In a nutshell The authors identified treatments available for men with advanced prostate cancer who were resistant to hormone therapy (castration-resistant). Some background Hormone therapy is a standard treatment for prostate cancer. It targets the male sex hormones active in prostate cancer, such as testosterone. Some patients...
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In a nutshell The authors reviewed the benefits and safety of ado–trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla), a treatment for metastatic breast cancer (cancer that has spread to other areas of the body). Some background Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2) breast cancer depends on HER2 for growth. Treatments that target the HER2...
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In a nutshell This study looked at the usefulness of radiotherapy in combination with EGFR inhibitors in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Some background 66% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) develop stage IV cancer, where the cancer spreads to both lungs and...
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In a nutshell The authors analyzed the effect of using hormone therapy and targeted therapy, in combination, to treat bone tumors in prostate cancer patients. Some background Hormone therapy is a common treatment for prostate cancer. It reduces the level of male sex hormones (e.g. testosterone) in the body or prevent them from affecting...
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In a nutshell The authors analyzed the effectiveness of different skin-directed therapies for skin metastasis from advanced cancers. Some background Skin (cutaneous) metastasis is defined as the spread of cancer cells from the primary tumor to the skin. Based on reports, it is estimated that 5.3% of all cancer patients can develop skin...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The authors aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of lapatinib (Tyverb) as treatment for women with metastatic breast cancer (the tumor has spread to other organs) where previous treatment has proven ineffective. Some background Circulating tumor cells (CTC’s) are cells from a primary tumor that have migrated into the blood...
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In a nutshell The authors evaluated the factors that could predict development of brain metastasis in melanoma patients. Some background In advanced melanoma, cancer often spreads to the brain (brain metastasis). The functional changes in the body that accompany the symptoms of brain metastasis are currently unknown. However, if patients are...
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In a nutshell The authors reviewed the effectiveness of a group of drugs called epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) brain metastasis (cancer that has spread from the lungs to the brain). Some background There is a 20-40% risk that NSCLC will spread from the lung to the brain....
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In a nutshell This study investigated whether mutations (permanent change) in the KRAS gene can predict the development of lung metastases (spread of cancer to the lungs from the rectum or colon) in advanced colorectal cancer. Some background Colorectal tumors can have genetic mutations. One of the most common mutations is of the KRAS gene-an...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to assess the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine used with conventional breast cancer treatments on breast cancer survival. Some background Traditional Chinese medicine is an alternative therapy that can complement breast cancer treatments. This generally includes various forms of herbal medicine,...
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In a nutshell This paper studied the effect of lapatinib (Tyverb) plus capecitabine (Xeloda) versus trastuzumab (Herceptin) plus capecitabine in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Some background Trastuzumab is used to treat HER2 positive breast...
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In a nutshell This study aimed to assess use of dacomitinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had previously failed to respond to chemotherapy and erlotinib (Tarceva). Some background NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer. Erlotinib and gefitinib (Iressa) are used to treat NSCLC. They...
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