| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Geyer, C. E., et al.
(author)
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Overall survival in the OlympiA phase Ill trial of adjuvant olaparib in patients with germime pathogenic variants in BRCA1/2 and high-risk, early breast cancer
- 2022
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In: Annals of Oncology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0923-7534. ; 33:12, s. 1250-1268
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The randomized, double-blind OlympiA trial compared 1 year of the oral poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, olaparib, to matching placebo as adjuvant therapy for patients with pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 (gBRCA1/2pv) and high-risk, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, early breast cancer (EBC). The first pre-specified interim analysis (IA) previously demonstrated statistically significant improvement in invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) and distant disease-free survival (DDFS). The olaparib group had fewer deaths than the placebo group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance for overall survival (OS). We now report the pre-specified second IA of OS with updates of IDFS, DDFS, and safety. Patients and methods: One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six patients were randomly assigned to olaparib or placebo following (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy if indicated. Endocrine therapy was given concurrently with study medication for hormone receptor-positive cancers. Statistical significance for OS at this IA required P < 0.015. Results: With a median follow-up of 3.5 years, the second IA of OS demonstrated significant improvement in the olaparib group relative to the placebo group [hazard ratio 0.68; 98.5% confidence interval (CI) 0.47-0.97; P = 0.009]. Four-year OS was 89.8% in the olaparib group and 86.4% in the placebo group (Delta 3.4%, 95% CI -0.1% to 6.8%). Four-year IDFS for the olaparib group versus placebo group was 82.7% versus 75.4% (Delta 7.3%, 95% CI 3.0% to 11.5%) and 4-year DDFS was 86.5% versus 79.1% (Delta 7.4%, 95% CI 3.6% to 11.3%), respectively. Subset analyses for OS, IDFS, and DDFS demonstrated benefit across major subgroups. No new safety signals were identified including no new cases of acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome. Conclusion: With 35 years of median follow-up, OlympiA demonstrates statistically significant improvement in OS with adjuvant olaparib compared with placebo for gBRCA1/2pv-associated EBC and maintained improvements in the previously reported, statistically significant endpoints of IDES and DDFS with no new safety signals.
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| 3. |
- Battistoni, G, et al.
(author)
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FLUKA Monte Carlo calculations for hadrontherapy application
- 2013
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In: CERN-Proceedings-2012-002. ; , s. 461-467
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Monte Carlo (MC) codes are increasingly spreading in the hadrontherapy community due to their detailed description of radiation transport and interaction with matter. The suitability of a MC code for application to hadrontherapy demands accurate and reliable physical models for the description of the transport and the interaction of all components of the expected radiation field (ions, hadrons, electrons, positrons and photons). This contribution will address the specific case of the general-purpose particle and interaction code FLUKA. In this work, an application of FLUKA will be presented, i.e. establishing CT (computed tomography)-based calculations of physical and RBE (relative biological effectiveness)-weighted dose distributions in scanned carbon ion beam therapy.
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| 4. |
- Pinsky, L., et al.
(author)
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Measurement of Fragmentation Products including Angular Distributions for 3, 5, and 10 GeV/A C and Si on several nuclear targets at the AGS
- 2010
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In: 2009 12th International Conference on Nuclear Reaction Mechanisms, NRM 2009; Varenna; Italy; 15 June 2009 through 19 June 2009. - 2078-8835. - 9789290833413 ; 2, s. 431-437
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Motivated by differences in the predicted fragmentation of heavy ions at energies around 5 GeV/A as employed in the event generators used by the FLUKA Monte Carlo Code [1], a set of measurements were carried out at the AGS facility at the Brookhaven National Laboratory to determine as much information as possible about the cross sections to allow harmonization of those event generators for these incident lab energies. The FLUKA Code employs the RQMD event generator of Sorge [2] for heavy ion interactions starting at 100 MeV/A and extending into the region around 5 GeV/A. Above those energies the DPMJET code of Ranft and Roesler [3] is typically employed to simulate such interactions. The detailed predictions of these event generators had some disagreement in the vicinity of this crossover energy and in order to tune these codes to be in closer harmony at the transition, and of course to be simulating nature as closely as possible, data were taken at 3, 5 and 10 GeV/A with beams of Fe, Si and C on a variety of targets including C, A1. Fe and Cu. The Fe data have not been fully analyzed, but results from the C and Si beams are available and the forward fragment spectrum along with a measurement of the charged particle angular distribution in a set of Si strip detectors out to about 45 degrees in the lab are available. These include sufficient statistics to provide the charged particle distributions as a function of the major projectile fragment. The detectors used in this measurement were based on what were reasonably available to us, and as such were limited in capability, and required separate data acquisition systems. Nevertheless, spectra were obtained that should be sufficient to enable the harmonization of the event generator codes at the crossover energy. This paper discusses only the experimental results and not the impact of those results on the FLUKA code.
