Browsing by Author "Carvalho, C"
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- Adenocarcinoma do reto: uma análise retrospetiva dos anos 2005-06Publication . Fernandes, M; Silva, M; Carvalho, C
- Clinical experience in invasive fungal infectionsPublication . Pacheco, P; Ventura, A; Branco, T; Gonçalves, L; Carvalho, CLung infections caused by invasive filamentous fungi are very rare conditions in AIDS, but must be considered in patients with profound immune suppression especially in the presence of additional risk factors, such as hematologic malignancies, corticosteroid therapy, neutropenia, and chemotherapy. The authors report a case of dual lung infection caused by Aspergillus and Mucor, which occurred in a 34-year-old AIDS patient who was treated with chemotherapy for oral plasmablastic lymphoma. The case presented clinically with low grade fever and pulmonary cavitation, which suggested tuberculosis. After extensive investigation the diagnosis of mucormycosis was established and the patient was treated sequentially with liposomal amphotericin B and posaconazole. Despite a reduction in the size of the pulmonary cavitation, improvement of the lung interstitial infiltrates and clinical recovery, the patient was submitted to cardiothoracic surgery given the aggressive behavior of this invasive fungus. Histology of the surgical specimen showed numerous hyphae with a morphologic pattern compatible with Aspergillus as well as hyphae that were suggestive of Mucor.
- Conversion to resection of liver metastases from colorectal cancer with hepatic artery infusion of combined chemotherapy and systemic cetuximab in multicenter trial OPTILIV.Publication . Lévi, FA; Boige, V; Hebbar, M; Smith, D; Lepère, C; Focan, C; Karaboué, A; Guimbaud, R; Carvalho, C; Tumolo, S; Innominato, P; Ajavon, Y; Truant, S; Castaing, D; De Baere, T; Kunstlinger, F; Bouchahda, M; Afshar, M; Rougier, P; Adam, R; Ducreux, M; Association Internationale pour Recherche sur Temps Biologique et Chronothérapie (ARTBC International)BACKGROUND: Systemic chemotherapy typically converts previously unresectable liver metastases (LM) from colorectal cancer to curative intent resection in ∼15% of patients. This European multicenter phase II trial tested whether hepatic artery infusion (HAI) with triplet chemotherapy and systemic cetuximab could increase this rate to 30% in previously treated patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Participants had unresectable LM from wt KRAS colorectal cancer. Main non-inclusion criteria were advanced extra hepatic disease, prior HAI and grade 3 neuropathy. Irinotecan (180 mg/m(2)), oxaliplatin (85 mg/m(2)) and 5-fluorouracil (2800 mg/m(2)) were delivered via an implanted HAI access port and combined with i.v. cetuximab (500 mg/m(2)) every 14 days. Multidisciplinary decisions to resect LM were taken after every three courses. The rate of macroscopic complete resections (R0 + R1) of LM, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were computed according to intent to treat. RESULTS: The patient population consisted of 42 men and 22 women, aged 33-76 years, with a median of 10 LM involving a median of six segments. Up to 3 extrahepatic lesions of <1 cm were found in 41% of the patients. A median of six courses was delivered. The primary end point was met, with R0-R1 hepatectomy for 19 of the 64 previously treated patients, 29.7% (95% confidence interval 18.5-40.9). Grade 3-4 neutropenia (42.6%), abdominal pain (26.2%), fatigue (18%) and diarrhea (16.4%) were frequent. Objective response rate was 40.6% (28.6-52.3). Median PFS and OS reached 9.3 (7.8-10.9) and 25.5 months (18.8-32.1) respectively. Those with R0-R1 hepatectomy had a median OS of 35.2 months (32.6-37.8), with 37.4% (23.6-51.2) alive at 4 years. CONCLUSION: The coordination of liver-specific intensive chemotherapy and surgery had a high curative intent potential that deserves upfront randomized testing.
