In a nutshell This trial looked at the impact of complete lymph node dissection for patients with early stage non-small-cell lung cancer. They concluded that complete dissection of the mediastinal lymph nodes was associated with better survival rates compared to only removing a few lymph nodes for sampling. Some background Surgery to remove tumors...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The authors aimed to understand the effectiveness of anti-PD-L1 therapy in patients with previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared to current treatments. The authors concluded that anti-PD-L1 therapy could be more beneficial than the chemotherapy drug docetaxel (Taxotere) at treating patients with previously treated...
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In a nutshell This trial examined the antiemetic drug NEPA (Akynzeo) at combating chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting in patients with lung cancer. The authors concluded that NEPA is effective at reducing nausea and is well tolerated in these patients. Some background For many cancers, chemotherapy is the gold standard for treatment....
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“I think all too often we underestimate the impact of a cancer diagnosis on the mental health and well-being of the individual, thus it goes unaddressed.” ~Stephanie Zimmerman, MSN Receiving a diagnosis of cancer can bring on feelings of worry, fear, dread, anger, uncertainty and loss. Research indicates that, for some people, these symptoms of...
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In a nutshell The authors reviewed data from recent clinical trials to update guidelines on treating stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This article provided a summarized account of the updates included in the American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines for treating NSCLC. Some background The American Society of Clinical Oncology...
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In July 2017, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conducted the National Cancer Opinion Survey to find out what people in the US know about cancer. ASCO released the results in October. The findings have already influenced recommendations made by the organization. Beliefs About Cancer Risk Among other questions, the survey asked 4,016...
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In It’s All In Your Gut, A High Fiber Diet and the Immune System, we introduced the microbiome that lives in our body. It helps with our digestion and makes the short-chained fatty acids (SCFAs) that are important to our immune system. Now several recent studies are looking at bacteria in the bodies of people with cancer. Specifically, these...
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In a nutshell This meta-analysis summarized studies that looked at the risk of side effects with an anti-cancer drug vandetanib (Caprelsa) for treating patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The authors concluded that treatment with vandetanib resulted in a higher risk of rash for NSCLC patients. Some background Chemotherapy plus...
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In a nutshell This trial examined whether aggressive radiation would cause severe side effects in patients over 80 years old with early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The authors concluded that SBRT is safe and tolerable for older patients. Some background Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a type of radiation that delivers...
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“For me, having lost my husband, it’s frustrating to hear publicly people saying to John McCain, ‘If anybody can beat this you can — you’re so tough.’ Not that it’s intentionally hurtful, but it does leave those of us who’ve lost a loved one thinking, ‘Was my loved one not tough enough? Did he not fight hard enough?'” ~Dannagal...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This trial looked at factors which would help predict whether aggressive radiation would be beneficial to patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer who have progressed passed chemotherapy. The authors concluded that patients with less than three metastases (spread of cancer) would benefit most. Some background...
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“I’m barely 27 and if it were not for immunotherapy and cancer research, I would not have seen 25.” So starts Stefanie Joho speech at a 2017 Congressional Hearing called “Progress in Immunotherapy: Delivering Hope and Clinical Benefit to Cancer Patients.” When Stefanie was 22, she was diagnosed with a very aggressive Stage II...
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