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1.
Curing breast cancer and killing the heart: A novel model to explain elevated cardiovascular disease and mortality risk among women with early stage breast cancer.
Kirkham, AA, Beaudry, RI, Paterson, DI, Mackey, JR, Haykowsky, MJ
Progress in cardiovascular diseases. 2019;(2):116-126
Abstract
Due to advances in prevention, early detection and treatment, early breast cancer mortality has decreased by nearly 40% during the last four decades. Yet, the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality is significantly elevated following a breast cancer diagnosis, and it is a leading cause of death in this population. This review will discuss the most recent evidence for risks, pathology, mechanisms, and prevention of CVD morbidity and mortality in women with breast cancer. This evidence will be synthesized into a new model 'the compounding risk and protection model.' This model proposes that the balance between risk factors (i.e., older age, pre-existing traditional CVD risk factors and shared biologic pathways for CVD and cancer such as inflammation, as well as treatment-related and lifestyle toxicity) and potential protection factors (i.e., lifelong non-smoking, regular physical activity, a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and management of body weight and stress, heart failure therapy) determine the individual risk of CVD morbidity and mortality after diagnosis of early breast cancer.
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2.
Successful Control of Dasatinib-related Chylothorax by the Japanese Herbal Medicine "Goreisan".
Sasaki, H, Kimizuka, Y, Ogata, H, Okada, Y, Ota, S, Sano, T, Watanabe, C, Maki, Y, Yamamoto, T, Tagami, Y, et al
Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan). 2019;(21):3139-3141
Abstract
Dasatinib-related chylothorax is a rare adverse event, and the mechanism underlying its occurrence is still not fully understood. We herein report the case of a 73-year-old woman with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who developed dasatinib-related chylothorax refractory to conventional treatments, except for steroids. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of dasatinib-related chylothorax which was successfully controlled by combining diuretics with the Japanese herbal medicine "Goreisan." "Goreisan" is known to inhibit aquaporin channels and regulate the water flow. Our findings showed that "Goreisan" is an effective treatment option for uncontrollable dasatinib-related chylothorax.
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3.
Food habits during treatment of childhood cancer: a critical review.
Beaulieu-Gagnon, S, Bélanger, V, Marcil, V
Nutrition research reviews. 2019;(2):265-281
Abstract
Several factors can affect the nutritional status of children undergoing cancer therapy. The present review aims to describe children's food intake during cancer treatments and to explore the contributing determinants. It also assesses the nutritional educational interventions developed for this clientele. Scientific literature from January 1995 to January 2018 was searched through PubMed and MEDLINE using keywords related to childhood cancer and nutritional intake. Quantitative and qualitative studies were reviewed: forty-seven articles were selected: thirty-eight related to food intake and parental practices and nine related to nutritional interventions. Patients' intakes in energy, macronutrients and micronutrients were compared with those of healthy controls or with requirement standards. Generally, patients ate less energy and proteins than healthy children, but adhered similarly to national guidelines. There is a lack of consensus for standard nutrient requirement in this population and a need for more prospective evaluations. Qualitative studies provide an insight into the perceptions of children, parents and nurses on several determinants influencing eating behaviours, including the type of treatment and their side effects. Parental practices were found to be diverse. In general, savoury and salty foods were preferred to sweet foods. Finally, most interventional studies in childhood cancer have presented their protocol or assessed the feasibility of an intervention. Therefore, because of the variability of study designs and since only a few studies have presented results, their impact on the development of healthful eating habits remains unclear. A better understanding of children's nutritional intakes and eating behaviours during cancer treatment could guide future nutritional interventions.
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4.
Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma successfully treated with sorafenib: case report and review of the literature.
