Gastrointestinal Tumors Program

The Medical Oncology Department's Gastrointestinal Tumors Program  is an integral component of the multidisciplinary team of the Vall d’Hebron Gastrointestinal Tumors Project team, which consists of gastrointestinal surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, palliative care and clinical trials specialists. The program is dedicated to patient care, research, training and education in gastrointestinal tumors. As a clinical academic unit, it is committed to clinical excellence, clinical and translational research, and a broad range of teaching (to undergraduates, medical trainees and fellows, nurses, clinical researchers, and others).

The Gastrointestinal Tumors Program's  approach is based on the principle that clinicians provide the best quality cancer care when they are members of a multidisciplinary cancer center, meeting regularly to discuss the most appropriate management of each individual patient.

JOSEP TABERNERO MD, GROUP LEADER

Dr. Josep Tabernero graduated summa cum laude in Medicine and Surgery from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. He.is the head of the VHIO Gastrointestinal Tumors Program. Since 2003 he has been an attending physician at the Oncology Department of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and is currently Section head at the Medical Oncology Department of the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital.

He is a member of several Medical societies, Hospital committees and workgroups as well as Foreign committees and workgroups. 

He has been a member of the Hospital Tumors Committee of Vall d’Hebron University Hospital since its creation providing expertise  in colorectal cancer, gastric esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver tumors and liver metastases.

He also performed Clinical Practice Revisions of the Colon and Rectum Cancer Oncoguide developed by the Technological  and Medical Research Evaluation Agency and the Oncology Steering Plan of  2003 and 2007,  and of the Clinical Practice Guide for Colorectal Cancer Prevention developed by the Spanish Family and Community Medicine Society, the Ibero-American Cochrane Center and the Spanish Gastroenterology Society in 2003.

CLINICAL MEMBERS

Attending Physicians
Teresa Macarulla
Francisco Javier Ramos
Jaume Capdevila
M. Elena Élez
Manuel Ruiz
Sergio Peralta

Clinical Trials
Coordinators
Elisabeth Sicart
Adelaida Piera
María Herranz

CLINICAL ACTIVITY

Over 10,000 patients with gastrointestinal malignancies were visited during year 2008, including 620 new patients. Proportionally, patients with colorectal cancer constitute the group of patients most frequently treated by our group, followed by patients with gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer and esophageal cancer. The number of patients included in clinical trials has been increasing year on year. 

SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY

The scientific activities  of this Group focus upon three different fields of research:

• Clinical research: Patients are included in clinical trials devoted to malignant colorectal, gastric, pancreatic tumors and esophageal cancer, with the aim of demonstrating improvements in case  management (phase II or phase III clinical trials)
• Translational research devoted to improving knowledge of prognostic and predictive factors of response and efficacy of treatments in the different gastrointestinal malignancies
• Basic Research in collaboration with the VHIO Cell Signaling and Cancer Laboratory, and with other international research groups (University of Michigan, Vanderbilt University, Weizman Institute)

CLINICAL TRIALS

A6181122 A Multicenter, Randomised, Double-Blind, Phase 3 Study Of Sunitinib In Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients Receiving Irinotecan, 5-Fluorouracil And Leucovorin (FOLFIRI) As First Line Treatment. Included patients: 3

A6181114 An Open-Label Sunitinib Malate (SU011248) Continuation Protocol For Patients Who Have Completed A Prior Sunitinib Study And Are Judged By The Investigator To Have The Potential To Benefit From Sunitinib Treatment. Included patients: 1

BO20904 Double-Blind, Randomised, Multicenter, Phase III Study of Bevacizumab in Combination With Capecitabine and Cisplatin Versus Placebo in Combination With Capecitabine and Cisplatin, As First-Line Therapy in Patients With Advanced Gastric Cancer. Included patients: 4

2-55-52030-726 Phase III, Randomised, Double-blind, Stratified Comparative, Placebo Controlled, Parallel Group, Multi-centre Study to Assess the Effect of Deep Subcutaneous Injections of Lanreotide Autogel 120mg Administered Every 28 Days on Tumour Progression Free Survival in Patients With Non-functioning Entero-pancreatic Endocrine Tumour. Included patients: 1

