Immediate versus delayed chemotherapy in patients with asymptomatic incurable metastatic cancer

Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology

Volumn 3, Issue 4, 2007, Pages 187-198

  Carden, Craig P ^a,b   Rosenthal, Mark A ^a  

^a ROYAL MELBOURNE HOSPITAL   (Australia)

^b ROYAL MARSDEN HOSPITAL   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Cancer; Chemotherapy; Deferred; Immediate; Metastatic

Indexed keywords

AMONAFIDE; CARBOPLATIN; CHLORAMBUCIL; CHLORMETHINE; CISPLATIN; CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE; DOCETAXEL; DOXORUBICIN; ELSAMICIN A; ESTRAMUSTINE; ETOPOSIDE; FLUOROURACIL; FOLINIC ACID; GEMCITABINE; INTERFERON; IRINOTECAN; MELPHALAN; METHOTREXATE; MITOMYCIN; MITOXANTRONE; OXALIPLATIN; PACLITAXEL; PREDNISOLONE; PROCARBAZINE; SUNITINIB; TRIMETREXATE; TUMOR MARKER; UNINDEXED DRUG; VINBLASTINE; VINCRISTINE;

BREAST CANCER; CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY; CANCER GROWTH; CANCER PALLIATIVE THERAPY; CANCER RELAPSE; CANCER SURVIVAL; CLINICAL DECISION MAKING; CLINICAL TRIAL; COLORECTAL CANCER; COMBINATION CHEMOTHERAPY; DISEASE FREE SURVIVAL; DRUG EFFICACY; DRUG INDICATION; DRUG RESPONSE; DRUG SAFETY; EARLY INTERVENTION; EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE; HUMAN; KIDNEY CARCINOMA; LUNG NON SMALL CELL CANCER; LYMPHOMA; MESOTHELIOMA; METASTASIS; MONOTHERAPY; MULTIPLE CYCLE TREATMENT; MULTIPLE MYELOMA; PATIENT ATTITUDE; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PROGNOSIS; PROSTATE CANCER; REVIEW; THERAPY DELAY; UNSPECIFIED SIDE EFFECT;

EID: 36749060106     PISSN: 17437555     EISSN: 17437563     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-7563.2007.00113.x     Document Type: Review

References (91)

