty-nine patients were treated, for a total of 354 cycles delivered. Eight complete (21%), and 22 partial responses (56%) were recorded, giving a 77% (95% CI = 61-89%) objective response rate (ORR). After 14 (range, 7-28)-month median follow-up, 24 deaths have occurred. Median progression-free and overall survival were 7 months and 11 months, with 1- and 2-year projected survivals of 45 and 24%, respectively. No toxic deaths occurred. Grade 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 4 (10%) and 1 (3%) patients, respectively. Only one case of neutropenic sepsis was recorded, while hemorrhagic thrombocytopenia was never observed. Emesis, loss of appetite, mucositis and fatigue were the main nonhematological toxicities, being severe in 9, 8, 4 and 7 patients, respectively. The weekly PET combination with G-CSF support represents an active therapeutic approach in chemonaive ED-SCLC patients. However, both ORR and median survival does not seem substantially better than those achievable with a standard regimen. In view of that, and in consideration of the relevant nonhematological toxicity, this approach should not be pursued outside clinical trials.
Journal of Geriatric Oncology, 2012
Journal of Geriatric Oncology, 2012
European Journal of Cancer, 1995
European Journal of Cancer, 2011
omitted because of compromised LEVF. Twenty six pts completed all protocol treatments (chemothera... more omitted because of compromised LEVF. Twenty six pts completed all protocol treatments (chemotherapy and surgery). Forty-one pts completed preoperative chemotherapy and underwent surgery. In 5 pts surgery was palliative, for unresectable or unsuspected metastatic disease. Reasons for not completing treatment were: disease progression (10 pts), postoperative complications (3 pts), prolonged neutropenia (1 pt), febrile neutropenia with septic shock and prolonged UCI stay (1 pt) and diverticulitis (1 pt). Dose reduction was required in 9 pts, due to diarrhea (3 pts), neutropenia (2 pts), neurotoxicity (1 pt), weight loss (1 pt), catheter complications (2 pt). Chemotherapy delay occurred in 23 pts (minimum 7 days − maximum 14 days), and the main causes were: delay in admission, neutropenia, diarrhea, and postoperative complication. With a medium follow up of 37 months, 7 pts died of progressive disease, two of them had completed full treatment. Conclusion: Completion of all planned perioperative chemotherapy was observed in 71% of patients. Disease progression was the main reason to stop chemotherapy and although some pts were not able to receive post-operative treatment, tolerability was reasonable.
European Journal of Cancer, 1997
Purpose: Expression of the avfJ3 integrin is upregulated on sprouting endothelia. Systemic applic... more Purpose: Expression of the avfJ3 integrin is upregulated on sprouting endothelia. Systemic application of antibody or peptidic inhibitors of aV/J3 function disrupts tumor angiogenesis and reduclIs growth and Invasiveness of human tumors in animal models. We systematlcelly invastigated aV/J3 expression on tumor-associated vessels of four different human epithelial tumors and the corresponding normal tissues.
Cancer Treatment Reviews, 2005
Annals of Oncology, 2007
BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations contribute to a significant number of familial and hereditary ... more BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations contribute to a significant number of familial and hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancers. The proportion of high-risk families with breast and/or ovarian cancer cases due to mutations in these tumor suppressor genes varies widely among populations. In some population, a wide spectrum of different mutations in both genes are present, whereas in other groups specific mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 have been reported with high frequency. Most of these mutations are prevalent in restricted populations as consequence of a founder effect. The comparison of haplotypes between families with the same mutation can distinguish whether high-frequency alleles derive from an older or more recent single mutational event or whether they have arisen independently more than once. Here, we review some of the most well-known and significant examples of founder mutations in BRCA genes found in European and non-European populations.
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Papers by ignazio Carreca