BACKGROUND Only 20% of patients with stage III NSCLC are cured by surgery. There is a disagreement among the oncologists in terms of whether which regimen (induction chemotherapy followed chemoradiotherapy, concurrent chemoradiation or concurrent chemoradiation followed consolidation chemotherapy) is best choice in inoperable LA NSCLC. OBJECTIVE To evaluate chemotherapy timing in inoperable L...

HYPOTHESIS Pelvic irradiation adversely affects anal sphincter function after proctectomy with coloanal anastomosis for low rectal and middle rectal (<10 cm from the anal verge) tumors. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING Private, tertiary care referral center. PATIENTS Patients treated for low rectal adenocarcinoma between January 1, 1994, and October 31, 1999. INTERVENTIONS Anal manome...

Multiple concepts of combined modality therapy for locoregionally advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer have been investigated. These include induction chemotherapy, concomitant chemoradiotherapy, and intensified radiation therapy schedules. To date, induction chemotherapy has been validated in randomized prospective trials versus radiotherapy alone. Concomitant chemoradiotherapy has l...

AIM To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of preoperative chemoradiotherapy with capecitabine in locally advanced rectal cancer. METHODS Between June 2004 and January 2005, 57 patients with operable, clinical stage II-III adenocarcinoma of the rectum entered the prospective phase II study. Radiation dose was 45 Gy (25x1.8 Gy). Concurrent chemotherapy with a daily dose of 1650 mg/m2 capecitabi...

BACKGROUND/AIM Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the esophagus is rare and aggressive. We herein report a case of a patient who showed NEC conversion from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus in the recurrent lesion after definitive chemoradiotherapy. CASE REPORT The patient was a 57-year-old Japanese male with mid-thoracic esophageal carcinoma diagnosed as SCC with invasion of the ...

BACKGROUND Although rare, treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is very difficult due to its aggressiveness and resistance to therapeutic efforts. PATIENTS AND METHODS We reviewed outcomes for six patients who underwent a unique chemoradiotherapy regimen consisting of external irradiation (45 to 60 Gy) combined with concurrent low-dose weekly docetaxel administration at 10 mg/m(2). ...

Preservation of the larynx is the most critical factor influencing quality of life in the treatment of head and neck cancer. This clinical study focuses on laryngeal function-preserving chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancer. Thirty-two resectable cases with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma undergoing function-preserving therapy were examined. In...

Rectal adenocarcinoma, in contrast to colorectal carcinoma, is typical of its high local reccurence rate. Radiotherapy is proved to reduce the incidence of recurrences. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy demonstrated better treatment results than adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Standard cytotoxic agents involved in combination therapy are 5- flurouracil or capecitabin. Epidermal growth factor receptor (...

BACKGROUND To report the outcomes of patients with locoregionally advanced and high- risk salivary gland malignancies treated with surgery followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. METHODS From 09/1991 - 06/2007, 24 high-risk salivary gland cancer patients were treated with surgery, followed by adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for high-risk pathologic features including, perineural involvement, nodal...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to use time trade-off to assess the factors influencing patients' decisions in advanced laryngeal cancer. Time trade-off is a well-established method of assessing how individuals value a particular health state. METHODS We developed vignettes depicting life after chemoradiotherapy or laryngectomy. One hundred fourteen participants ranked them, assigned...