In a nutshell This study investigated the long term risk of axillary (underarm lymph node) recurrence in breast cancer (BC) patients who were not treated with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) following a negative sentinel node biopsy (SNB) result. The study concluded that the risk of axillary recurrence after 10 years was lower than expected after...
Read MoreCurrent stage-Stage II Posts on Medivizor
The accuracy and relevancy of sentinel lymph node biopsy before neoadjuvant systemic therapy in breast cancer
In 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...
Read MorePost-surgery anastomotic leakage and stenosis is associated with pre-surgery radiation therapy
In a nutshell This study investigated the impact of radiation therapy (RT) followed by surgery in rectal cancer patients. Researchers suggested that RT increases the risk of anastomotic leakage and narrowing (stenosis) after rectal cancer. Some background Surgery for rectal cancer often involves the rejoining of two parts of intestine. Anastomotic...
Read MoreSurgery has higher curative rates than endoscopic tumor removal in early colorectal cancers
In a nutshell This study investigated the efficiency of endoscopic methods for tumor removal in early colorectal cancers when compared to surgery. Researchers reported that surgery is associated with higher curative rates when compared to endoscopic tumor removal. Some background Surgical removal of the tumor is the standard treatment for...
Read MorePost-surgery complications associated with reduced survival rates in colon cancer
In a nutshell This study investigated the association between the most frequent post-surgery complications and survival rates and recurrences (when the cancer comes back). Researchers reported that post-surgery complications have a strong impact on short and long term survival. Some background A high number of patients with colorectal cancer...
Read MoreInvestigation of the effectiveness and safety of treatment with neratinib
In a nutshell This study investigated the effectiveness and safety of neratinib treatment in patients with early-stage HER2+ breast cancer. The study concluded that neratinib significantly improved 2-year invasive disease-free survival in women with HER2+ breast cancer. Some background HER2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer is dependent on the...
Read MoreSurvival and recurrence in scalp melanoma
In a nutshell The authors analyzed the patterns of survival and recurrence in patients with scalp (the skin covering the head but not the face) melanoma. Some background Head and neck skin melanomas occur in less than 20% of all cases. It is associated with worse outcome than melanoma of other body parts. Scalp melanoma is part of head and neck...
Read MoreThe effects of not receiving appropriate breast cancer treatment
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the recurrence (the cancer returns) rates in women with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer who do not receive anti-HER2+ therapy. Some background HER2+ breast cancer is a specific sub-type of breast cancer dependent on the HER2 protein for growth. It is often...
Read MoreDo levels of cell proliferation predict outcomes in breast cancer?
In a nutshell This paper studied whether the mitotic activity index (levels of mitotic activity) could be used to predict the outcomes in lymph node-negative invasive breast cancer patients (breast cancer that has spread to surrounding tissues but not the lymph nodes). Some background Mitotic activity index is a measurement of the number of...
Read MoreThe effects of chemotherapy on thyroid function
In a nutshell The authors aimed to assess whether chemotherapy has an impact on thyroid function. Some background The thyroid is an endocrine gland (tissue that releases hormones) found in the neck. It controls how quickly the body uses energy used in the body, how the body reacts to other hormones and makes proteins. Thyroid hormones can...
Read MoreLymph node testing in rectal cancer patients: is 12 still the magic number?
In a nutshell This study examined whether removing 12 lymph nodes is still valid for correctly staging rectal cancer patients. Some background Assessing whether cancer has spread to the local lymph nodes is important for correctly staging rectal cancer and correctly treating the cancer after surgery. Current guidelines for staging rectal cancer...
Read MoreNon-small cell lung cancer – no survival benefit between two types of surgery
In a nutshell This study compared the long-term outcome for non-small cell lung cancer patients who underwent video-assisted surgery and those who underwent open lung surgery. Some background Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) involves making cuts in the chest wall and placing a scope specifically designed to view the lungs through...
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