In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the effect of interleukin-2 in treating in-transit skin cancer. Some background In-transit skin cancer is cancer that has progressed into the lymph nodes (sites that hold the immune cells) from the primary site of cancer. Interleukin-2 (IL-2, Proleukin, Aldesleukin) is a man-made protein...
Read MoreCurrent treatment status-Undergoing active treatment-Progressive despite several lines of treatment Posts on Medivizor
Ipilimumab treatment improves survival in advanced skin cancer patients
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine long-term survival in advanced skin cancer patients treated with ipilimumab. Some background Advanced melanoma is skin cancer that has spread deep within the skin to other sites of the body. There are limited treatments available for advanced skin cancer and patients have poor five-year survival...
Read MoreImmune cell therapy in non-small cell lung cancer
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the effect of cytokine-induced killer cells for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. Some background Cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK) are man-made immune cells (fight infection and disease) that can recognize infected or cancerous cells in the absence of other immune cells, which allows for...
Read MoreNivolumab treatment for malignant skin cancer
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the effect of nivolumab in treating malignant skin cancer. Some background Nivolumab (Opdivo) is a man-made immune cell made to attack a specific disease that has been approved for treating malignant skin cancer (cancer that has spread throughout the body). Nivolumab functions by attaching to a...
Read MoreSalvage prostate surgery and factors affecting patient outcome
In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine patient outcome after salvage prostate surgery using patient information. Some background Prostate surgery is a common cancer treatment that involves surgically removing the prostate gland. Salvage prostate surgery is carried out after radiation therapy (involves directing a beam of radiation at the...
Read MoreCan gemcitabine plus cisplatin be used in metastatic cancer?
In a nutshell This paper studied the safety and effectiveness of a weekly low dose treatment with gemcitabine (Gemzar) and cisplatin (Platinol) in patients with breast cancer that is metastatic (has spread to other parts of the body). Some background Gemcitabine is a chemotherapy drug that is inhibits cell growth. It can be administered...
Read MoreDoes T-DM1 have a different impact on symptoms in breast cancer compared to alternative treatment?
In a nutshell This study evaluated the benefit of the new HER2-targeted therapy T-DM1 compared to an often-used alternative treatment. Some background Breast cancers expressing the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 protein are known as HER2-positive cancer. In recent years therapies that directly target the HER2 protein, for...
Read MoreIs lapatinib plus vinorelbine effective in HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer?
In a nutshell This paper studied the effectiveness of lapatinib (Tyverb) plus vinorelbine (Navelbine) in treating women with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer. Some background Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive breast cancer (elevated levels of HER2 protein in cells) is associated with worse cancer outcome....
Read MoreWhat happens if the first treatment strategy fails?
In a nutshell This study examined patterns in the use of salvage therapy when primary treatment has failed. Some background The most common type of primary therapy is surgery or radiation. Unfortunately, primary therapy does not guarantee that patients will remain cancer free. Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate,...
Read MoreCan a cancer vaccine increase prostate-specific antigen doubling time?
In a nutshell This study evaluated the use of prostate-specific antigen doubling time as a marker of effectiveness of the personalized peptide vaccination for castration-resistant prostate cancer. Some background Cancer vaccine is one of the attractive treatment modalities for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (progression despite...
Read MoreIGF-R; a new target for prostate cancer treatment?
In a nutshell This review explored the use of insulin-like growth factor receptor blockers as treatment for castration-resistant prostate cancer. Some background Prostate cancer is dependent on androgens, male hormones such as testosterone, for growth. Therefore androgen deprivation therapy, which blocks the production or action of testosterone...
Read MoreCabazitaxel works better than mitoxantrone as treatment for metastatic prostate cancer.
In a nutshell This study compared the effect of two chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. Survival rates and pain relief were compared with cabazitaxel (jevtana) or mitoxantrone (novantrone) therapy. Some background Testosterone, the main male sex hormone, facilitates in the growth of...
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