In a nutshell This item reviewed treatment guidelines that have been recommended for early stage breast cancer. Some background The St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference gathers leading experts in breast cancer research and makes treatment guidelines. The 2017 conference has added to the consensus on dose escalation or de-escalation...
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In a nutshell This study examined accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) in comparison to whole breast irradiation (WBI) after surgery. They concluded that survival and long-term side-effects are the same for both treatments. However, ABPI had a higher rate of local recurrence as compared to WBI. Some background For early stage breast...
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In a nutshell This study investigated the effectiveness of psychological care (PC) in melanoma patients with fear of recurrence (when the cancer comes back). Researchers suggested that PC was associated with a decrease of fear and stress related to the cancer. Some background Follow-up of the melanoma patient is important for...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study investigated the accuracy and reliability of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNLB) before neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAST) has begun in breast cancer patients. The study concluded that SLNB before NAST is highly reliable. The authors suggested that patients with a negative SLNB may be able to avoid lymph node removal and...
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In a nutshell This study investigated the use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging as a prognostic tool in primary breast cancer (BC) patients. The study concluded that MR imaging can identify features which can be used to help predict the risk of distant metastasis (cancer spread to other areas) in patients. Some background Between 20-30%...
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In a nutshell This study investigated the impact of whole breast radiation therapy (WBRT) and accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) on the severity of post-treatment side effects and quality of life. This study concluded that both forms of radiation therapy (RT) show similar survival benefits and similar quality of life in early-stage breast...
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In a nutshell This study investigated whether a high proportion of dense breast tissue is associated with an increased risk of developing contralateral breast cancer (CBC, cancer in the other breast). This study determined that those with dense breasts at the time of original diagnosis were significantly more likely to develop CBC than those...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study investigated the complications that occur after intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) treatment. The authors concluded that IORT is generally a safe treatment to use with BCS. Some background Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) treats breast cancer by removing just the tumor from the affected breast. IORT is sometimes...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study investigated the outcomes of localized surgery following chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CRT) in rectal cancer. Researchers suggested that localized surgery should only be considered after a complete response to CRT. Some background Radical surgery or total mesorectal excision (TME; bowel and lymph nodes around...
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In a nutshell This study investigated the safety of localized surgery compared with total mesorectal excision (TME; bowel and lymph nodes around the tumor are removed) in early stages (0 and 1) of rectal cancer. Researchers reported that localized surgery is as efficient as TME in early stages of rectal cancer. Some background Chemotherapy...
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In a nutshell This study looked at the risk of developing contralateral breast cancer (CBC) in patients with or without BRCA mutations. The study concluded that age at the time of first cancer diagnosis is a strong risk factor for CBC in patients with BRCA. Some background Contralateral breast cancer (CBC) is the development of a second new breast...
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In a nutshell This study investigated the outcome of a new type of surgery for rectal cancer. Some background A main treatment for rectal cancer is surgery to remove the tumor (resection) and to reattach the remaining ends of the digestive tract (anastomosis). In the past, this surgery has been done through one large cut in the abdomen, a fairly...
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