In a nutshell The study assessed whether pembrolizumab (Keytruda) could be used in addition to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC; chemotherapy before surgery) to improve the outcomes of patients with early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The study found that more patients treated with pembrolizumab had a complete response. Some...
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In a nutshell This study examined how COVID-19 infection affects patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy and the role of other factors in COVID-19 complications. The results showed that patients with advanced age and other medical conditions had a higher risk of COVID-19 complications but chemotherapy treatment did not need to be stopped. Some...
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In a nutshell This study looked at treating patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer and brain metastases (BM) with tucatinib (Tukysa) plus trastuzumab (Herceptin) and capecitabine (Xeloda). This study found that this treatment reduces the risk of cancer worsening in these...
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In a nutshell This study looked at abemaciclib (Verzenio), trastuzumab (Herceptin), and fulvestrant (Faslodex) for the treatment of advanced hormone-receptor-positive (HR+) and HER2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer. It found that this treatment led to better outcomes than standard-of-care chemotherapy for these patients. Some background Worldwide,...
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In a nutshell This study examined the effectiveness of three commonly used therapies to prevent bone loss in patients with hormone-positive breast cancer (BC). The results showed that the therapies prevented bone loss and fractures but to different degrees. Some background Many patients with BC are classified as hormone-positive. This means...
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In a nutshell This study examined if acupuncture is an effective treatment for patients with nerve damage caused by chemotherapy for breast cancer. The results showed that patients had improved sensory and muscle symptoms, less pain, and improved quality of life following acupuncture treatment. Some background One side effect of chemotherapy is...
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In a nutshell This study aimed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of tucatinib in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine in patients with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer who have had disease progression with other treatments. This study concluded that this treatment combination was safe and...
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In a nutshell This study evaluated whether melatonin could improve the side effects of chemotherapy for women with breast cancer. It found that melatonin improved sleep, depression symptoms, and clear thinking during chemotherapy. Some background During treatment with chemotherapy, half of the patients with breast cancer have cognitive (related...
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In a nutshell This study looked at fertility preservation (FP) in patients with breast cancer. It found that many patients choose FP before chemotherapy and that most patients have a return of ovulation following treatment. Some background 12% of patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer are under 40 years of age. Preserving fertility is a concern...
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In a nutshell This study examined the effectiveness of hormonal therapy in premenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer with or without other treatments. The authors concluded that patients who received hormonal therapy had a higher chance of survival and without a return of cancer. Some background The hormone...
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In a nutshell This study examined if there was a difference in patients with breast cancer first treated with chemotherapy that had a wide or narrow margin of healthy tissue removed during surgery. The results showed that the outcomes were similar regardless of how much healthy tissue was removed. Some background Traditionally, mastectomy (the...
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In a nutshell This study examined if certain immunotherapy drugs increased the risk of developing side effects in the gut in patients with cancer also receiving chemotherapy. The results showed that immunotherapy drugs increased the risks of developing gut-related side effects compared to chemotherapy alone. Some background Immunotherapy drugs that...
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