A6181111 A Phase I Clinical and Pharmacodynamic Study of MLN8237, A Novel Aurora A Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients With Advanced Malignancies. Included patients: 1

C14002 A Phase I Clinical and Pharmacodynamic Study of MLN8237, A Novel Aurora A Kinase Inhibitor, in Patients With Advanced Malignancies. Included patients: 17

IMCL CP11-0602 Estudio de fase 2 abierto, multicéntrico para evaluar la eficacia y tolerancia del IMC-11F8 en combinación con 5-FU/FA y Oxaliplatino (Folfox-6 modificado) en pacientes con un cáncer colorectal no tratado, localmente avanzado o matastasico. Included patients: 8

TTD-06-02 Phase II, Multicentre, Uncontrolled Pilot Study to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy of the Combination of Cetuximab and Chemotherapy (Docetaxel, Cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil) as Neoadjuvant Therapy Followed Concomitant Chemoradiotherapy (Cisplatin) Plus Cetuximab in Patients With a Locoregional Esophageal Carcinoma. Included patients: 6

TTD-05-02 Randomized, Multicenter, Phase III Study, to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Bevacizumab Alone or Combined With Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin as Support Therapy After Initial Chemotherapy Treatment With Capecitabine, Oxaliplatin and Bevacizumab in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients. Included patients: 6

DOCOX-C-00082 Estudio randomizado de fase II de docetaxel en combinación con oxaliplatino con o sin 5-FU o capecitabina, en cáncer gástrico metastásico o en recurrencia local que no haya sido tratado previamente para la enfermedad avanzada con quimioterapia. Included patients: 10

WX-60/004 Randomized, Open Label, Phase II Proof of Concept Study of WX-671 in Combination With Gemcitabine vs.Gemcitabine Alone in Patients With Locally Advanced, Non Resectable Pancreatic Cancer in Order to Evaluate the Anti-Tumor Activity of the Combination Therapy. Included patients: 4

EFC6596 A Randomized, Open Label Multi-Center Study Of Single Agent Larotaxel (XRP9881) Compared To Continuous Administration of 5-FU For The Treatment Of Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Previously Treated With A Gemcitabine-Containing Regimen. Included patients:

E7107-044-102 Estudio clínico fase I de búsqueda de dosis, abierto, no randomizado, con E7107 en administración intravenosa (bolus IV) los días 1, 8 y 15 de cada ciclo de 28 días, en pacientes con tumores neoplásicos sólidos. Included patients: 13

PETACC-8 Adjuvant Treatment of Fully Resected Stage III Colon Cancer With FOLFOX-4 Versus FOLFOX-4 Plus Cetuximab. Included patients: 8

PM104-A-003-05 Estudio de fase I multicéntrico, abierto, clínico y farmacocinético de escalada de dosis de PM00104 administrado cada 3 semanas, por vía intravenosa, durante 24 horas, a sujetos con tumores sólidos malignos avanzados o linfomas. Included patients: 15

20050203 A Randomized, Multicenter, Phase 3 Study to Compare the Efficacy of Panitumumab in Combination With Oxaliplatin/ 5-fluorouracil/ Leucovorin to the Efficacy of Oxaliplatin/ 5-fluorouracil/ Leucovorin Alone in Patients With Previously Untreated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Included patients: 0

CRAD001C2241 A Single Arm, Multicenter Phase II Study of Everolimus in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Whose Cancer Has Progressed Despite Prior Therapy With an Anti-EGFR Antibody (if Appropriate), Bevacizumab, Fluoropyrimidine, Oxaliplatin, and Irinotecan-based Regimens. Included patients: 6

EXPERT-C A Multicentre Randomised Phase II Clinical Trial Comparing Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin), Capecitabine (Xeloda) and Pre-Operative Radiotherapy With or Without Cetuximab Followed by Total Mesorectal Excision for the Treatment of Patients With Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Defined High Risk Rectal Cancer. Included patients: 5

C10002 A Phase 1 Trial of Extended MLN8054 Dosing in Patients With Advanced Malignancies. Included patients: 3

PEP0206 A randomized phase II study of PEP02, irinotecan or docetaxel as a second line therapy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (PEP0206), eudraCT number: 2006-006452-35. Included patients: 3