1. Browner I, Carducci MA. Palliative chemotherapy: Historical perspective, applications, and controversies. Semin Oncol 2005; 32: 145-55.
2. McQuellon RP, Muss HB, Hoffman SL et al. Patient preferences for treatment of metastatic breast cancer: A study of women with early-stage breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 1995; 13: 858-68.
3. Doyle C, Crump M, Pintilie M etal. Does palliative chemotherapy palliate? Evaluation of expectations, outcomes, and costs in women receiving chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer. J Clin Oncol 2001; 19: 1266-74.
4. Gridelli C. Effects of vinorelbine on QOL and survival of elderly patients with advanced NSCLC. J Natl Cancer Inst 1999; 91: 66-71.
5. Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Collaborative Group. Chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis using updated data on individual patients from 52 randomised clinical trials. BMJ 1995; 311: 899-909.
6. Andreyev HJ, Norman AR, Cunningham D et al. Squamous oesophageal cancer can be downstaged using protracted venous infusion of 5-fluorouracil with epirubicin and cisplatin (ECF). Eur J Cancer 1995; 31A: 2209-14.
7. Glimelius B, Hoffman K, Sjoden PO et al. Chemotherapy improves survival and quality of life in advanced pancreatic and biliary cancer. Ann Oncol 1996; 7: 593-600.
8. Glimelius B, Ekstrom K, Hoffman K et al. Randomized comparison between chemotherapy plus best supportive care with best supportive care in advanced gastric cancer. Ann Oncol 1997; 8: 163-8.
9. Webb A, Cunningham D, Scarffe JH et al. Randomized trial comparing epirubicin, cisplatin, and fluorouracil versus fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and methotrexate in advanced esophagogastric cancer. J Clin Oncol 1997; 15: 261-7.
10. Tannock IF, Osoba D, Stockler MR et al. Chemotherapy with mitoxantrone plus prednisone or prednisone alone for symptomatic hormone-resistant prostate cancer: A Canadian randomized trial with palliative end points. J Clin Oncol 1996; 14: 1756-64.
11. Sternberg CN, Yagoda A, Scher HI et al. M-VAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin) for advanced transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium. J Urol 1988; 139: 461-9.
12. Burris HA 3rd, Moore MJ, Andersen J et al. Improvements in survival and clinical benefit with gemcitabine as first-line therapy for patients with advanced pancreas cancer: A randomized trial. J Clin Oncol 1997; 15: 2403-13.
13. Tannock IF, de Wit R, Berry WR et al. Docetaxel plus prednisone or mitoxantrone plus prednisone for advanced prostate cancer. N Engl J Med 2004; 351: 1502-12.
14. Petrylak DP, Tangen CM, Hussain MH et al. Docetaxel and estramustine compared with mitoxantrone and prednisone for advanced refractory prostate cancer. N Engl J Med 2004; 351: 1513-20.
15. Douillard JY, Cunningham D, Roth AD et al. Irinotecan combined with fluorouracil compared with fluorouracil alone as first-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer: A multicentre randomised trial. Lancet 2000; 355: 1041-7.
16. de Gramont A, Figer A, Seymour M et al. Leucovorin and fluorouracil with or without oxaliplatin as first-line treatment in advanced colorectal cancer. J Clin Oncol 2000; 18: 2938-47.
17. Parmar MK, Ledermann JA, Colombo N et al. Paclitaxel plus platinum-based chemotherapy versus conventional platinum-based chemotherapy in women with relapsed ovarian cancer: The ICON4/AGO-OVAR-2.2 trial. Lancet 2003; 361: 2099-106.
18. von der Maase H, Hansen SW, Roberts JT et al. Gemcitabine and cisplatin versus methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin in advanced or metastatic bladder cancer: Results of a large, randomized, multinational, multicenter, phase III study. J Clin Oncol 2000; 18: 3068-77.
19. O'Shaughnessy J, Miles D, Vukelja S et al. Superior survival with capecitabine plus docetaxel combination therapy in anthracycline-pretreated patients with advanced breast cancer: Phase III trial results. J Clin Oncol 2002; 20: 2812-23.
20. Lofters A, Juffs HG, Pond GR et al. "PSA-itis": Knowledge of serum prostate specific antigen and other causes of anxiety in men with metaststic prostate cancer. J Urol 2002; 168: 2516-20.
21. Stirling D, Evans DGR, Pichert G et al. Screening for familial ovarian cancer: Failure of current protocols to detect ovarian cancer at an early stage according to the international federation of gynecology and obstetrics system. J Clin Oncol 2005; 23: 5588-96.
