In a nutshell This paper reviews the use of subcutaneous trastuzumab. Some background The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a protein involved in tumour cell growth and division. HER2 is associated with more aggressive disease and is a target for therapy. Trastuzumab (Herceptin) targets HER2 and is approved...
Read More
In a nutshell The authors examined how often castration-resistant prostate cancer spreads to the visceral organs of the body. Some background Castration-resistant cancer occurs when patients eventually become resistant to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT – therapy intended to reduce the production of male sex hormones or inhibit their...
Read More
In a nutshell This paper analyzes the effect of age and type of cancer on brain metastasis in breast cancer patients. Some background Brain metastasis(cancer that spreads to brain) occurs in 3-6% of breast cancer patients. Age and receptor status (absence or presence of particular receptors, proteins on the surface of the cell) are risk...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The authors evaluated the safety and efficacy of administering interleukin-2 directly into in-transit lesions in melanoma patients. Some background In-transit melanoma is defined as melanoma deposits within the lymphatic vessels more than 2cm from the site of the primary melanoma. If in-transit disease is left unchecked, these...
Read More
In a nutshell The authors aimed to investigate the main sites of metastasis in metastatic prostate cancer. Some background While most new prostate cancer diagnoses involve localized disease (cancer that is still confined to the prostate), up to 17% of patients may experience metastatic disease (spread of the cancer). There is little data...
Read More
In a nutshell The authors evaluated the effect of residual melanoma after excision of the primary tumor on prognosis in cutaneous melanoma. Some background Cutaneous melanoma is the most malignant form of skin cancer, which accounts for 90% of all deaths caused by skin cancer. When a cutaneous melanoma is suspected, an excisional biopsy (removal...
Read More
In a nutshell The authors evaluated the differences in surgical, cancer-related and quality of life outcomes between robot-assisted prostatectomy and retropubic prostatectomy. Some background Robot-assisted laproscopic radical prostatectomy has become increasingly common in prostate cancer treatment. It is a minimally...
Read More
In a nutshell This study evaluated the use of prostate-specific antigen doubling time as a marker of effectiveness of the personalized peptide vaccination for castration-resistant prostate cancer. Some background Cancer vaccine is one of the attractive treatment modalities for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (progression despite...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The authors aimed to evaluate if a new definition of biochemical recurrence is appropriate in prostate cancer treated with radical external beam radiation. Some background Prostate-specific antigen is a protein that is found at higher levels in the blood when prostate cancer is present. After prostatectomy (surgery to remove the...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The authors evaluated the long-term outcomes of patients undergoing surgical resection for retroperitoneal recurrence of colorectal cancer. Some background Patients who undergo curative resection (surgical removal of the cancer) for primary colorectal cancer have a 30–50% chance of disease recurrence (return of the disease)....
Read More
In a nutshell This study examined the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab and docetaxel in HER2 positive and negative metastatic breast cancer patients. Some background Tumors depend on angiogenesis, or the growth of new blood vessels, for growth. Vascular endothelial growth factor is a protein essential for the blood...
Read More
In a nutshell This article evaluated best treatment options for wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) lung cancer. Specifically, it compared outcomes using EGFR-targeted drugs versus conventional chemotherapy. Some background The EGFR gene is responsible for building a specific protein needed by cancer cells to multiply. Mutations...
Read More