EFC10262 VELOUR A Multinational, Randomized, Double-Blind Study, Comparing the Efficacy of Aflibercept Once Every 2 Weeks Versus Placebo in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (MCRC) Treated With Irinotecan / 5-FU Combination (FOLFIRI) After Failure of an Oxaliplatin Based Regimen. Included patients: 8

BO21495 An Open Label, Dose-escalation Study to Evaluate Safety, Pharmacokinetics and Tumor Growth Control Rate of RO5083945, a Glycoengineered Antibody Against EGFR, in Patients With Metastatic and/or Locally Advanced Malignant EGFR+ Solid Tumors. Included patients: 8

20060447 A Randomized, Phase 1b/2 Trial of AMG 102 or AMG 479 in Combination With Panitumumab Versus Panitumumab Alone in Subject With Wild-Type KRAS Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Included patients: 1

MK0646-004 A Phase II III Study of MK0646 Treatment in Combination With Cetuximab and Irinotecan For Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Included patients: 6

A4061028 A Randomized, Double-Blind Phase 3 Study Of Gemcitabine Plus AG-013736 Versus Gemcitabine Plus Placebo For The First-Line Treatment Of Patients With Locally Advanced, Unresectable Or Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer. Included patients: 8

TTD-08-02 Phase II Study of Adjusted-Dose Docetaxel-Oxaliplatin-Capecitabine in Patients With Advanced Gastric Adenocarcinoma and Intermediate General Status. Included patients: 0

CRAD001C2324 EA Randomized Double-blind Phase III Study of RAD001 10 mg/d Plus Best Supportive Care Versus Placebo Plus Best Supportive Care in the Treatment of Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET). Included patients: 9

GETNE0801 Ensayo clínico de fase II, multicéntrico, abierto, no controlado para evaluar la eficacia de la combinación de sorafenib y bevacizumab en el tratamiento de pacientes con tumor neuroendocrino avanzado y/ o metastásico. Included patients: 5

PUBLICATIONS

Folprecht G, Tabernero J, Köhne CH, Zacharchuk C, Paz-Ares L, Rojo F, Quinn S, Casado E, Salazar R, Abbas R, Lejeune C, Marimón I, Andreu J, Ubbelohde U, Cortes-Funes H, Baselga J. Phase I pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic study of EKB-569, an irreversible inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase, in combination with irinotecan, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin (FOLFIRI) in first-line treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2008;14:215-23.
(IF: 6.250, 1 cuartil, oncology)

Baselga J, Rothenberg ML, Tabernero J, Seoane J, Daly T, Cleverly A, Berry B, Rhoades SK, Ray CA, Fill J, Farrington DL, Wallace LA, Yingling JM, Lahn M, Arteaga C, Carducci M. TGF-beta signalling-related markers in cancer patients with bone metastasis. Biomarkers 2008;13:217-36.
(IF: 1.978, 2 cuartil, biotechnology & applied microbiology)

Pardo B, Paz-Ares L, Tabernero J, Ciruelos E, García M, Salazar R, López A, Blanco M, Nieto A, Jimeno J, Izquierdo MA, Trigo JM. Phase I clinical and pharmacokinetic study of kahalalide F administered weekly as a 1-hour infusion to patients with advanced solid tumors. Clin Cancer Res 2008;14:1116-23.
(IF: 6.250, 1 cuartil, oncology)

Tabernero J, Pfeiffer P, Cervantes A. Administration of cetuximab every 2 weeks in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: an effective, more convenient alternative to weekly administration? Oncologist 2008;13:113-9.
(IF: 4.876, 1 cuartil, oncology)

Tabernero J, Rojo F, Calvo E, Burris H, Judson I, Hazell K, Martinelli E, Ramon y Cajal S, Jones S, Vidal L, Shand N, Macarulla T, Ramos FJ, Dimitrijevic S, Zoellner U, Tang P, Stumm M, Lane HA, Lebwohl D, Baselga J. Dose- and schedule-dependent inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway with everolimus: a phase I tumor pharmacodynamic study in patients with advanced solid tumors. J Clin Oncol 2008;26:1603-10.
(IF: 15.484, 1 cuartil, oncology)