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| 5. |
- Battistoni, G., et al.
(author)
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The FLUKA code and its use in hadron therapy
- 2008
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In: Nuovo Cimento della Societa Italiana di Fisica C. - Italian Physical Society. - 1124-1896. ; 31:1, s. 69-75
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- FLUKA is a multipurpose Monte Carto code describing transport and interaction with matter of a, large variety of particles over a wide energy range ill complex geometries. FLUKA is successfully applied ill several fields, including, but not only particle physics, cosmic-ray physics, dosimetry, radioprotection, hadron therapy. space radiation, accelerator design and neutronics. Here we briefly review recent model developments and provide examples of applications to hadron therapy, including calculation of physical and biological dose for comparison with analytical treatment planning engines as well as beta(+)-activation for therapy monitoring by means of positron emission tomography.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Curigliano, G, et al.
(author)
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De-escalating and escalating treatments for early-stage breast cancer: the St. Gallen International Expert Consensus Conference on the Primary Therapy of Early Breast Cancer 2017.
- 2017
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In: Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1569-8041. ; 28:8, s. 1700-1712
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The 15th St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference 2017 in Vienna, Austria reviewed substantial new evidence on loco-regional and systemic therapies for early breast cancer. Treatments were assessed in light of their intensity, duration and side-effects, seeking where appropriate to escalate or de-escalate therapies based on likely benefits as predicted by tumor stage and tumor biology. The Panel favored several interventions that may reduce surgical morbidity, including acceptance of 2mm margins for DCIS, the resection of residual cancer (but not baseline extent of cancer) in women undergoing neoadjuvant therapy, acceptance of sentinel node biopsy following neoadjuvant treatment of many patients, and the preference for neoadjuvant therapy in HER2 positive and triple-negative, stage II and III breast cancer. The Panel favored escalating radiation therapy with regional nodal irradiation in high-risk patients, while encouraging omission of boost in low-risk patients. The Panel endorsed gene expression signatures that permit avoidance of chemotherapy in many patients with ER positive breast cancer. For women with higher risk tumors, the Panel escalated recommendations for adjuvant endocrine treatment to include ovarian suppression in premenopausal women, and extended therapy for postmenopausal women. However, low-risk patients can avoid these treatments. Finally, the Panel recommended bisphosphonate use in postmenopausal women to prevent breast cancer recurrence. The Panel recognized that recommendations are not intended for all patients, but rather to address the clinical needs of the majority of common presentations. Individualization of adjuvant therapy means adjusting to the tumor characteristics, patient comorbidities and preferences, and managing constraints of treatment cost and access that may affect care in both the developed and developing world.
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| 8. |
- Jerusalem, G, et al.
(author)
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Continuous versus intermittent extended adjuvant letrozole for breast cancer: Final results of randomized phase 3 SOLE (Study of Letrozole Extension) and SOLE Estrogen Substudy.
- 2021
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In: Annals of Oncology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0923-7534. ; 32:10, s. 1256-1266
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Late recurrences in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancers remain an important challenge. Avoidance or delayed development of resistance represents the main objective in extended endocrine therapy. In animal models, resistance was reversed with restoration of circulating estrogen level during interruption of letrozole treatment. This phase 3 randomized, open-label Study of Letrozole Extension (SOLE) studied the effect of extended intermittent letrozole treatment in comparison with continuous letrozole. In parallel, the SOLE estrogen sub-study (SOLE-EST) analyzed the level of estrogen during the interruption of treatment.SOLE enrolled 4884 postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive, lymph node-positive, operable breast cancer between December 2007 and October 2012 and among them, 104 patients were enrolled in SOLE-EST. They must have undergone local treatment and have completed 4-6 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy. Patients were randomized between continuous letrozole (2.5 mg/day orally for 5 years) and intermittent letrozole treatment (2.5 mg/day during 9 months followed by a 3-month interruption in years 1-4 and then 2.5 mg/day during all year 5).Intention-to-treat population included 4851 women in SOLE (n=2425 in intermittent and n=2426 in continuous letrozole groups) and 103 women in SOLE-EST (n=78 in intermittent and n=25 in continuous letrozole groups). After a median follow-up of 84 months, 7-year disease-free survival was 81.4% in intermittent group and 81.5% in continuous group (hazard ratio: 1.03, 95%CI: 0.91-1.17). Reported adverse events were similar in both groups. Circulating estrogen recovery was demonstrated within 6 weeks after the stop of letrozole treatment.Extended adjuvant endocrine therapy by intermittent administration of letrozole did not improve disease-free survival compared to continuous use despite the recovery of circulating estrogen level. The similar disease-free survival coupled with previously reported quality-of-life advantages suggest intermittent extended treatment is a valid option for patients who require or prefer a treatment interruption.