- Early tumour response as a survival predictor in previously- treated patients receiving triplet hepatic artery infusion and intravenous cetuximab for unresectable liver metastases from wild-type KRAS colorectal cancer.Publication . Bouchahda, M; Boige, V; Smith, D; Karaboué, A; Ducreux, M; Hebbar, M; Lepére, C; Focan, C; Guimbaud, R; Innominato, P; Awad, S; Carvalho, C; Tumolo, S, et al.BACKGROUND: Surgery for colorectal liver metastases results in an overall survival of about 40% at 5 years. Progression-free survival is increased with the addition of oxaliplatin and fluorouracil chemotherapy. The addition of cetuximab to these chemotherapy regimens results in an overall survival advantage in patients with advanced disease who have the KRAS exon 2 wild-type tumour genotype. We aimed to assess the benefit of addition of cetuximab to standard chemotherapy in patients with resectable colorectal liver metastasis. METHODS: Patients with KRAS exon 2 wild-type resectable or suboptimally resectable colorectal liver metastases were randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive chemotherapy with or without cetuximab before and after liver resection. Randomisation was done using minimisation with factors of surgical centre, poor prognostic tumour (one or more of: ≥ 4 metastases, N2 disease, or poor differentiation of primary tumour), and previous adjuvant treatment with oxaliplatin. Chemotherapy consisted of oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) intravenously over 2 h and fluorouracil bolus 400 mg/m(2) intravenously over 5 min, followed by a 46 h infusion of fluorouracil 2400 mg/m(2) repeated every 2 weeks (regimen one) or oxaliplatin 130 mg/m(2) intravenously over 2 h and oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m(2) twice daily on days 1-14 repeated every 3 weeks (regimen two). Patients who had received adjuvant oxaliplatin could receive irinotecan 180 mg/m(2) intravenously over 30 min with fluorouracil instead of oxaliplatin (regimen three). Cetuximab was given as an intravenous dose of 500 mg/m(2) every 2 weeks with regimen one and three or a loading dose of 400 mg/m(2) followed by a weekly infusion of 250 mg/m(2) with regimen two. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival. This is an interim analysis, up to Nov 1, 2012, when the trial was closed, having met protocol-defined futility criteria. This trial is registered, ISRCTN22944367. FINDINGS: 128 KRAS exon 2 wild-type patients were randomised to chemotherapy alone and 129 to chemotherapy with cetuximab between Feb 26, 2007, and Nov 1, 2012. 117 patients in the chemotherapy alone group and 119 in the chemotherapy plus cetuximab group were included in the primary analysis. The median follow-up was 21.1 months (95% CI 12.6-33.8) in the chemotherapy alone group and 19.8 months (12.2-28.7) in the chemotherapy plus cetuximab group. With an overall median follow-up of 20.7 months (95% CI 17.9-25.6) and 123 (58%) of 212 required events observed, progression-free survival was significantly shorter in the chemotherapy plus cetuximab group than in the chemotherapy alone group (14.1 months [95% CI 11.8-15.9] vs 20.5 months [95% CI 16.8-26.7], hazard ratio 1.48, 95% CI 1.04-2.12, p=0.030). The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events were low neutrophil count (15 [11%] preoperatively in the chemotherapy alone group vs six [4%] in the chemotherapy plus cetuximab group; four [4%] vs eight [8%] postoperatively), embolic events (six [4%] vs eight [6%] preoperatively; two [2%] vs three [3%] postoperatively), peripheral neuropathy (six [4%] vs one [1%] preoperatively; two [2%] vs four [4%] postoperatively), nausea or vomiting (four [3%] vs six [4%] preoperatively; four [4%] vs two [2%] postoperatively), and skin rash (two [1%] vs 21 [15%] preoperatively; 0 vs eight [8%] postoperatively). There were three deaths in the chemotherapy plus cetuximab group (one interstitial lung disease and pulmonary embolism, one bronchopneumonia, and one pulmonary embolism) and one in the chemotherapy alone group (heart failure) that might have been treatment related. INTERPRETATION: Addition of cetuximab to chemotherapy and surgery for operable colorectal liver metastases in KRAS exon 2 wild-type patients results in shorter progression-free survival. Translational investigations to explore the molecular basis for this unexpected interaction are needed but at present the use of cetuximab in this setting cannot be recommended.