Font A, Salazar R, Maurel J, Taron M, Ramirez JL, Tabernero J, Gallego R, Casado E, Manzano JL, Carcereny E, Guix M, Fernández-Llamazares J, Rosell R. Cisplatin plus weekly CPT-11/docetaxel in advanced esophagogastric cancer: a phase I study with pharmacogenetic assessment of XPD, XRCC3 and UGT1A1 polymorphisms. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2008 Nov;62(6):1075-83. Epub 2008 Mar 12.
(IF: 2.568, 2 cuartil, oncology)

Bouchahda M, Macarulla T, Spano JP, Bachet JB, Lledo G, Andre T, Landi B, Tabernero J, Karaboué A, Domont J, Levi F, Rougier P. Cetuximab efficacy and safety in a retrospective cohort of elderly patients with heavily pretreated metastatic colorectal cancer. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2008 Sep;67(3):255-62. Epub 2008 Apr 8.
(IF: 4.632, 1 cuartil, hematology)

Haller DG, Cassidy J, Clarke SJ, Cunningham D, Van Cutsem E, Hoff PM, Rothenberg ML, Saltz LB, Schmoll HJ, Allegra C, Bertino JR, Douillard JY, Gustavsson BG, Milano G, O’Connell M, Rustum Y, Tabernero J, Gilberg F, Sirzén F, Twelves C. Potential regional differences for the tolerability profiles of fluoropyrimidines. J Clin Oncol 2008;26:2118-23.
(IF: 15.484, 1 cuartil, oncology)

Firestein R, Bass AJ, Kim SY, Dunn IF, Silver SJ, Guney I, Freed E, Ligon AH, Vena N, Ogino S, Chheda MG, Tamayo P, Finn S, Shrestha Y, Boehm JS, Jain S, Bojarski E, Mermel C, Barretina J, Chan JA, Baselga J, Tabernero J, Root DE, Fuchs CS, Loda M, Shivdasani RA, Meyerson M, Hahn WC. CDK8 is a colorectal cancer oncogene that regulates beta-catenin activity. Nature 2008;455:547-51.
(IF: 28.751, 1 cuartil, multidisciplinary sciences)

Macarulla T, Ramos FJ, Elez E, Capdevila J, Peralta S, Tabernero J. Update on novel strategies to optimize cetuximab therapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Clin Colorectal Cancer 2008;7:300-8.

Giralt J, Tabernero J, Navalpotro B, Capdevila J, Espin E, Casado E, Mañes A, Landolfi S, Sanchez-Garcia JL, de Torres I, Armengol M. Pre-operative chemoradiotherapy with UFT and Leucovorin in patients with advanced rectal cancer: A phase II study. Radiother Oncol 2008;89:263-9.
(IF: 4.074, 2 cuartil, oncology)

Capdevila J, Elez E, Peralta S, Macarulla T, Ramos FJ, Tabernero J. Oxaliplatin- based chemotherapy in the management of colorectal cancer. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2008;8:1223-36.
(IF: 1.988, 2 cuartil, oncology)

Capdevila J, Ramos FJ, Macarulla T, Elez E, Tabernero J. The role of salvage treatment in advanced colorectal cancer. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2008 Oct 31. Epub ahead of print.
(IF: 4.632, 1 cuartil, Oncology)

Llovet JM, Ricci S, Mazzaferro V, Hilgard P, Gane E, Blanc JF, de Oliveira AC, Santoro A, Raoul JL, Forner A, Schwartz M, Porta C, Zeuzem S, Bolondi L, Greten TF, Galle PR, Seitz JF, Borbath I, Häussinger D, Giannaris T, Shan M, Moscovici M, Voliotis D, Bruix J; SHARP Investigators Study Group. Sorafenib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. N Engl J Med 2008;359:378-90.
(IF: 52.589, 1 cuartil, medicine, general & internal)

Van Cutsem E, Dicato M, Haustermans K, Arber N, Bosset JF, Cunningham D, De Gramont A, Diaz-Rubio E, Ducreux M, Goldberg R, Glynne-Jones R, Haller D, Kang YK, Kerr D, Labianca R, Minsky BD, Moore M, Nordlinger B, Rougier P, Scheithauer W, Schmoll HJ, Sobrero A, Tabernero J, Tempero M, Van de Velde C, Zalcberg J. The diagnosis and management of rectal cancer: expert discussion and recommendations derived from the 9th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer, Barcelona, 2007. Ann Oncol 2008;19 Suppl 6:vi1-8.
(IF: 4.875, 1 cuartil, oncology)