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| 9. |
- Luen, S J, et al.
(author)
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Genomic characterisation of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer arising in very young women.
- 2023
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In: Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1569-8041. ; 34:4, s. 397-409
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Very young premenopausal women diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative (HR+HER2-) early breast cancer (EBC) have higher rates of recurrence and death for reasons that remain largely unexplained.Genomic sequencing was applied to HR+HER2- tumours from patients enrolled in the SOFT clinical trial to determine genomic drivers that are enriched in young premenopausal women. Genomic alterations were characterised using next-generation sequencing from a subset of 1,276 patients (deep targeted sequencing, N=1258; whole-exome sequencing in a young-age, case-control subsample, N=82). We defined copy number (CN) subgroups and assessed for features suggestive of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). Genomic alteration frequencies were compared between young premenopausal women (<40 years) and older premenopausal women (≥40 years), and assessed for associations with distant recurrence-free interval (DRFI), and overall survival (OS).Younger women (<40 years, N=359) compared with older women (≥40 years, N=917) had significantly higher frequencies of mutations in GATA3 (19%vs16%) and CN-amplifications (47%vs26%), but significantly lower frequencies of mutations in PIK3CA (32%vs47%), CDH1 (3%vs9%), and MAP3K1 (7%vs12%). Additionally, significantly higher frequencies of features suggestive of HRD (27%vs21%), and a higher proportion of PIK3CA mutations with concurrent CN-amplifications (23%vs11%).Genomic features suggestive of HRD, PIK3CA mutations with CN-amplifications, and CN-amplifications associated with significantly worse DRFI and OS compared with those without these features. These poor prognostic features were enriched in younger patients: present in 72% of patients aged <35 years, 54% aged 35-39 years, and 40% ≥40 years. Poor prognostic features (N=584[46%]) vs none (N=692[54%]) had an 8-year DRFI of 84%vs94% and OS of 88%vs96%. Younger women (<40) had the poorest outcomes: 8-year DRFI 74%vs85% and OS of 80%vs93% respectively.These results provide insights into genomic alterations that are enriched in young women with HR+HER2-EBC, provide rationale for genomic subgrouping, and highlight priority molecular targets for future clinical trials.
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| 10. |
- Colleoni, M., et al.
(author)
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Low-Dose Oral Cyclophosphamide and Methotrexate Maintenance for Hormone Receptor-Negative Early Breast Cancer: International Breast Cancer Study Group Trial 22-00
- 2016
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In: Journal of Clinical Oncology. - : American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). - 0732-183X .- 1527-7755. ; 34:28, s. 3400-9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose To evaluate the benefit of low-dose cyclophosphamide and methotrexate (CM) maintenance, which previously demonstrated antitumor activity and few adverse effects in advanced breast cancer, in early breast cancer. International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) Trial 22-00, a randomized phase III clinical trial, enrolled 1,086 women (1,081 intent-to-treat) from November 2000 to December 2012. Women with estrogen receptor- and progesterone receptor-negative (< 10% positive cells by immunohistochemistry) early breast cancer any nodal and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status, were randomly assigned anytime between primary surgery and 56 days after the first day of last course of adjuvant chemotherapy to CM maintenance (cyclophosphamide 50 mg/day orally continuously and methotrexate 2.5 mg twice/day orally on days 1 and 2 of every week for 1 year) or to no CM. The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS), which included invasive recurrences, second (breast and nonbreast) malignancies, and deaths. After a median of 6.9 years of follow-up, DFS was not significantly better for patients assigned to CM maintenance compared with patients assigned to no CM, both overall (hazard ratio [HR], 0.84; 95% CI, 0.66 to 1.06;P = .14) and in triple-negative (TN) disease (n = 814; HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.60 to 1.06). Patients with TN, node-positive disease had a nonstatistically significant reduced HR (n = 340; HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.49 to 1.05). Seventy-one (13%) of 542 patients assigned to CM maintenance did not start CM. Of 473 patients who received at least one CM maintenance dose (including two patients assigned to no CM), 64 (14%) experienced a grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse event; elevated serum transaminases was the most frequently reported (7%), followed by leukopenia (2%). CM maintenance did not produce a significant reduction in DFS events in hormone receptor-negative early breast cancer. The trend toward benefit observed in the TN, node-positive subgroup supports additional exploration of this strategy in the TN, higher-risk population. (C) 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Hanna, E., et al.