- ERF3A/GSPT1 12-GGC allele increases the susceptibility for breast cancer developmentPublication . Malta-Vacas, J; Chauvin, C; Gonçalves, L; Nazaré, A; Carvalho, C; Monteiro, C; Bagrel, D; Jean-Jean, O; Brito, M
- Fatigue and weight loss predict survival on circadian chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancerPublication . Innominato, PF; Giacchetti, S; Moreau, T; Bjarnason, GA; Smaaland, R; Focan, C; Garufi, C; Iacobelli, S; Tampellini, M; Tumolo, S; Carvalho, C; Karaboué, A; Poncet, A; Spiegel, D; Lévi, F; International Association for Research on Time in Biology and Chronotherapy (ARTBC) Chronotherapy Group.BACKGROUND:Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia has been associated with prolonged survival selectively in patients on a conventional schedule (combined 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin [FOLFOX2]) but not on a chronomodulated schedule of the same drugs administered at specific circadian times (chronoFLO4). The authors hypothesized that the early occurrence of chemotherapy-induced symptoms correlated with circadian disruption would selectively hinder the efficacy of chronotherapy. METHODS:Fatigue and weight loss (FWL) were considered to be associated with circadian disruption based on previous data. Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (n = 543) from an international phase 3 trial comparing FOLFOX2 with chronoFLO4 were categorized into 4 subgroups according to the occurrence of FWL or other clinically relevant toxicities during the initial 2 courses of chemotherapy. Multivariate Cox models were used to assess the role of toxicity on the time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS:The proportions of patients in the 4 subgroups were comparable in both treatment arms (P = .77). No toxicity was associated with TTP or OS on FOLFOX2. The median OS on FOLFOX2 ranged from 16.4 (95% confidence limits [CL], 7.2-25.6 months) to 19.8 months (95% CL, 17.7-22.0 months) according to toxicity subgroup (P = .45). Conversely, FWL, but no other toxicity, independently predicted for significantly shorter TTP (P < .0001) and OS (P = .001) on chronoFLO4. The median OS on chronoFLO4 was 13.8 months (95% CL, 10.4-17.2 months) or 21.1 months (95% CL, 19.0-23.1 months) according to presence or absence of chemotherapy-induced FWL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Early onset chemotherapy-induced FWL was an independent predictor of poor TTP and OS only on chronotherapy. Dynamic monitoring to detect early chemotherapy-induced circadian disruption could allow the optimization of rapid chronotherapy and concomitant improvements in safety and efficacy.
- Herpes hipertrófico perianal tratado eficazmente com imiquimodPublication . Lestre, S; João, A; Carvalho, C; Serrão, WA infecção pelo vírus herpes simples tipo 2 (HSV-2) é frequente em pacientes infetados pelo vírus de imunodeficiência adquirida (VIH). Nestes casos, o herpes genital pode ter uma apresentação clínica atípica. As variantes hipertróficas e vegetantes são pouco habituais. Os autores relatam um caso de herpes hipertrófico perianal em paciente infetada pelo VIH, com resposta insatisfatória ao aciclovir e valaciclovir, tratado eficazmente com imiquimod tópico. O herpes genital hipertrófico é, frequentemente, refratário aos tratamentos antivirais. Na nossa experiência, o imiquimod é um tratamento eficaz, seguro e bem tolerado que deverá ser considerado na abordagem terapêutica destes pacientes.
