Semi‐transparent (ST) organic solar cells with potential application as power generating windows are studied. The main challenge is to find proper transparent electrodes with desired electrical and optical properties. In this work, this is addressed by employing an amphiphilic conjugated polymer PFPA‐1 modified ITO coated glass substrate as the ohmic electron‐collecting cathode and PEDOT:PSS PH1000 as the hole‐collecting anode. For active layers based on different donor polymers, considerably lower reflection and parasitic absorption are found in the ST solar cells as compared to solar cells in the standard geometry with an ITO/PEDOT:PSS anode and a LiF/Al cathode. The ST solar cells have remarkably high internal quantum efficiency at short circuit condition (∼90%) and high transmittance (∼50%). Hence, efficient ST tandem solar cells with enhanced power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared to a single ST solar cell can be constructed by connecting the stacked two ST sub‐cells in parallel. The total loss of photons by reflection, parasitic absorption and transmission in the ST tandem solar cell can be smaller than the loss in a standard solar cell based on the same active materials. We demonstrate this by stacking five separately prepared ST cells on top of each other, to obtain a higher photocurrent than in an optimized standard solar cell.

Perioperative treatment is a standard of care in locally advanced gastroesophageal cancer (GEC) (gastric adenocarcinoma and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma). While preoperative treatment can be applied to the majority of patients, postoperative chemotherapy can be given only to a fraction. The NeoFLOT-study therefore investigates the application of prolonged neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Patients with T3, T4, and/or node-positive adenocarcinoma (GEC) were eligible for this multicenter phase II trial. NACT consisted of 6 cycles of oxaliplatin 85 mg/m 2 , leucovorin 200 mg/m 2 , 5-fluorouracil 2600 mg/m 2 and docetaxel 50 mg/m 2 (FLOT) applied q 2 wks. Application of adjuvant chemotherapy was explicitly not part of the protocol. R0-resection rate was evaluated as a primary endpoint. Of 59 enrolled patients, 50 patients underwent surgery and were assessable for the primary endpoint. R0-resection rate was 86.0% (43/50). Pathologic complete response (pCR) was 20.0% (10/50) and a further 20% (10/50) of patients achieved near complete histological remission (<10% residual tumor). Among these very good responders, 85% (17/20) had intestinal type tumors, 10% (2/20) had diffuse and 5% (1/20) had mixed type tumors. After 3 cycles of NACT, 6.9% (4/58) of patients developed progressive disease. Median disease-free survival was 32.9 months. The 1-year survival-rate was 79.3%. Grade 3-4 toxicities included neutropenia 29.3%, febrile neutropenia 1.7%, diarrhea 12.1% and mucositis 6.9%. This study indicates that intensified NACT with 6 cycles of FLOT is highly effective and tolerable in resectable GEC. Very good response (pCR and <10% residual tumor) was predominantly observed in patients with intestinal type tumors.

An open-label randomised comparison of efficacy and tolerability of irinotecan plus high-dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV) (ILF) with etoposide plus 5-FU/LV (ELF) in patients with untreated metastatic or locally advanced gastric cancer. One cycle of ILF comprised six once-weekly infusions of irinotecan 80 mg m À2 , LV 500 mg m À2 , 24-h 5-FU 2000 mg m À2 , and ELF comprised three once-daily doses of etoposide 120 mg m À2 , LV 300 mg m À2 , 5-FU 500 mg m À2 . In all, 56 patients received ILF and 58 ELF. Median age was 62 years, Karnofsky performance 90%, and disease status was comparable for both arms. The objective clinical response rates after 14 weeks treatment (primary end point) were 30% for ILF and 17% for ELF (risk ratio (RR) 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29 -1.13, P ¼ 0.0766). Overall response rates over the entire treatment period for ILF and ELF were 43 and 24%, respectively (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.33 -0.97; P ¼ 0.0467). For ILF and ELF, respectively, median progression-free survival was 4.5 vs 2.3 months, time to treatment failure was 3.6 vs 2.2 months (P ¼ 0.4542), and overall survival was 10.8 vs 8.3 months (P ¼ 0.2818). Both regimens were well tolerated, the main grade 3/4 toxicities being diarrhoea (18%, ILF) and neutropenia (57%, ELF). The data from this randomised phase II study indicate that ILF provides a better response rate than ELF, and that ILF should be investigated further for the treatment of metastatic gastric cancer.

Colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma is characterized by diagnosis in more advanced tumour stages resulting in lower rates of curative resection. Prognosis is as poor as in non-signet-ring cell colorectal cancer of low differentiation in the same stage.

A CEA or CA 19-9 rise is only conditionally appropriate for recording progressions. A progression however, can be excluded with falling levels with high diagnostic accuracy, in which CEA offers a greater degree of certainty than CA 19-9. With a drop in CEA 79 of 143 (= 55%) of the CT scans could be saved, in which case 78 of 79 patient episodes (99%) were correctly assessed as 'no progression'. In patients with an increased CEA and CA 19-9 the CEA determination is sufficient for the further monitoring. A confirmation of these results by multicenter trials can result in a considerable decrease of monitoring costs for palliative treatment.