In a nutshell This article compares the risk of complications following different treatment for prostate cancer; namely surgery and radiotherapy. Some background Prostatectomy is surgery to remove all or part of the prostate gland, and is one of the main treatments for prostate cancer. Radiotherapy is also often used, and this uses radiation...
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Can circulating tumor cells predict the outcomes of newly diagnosed inflammatory breast cancer?
In a nutshell This paper studied whether or not circulating tumor cells could predict outcomes for patients with inflammatory breast cancer. Some background Inflammatory breast cancer refers to breast cancer where cancer cells have blocked the lymph vessels (vessels containing lymph, a colorless liquid that transports the body's immune...
Read MoreRadiation treatment and improved survival in prostate cancer patients
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the 10-year outcome in patients treated with brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer. Some background Localized prostate cancer is cancer that is confined within the prostate gland. It can often be treated with brachytherapy, a form of radiation that places radioactive seeds...
Read MoreA new estrogen drug for hormone therapy in prostate cancer; early results
In a nutshell This Phase II (early phase) study aimed to evaluate the safety and side effects of GTx-758, a drug that is being researched as a therapy for lowering testosterone levels in the blood stream. Some background Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT – a form of hormone therapy that lowers testosterone levels) remains the most...
Read MoreFinding new indicators of disease outlook in non-small cell lung cancer
In a nutshell This study investigated whether the levels of certain cancer markers (CEC and soluble CD146) could predict the outcome for patients with non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing surgery. Some background Markers for a disease are generally proteins which are detected at high levels in one group of patients. These markers can be...
Read MoreComparison of two drug combinations for treating colorectal cancer that has spread
In a nutshell The authors compared two drug combinations for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Some background Metastatic colorectal cancer indicates the cancer has spread from the colon or rectum to other parts of the body. Treatment often includes a combination of chemotherapy drugs such as FOLFOX...
Read MoreFocal therapy and its effect in prostate cancer
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the effects of focal therapy on prostate cancer patient outcome. Some background Index lesion focal therapy is a form of non-invasive treatment that uses energy to target a specific region of the prostate that contains cancer, causing minimal damage to healthy tissue and less-severe side-effects...
Read MoreImmune cell therapy in non-small cell lung cancer
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the effect of cytokine-induced killer cells for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Some background Cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK) are man-made immune cells (fight infection and disease) that can recognize infected or cancerous cells in the absence of other immune cells, which allows for...
Read MoreSurgery as a single or combination treatment in skin cancer
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the differences between surgery alone or in combination with biopsy in treating skin cancer. Some background Sentinel-node biopsy (removes tissue from the lymph node (site that holds immune cells) to determine cancer progression) is the standard-of-care in skin cancer. Wide local excision is a...
Read MoreHormone therapy in prostate cancer treatment
In a nutshell The authors aimed to identify emerging and current hormone treatments available for prostate cancer. Some background Male hormones are active in healthy cell growth and play a large role in cancer development in patients with prostate cancer by aiding cancer cell growth. Hormone therapy targets the male sex hormones produced during...
Read MoreCan peritoneal spread be prevented in high risk colon cancer patients?
In a nutshell This study compared two treatment approaches on the long-term outcomes of colon cancer patients at risk of peritoneal metastases (spread of the cancer to the lining of the abdomen). Some background The spread of colon cancer to the peritoneum is a life-threatening condition. One treatment is cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic...
Read MoreSalvage prostate surgery and factors affecting patient outcome
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine patient outcome after salvage prostate surgery using patient information. Some background Prostate surgery is a common cancer treatment that involves surgically removing the prostate gland. Salvage prostate surgery is carried out after radiation therapy (involves directing a beam of radiation at the...
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