22. Santillan A, Garg R, Zahurak ML et al. Risk of epithelial ovarian cancer recurrence in patients with rising serum CA-125 levels within the normal range. J Clin Oncol 2005; 23: 9338-43.
23. Desch CE, Benson AB III, Somerfield MR et al. Colorectal cancer surveillance: 2005 update of an American society of clinical oncology practice guideline. J Clin Oncol 2005; 23: 8512-19.
24. Hankey BF, Feuer EJ, Clegg LX et al. Cancer surveillance series: interpreting trends in prostate cancer -part I: Evidence of the effects of screening in recent prostate cancer incidence, mortality, and survival rates. J Natl Canc Inst 1999; 91: 1017-24.
25. De Vita VT Jr, Hellman S, Rosenburg SA. Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology, 7th edn. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA 2005.
26. Majumdar SR, Fletcher RH, Evans AT. How does colorectal cancer present? Symptoms, duration, and clues to location. Am J Gast 1999; 94: 3039-45.
27. Chute CG, Greenberg ER, Baron J et al. Presenting conditions of 1539 population-based lung cancer patients by cell type and stage in New Hampshire and Vermont. Cancer 1985; 56: 2107-11.
28. Stupp R, Mason WP, van den Bent MJ et al. Radiotherapy plus concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide for glioblastoma. N Engl J Med 2005; 352: 987-96.
29. Cunningham D, Allum WH, Stenning SP et al. Perioperative chemotherapy versus surgery alone for resectable gastroesophageal cancer. N Engl J Med 2006; 355: 11-20.
30. Schiller JH, Harrington D, Belani CP et al. Comparison of four chemotherapy regimens for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med 2002; 346: 92-8.
31. Noda K, Nishiwaki Y, Kawahara M et al. Irinotecan plus cisplatin compared with etoposide plus cisplatin for extensive small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med 2002; 346: 85-91.
32. Motzer RJ, Rini BI, Bukowski RM et al. Sunitinib in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. JAMA 2006; 295: 2516-24.
33. Avril MF, Aamdal S, Grob JJ et al. Fotemustine compared with dacarbazine in patients with disseminated malignant melanoma: A phase III study. J Clin Oncol 2004; 22: 1118-25.
34. Young RC, Longo DL, Glatstein E et al. The treatment of indolent lymphomas: Watchful waiting v aggressive combined modality treatment. Semin Hematol 1988; 25: 11-16.
35. Brice P, Bastion Y, Lepage E et al. Comparison in low-tumor-burden follicular lymphomas between an initial no-treatment policy, prednimustine, or interferon alfa: A randomized study from the Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes Folliculaires. J Clin Oncol 1997; 15: 1110-17.
36. Ardeshna KM, Smith P, Norton A et al. Long-term effect of a watch and wait policy versus immediate systemic treatment for asymptomatic advanced-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma: A randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2003; 362: 516-22.
37. Nordic Gastrointestinal Tumor Adjuvant Therapy Group. Expectancy or primary chemotherapy in patients with advanced asymptomatic colorectal cancer: A randomized trial. J Clin Oncol 1992; 10: 904-11.
38. Ackland SP, Jones M, Tu D et al. A meta-analysis of two randomised trials of early chemotherapy in asymptomatic metastatic colorectal cancer. Br J Cancer 2005; 93: 1236-43.
39. O'Brien MER. A randomised trial in malignant mesothelioma (M) of early (E) versus delayed (D) chemotherapy in symptomatically stable patients: the MED trial. Ann Oncol 2006; 17: 270-5.
40. Ahmann DL, O'Connell MJ, Hahn RG etal. An evaluation of early or delayed adjuvant chemotherapy in premenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer undergoing oophorectomy. N Engl J Med 1977; 297: 356-60.
41. Falkson G, Falkson HC, Glidewell O et al. Improved remission rates and remission duration in young women with metastatic breast cancer following combined oophorectomy and chemotherapy: A study of Cancer and Leukemia Groupe B. Cancer 1979; 43: 2215-22.
42. Rossof AH, Gelman R, Creech RH. Randomized evaluation of combination chemotherapy vs. observation alone following response or stabilization after oophorectomy for metastatic breast cancer in premenopausal women. Am J Clin Oncol 1982; 5: 253-9.
43. Hjorth M, Hellquist L, Holmberg E et al. Initial versus deferred melphalan-prednisone therapy for asymptomatic multiple myeloma stage I - a randomized study. Myeloma Group of Western Sweden. Eur J Haematol 1993; 50: 95-102.
