Background: The International Duration Evaluation of Adjuvant Chemotherapy (IDEA) aimed to investigate whether a 3 months (3M) of oxaliplatin/fluoropyrimidine-based adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) is non-inferior to the 6-month (6M) administration in 3-year disease-free survival (3yDFS) in high-risk (HR) stage II or stage III colon cancer (CC). Methods: Hellenic Oncology Research Group (HORG)-IDEA randomized patients between 3M and 6M of CT with FOLFOX4 or CAPOX. Results: In total 1115 patients, 413 with HR stage II and 702 with stage III CC, were randomized. The median follow-up was 67.0 (38.3-126.0) months. Overall, 394 DFS events (202 in 3M arm and 192 in 6M arm) where recorded. The 3yDFS rate was 77.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) 72.1% to 82.3%] for 3M and 77.9% (72.6% to 82.5%) for 6M of treatment [hazard ratio (HR) 1.05 (95% CI 0.61-1.55); P ¼ 0.647]. Eighty DFS events (3M N ¼ 41; 6M N ¼ 39) were observed in HR stage II patients for a 3yDFS rate of 82.7% and 83.4%, respectively (HR 1.05; 95% CI 0.68-1.63, P ¼ 0.829). For stage III patients, 314 DFS events (3M N ¼ 161 and 6M N ¼ 153) were observed, for a 3yDFS rate of 72.9% for 3M versus 74.1% for 6M (HR 1.06; 95% CI 0.81-1.42, P ¼ 0.622). For HR stage II patients receiving FOLFOX4, 3yDFS rate was 76.7% for 3M and 79.3% for 6M (HR 1.21; 95% CI 0.54-2.70). For HR stage II patients receiving CAPOX the 3yDFS rate was 85.4% for 3M and 83.8% for 6M (HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.59-1.67). For stage III patients receiving FOLFOX4, the 3yDFS rate was 71.5% for 3M and 77.3% for 6M (HR 1.18; 95% CI 0.74-1.86). For stage III patients receiving CAPOX, the 3yDFS rate was 74.5% for 3M and 74.7% for 6M (HR 0.99; 95% CI 0.70-1.44). Conclusions:The results of the HORG-IDEA study are in line with those of the global IDEA project, indicating that the 3yDFS is dependent on the administered adjuvant regimen and the choice and duration of regimen should be personalized.ClinicalTrials.gov Registration Number: NCT01308086.

Background:To compare the efficacy and safety of CAPIRI+bevacizumab (Bev) in comparison with FOLFIRI+Bev as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).Methods:Patients were randomised to receive either FOLFIRI plus Bev 5 mg kg−1 every 2 weeks (Arm-A) or CAPIRI plus Bev 7.5 mg kg−1 every 3 weeks (Arm-B).Results:Three hundred thirty-three patients (Arm-A=167; Arm-B=166) were enrolled into the study. No difference was observed in median progression-free survival (PFS) (10.0 and 8.9 months; P=0.64), overall survival (25.7 and 27.5 months; P=0.55) or response rates (45.5 and 39.8.7% P=0.32) for FOLFIRI-Bev and CAPIRI-Bev, respectively. Patients treated with CAPIRI-Bev presented significantly higher incidence of diarrhoea (P=0.005), febrile neutropenia (P=0.003) and hand–foot skin reactions (P=0.02) compared with patients treated with FOLFIRI-Bev. Treatment delays (P=0.05), dose reduction (P<0.001) and treatment discontinuation owing to toxicity (P=0.01) occurred more frequently in the CAPIRI-Bev arm.Conclusion:The PFS of FOLFIRI-BEV is not superior to that observed with the CAPIRI-Bev regimen. CAPIRI-Bev has a less favourable toxicity profile, requiring dose reductions, in order to be considered as an option in first-line treatment of patients with mCRC.

The population is aging both in developing and developed countries. What is clear is that currently over 50% of all patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are 65 years of age or older. When deciding a treatment strategy, the biological rather than the chronological age should be carefully assessed, and treatment should only be modified or withheld for very good reason. This applies equally to surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Fortunately, recently published studies have focused on the issue and have provided strong evidence of improved progression-free survival, overall survival, and quality of life in elderly patients with appropriately treated NSCLC. The

In an attempt to improve local control of locally advanced head and neck cancer, radiation therapy was combined with cisplatin. Forty-eight patients entered into this study. All patients were irradiated with a 60Co unit and according to the protocol they should receive 70 Gy in the tumor area and 45 Gy in the rest of neck. Cisplatin was administered at a dose of 100 mg/m2 on days 2, 22 and 42. Thirty-seven (80%) patients received the total radiation dose as initially planned. Thirty-four (72%) patients achieved complete and 5 (10%) partial response. Grade 3-4 toxicities included vomiting (14%), stomatitis (4%), diarrhea (2%), myelotoxicity (14%), hoarseness (4%), dysphagia (30%), weight loss (32%), nephrotoxicity (4%) and dermatitis (2%). After a median follow-up of 26 (range, 18-33) months, 16 patients have died. Among the 35 complete responders 6 later on relapsed. Median relapse-free survival has not yet been reached. Combined radiation therapy and cisplatin appears to be a highly active treatment in patients with advanced head and neck cancer as far as primary locoregional response is concerned.

In our population, males and smokers had decreased odds of harboring an EGFR mutation, while adenocarcinoma histology was not a significant predictor of EGFR M+ status. EGFR M+ patients with bone and/or brain metastases at diagnosis or mutations other than exon 19 deletions were at increased risk for earlier disease progression.