In a nutshell This study looked at the effect of adding bevacizumab (Avastin) to letrozole (Femara) treatment in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) metastatic (spread to other areas) breast cancer. They found that bevacizumab treatment prolonged the amount of time before patients experienced worsening of their...
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In a nutshell This review compared the combination of cetuximab (Erbitux) and chemotherapy to chemotherapy alone in treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The review found that combining cetuximab with chemotherapy is more effective than chemotherapy alone. It also found that although there were more adverse effects with the...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study compared the effectiveness and safety of nivolumab (Opdivo) and docetaxel (Taxotere) for the treatment of advanced squamous-cell non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study concluded that nivolumab is more effective and safer than docetaxel for this type of cancer. Some background PD-L1 is a protein that...
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In a nutshell This study compared the efficacy of antitumor drugs nivolumab (Opdivo) and docetaxel (Taxotere) in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study concluded that nivolumab has better activity in advanced nonsquamous NSCLC which express the ligand PD-L1 and has a safer toxicity profile overall than docetaxel. Some...
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In a nutshell This study investigated the effect of erlotinib (Tarceva) with high dose celecoxib (Celebrex) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Some background Some non-small cell lung cancers develop and grow due to a mutation (abnormality) in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene. EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors...
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In a nutshell This study examined the effectiveness of a blood test (commercially known as VeriStrat) used for predicting the benefit of EGFR inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer. Some background The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is involved in cell growth. Increased levels of EGFR can increase non-small cell lung...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The objective of this study was to determine whether addition of linifanib to a combination of carboplatin (Paraplatin) and paclitaxel (Taxol) could benefit advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Some background Nonsquamous NSCLC is a type of lung cancer where the cancer starts in cells other than...
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In a nutshell This study compared two treatment approaches on the long-term outcomes of colon cancer patients at risk of peritoneal metastases (spread of the cancer to the lining of the abdomen). Some background The spread of colon cancer to the peritoneum is a life-threatening condition. One treatment is cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The authors aimed to determine whether previous maintenance therapy with gemcitabine or erlotinib impaired pemetrexed treatment. Some background Maintenance therapy is the ongoing use of chemotherapy or another treatment given to help the primary treatment succeed and prevent cancer recurrence. Two drugs have been...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study evaluated the outcomes of patients with colon cancer (cancer of the large intestine) who underwent a procedure called sentinel lymph node microscopic analysis. Some background The lymphatic system is composed of lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes which drain the lymphatic fluid, and specialized cells of the immune system....
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In a nutshell This study evaluated the sexual and anorectal (the final part of the large bowel) functions after rectal cancer removal and radiotherapy. Some background The rectum is the lowest part of the large intestine, located behind the urinary bladder and nearby the nerves and structures that control sexual function. Usually, patients who...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This article reviewed several clinical studies where radical surgical procedures have been used to treat rectal cancer that has invaded the area of the pelvis. Some background The sacrum bone is the lowest part of the spine which sits between the hip bones. It is made up of 5 vertebrae which are separate bones during...
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