(author)
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Short- and long-term variability of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets
- 2024
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In: Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. - : Springer Nature. - 2662-138X. ; 5, s. 193-210
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The variability of the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets occurs on various timescales and is important for projections of sea level rise; however, there are substantial uncertainties concerning future ice-sheet mass changes. In this Review, we explore the degree to which short-term fluctuations and extreme glaciological events reflect the ice sheets’ long-term evolution and response to ongoing climate change. Short-term (decadal or shorter) variations in atmospheric or oceanic conditions can trigger amplifying feedbacks that increase the sensitivity of ice sheets to climate change. For example, variability in ocean-induced and atmosphere-induced melting can trigger ice thinning, retreat and/or collapse of ice shelves, grounding-line retreat, and ice flow acceleration. The Antarctic Ice Sheet is especially prone to increased melting and ice sheet collapse from warm ocean currents, which could be accentuated with increased climate variability. In Greenland both high and low melt anomalies have been observed since 2012, highlighting the influence of increased interannual climate variability on extreme glaciological events and ice sheet evolution. Failing to adequately account for such variability can result in biased projections of multi-decadal ice mass loss. Therefore, future research should aim to improve climate and ocean observations and models, and develop sophisticated ice sheet models that are directly constrained by observational records and can capture ice dynamical changes across various timescales.
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| 14. |
- Rabaglio, M, et al.
(author)
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Bone fractures among postmenopausal patients with endocrine-responsive early breast cancer treated with 5 years of letrozole or tamoxifen in the BIG 1-98 trial.
- 2009
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In: Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology / ESMO. - : Elsevier BV. - 1569-8041. ; 20:9, s. 1489-98
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: To compare the incidence and timing of bone fractures in postmenopausal women treated with 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen or letrozole for endocrine-responsive early breast cancer in the Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98 trial. METHODS: We evaluated 4895 patients allocated to 5 years of letrozole or tamoxifen in the BIG 1-98 trial who received at least some study medication (median follow-up 60.3 months). Bone fracture information (grade, cause, site) was collected every 6 months during trial treatment. RESULTS: The incidence of bone fractures was higher among patients treated with letrozole [228 of 2448 women (9.3%)] versus tamoxifen [160 of 2447 women (6.5%)]. The wrist was the most common site of fracture in both treatment groups. Statistically significant risk factors for bone fractures during treatment included age, smoking history, osteoporosis at baseline, previous bone fracture, and previous hormone replacement therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with other trials comparing aromatase inhibitors to tamoxifen, letrozole was associated with an increase in bone fractures. Benefits of superior disease control associated with letrozole and lower incidence of fracture with tamoxifen should be considered with the risk profile for individual patients.
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| 15. |
- Barack, Leor, et al.
(author)
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Black holes, gravitational waves and fundamental physics : a roadmap
- 2019
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In: Classical and quantum gravity. - : IOP Publishing. - 0264-9381 .- 1361-6382. ; 36:14
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The grand challenges of contemporary fundamental physics dark matter, dark energy, vacuum energy, inflation and early universe cosmology, singularities and the hierarchy problem all involve gravity as a key component. And of all gravitational phenomena, black holes stand out in their elegant simplicity, while harbouring some of the most remarkable predictions of General Relativity: event horizons, singularities and ergoregions. The hitherto invisible landscape of the gravitational Universe is being unveiled before our eyes: the historical direct detection of gravitational waves by the LIGO-Virgo collaboration marks the dawn of a new era of scientific exploration. Gravitational-wave astronomy will allow us to test models of black hole formation, growth and evolution, as well as models of gravitational-wave generation and propagation. It will provide evidence for event horizons and ergoregions, test the theory of General Relativity itself, and may reveal the existence of new fundamental fields. The synthesis of these results has the potential to radically reshape our understanding of the cosmos and of the laws of Nature. The purpose of this work is to present a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the state of the art in the relevant fields of research, summarize important open problems, and lay out a roadmap for future progress. This write-up is an initiative taken within the framework of the European Action on 'Black holes, Gravitational waves and Fundamental Physics'.
