Introduction: A new way to classify Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) according to their shapes is prop... more Introduction: A new way to classify Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) according to their shapes is proposed. This classification is based on the asteroid roundness and sphericity in the same way that it is used in geological sciences to describe clasts in mechanical sedimentary rocks. This classification system was applied to eight NEAs for which a reliable shape form is known. Results: Using the Powers’ Scale of Roundness [1], illustrations of known asteroids can be seen in the comparative chart:
The fi rst catalogue of impact craters sites in South America is presented here. Proximately thir... more The fi rst catalogue of impact craters sites in South America is presented here. Proximately thirty proven, suspected and disproven structures have been identifi ed by several sources in this continent until now. But everyone events proposed here
Irinotecan and infusional 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy (FOLFIRI) plus bevacizumab (FOLFIRI-B... more Irinotecan and infusional 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy (FOLFIRI) plus bevacizumab (FOLFIRI-B) is one of the most effective treatments of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). However, this schedule is regarded more extensively as first-line therapy and its efficacy has not been proven in phase III randomised trials in oxaliplatin-pretreated patients. We have performed a systematic review through PubMed and EMBASE, including all prospective and retrospective publications exploring the efficacy of FOLFIRI-B as second-line chemotherapy in advanced CRC patients pretreated with oxaliplatin and not with B. Pooled estimates of the response rates (RR), weighted medians of progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) from all FOLFIRI-B-containing arms were calculated. A total of 11 studies (one randomised phase II trial, two phase II trials, two observational studies, two prospective non-randomised collections, and four retrospective case series) were retrieved giving a total of 435 patients. Overall, the pooled RR (n = 11 publications) was 26 %. Median PFS and OS (n = 11 and 10 publications, respectively) were 8.3 and 17.2 months. FOLFIRI-B is a reasonable and effective option for stage IV CRC pretreated with oxaliplatin and not exposed to B during first-line treatment. Its activity seems better than historical FOLFIRI-based second-line trials.
The International Journal of Biological Markers, 2014
Inhibition of angiogenesis is an effective treatment option for metastatic colorectal cancer. Pre... more Inhibition of angiogenesis is an effective treatment option for metastatic colorectal cancer. Predictive biomarkers to select patients who are most likely to benefit from this therapeutic strategy are lacking. We conducted a pilot, retrospective biomarker study in a cohort of metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with bevacizumab. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prognostic value of biomarker expression in metastases and to compare their expression in paired tumor specimens. Eligible patients were treated with a bevacizumab-containing therapy; from these patients, tumor tissue from metastases was available. PTEN, PI3K p110a, c-MET, and CAIX were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Forty-two patients received bevacizumab, 13 (31%) with first-line and 29 (69%) with second-line chemotherapy. Expression of CAIX, PI3K p110a, and c-MET in metastases did not predict objective response. PTEN loss was associated with response to treatment (p=0.02) and this association remained significant after adjusting for prognostic variables (p=0.006). However, no association with survival outcomes was found. In 32 patients (76%) with available paired specimens, we observed an equal expression between primary tumors and corresponding metastases in 75% of cases for CAIX in epithelial tumor cells, 56% for CAIX in stromal cells, 63% for PTEN, and 87% for c-MET. PTEN loss in metastases appears to be associated with response to bevacizumab-based therapy. However, larger studies are necessary to confirm the potential role of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in modulating the therapeutic effect of bevacizumab. Tumor heterogeneity should be taken into consideration when analyzing tumor tissues for biomarker studies.
Background: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of irinotecan/cetuximab a... more Background: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of irinotecan/cetuximab administered as third-or fourth-line therapy in a retrospective series of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer refractory to oxaliplatin and irinotecan. Patients and Methods: Most patients (90%) had been previously treated with adjuvant 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin, and all had received oxaliplatin-based regimens before receiving irinotecanbased second-line treatment. Sixty patients with irinotecan-refractory colorectal cancer received a regimen comprising weekly irinotecan 120 mg/m 2 as a 1-hour intravenous infusion and cetuximab 400 mg/m 2 infused over 2 hours as the initial dose and 250 mg/m 2 infused over 1 hour for the subsequent administrations. A single treatment cycle comprised 4 weekly infusions followed by 2 weeks of rest. Results: According to an intent-totreat analysis, a partial response was exhibited in 12 of 60 enrolled patients (20%; 95% confidence interval, 11%-32%) with a median duration of 5.1 months (range, 3-7.4 months).The tumor growth control rate was 50% (95% confidence interval, 37%-63%). Objective responses did not correlate with performance status, number of sites of disease, and pretreatments or epidermal growth factor receptor status. The median progression-free survival was 3.1 months (range, 1.2-9 months), whereas median overall survival was 6 months (range, 2-13 months). Both survival parameters correlated with performance status at the beginning of treatment. The main grade 3/4 toxicities were nausea (33%), diarrhea (27%), leukopenia (18%), asthenia (13%), and acne-like reaction (13%). Conclusion: Our data suggest that the weekly irinotecan/cetuximab regimen is feasible in an outpatient setting and tolerated by most patients.At present, combinations of chemotherapy with cetuximab are being evaluated in patients with earlier-stage disease in a number of ongoing studies.
