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Sunitinib, a multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has demonstrated survival benefit in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and is generally well tolerated with most adverse events, manifesting as mild to moderate in severity. The most frequent related adverse events include hand-foot syndrome (HFS), hypertension, proteinuria, cardiac toxicities, myelosuppression, fatigue/asthenia, hypothyroidism, diarrhea and hepatotoxicity. The study aims to determine incidence of adverse events among patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) treated Sunitinib within five years from 2010 to 2015 and comparing the results with data from literature. The study included a total of 56 patients treated with Sunitinib, with a dose of 50 mg (Schedule 4/2). Due to adverse events and individual safety and tolerability, at the indication of the personal clinician, 11 patients needed dose reduction, with a continuous dose of 37.5 mg, daily and 28 patients continued the dose of 50 mg taken daily, on a different schedule (2/1 schedule). The most important toxicities were anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, gastrointestinal effects (diarrhea), fatigue and hypertension. After dose reduction or modified schedule the incidence of the most frequent toxicities (HFS, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and fatigue) decreased, but hypertension was still observed in 30% of patients. The results are similar with data from literature. Early identification of individuals at risk and monitoring patients during Sunitinib treatment is very important and it can facilitate early intervention with prophylactic measures or supportive treatment, thus increasing quality of life and adherence to treatment. Further studies need to establish which targeted population can benefit the most from adjusted regimens and to correlate them with prognostic factors for survival.

The present study evaluates the use of methadone in patients with advanced cancer and moderately-severe pain under palliative care at home over a period of 5 years, from 1996 to 2000. We calculated the index for methadone dosage increase (as a percentage and value in milligrams). Of the 1,079 patients cared for, 247 (22.89%) received methadone treatment: 126 from the very beginning, average dose of 15 mg / day (5- 50), and in 121 patients treatment with methadone was initiated at a later moment during the period they were cared for (5- 40). The median period of time of methadone administration was 27 days (1-416), the median dose of methadone at the moment of treatment discontinuation being 20 mg (5-60). The main reason for methadone treatment discontinuation was impossibility of oral administration (49.8% in terminal stages, 7.3% presenting nausea, vomiting), and 62.3% showed no side effects. Dosage increase index was 0.33 mg, 2.33% respectively. Methadone has been used mainly as a potent first line opioid, and has been shown to be effective and safe.

Introduction of contrast agents as microbubbles and to improve ultrasound examination techniques has increased the rate of detection and characterization of liver lesions. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is a relatively new method of exploring the liver and diagnosing focal liver lesions (FLL). The aim of this study is to determine the efficiency of microbubbles used for CEUS in managing patients detected in conventional ultrasonography with FLL. We examined 84 patients with FLL, detected on conventional ultrasonography (US), during October 2012-September 2015. We performed contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, using sulphur hexafluoride as a contrast agent, and contrast-enhanced MRI to set the diagnosis. For 37 patients (44.1%) CEUS showed a malignity pattern of enhancement (according to the EFSUMB - European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology- Guidelines 2012), while for 54 (64.3%) patients MRI set the diagnosis of malignity. CEUS detected fewer malignant lesions than MRI, in 20.1% of the cases MRI set de diagnosis. We need further studies in order to improve the quality of CEUS images and technique.