In a nutshell This study examined the effects of antibiotics or proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs on treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The authors found that both antibiotics and PPIs reduced the effectiveness of biological therapy but not chemotherapy. Some background Not all patients with NSCLC respond to...
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Managing joint and muscle pain in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with ibrutinib
In a nutshell The study evaluated the occurrence and risks of joint/muscle pain as side effects of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The authors found that 36% of patients developed joint/muscle pain and most were younger and females receiving ibrutinib as the first treatment. Some background Ibrutinib kills...
Read MoreWhat gut-related side effects do immunotherapy drugs and chemotherapy cause patients with cancer?
In a nutshell This study examined if certain immunotherapy drugs increased the risk of developing side effects in the gut in patients with cancer also receiving chemotherapy. The results showed that immunotherapy drugs increased the risks of developing gut-related side effects compared to chemotherapy alone. Some background Immunotherapy drugs that...
Read MoreAfatinib as first-line treatment for advanced EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer
In a nutshell This study wanted to see how well the medication afatinib (Giotrif) works in real-life settings, outside of clinical trials in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study found that patients treated with afatinib had a good response rate and survival. Some background There are many...
Read MoreEvaluating immune-related side effects associated with pembrolizumab.
In a nutshell This study wanted to find out what put patients at risk of having immune-related side effects when they were treated with pembrolizumab (Keytruda). The study found that patients with a higher body mass index (BMI; a measurement of weight in relation to height) and more cycles of treatment were more likely to determine immune-related side...
Read MoreEnding trastuzumab treatment in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who are in radiological complete remission
In a nutshell This study aimed to investigate the effect of stopping trastuzumab treatment in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer with radiological complete remission. This study concluded that trastuzumab may be safely stopped in selected patients with radiological complete...
Read MoreEpidermal growth factor ointment improves the treatment of skin side effects in patients receiving treatment for lung cancer
In a nutshell This study investigated the effectiveness of epidermal growth factor (EGF) ointment to treat skin side effects in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor treatment. Researchers suggested that EGF ointment improves the outcomes and quality of life of these patients. Some...
Read MoreEpidermal growth factor ointment improves the treatment of skin side effects in patients receiving treatment for colorectal cancer
In a nutshell This study investigated the effectiveness of epidermal growth factor (EGF) ointment to treat skin side effects in patients with colorectal cancer receiving epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor treatment. Researchers suggested that EGF ointment improves the outcomes and quality of life of these patients. Some background...
Read MoreIs there an increased risk of fatigue and anemia after treatment with olaparib?
In a nutshell This study investigated the risk of fatigue and anemia with olaparib (Lynparza) treatment. The study found that there is an increased risk of fatigue and anemia with this treatment. Some background Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer affecting women. Some types of BC are caused by genetic mutations. These...
Read MoreSearching for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia to try a new combination of targeted treatments.
In a nutshell This study is searching for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) to try a new drug ruxolitinib (NSC-752295) with BCR-ABL Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors. The main outcome that will be measured is the rate of significant reduction of the BCR-ABL marker. This trial is recruiting across the United States. The details BCR-ABL is a protein...
Read MoreStopping TKI treatment in chronic myeloid leukemia
In a nutshell This study was an update on the guidelines of stopping tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). New guidelines confirm the safety of stopping TKI therapy in patients with CML. Some background Chronic myeloid leukemia is often treated with TKI therapy. These are drugs which...
Read MoreLooking for patients with lung cancer to test a new immunotherapy combination
In a nutshell This phase 1/2 trial is examining the effectiveness of durvalumab (Imfinzi) and monalizumab to treat patients with solid tumors, including lung cancer. The main outcomes to be measured are tumor response to the treatment and side effects. The details Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Chemotherapy is only of limited...
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