can someone help???Fw: [citizensoftheUSofA] off topic - few groups to post to - I ask your indulgence.

[Guest guest]

Alt. Group,

Someone on another group I am on is asking for help. Anyone familiar with the therapy below or have an alternative route to suggest?

Thanks,

Beth

 

- Don Schwarz

 

Wednesday, August 09, 2006 12:50 PM

[citizensoftheUSofA] off topic - few groups to post to - I ask your indulgence.

 

To all moderators............I know this is off topic but I am frantic for anyinformation regarding possible treatments using the procedure described below.There are few, none, groups that discussthis subject noted below.Has anyone belonging to any of the groups Ihave posted this email to, know if any medicalfacilities in the Boston, Mass. area has performedthe medical procedure described below?This is the treatment of liver cancer tumors byThalidomide and radiation as concurrent meansof controlling the tumor.As you can see, it has only been published recentlyin the Japanese Journal of Oncology - 2006.with heartfelt thanks for your responses......Don in Massachusetts.====================================Results of Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiotherapy and Thalidomide for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology 2006 36(2):93-99; doi:10.1093/jjco/hyi242Wei-Chung Hsu1, Sue-Ching Chan5, Lai-Lei Ting6, Na-Na Chung1, Po-Ming Wang1, Kung-Shih Ying2, Jeng-Shiann Shin3, Che-Jen Chao3 and Gau-De Lin4 Departments of 1 Radiation Oncology, 2 Radiology, 3 Gastroenterology and 4 General Surgery, Cheng-Ching General Hospital, Taichung, 5 Department of Pharmacy, Buddhist Tzu-Chi General Hospital, Hualien and 6 Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan Received September 1, 2005; accepted November 29, 2005 ABSTRACT --------------Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and thalidomide in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: Between 1999 and 2003, 121 patients (mean age, 54.4 ± 12.4 years; range, 2081 years) with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma received three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and thalidomide. Radiation was delivered in 1.5 Gy fractions twice daily for 5 days a week, for a total dose of 4575 Gy. Mean treatment volume was 429.52 ± 408.50 cm3 (range, 26.892284.82 cm3). Thalidomide was given concomitantly: 200 mg/day in 109 patients, 300 mg/day in 8 patients and 400 mg/day in 4 patients. Treatment responses, survival rates and factors affecting survival were analyzed. Results: Treatment responses were observed in 61% of the patients. Liver cirrhosis (P = 0.001) and tumor size (P = 0.001) significantly affected the tumor responses. Overall survival at 6, 12 and 24 months was 84.8, 60.0 and 44.6%, respectively. On univariate analysis, liver cirrhosis (P = 0.003), Karnofsky performance status (P = 0.007), tumor size (P < 0.001), portal vein tumor thrombosis (P < 0.001) and alpha-fetoprotein level (P = 0.003) were shown to significantly affect survival. On multivariate analysis, only thrombosis (P = 0.039) and alpha-fetoprotein level (P = 0.006) were shown to be factors affecting survival. Conclusions: Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy with thalidomide seems to be effective in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. =========================================================================