title: Antiangiogenic metronomic chemotherapy and hyperthermia in the palliation of advanced cancer.
abstract: Among a large series of cancer patients treated with a combination of chemotherapy and sessions of hyperthermia, particular attention was given to a specific group of patients with advanced cancer who refused standard, aggressive, treatment. In these cases, hyperthermia was associated to low-dose (metronomic) chemotherapy. No toxicity was reported in any of our patients, while a marginal benefit in terms of tumour progression was observed. During therapy, we could detect a coagulative perturbation that deserves careful discussion. In our opinion, this experience should be matter of debate to conclude if current response criteria (WHO/UICC and RECIST) in treating cancer patients are really suitable tools to evaluate new, and non-aggressive anticancer strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Roma La Sapienza, Italy. Fabriziofranchi@interfree.it
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Franchi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pigliucci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Chicchis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castigliani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pastore
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Seminara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods*; D016312:Treatment Refusal
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents