Do physicians understand their patients? Writing for Scope blog, Jessica Rice described her experience asking difficult questions of her physicians. “I consider myself a down-to-earth, logical creature; looking at the facts and hearing the truth is strangely comforting to me. This is why I recently asked, ‘What will dying be like if it’s the...
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In a nutshell This analysis compared survival rates, recurrence rates and complication rates in patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and those who underwent open lobectomy. Some background Patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer may undergo lobectomy (surgical removal of a lobe of the lung) to remove the cancer....
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In a nutshell This study examined whether biomarkers were predictive of recurrence (return of the cancer) and overall survival rates in patients with lung cancer. Some background Treatment for stage 2 or 3 lung cancer generally includes the surgical removal (resection) of the tumor, followed by additional (adjuvant) therapies such as chemotherapy...
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Why do patients blog? Why do they reveal personal information and medical experiences on the Internet? 1) To Share Information Annette McKinnon, author of ‘Here’s Your Gold Watch, Rheutired,’ started her blog “to inform people about things I learned that seem obvious to me now, but were hard to learn.” Carolyn Thomas, author of “My Heart...
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In a nutshell This study analyzed the efficacy and safety of a combination of carboplatin and S-1 in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Some background NSCLC accounts for 85% of lung cancers, and appears in two distinct histological subtypes; squamous cell carcinoma and non-squamous cell carcinoma....
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In a nutshell This review examined the use of thermal ablation techniques as treatment for patients with lung cancer. Some background Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer. For those diagnosed at early stages, surgical removal of the tumor is the best option for optimal survival. However, lung cancer is often not...
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In a nutshell This study evaluated the quality of life of patients with lung cancer undergoing different chemotherapy regimens. Some background Chemotherapy uses one or multiple drugs to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells and is a common treatment for patients with lung cancer, since some lung cancers cannot be surgically removed and most lung...
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In a nutshell This analysis examined the predictive value of circulating tumor cells in non-small cell lung cancer. Some background Non-small cell lung cancer has a high mortality rate, due to metastases (spread of the disease) and a 25–50% local recurrence (return of the cancer) rate. There are currently few ways to determine which patients...
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In a nutshell This review examined the effectiveness of chemotherapy in the treatment of extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer. Some background Small cell lung cancer is an aggressive form of lung cancer, which often progresses very quickly. In the majority of cases the cancer has already metastasized (spread) beyond the lungs by the time of...
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(This post is by guest blogger Rann Patterson and contains her personal views and opinions). (Updated Jan 15, 2014: To correct error in identity of app highlighted). Cancer patients usually have lymph nodes removed during surgery. The lymphatic system can be thought of, by analogy, as a person’s “water system” and works in tandem with the...
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In a nutshell This clinical trial compared the efficacy and safety of a combined chemotherapy regimen of nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) plus carboplatin (Paraplatin) versus solvent-based paclitaxel (Taxol) plus carboplatin in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) basing on the microscopic appearance of the cancer tissue...
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In a nutshell This study compared the effectiveness of radiotherapy started at different times during the treatment of small-cell lung cancer. Some background Treatment of small-cell lung cancer often includes a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, the optimal timing of radiotherapy is still a matter of some debate. When...
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