Introduction: A new way to classify Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) according to their shapes is prop... more Introduction: A new way to classify Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) according to their shapes is proposed. This classification is based on the asteroid roundness and sphericity in the same way that it is used in geological sciences to describe clasts in mechanical sedimentary rocks. This classification system was applied to eight NEAs for which a reliable shape form is known. Results: Using the Powers’ Scale of Roundness [1], illustrations of known asteroids can be seen in the comparative chart:
The fi rst catalogue of impact craters sites in South America is presented here. Proximately thir... more The fi rst catalogue of impact craters sites in South America is presented here. Proximately thirty proven, suspected and disproven structures have been identifi ed by several sources in this continent until now. But everyone events proposed here
Irinotecan and infusional 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy (FOLFIRI) plus bevacizumab (FOLFIRI-B... more Irinotecan and infusional 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy (FOLFIRI) plus bevacizumab (FOLFIRI-B) is one of the most effective treatments of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). However, this schedule is regarded more extensively as first-line therapy and its efficacy has not been proven in phase III randomised trials in oxaliplatin-pretreated patients. We have performed a systematic review through PubMed and EMBASE, including all prospective and retrospective publications exploring the efficacy of FOLFIRI-B as second-line chemotherapy in advanced CRC patients pretreated with oxaliplatin and not with B. Pooled estimates of the response rates (RR), weighted medians of progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) from all FOLFIRI-B-containing arms were calculated. A total of 11 studies (one randomised phase II trial, two phase II trials, two observational studies, two prospective non-randomised collections, and four retrospective case series) were retrieved giving a total of 435 patients. Overall, the pooled RR (n = 11 publications) was 26 %. Median PFS and OS (n = 11 and 10 publications, respectively) were 8.3 and 17.2 months. FOLFIRI-B is a reasonable and effective option for stage IV CRC pretreated with oxaliplatin and not exposed to B during first-line treatment. Its activity seems better than historical FOLFIRI-based second-line trials.
The International Journal of Biological Markers, 2014
Inhibition of angiogenesis is an effective treatment option for metastatic colorectal cancer. Pre... more Inhibition of angiogenesis is an effective treatment option for metastatic colorectal cancer. Predictive biomarkers to select patients who are most likely to benefit from this therapeutic strategy are lacking. We conducted a pilot, retrospective biomarker study in a cohort of metastatic colorectal cancer patients treated with bevacizumab. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prognostic value of biomarker expression in metastases and to compare their expression in paired tumor specimens. Eligible patients were treated with a bevacizumab-containing therapy; from these patients, tumor tissue from metastases was available. PTEN, PI3K p110a, c-MET, and CAIX were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Forty-two patients received bevacizumab, 13 (31%) with first-line and 29 (69%) with second-line chemotherapy. Expression of CAIX, PI3K p110a, and c-MET in metastases did not predict objective response. PTEN loss was associated with response to treatment (p=0.02) and this association remained significant after adjusting for prognostic variables (p=0.006). However, no association with survival outcomes was found. In 32 patients (76%) with available paired specimens, we observed an equal expression between primary tumors and corresponding metastases in 75% of cases for CAIX in epithelial tumor cells, 56% for CAIX in stromal cells, 63% for PTEN, and 87% for c-MET. PTEN loss in metastases appears to be associated with response to bevacizumab-based therapy. However, larger studies are necessary to confirm the potential role of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in modulating the therapeutic effect of bevacizumab. Tumor heterogeneity should be taken into consideration when analyzing tumor tissues for biomarker studies.
Background: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of irinotecan/cetuximab a... more Background: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of irinotecan/cetuximab administered as third-or fourth-line therapy in a retrospective series of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer refractory to oxaliplatin and irinotecan. Patients and Methods: Most patients (90%) had been previously treated with adjuvant 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin, and all had received oxaliplatin-based regimens before receiving irinotecanbased second-line treatment. Sixty patients with irinotecan-refractory colorectal cancer received a regimen comprising weekly irinotecan 120 mg/m 2 as a 1-hour intravenous infusion and cetuximab 400 mg/m 2 infused over 2 hours as the initial dose and 250 mg/m 2 infused over 1 hour for the subsequent administrations. A single treatment cycle comprised 4 weekly infusions followed by 2 weeks of rest. Results: According to an intent-totreat analysis, a partial response was exhibited in 12 of 60 enrolled patients (20%; 95% confidence interval, 11%-32%) with a median duration of 5.1 months (range, 3-7.4 months).The tumor growth control rate was 50% (95% confidence interval, 37%-63%). Objective responses did not correlate with performance status, number of sites of disease, and pretreatments or epidermal growth factor receptor status. The median progression-free survival was 3.1 months (range, 1.2-9 months), whereas median overall survival was 6 months (range, 2-13 months). Both survival parameters correlated with performance status at the beginning of treatment. The main grade 3/4 toxicities were nausea (33%), diarrhea (27%), leukopenia (18%), asthenia (13%), and acne-like reaction (13%). Conclusion: Our data suggest that the weekly irinotecan/cetuximab regimen is feasible in an outpatient setting and tolerated by most patients.At present, combinations of chemotherapy with cetuximab are being evaluated in patients with earlier-stage disease in a number of ongoing studies.
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Papers by Sergio Stinco