- Insuficiência hepato-renalPublication . Carvalho, C; Brito, T; Amaral, M; Alves, JD
- Phase III trial comparing 4-day chronomodulated therapy delivery of fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin as first-line chemotherapy of metastatic colorectal cancer: the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Chronotherapy GroupPublication . Giacchetti, S; Bjarnason, G; Garufi, C; Genet, D; Iacobelli, S; Tampellini, M; Smaaland, R; Focan, C; Coudert, B; Humblet, Y; Canon, J; Adenis, A; Lo Re, G; Carvalho, C; Schueller, J; Anciaux, N; Lentz, MA; Baron, B; Gorlia, T; Lévi, FPurpose: In two previous randomized trials, the adjustment of chemotherapy delivery to circadian rhythms improved tolerability and anticancer activity compared with constant-rate infusion during 5 days in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Patients and Methods: For this multicenter randomized trial, it was hypothesized that a chronomodulated infusion of fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin for 4 days (chronoFLO4) would improve survival by 10% compared with conventional 2-day delivery of the same drugs (FOLFOX2). Patients were treated every 2 weeks with intrapatient dose escalation. Results: Baseline characteristics were similar in both arms for the 564 patients (36 institutions, 10 countries). Median survival was 19.6 months (95% confidence limit [CL] 18.2, 21.2) with chronoFLO4 and 18.7 months with FOLFOX2 (95% CL 17.7, 21.0; P .55). The main dose-limiting toxicities were diarrhea for chronoFLO4 and neutropenia for FOLFOX2. The analysis of survival predictors showed that sex was the single most important factor (P .001). In women, the risk of an earlier death with chronoFLO4 was increased by 38% compared with FOLFOX2, with median survival times of 16.3 and 19.1 months (P .03), respectively. In men, the risk of death was decreased by 25% with chronoFLO4 compared with FOLFOX2, with median survival times of 21.4 and 18.3 months (P=.02), respectively. Conclusion: Both regimens achieved similar median survival times more than 18 months with an acceptable toxicity. The chronomodulated schedule produced a survival advantage over FOLFOX in men. The strong sex dependency of optimal scheduling of fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin calls for translational investigations of determinants related to the patient’s molecular clock.
- Population mobility and the changing epidemics of HIV-2 in PortugalPublication . Carvalho, A; Valadas, E; França, L; Carvalho, C; Aleixo, M; Mendez, J; Marques, R; Sarmento, A; Doroana, M; Antunes, F; Branco, T; Águas, M; Castro, R; Lazarus, J; Barros, HINTRODUCTION: Portugal is the European country with the highest frequency of HIV-2 infection, which is mainly concentrated in West Africa. The cumulative number of notified HIV-2 infections in Portugal was 1813 by the end of December 2008. To better characterize the dynamics of HIV-2 infection in the country and to obtain data that may be of use in the prevention of the spread of HIV-2, we evaluated a large pooled sample of patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five Portuguese hospitals provided data on HIV-2-infected patients from 1984 to the end of 2007. Data concerning demographic characteristics and clinical variables were extracted. Patients were stratified according to date of diagnosis in approximately 5-year categories. RESULTS: The sample included 442 patients, accounting for 37% of all HIV-2 infections notified in Portugal during that period. HIV-2-infected patients showed clearly different characteristics according to the period of diagnosis. Until 2000, the majority of HIV-2-infected patients were Portuguese-born males living in the north of the country. From 2000 to 2007, most of the patients diagnosed with HIV-2 infection had a West African origin, were predominantly female and were living in the capital, Lisbon. The average age at diagnosis and loss to follow-up significantly increased over time. CONCLUSION: HIV-2 infection has been documented in Portugal since the early 1980s and its epidemiology appears to reflect changes in population movement. These include the movements of soldiers and repatriates from African territories during the independence wars and, later, migration and mobility from high-endemicity areas. The findings of this study stress the importance of promoting migrant-sensitive health care.