Elez E, Macarulla T, Tabernero J. Handling side-effects of targeted therapies: safety of targeted therapies in solid tumours. Ann Oncol 2008;19 Suppl 7:vii146-52.
(IF: 4.875, 1 cuartil, oncology)

Vilar E, Scaltriti M, Balmaña J, Saura C, Guzman M, Arribas J, Baselga J, Tabernero J. Microsatellite instability due to hMLH1 deficiency is associated with increased cytotoxicity to irinotecan in human colorectal cancer cell lines. Br J Cancer 2008;99:1607-12.
(IF: 4.635, 1 cuartil, oncology)

Ramos FJ, Macarulla T, Capdevila J, Elez E, Tabernero J. Understanding the predictive role of K-ras for epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted therapies in colorectal cancer. Clin Colorectal Cancer. 2008 Dec;7 Suppl 2:S52-7. Review.

Macarulla T, Ramos FJ, Tabernero J. Aurora kinase family: a new target for anticancer drug. Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov. 2008 Jun;3(2):114-22. Review.
(IF: 0.926, 2 cuartil, oncology)

Andrés R, Mayordomo JI, Visus C, Isla D, Godino J, Escudero P, Saenz A, Ortega E, Lastra R, Lambea J, Aguirre E, Elosegui L, Marcos I, Ruiz-Echarri M, Millastre E, Sáez-Gutierrez B, Asin L, Vidal MJ, Ferrer A, Giner A, Larrad L, Carapeto FJ, Tres A. Prognostic significance and diagnostic value of protein S-100 and tyrosinase in patients with malignant melanoma. Am J Clin Oncol. 2008 Aug;31(4):335-9.
(IF: 1.551, 2 cuartil, oncology science)

Gudmundsson J, Sulem P, Rafnar T, Bergthorsson JT, Manolescu A, Gudbjartsson D, Agnarsson BA, Sigurdsson A, Benediktsdottir KR, Blondal T, Jakobsdottir M, Stacey SN, Kostic J, Kristinsson KT, Birgisdottir B, Ghosh S, Magnusdottir DN, Thorlacius S, Thorleifsson G, Zheng SL, Sun J, Chang BL, Elmore JB, Breyer JP, McReynolds KM, Bradley KM, Yaspan BL, Wiklund F, Stattin P, Lindström S, Adami HO, McDonnell SK, Schaid DJ, Cunningham JM, Wang L, Cerhan JR, St Sauver JL, Isaacs SD, Wiley KE, Partin AW, Walsh PC, Polo S, Ruiz-Echarri M, Navarrete S, Fuertes F, Saez B, Godino J, Weijerman PC, Swinkels DW, Aben KK, Witjes JA, Suarez BK, Helfand BT, Frigge ML, Kristjansson K, Ober C, Jonsson E, Einarsson GV, Xu J, Gronberg H, Smith JR, Thibodeau SN, Isaacs WB, Catalona WJ, Mayordomo JI, Kiemeney LA, Barkardottir RB, Gulcher JR, Thorsteinsdottir U, Kong A, Stefansson K. Common sequence variants on 2p15 and Xp11.22 confer susceptibility to prostate cancer. Nat Genet. 2008 Mar;40(3):281-3. Epub 2008 Feb 10.
(IF: 25.556, 1 cuartil, genetics & heredity science)

Abad A, Massuti B, Antón A, Vega ME, Yuste AL, Marcuello E, Manzano JL, Alonso V, Carrato A, Martinez-Villacampa M, Tabernero J, Aranda E, Rivera F, Díaz-Rubio E; Spanish Cooperative Group for Digestive Tumor Therapy. Colorectal cancer metastasis resectability after treatment with the combination of oxaliplatin, irinotecan and 5-fluorouracil. Final results of a phase II study. Acta Oncol. 2008;47(2):286-92.
(IF: 2.274, 2 cuartil, Oncology)

MAIN RESEARCHER

Tabernero, Josep

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