In a nutshell This study looked at the link between cardiac (heart) events in the years after radiation therapy in patients with small-cell lung cancer. The authors concluded that there is a long-term risk of cardiac events in patients treated with a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Some background There have been several reports...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study looked at a combination of irinotecan (Camptosar) and platinum-based drugs, for treating patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. The authors concluded that this combination has the potential to improve the outcomes for these patients. Some background Extensive stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) is...
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In a nutshell This study evaluated the effectiveness of fluorouracil (Adrucil) chemotherapy after surgery in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The authors concluded that treatment with fluorouracil resulted in prolonged recurrence-free survival compared to standard chemotherapy regimens. Some background Adjuvant therapy is given in...
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In a nutshell This study looked at a link between time to disease progression and longer survival after progression in patients with advanced BRAF V600E non-small-cell lung cancer. The authors concluded that a longer time to disease progression after treatment was linked to longer survival in these patients. Some background Some non-small-cell...
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In a nutshell This study looked at the effect of vitamin D supplements at preventing relapse in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The authors concluded that vitamin D supplements might have the potential for improving survival in patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. Some background Current therapy for early-stage NSCLC...
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“Always trust your gut. Don’t leave your treatment in the hands of someone that you don’t trust or that does not seem like a team player. Yes, they are all smart—even brilliant—but read, read, read, and question them at every corner and challenge the standard of care. Exercise, healthy eating, learning the ropes of insurance, mediation/prayer...
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In a nutshell This study looked at the frequency of follow-ups after surgical treatment in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and whether it had an effect on survival. The study concluded that more frequent surveillance was not linked to improved survival. Some background Surveillance during the post-treatment stage of cancer is a critical...
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Prior to the 20th century, most people lived about 47 years in the developed world because of infectious diseases. In 1940, the first use of penicillin to treat infectious diseases occurred and penicillin became available in 1945 to the general public. Science and research conducted throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, created more antibiotics so that life...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study looked at three different immune checkpoint inhibitors and how effective they were at treating patients with non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC) with different levels of PD-L1 protein. The authors found that all three drugs analyzed were more effective than chemotherapy for these patients. Some background Many tumor cells have...
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When I think of vaccines, I think of the MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) vaccines which help our bodies establish immunity against diseases that used to kill. Now, there are vaccines being created for cancer. The rise of cancer vaccines According to Dr. Nora Disis, an oncologist and researcher in cancer vaccines at the University of...
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In a nutshell This trial treated patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with consolidative radiation therapy after chemotherapy. The authors concluded that this treatment plan has potential to improve progression free survival and overall survival in these patients. Some background Initial treatment with...
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In a nutshell This study looked at a combination of chemotherapy and an antiangiogenic drug bevacizumab to treat patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. The authors concluded that this combination may have potential to control cancer in these patients. Some background Despite the major advances in cancer treatments in recent years,...
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