Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody that prevents angiogenesis by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) activity. Clinically, it has been used to treat a diverse range of cancer types. In this pilot phase II study, we investigated the efficacy and safety profiles of bevacizumab in combination with docetaxel plus cisplatin for patients with advanced HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.Between 2005 and 2008, 20 patients with advanced breast cancer were recruited from the Taipei Medical University Hospital. Bevacizumab was administered every two weeks in a 12-cycle treatment with docetaxel plus cisplatin. The primary end-point for this study was the overall response rate. The secondary end-points were progression-free survival and the safety profiles of the combined therapy.The average number of treatment cycles was 10.5 with a response rate of 80%. Neutropenia and neuropathy were the most commonly observed adverse events. Seven patients achieved complete remission and nine patients achieved partial remission. For the overall patient group in this study, the median time-to-progression and overall survival were 28.0 weeks and 52 weeks, respectively. The median time-to-progression and overall survival for the 10 patients that completed all 12 cycles of treatment were 64.0 weeks and 80 weeks, respectively. In one patient, a very rapid reduction in the level of breast cancer lung metastases was observed one week post-treatment.Based on this pilot study, bevacizumab in combination with docetaxel and cisplatin is likely to be an effective treatment option for metastatic breast cancer that warrants further study.
We describe a man with intestinal lipomatosis in association with repeated episodes of intussusception. A 50-year-old man came to our emergency department for intermittent epigastric cramping pain. Abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a doughnut sign and suspected ileo-colic intussusception. Emergent laparotomy showed ileo-colic intussusception involving the ileocecal valve, cecum and approximately 30cm of the ascending colon. Multiple submucosal tumors were noted to involve the whole small intestine and one tumor of the ileum formed the leading point of the intussusception. Right hemicolectomy with primary anastomosis was performed. Pathologic examination confirmed that the multiple lesions were benign submucosal lipomas. One month later, another episode of intussusception was noted. The affected intestinal segment was resected with ileo-ileostomy. In patients with intussusception caused by submucosal lipomatosis, surgery might be curative. If a large segment of bowel was affected by submucosal lipomatosis, resection of all lipomas might not be feasible. Smaller lipomas may be left in place because these tend to be asymptomatic. But they may become leading points of recurrent intussusception.
Let Fq{{\mathbf {F}}_q} be the finite field of qq elements, and let Vf{V_f} be the number of values taken by a polynomial f(x)f(x) over Fq{{\mathbf {F}}_q}. We establish a lower bound and an upper bound of Vf{V_f} in terms of certain invariants of f(x)f(x). These bounds improve and generalize some of the previously known bounds of Vf{V_f}. In particular, the classical Hermite-Dickson criterion is improved. Our bounds also give a new proof of a recent theorem of Evans, Greene, and Niederreiter. Finally, we give some examples which show that our bounds are sharp.
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