In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the effects of BAP1 protein in uveal melanoma. Some background Uveal melanoma is a rare form of cancer that occurs in the eye. BAP1 protein is involved in cell development and growth in healthy cells. Research has shown that patients who lack the BAP1 protein have an increased risk of tumor...
Read MoreCurrent stage-Stage III Posts on Medivizor
Lymph 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 MoreTafinlar vs DTIC in metastatic melanoma; which has better quality-of-life outcomes?
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the quality-of-life benefits for metastatic melanoma patients treated with dabrafenib compared to dacarbazine. Some background Metastatic melanoma is melanoma that has spread out to other parts of the body from the primary tumor site. Dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and dacarbazine (DTIC) are drugs used to treat...
Read MoreCombo of taxane + bevacizumab + capecitabine is not recommended in metastatic breast cancer
In a nutshell The authors studied the efficacy of taxanes (class of drugs including paclitaxel [Taxol] and docetaxel [Taxotere]) plus bevacizumab (Avastin) with or without capecitabine (Xeloda) in treating metastatic breast cancer. Some background Bevacizumab has been studied for the treatment of breast cancer that is metastatic (that...
Read MoreVemurafenib – a safe and effective treatment option for BRAFV600 mutated melanoma patients
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the safety profile of vemurafenib in patients with BRAFV600 mutated metastatic melanoma with few treatment options remaining. Some background BRAF (protein in the body that controls cell growth) mutations are one of the key factors that lead to melanoma development. In particular, BRAFV600 (a...
Read MoreImmunotherapy after chemotherapy shows promising results in advanced melanoma
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine survival and response rates of patients treated with immunotherapy following regional chemotherapy. Some background Regional chemotherapy is chemotherapy that targets a specific area in the body. It is carried out using isolated limb infusion (isolates blood flow to the limb to allow for a more...
Read MoreComparing surgical techniques: less invasive surgery reduces the interval between surgery and chemotherapy
In a nutshell This study investigated the effect of the surgical technique on the timing of chemotherapy administration. Some background Colon surgery (colectomy) is the main treatment for curing patients with colorectal cancer. There are 2 possible surgical techniques: laparoscopic surgery or open surgery. Laparoscopic surgery is a more recent,...
Read MoreLong-term survival: laparoscopic surgery versus open surgery
In a nutshell In this study the authors examined whether laparoscopic surgery (a modern, minimally-invasive technique involving very small incisions) is as effective as open surgery (original technique where a large incision is made) for patients with colon cancer. Some background Surgery is the main treatment for curing...
Read MoreDoes administration of capecitabine and oxaliplatin both before and alongside radiotherapy improve cancer outcomes?
In a nutshell The authors evaluated the short term effectiveness and safety of capecitabine and oxaliplatin administered prior to and then alongside radiotherapy for high-risk locally advanced rectal cancer. Some background Although neoadjuvant (before surgery) chemoradiotherapy has signifcantly reduced the risk of local...
Read MoreThe 8-week wait; could reducing the time between surgery and chemotherapy improve survival?
In a nutshell This study assessed the association between overall survival and time between surgery and chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients. Some background Colorectal resection, surgery to remove part or all of the colon or rectum, is the standard of care in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Additional chemotherapy following surgery...
Read MoreVemurafenib verified as treatment of choice in BRAF-mutated advanced melanomas
In a nutshell This study compared the effects of vemurafenib (Zelboraf) and dacarbazine on clinical outcomes in patients with BRAF-v600E or BRAF-v600K mutation-positive melanoma. Some background A mutated BRAF protein, important in directing cell growth, is believed to be responsible for 40% to 60% of all melanomas. Mutations in genes...
Read MoreLymphadenectomy timing and disease prognosis
In a nutshell This study evaluated the timing of lymphadenectomy and its impact on the outcome of melanoma patients with lymph node metastasis. Some background Among melanoma patients, spread of the cancer to the regional lymph nodes (referred to as lymph node involvement or lymph node metastasis) is known to significantly increase the risk...
Read More
