‘Chemobrain’ is the colloquial term for changes in cognitive functioning following chemotherapy for cancer treatment. As a result of a growing need, more cancer centers started testing interventions for cancer-related cognitive dysfunction, notably cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The paper presents an overview on current studies...
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In a nutshell This review presents the recommendations of The American Cancer Society and the US Multi-Society Task Force on the use of colonoscopy for the follow up of patients with resected colorectal cancer (CRC). Some background Patients who undergo surgery for CRC with curative-intent (complete removal of the cancer) are candidates for...
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In a nutshell This study looks at the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer with chemoradiation prior to surgery, and if there are variations in the cancer genes which make some more sensitive to this treatment than others. They find that changes in three individual genes made cancers less sensitive to chemoradiation, and may be a useful...
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This article presents results of recent studies concerning the interplay between the body's chemistry and behavioral factors that influence colorectal cancer (CRC) recurrence. Recent advances in CRC treatment have produced new and promising biological treatments. However, tumors sometimes have unique features that render many of these therapies...
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In a nutshell This article evaluated the long-term quality of life of patients with rectal cancer, treated with either a short course of radiation before surgery, or postoperative chemo-radiation. Patients treated with pre-operative radiation reported worse sexual- and bowel-related functional outcomes. Some background In patients with...
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In a nutshell The present study evaluated the safety, adverse effects and cancer outcomes of Salvage Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy (sRALP) in patients with recurrent prostate cancer. The procedure was surgically safe, yet 18% of the patients had another recurrence within 16 months of surgery. Some background...
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In a nutshell This study compared breast cancer recurrence rates and overall survival between women treated with breast-conserving surgery versus radical mastectomy. Results showed that in the case of small tumors, breast-conserving surgery is the recommended option. Some background Most patients with breast cancer have surgery to remove the...
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This article discusses how tests such as the Oncotype DX or Mammaprint can be used to design individual treatment plans for patients with breast cancer. Patients with stage I and stage II breast cancer are treated similarly. Following surgical removal of a breast tumor, systemic (body-wide) treatment is often used. This secondary treatment is...
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In a nutshell The present study compared the long-term efficacy and safety of different adjuvant chemotherapy regimens for breast cancer. Main results: chemotherapy clearly provides survival benefits; the higher the dosage, the higher the survival rates, despite more toxicity. Some background Many women with early stage breast cancer receive...
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In a nutshell This article evaluated whether the interval to biochemical failure (IBF) can be used as a prediction factor for prostate cancer mortality. The IBF was found to be the best current predictor of prostate cancer mortality in patients previously treated with radiation therapy. Some background Biochemical failure is defined...
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In a nutshell This paper evaluated the use of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) to treat recurrent prostate cancers that are confined to the prostate gland (T1 and T2) and that have previously been treated with External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT). HIFU treatment has led to minimal PSA levels, and negative biopsies in about 58% of the...
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This paper reviews chemotherapy options for triple-negative breast cancers. Breast cancer cells express 3 main receptors that can be targeted with therapy: Estrogen receptors (ER), Progesterone receptors (PR) and HER2. Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) do not express these 3 receptors and make up approximately 15% of breast cancers. Such tumors do...
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