44. Riccardi A, Ucci G, Luoni R et al. Treatment of multiple myeloma according to the extension of the disease: A prospective, randomised study comparing a less with a more aggressive cystostatic policy. Cooperative Group of Study and Treatment of Multiple Myeloma. Br J Cancer 1994; 70: 1203-10.
45. Riccardi A, Mora O, Tinelli C et al. Long-term survival of stage I multiple myeloma given chemotherapy just after diagnosis or at progression of the disease: A multicentre randomized study. Cooperative Group of Study and Treatment of Multiple Myeloma. Br J Cancer 2000; 82: 1254-60.
46. Ahmann DL, Green SJ, Bisel HF et al. An evaluation of early or delayed adjuvant chemotherapy in premenopausal patients with advances breast cancer undergoing oophorectomy: A later analysis. Am J Clin Oncol 1982; 5: 355-8.
47. Falkson G, Gelman RS, Leone L et al. Survival of premenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer. Long-term follow-up of Eastern Cooperative Group and Cancer and Leukemia Group B studies. Cancer 1990; 66: 1621-9.
48. He Y, Wheatley K, Clark O et al. Early versus deferred treatment for early stage multiple myeloma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2003; 1: Art. no. CD004023. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004023
49. Shanafelt TD, Loprinzi C, Marks R et al. Are chemotherapy response rates related to treatment-induced survival prolongations in patients with advanced cancer? J Clin Oncol 2004; 22: 1966-74.
50. De Ruysscher D, Pijls-Johannesma M, Vansteenkiste J et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised, controlled trials of the timing of chest radiotherapy in patients with limited-stage, small-cell lung cancer. Ann Oncol 2006; 17: 543-52.
51. De Ruysscher D, Pijls-Johannesma M, Bentzen SM et al. Time between the first day of chemotherapy and the last day of chest radiation is the most important predictor of survival in limited-disease small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol 2006; 24: 1057-63.
52. Ryan CJ, Small EJ. Early versus delayed androgen deprivation for prostate cancer: New fuel for an old debate. J Clin Oncol 2005; 23: 8225-31.
53. van den Bent MJ, Afra D, de Witte O et al. Long-term efficacy of early versus delayed radiotherapy for low-grade astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma in adults: The EORTC 228 45 randomised trial. Lancet 2005; 366: 985-90.
54. Falk SJ, Girling DJ, White RJ et al. Immediate versus delayed palliative thoracic radiotherapy in patients with unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer and minimal thoracic symptoms: Randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2002; 325: 465.
55. Gridelli C. Does chemotherapy have a role as palliative therapy for unfit or elderly patients with non-small-cell lung cancer? Lung Cancer 2002; 38 (Suppl. 2): S45-50.
56. Henry B, Becouarn Y, Aussage P. Clinical benefits of stabilisation with second line chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 1999; 32: 145-54.
57. Murad AM, Santiago FF, Petroianu A et al. Modified therapy with 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and methotrexate in advanced gastric cancer. Cancer 1993; 72: 37-41.
58. Mallinson CN, Rake MO, Cocking JB et al. Chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer: Results of a controlled, prospective, randomised, multicentre trial. BMJ 1980; 281: 1589-91.
59. Palmer KR, Kerr M, Knowles G et al. Chemotherapy prolongs survival in inoperable pancreatic carcinoma. Br J Surg 1994; 81: 882-5.
60. Osoba D, Tannock IF, Ernst DS et al. Health-related quality of life in men with metastatic prostate cancer treated with prednisone alone or mitoxantrone and prednisone. J Clin Oncol 1999; 17: 1654-63.
61. Ryan CJ, Eisenberger M. Chemotherapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer: Now it's a question of "when?" J Clin Oncol 2005; 23: 8242-6.
62. Klotz LH. PSAdynia and other PSA-related syndromes: A new epidemic -a case history and taxonomy. Urology 1997; 50: 831-2.
63. Smith MR, Kabbinavar F, Saad F et al. Natural history of rising serum prostate-specific antigen in men with castrate nonmetastatic prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 2005; 23: 2918-25.
64. Costanza ME, Weiss RB, Henderson IC et al. Safety and efficacy of using a single agent or a phase II agent before instituting standard combination chemotherapy in previously untreated metastatic breast cancer patients: Report of a randomized study - Cancer and Leukemia Group B 8642. J Clin Oncol 1999; 17: 1397-406.