Futsukaichi, Y, Tajiri, K, Kobayashi, S, Nagata, K, Yasumura, S, Takahara, T, Minemura, M, Yasuda, I
Clinical journal of gastroenterology. 2019;(2):128-134
Abstract
Sorafenib, a multiple kinase inhibitor, has been established as first-line standard systemic chemotherapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We encountered a patient with combined hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinoma (CHC) who achieved complete remission in response to sorafenib treatment. A 58-year old man with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced liver cirrhosis was diagnosed with CHC in segments 6th and 7th of the liver and underwent partial surgical resection. Three months later, CHC recurred as metastases at multiple intrahepatic sites, lymph nodes, and bones, making surgery impossible. Treatment with sorafenib was initiated at 400 mg b.i.d., later reduced to 400 mg/day. After 6 months of sorafenib administration, he no longer showed abnormal uptake on fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. He was continued on sorafenib for 2.5 years, but later discontinued due to adverse events. He has shown no evidence of tumor recurrence more than 1 year after sorafenib discontinuation. His HCV was eradicated by direct-acting antivirals, and he remains in good health.
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5.
Vinca alkaloids, thalidomide and eribulin-induced peripheral neurotoxicity: From pathogenesis to treatment.
Islam, B, Lustberg, M, Staff, NP, Kolb, N, Alberti, P, Argyriou, AA
Journal of the peripheral nervous system : JPNS. 2019;:S63-S73
Abstract
Vinca alkaloids, thalidomide, and eribulin are widely used to treat patients with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), adults affected by multiple myeloma and locally invasive or metastatic breast cancer, respectively. However, soon after their introduction into clinical practice, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) emerged as their main non-hematological and among dose-limiting adverse events. It is generally perceived that vinca alkaloids and the antiangiogenic agent thalidomide are more neurotoxic, compared to eribulin. The exposure to these chemotherapeutic agents is associated with an axonal, length-dependent, sensory polyneuropathy of mild to moderate severity, whereas it is considered that the peripheral nerve damage, unless severe, usually resolves soon after treatment discontinuation. Advanced age, high initial and prolonged dosing, coadministration of other neurotoxic chemotherapeutic agents and pre-existing neuropathy are the common risk factors. Pharmacogenetic biomarkers might be used to define patients at increased susceptibility of CIPN. Currently, there is no established therapy for CIPN prevention or treatment; symptomatic treatment for neuropathic pain and dose reduction or withdrawal in severe cases is considered, at the cost of reduced cancer therapeutic efficacy. This review critically examines the pathogenesis, epidemiology, risk factors (both clinical and pharmacogenetic), clinical phenotype and management of CIPN as a result of exposure to vinca alkaloids, thalidomide and its analogue lenalidomide as also eribulin.
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6.
What's New in Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy for Retinoblastoma?
Abramson, DH, Francis, JH, Gobin, YP
International ophthalmology clinics. 2019;(2):87-94
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7.
Medical and sclerosing agents in the treatment of orbital lymphatic malformations: what's new?
Lam, SC, Yuen, HKL
Current opinion in ophthalmology. 2019;(5):380-385
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Currently, there is no ideal management for orbital lymphatic malformations. Significant advances have been made since the discovery of new agents in the treatment. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the recent evidence on new sclerotherapy agents and systemic medications. RECENT FINDINGS Traditional sclerosants are OK-432, sodium tetradecyl sulphate and ethanol. More recent developments are the use of doxycycline, bleomycin, and pingyangmycin. Sirolimus as a systemic medication has revolutionized the medical management of lymphatic malformations. Other oral drugs such as propranolol and sildenafil are controversial. Future treatment involves targeting lymphangiogenic pathways including inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factors and the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit. SUMMARY The development of new agents allows multimodal management either as monotherapy or combined therapy to achieve better outcomes in this difficult to manage disease.
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8.
The anticancer effects and mechanisms of fucoxanthin combined with other drugs.
