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Background: This prospective observational study in typical community-based outpatient clinics evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of weekly and biweekly irinotecan-based chemotherapies and their compatibility depending on age., Methods: 601 patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer receiving first-, second-, or third-line irinotecan-based therapy were regularly analyzed for response and toxicity until the end of therapy., Results: The median age was 65 (28-87) years, approximately one-third of the patients were ≥70 years old. Of all patients, 405 were treated weekly and 68 biweekly. Median overall survival (OS) for first-line therapy was 26.5 months for the <70-year-old patients and 19.4 months for the ≥70-year-old patients. Toxicities were moderate in all groups. Tumor growth control rates (TCR) and median time to progression (TTP) were marginally better for patients <70 years old. Median TTP was 9.9 months in first-line therapy, 9.8 months after adjuvant therapy, 7.7 months in second-line, and 6.4 months in third-line therapy., Conclusions: Toxicity and response data from this observational study clearly confirm the positive results from previous clinical studies and show a slight ad-vantage in efficacy for the <70-year-old patients., (Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, clinical effect and safety of intravenous thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator in patients with acute ischaemic stroke treated in an acute stroke unit., Methods: All patients admitted within 3 h after an acute ischaemic stroke were considered for thrombolysis. Twenty-four patients were treated., Results: Ten patients demonstrated early clinical improvement compatible with a positive effect of thrombolysis. Five patients demonstrated a substantial but slow clinical improvement with an uncertain relationship to thrombolysis. Nine patients did not improve. One patient developed an intracerebral haematoma and 2 developed a haemorrhagic infarction without clinical deterioration. Five patients (21%) died within the first 3 months. At follow-up after 6 months, 10 patients (42%) had achieved independence [modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-2], 9 (33%) had an unfavourable outcome (mRS 3-5) and 5 patients (21%) had died. None of these 5 patients died due to a treatment complication., Conclusions: This study in a small patient population suggests that thrombolysis may be administered relatively safely in an acute stroke unit without intensive care facilities. The clinical effect and safety were similar to those which have been found in large randomised studies and clinical series., (Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel)