ONCOLOGY Vol 11 No 6

This phase I dose-finding study examined the effects of the combination of doxorubicin and docetaxel (Taxotere) in 42 women with metastatic breast cancer. The combination was studied at six different dosing levels. The maximum tolerated doses were defined as doxorubicin, 50 mg/m², and docetaxel, 85 mg/m², with sepsis as the dose-limiting toxicity.

The explosive increase in the apparent incidence of prostate cancer in the United States (which is due, in large measure, to wider efforts at early detection) has been accompanied by a dramatic stage migration, which can also be attributed to the increased use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

Tumors of the superior pulmonary sulcus (Pancoast tumors) are bronchogenic carcinomas that occur at the thoracic inlet and typically involve, by direct extension, the lower trunks of the brachial plexus, the intercostal nerves, the stellate ganglion, and adjacent ribs and vertebrae. These tumors are rare, comprising 5% of all lung cancers. Treatment of Pancoast tumors has traditionally consisted of preoperative radiation to a dose of 3,000 to 4,500 cGy followed by surgical resection. Overall 5-year survival rates range from 30% to 50%. Even if treatment achieves local disease control, distant failure (brain or bone) is common. Recent treatment efforts have focused on the use of induction chemoradiation followed by surgery and further chemotherapy. This combined-modality approach may become the new treatment paradigm for Pancoast tumors. [ONCOLOGY 11(6):781-785, 1997]

With the proper nursing care, do women recovering from breast cancer surgery do better at home than in the hospital? To answer this question, researchers at Michigan State University's colleges of Nursing and Human Medicine are undertaking