Wang, Z, Li, H, Dong, M, Zhu, P, Cai, Y
Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology. 2019;(2):293-301
Abstract
PURPOSE Fucoxanthin (Fx) is a characteristic carotenoid present in brown seaweed that has been shown to have various benefits, including anticancer effects. In vitro studies demonstrated these various effects, including the suppression of cell viability, the promotion of apoptosis, and antiangiogenic, antiproliferative, and antimetastatic activity. Interestingly, combinations of Fx with other drugs have better effects than either Fx or other drugs alone. Although the antiproliferative and cancer prevention activities of the combination of Fx and other drugs are still unclear, several effects have been discovered, including the induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest at G1/G0, enhanced gap junctional intercellular communication, and the induction of autophagy via various mechanisms, such as decreasing P-gp, activating the CYP3A4 promoter, increasing reactive oxygen species and cellular uptake and suppressing the PI3K/Akt/NFκB pathway. In this review, we address the anticancer effects and mechanisms of the combination of Fx and other drugs in different types of cancer. METHODS The relevant literature from PubMed and Web of Science databases is reviewed in this article. RESULTS Fx combined with other drugs could enhance the effect of both Fx and the other drug or reduce the dose without reducing the effect, which may create more effective and less harmful therapeutic strategies. CONCLUSION Fx combined with other drugs has significant anticancer effects by various mechanisms and could be a potential therapeutic strategy for different types of cancer.
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9.
Treatment-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Breast Cancer: A Review of the Interest of Practicing a Physical Activity.
Ginzac, A, Passildas, J, Gadéa, E, Abrial, C, Molnar, I, Trésorier, R, Duclos, M, Thivat, E, Durando, X
Oncology. 2019;(5):223-234
Abstract
Physical activity is known to prevent the occurrence of cancer and decrease the risk of breast cancer. At diagnosis of breast cancer, fewer than half of the patients reach the international recommendation for physical activity. However, breast cancer patients, and particularly HER2+ breast cancer patients, are exposed to treatment-induced cardiotoxicity because of a side effect of 2 molecules used in standard therapy to treat these tumors, i.e., anthracycline and trastuzumab. Cardiotoxicity can sometimes lead to discontinuation of the treatment and even to the development of cardiovascular diseases. Exercise is known to protect the cardiovascular system in the healthy population. Consequently, being physically active during treatment appears to be a way to prevent the negative impact of cancer treatment on the heart in this population. In particular, aerobic exercising could have a protective effect against treatment-induced cardiotoxicity. A supervised physical activity program seems to be the best way for breast cancer patients to be active during treatment. However, there is very little information, and in particular a lack of guidelines, on exercising available to patients. The interventional trials that have been conducted on this topic are very heterogeneous and no standard recommendations have been made available for cancer patients thus far. An effective physical activity program needs to take each patient's barriers and motivations into account in order to encourage the practice of physical activity throughout treatment. To ensure the success of the program, it is essential to facilitate adherence and especially maintain motivation. Further studies are needed to determine what practice guidelines oncologists should give their patients.
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10.
The CiTAS scale for evaluating taste alteration induced by chemotherapy: state of the art on its clinical use.
Simeone, S, Esposito, MR, Gargiulo, G, Lanzuise, A, Botti, S, Serra, N, Continisio, GI, Rea, T, Guillari, A
Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis. 2019;(6-S):17-25
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Of the various therapeutic approaches, chemotherapy is the most widely used treatment. Among the various side effects associated with this treatment, taste alterations (TAs) have received little attention, even though they have a serious impact on the nutritional aspect and quality of life (QoL) of patients. TAs concern 75% of the patients receiving chemotherapy, and this figure is still considered to be underestimatedbeacuse could be due both to inadequate attention and to the absence of specific subjective tools able to fully evaluate TAs in patients undergoing chemotherapy. METHODS A review by querying CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases about the current status of use of the CiTAS self-evaluation scale, was performed. RESULTS From critical reading of the selected reports, it can be said that until now CiTAS has not been used to a large extent for evaluating taste, even at a late stage in patients undergoing chemotherapy. However, the results and the selected reports seem to indicate hope for its wider use. CONCLUSIONS In literature, CITAS scale has been used on very heterogeneous populations and not adequately studied in specific care settings, its use within controlled trials could implement its spread.Correct and subjective evaluation of TAs would allow the planning of specific and personalized interventions aimed at providing adequate nutrition to support the maintenance and/or achievement of a correct body mass index. All this could contribute significantly to a better perception of QoL in patients undergoing chemotherapy.