In a nutshell This study compared gefitinib (Iressa) to cisplatin (Platinol)-based chemotherapy for treating patients with EGFR-mutation positive, early stage non-small-cell lung cancer, after surgery. The authors concluded that while treatment with gefitinib improved disease free survival compared to chemotherapy, they were unable to calculate overall...
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The socioeconomic impact of cachexia in elderly patients with advanced lung cancer
In a nutshell This study looked at the impact of cachexia (weakness or wasting of the body) in elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer on disability, hospitalization and medical costs. The authors concluded that patients with cachexia had a higher risk of disability, longer hospital stays and higher medical costs, while being treated...
Read More5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Your Adrenal Glands
The adrenal glands-which are also called suprarenal glands-are part of the endocrine system and are found on the top of each kidney. How the endocrine system hormones work Hormones secreted from glands of the endocrine system travel in the bloodstream to target cells. Target cells have receptors that are specific to each hormone. The hormones and receptors...
Read MoreRight To Try: Needed Legislation or Snake Oil?
Thirty-eight states in the US have passed “Right To Try” laws. These are laws that are created to give terminally ill patients who have run out of options access to experimental drugs that have not completed the FDA approval process. There is an effort underway to pass this type of legislation on a federal level. On February 8, the #LCSM (Lung...
Read MoreComparing the risk of specific side effects between chemotherapy regimens
In a nutshell This study examined whether patients had a higher risk of thromboembolism depending on the chemotherapy drug they received. The study concluded that patients treated with carboplatin had no difference in the risk of thromboembolism compared to patients treating with cisplatin. Some background Chemotherapy is one of the most well-known...
Read MoreIdentifying patient factors that can predict the risk of local disease progression
In a nutshell This study looked at patients factors which would help predict local disease control for patients with inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have been treated with chemoradiation therapy. The authors concluded that patients with squamous NSCLC, large tumor volume and first-line chemotherapy had a higher risk of worse local...
Read MoreHow effective is gefitinib at treating advanced non-small-cell lung cancer?
In a nutshell This study summarized the effectiveness of gefitinib for treating advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. The authors concluded that gefitinib may be beneficial for prolonging time until progression and quality of life, particularly for patients with the specific genetic mutation EGFR. Some background Cancers can be caused by specific...
Read MoreGuidelines for treating early stage non-small-cell lung cancer with stereotactic body radiotherapy
In a nutshell The authors reviewed data from recent clinical trials to update guidelines on treating early stage inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This article provided a summarized account of the updates included in the American Society for Radiation Oncology guidelines for treating NSCLC. Some background For patients with early...
Read MoreRisk factors linked to pleural effusion after thoracic radiation
In a nutshell This study examined the incidence of pleural effusion in lung cancer patients after treatment with thoracic radiation therapy and identified risk factors associated with it. They concluded that patients treated with 5 Gy of radiation to over 41.5% of the lung were at the greatest risk of developing pleural effusion after treatment. Some...
Read MoreCombining the old and the new – Can combination therapy improve cancer treatment?
In a nutshell This study looked at combining therapies designed to stimulate the immune system with chemotherapy to treat patients with advanced lung cancer. The authors concluded that a combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy is effective and tolerable at treating these patients. Some background Many tumor cells have proteins...
Read MoreTo Treat or Not To Treat Cancer: Medical Decision-making
Cherry Hughes** is an active, energetic 75 year old, still working in the marketing and public relations profession in Great Britain. Her life is filled with friends and fun. “I love cooking and eating out. I am deeply interested in politics. I love music …I go to jazz clubs. I love going to France …I have a little apartment...
Read MoreWhat is Neutropenia?
There are 1.6 million people diagnosed with cancer in the US each year. Of these, 650,000 receive chemotherapy. Did you know that 60,000 people a year are hospitalized for neutropenia, a common side effect of chemotherapy? One in fourteen die because of it. Of the 650,000 receiving chemotherapy, 104,000 are not aware of neutropenia and 52,000 don’t...
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