Clinical results using biochemotherapy as a standard of care in advanced XXXX .

@entity1 @entity5 @entity320
Phase II studies of biochemotherapy in metastatic @entity320 @entity1 have reported response rates of 47-63%. Even though these were highly selected @entity1 , we were intrigued by these promising response rates and began using this regimen as standard care in advanced @entity320 @entity1 . We report the results of the first 65 @entity1 with AJCC stage IV @entity320 (n = 57) or unresectable stage III (n = 8) @entity320 treated with concurrent biochemotherapy at Memorial Hospital. Treatment was repeated every 3 weeks and @entity1 were assessed for antitumour effects after every other cycle. The overall response rate among the 63 @entity1 evaluable for response was 29% (three complete responses, 15 partial responses). The median duration of responses was 3.7 months. The response rate among previously treated and previously untreated @entity1 was 6% and 38%, respectively. The estimated median survival for all @entity1 was 8.5 months; the median survival for previously untreated @entity1 was 9.2 months. @entity5 response did not correlate with survival. Our experience, which is a retrospective evaluation, does not provide support for the routine use of biochemotherapy as standard treatment. The low response rate among previously treated @entity1 indicates that biochemotherapy is not useful as second-line therapy.
