In a nutshell The authors determined the factors that affected survival in prostate cancer patients with bone tumors when treated with zoledronic acid (Zometa, INN, Reclast). Some background Hormone therapy is commonly used to treat prostate cancer. It involves targeting the male sex hormones active in prostate cancer, such as...
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In a nutshell This study looked at the survival of patients with advanced rectal cancer when treated with chemotherapy either before or after chemoradiation and surgery. Some background A common treatment option for rectal cancer is a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy (chemoradiation) followed by surgery. Further...
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In a nutshell This study compared the outcomes of laparoscopic surgery (where a few small cuts are made in the skin) and open surgery (where one or more larger cuts are made) combined with a specialized recovery program after surgery. Some background When compared with open surgery, laparoscopic surgery leads to...
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In a nutshell The authors compared nivolumab (Opdivo) in combination with ipilimumab (Yervoy) to ipilimumab alone in the treatment of advanced melanoma. Some background In the advanced stages of melanoma (stage III/IV), cancer spreads from the skin to other parts of the body. In many melanoma...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to evaluate whether there was a difference between the rates of local recurrence (the cancer returns to or near the site of the original tumor) in invasive lobular carcinoma and invasive ductal carcinoma. Some background Invasive lobular carcinoma is characterized as cancer that begins in the milk-producing lobules...
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In a nutshell The authors determined the benefit of measuring tumor cells in the blood for the treatment of advanced melanoma. Some background Treatment options for advanced melanoma include targeted therapy (targeting specific genes or proteins) and immunotherapy (using the body’s own immune system to fight cancer)....
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In a nutshell This study compared at a new radiotherapy technique to common radiotherapy treatments for Non-small cell lung cancer patients (NSCLC). Some background Radiation therapy uses high energy radiation to kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA (the genetic material found in cells). Radiation therapy usually involves low...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the risks of cancer recurrence (the cancer returns) between the time of hormone or endocrine therapy and the 10 years following. Some background Endocrine therapy is used as treatment against particular cancers that may grow in response to hormones natural to our body. This includes hormone...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine both the effectiveness and toxicity of a type of chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Some background Adjuvant chemotherapy is a course of chemotherapy that patients often receive after their main treatment. Chemotherapy can reduce the risk of cancer recurrence (the cancer returns) and improve...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to evaluate the point at which the removal of a node in patients with breast cancer was necessary. Some background Sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) are first nodes (small bean-shaped organs located close to blood vessels) to which cancer can spread. Cancer-positive SLN’s have become increasingly prevalent in ductal...
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In a nutshell This study looked at the benefits of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in treating patients with lung cancer and brain metastases (cancer that has spread to the brain). Some background Lung cancer is the most common cause of brain metastases (BM). The usual treatment in this scenario is both radiation and...
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In a nutshell The authors evaluated a scoring system known as genomic classifier (GC) score that could indicate spread of cancer in prostate canecr patients after surgery and radiation therapy. Some background Prostate surgery and radiation therapy are common treatments in prostate cancer. Prostate surgery involves...
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