65. Holland JC, Breitbart W, Jacobsen PB. Psycho-Oncology, 1st edn. Oxford University Press, New York 1998.
66. Fitch MI, Deane K, Howell D. Living with ovarian cancer: Women's perspectives on treatment and treatment decision-making. Can Oncol Nurs J 2003; 13: 8-20.
67. Fagerlin A, Zikmund-Fisher BJ, Ubel PA. Cure me even if it kills me: preferences for invasive cancer treatment. Med Decis Mak 2005; 25: 614-19.
68. Donovan KA, Greene PG, Shuster JL et al. Treatment preferences in recurrent ovarian cancer. Gynecol Oncol 2002; 86: 200-11.
69. Hirose T, Horichi N, Ohmori T et al. Patients preferences in chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Intern Med 2005; 44: 107-13.
70. Balmer CE, Thomas P, Osborne RJ. Who wants second-line, palliative chemotherapy? Psychooncology 2001; 10: 410-18.
71. Rose JH, O'Toole EE, Dawson NV et al. Perspectives, preferences, care practices, and outcomes among older and middle-aged patients with late-stage cancer. J Clin Oncol 2004; 22: 4907-17.
72. Silvestri G, Pritchard R, Welch HG. Preferences for chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: Descriptive study based on scripted interviews. BMJ 1998; 317: 771-5.
73. Yellen SB, Cella DF. Someone to live for: Social well-being, parenthood status, and decision-making in oncology. J Clin Oncol 1995; 13: 1255-64.
74. Koedoot CG, de Haan RJ, Stiggelbout AM et al. Palliative chemotherapy or best supportive care? A prospective study explaining patients' treatment preference and choice. Br J Cancer 2003; 89: 2219-26.
75. Koedoot CG, Oort FJ, de Haan RJ et al. The content and amount of information given by medical oncologists when telling patients with advanced cancer what their treatment options are: Palliative chemotherapy and watchful-waiting. Eur J Cancer 2004; 40: 225-35.
76. Koedoot CG, De Haes JC, Heisterkamp SH etal. Palliative chemotherapy or watchful waiting? A vignettes study among oncologists. J Clin Oncol 2002; 20: 3658-64.
77. Jennens RR, de Boer R, Irving L et al. Differences of opinion: A survey of knowledge and bias among clinicians regarding the role of chemotherapy in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Chest 2004; 126: 1985-93.
78. Piga A, Graziano F, Zahra G et al. Attitudes of non-oncology physicians dealing with cancer patients. A survey based on clinical scenarios in Ancona province, central Italy. Tumori 1996; 82: 423-9.
79. Henry JM, Isaacs JT. Relationship between tumor size and the curability of metastatic prostatic cancer by surgery alone or in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy. J Urol 1988; 139: 1119-23.
80. Isaacs. The timing of androgen ablation therapy and/or chemotherapy in the treatment of prostatic cancer. Prostate 1984; 5: 1-17.
81. Hiramoto RN, Ghanta VK, Soong SJ et al. Tumor burden, chemotherapy, and cell kill in osteosarcoma model. Am J Clin Oncol 1985; 8: 89-96.
82. Goldie JH, Coldman AJ. The genetic origin of drug resistance in neoplasms: Implications for systemic therapy. Cancer Res 1984; 44: 3643-53.
83. Tannock IF, Hill RP, Harrington L, Bristow RG. Basic Science of Oncology, 4th edn. McGraw-Hill Professional, New York 2005.
84. Yu JL, Rak JW, Coomber BL et al. Effect of p53 status on tumor response to antiangiogenic therapy. Science 2002; 295: 1526-8.
85. Durand RE. Distribution and activity of antineoplastic drugs in a tumor model. J Natl Cancer Inst 1989; 81: 146-52.
86. Richards MA, Ramirez AJ, Degner LF et al. Offering choice of treatment to patients with cancers. A review based on a symposium held at the 10th annual conference of The British Psychosocial Oncology Group, December 1993. Eur J Cancer 1995; 31A: 112-16.
87. Ravdin PM, Siminoff LA, Davis GJ et al. Computer program to assist in making decisions about adjuvant therapy for women with early breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 2001; 19: 980-91.
88. Klotz L. Active surveillance with selective delayed intervention is the way to manage "good-risk" prostate cancer. Nat Clin Pract Urol 2005; 2: 136-42.
89. Smaletz O, Scher HI, Small EJ et al. Nomogram for overall survival of patients with progressive metastatic prostate cancer after castration. J Clin Oncol 2002; 20: 3972-82.
90. Halabi S, Small EJ, Kantoff PW et al. Prognostic model for predicting survival in men with hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer. J Clin Oncol 2003; 21: 1232-7.
91. Mano A, Falcao A, Godinho I et al. CA-125 AUC as a new prognostic factor for patients with ovarian cancer. Gynecol Oncol 2005; 97: 529-34.