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| 16. |
- Colleoni, M, et al.
(author)
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Timing of CMF chemotherapy in combination with tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with breast cancer: role of endocrine responsiveness of the tumor.
- 2005
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In: Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology / ESMO. - : Elsevier BV. - 0923-7534. ; 16:5, s. 716-25
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Controversy persists about whether chemotherapy benefits all breast cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) trial VII, 1212 postmenopausal patients with node-positive disease were randomized to receive tamoxifen for 5 years or tamoxifen plus three concurrent courses of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil ('classical' CMF) chemotherapy, either early, delayed or both. In IBCSG trial IX, 1669 postmenopausal patients with node-negative disease were randomized to receive either tamoxifen alone or three courses of adjuvant classical CMF prior to tamoxifen. Results were assessed according to estrogen receptor (ER) content of the primary tumor. RESULTS: For patients with node-positive, ER-positive disease, adding CMF either early, delayed or both reduced the risk of relapse by 21% (P=0.06), 26% (P=0.02) and 25% (P=0.02), respectively, compared with tamoxifen alone. There was no difference in disease-free survival when CMF was given prior to tamoxifen in patients with node-negative, ER-positive tumors. CONCLUSIONS: CMF given concurrently (early, delayed or both) with tamoxifen was more effective than tamoxifen alone for patients with node-positive, endocrine-responsive breast cancer, supporting late administration of chemotherapy even after commencement of tamoxifen. In contrast, sequential CMF and tamoxifen for patients with node-negative, endocrine-responsive disease was ineffective.
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| 17. |
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| 18. |
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Filippi, F., et al.
(author)
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Plasma density profile reconstruction of a gas cell for Ionization Induced Laser Wakefield Acceleration
- 2023
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In: Journal of Instrumentation. - 1748-0221. ; 18:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Laser-driven plasma wakefields can provide hundreds of MeV electron beam in mm-range distances potentially shrinking the dimension of the actual particle accelerators. The plasma density plays a fundamental role in the control and stability of the acceleration process, which is a key development for the future electron injector proposed by EuPRAXIA. A gas cell was designed by LPGP and LIDYL teams, with variable length and backing pressure, to confine the gas and tailor the gas density profile before the arrival of the laser. This cell was used during an experimental campaign with the multi TW-class laser at the Lund Laser Centre. Ionization assisted injection in a tailored density profile is used to tune the electron beam properties. During the experiment, we filled the gas cell with hydrogen mixed with different concentration of nitrogen. We also varied the backing pressure of the gas and the geometrical length of the gas cell. We used a transverse probe to acquire shadowgraphic images of the plasma and to measure the plasma electron density. Methods and results of the analysis with comparisons between shadowgraphic and interferometric images will be discussed.
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
- Ribi, Karin, et al.
(author)
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Quality of life under extended continuous versus intermittent adjuvant letrozole in lymph node-positive, early breast cancer patients: the SOLE randomised phase 3 trial.
- 2019
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In: British journal of cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1532-1827 .- 0007-0920. ; 120, s. 959-967
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the phase III SOLE trial, the extended use of intermittent versus continuous letrozole for 5 years did not improve disease-free survival in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Intermittent therapy with 3-month breaks may be beneficial for patients' quality of life (QoL).In the SOLE QoL sub-study, 956 patients completed the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT) symptom and further QoL scales up to 24 months after randomisation. Differences in change of QoL from baseline between the two administration schedules were tested at 12 and 24 months using repeated measures mixed-models. The primary outcome was change in hot flushes at 12 months.There was no difference in hot flushes at 12 months between the two schedules, but patients receiving intermittent letrozole reported significantly more improvement at 24 months. They also indicated less worsening in vaginal problems, musculoskeletal pain, sleep disturbance, physical well-being and mood at 12 months. Overall, 25-30% of patients reported a clinically relevant worsening in key symptoms and global QoL.Less symptom worsening was observed during the first year of extended treatment with the intermittent administration. For women experiencing an increased symptom burden of extended adjuvant endocrine therapy, an intermittent administration is a safe alternative.Clinical trial information: NCT00651456.
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| 23. |
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