In a nutshell This study examined how COVID-19 infection affects patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy and the role of other factors in COVID-19 complications. The results showed that patients with advanced age and other medical conditions had a higher risk of COVID-19 complications but chemotherapy treatment did not need to be stopped. Some...
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Tucatinib plus trastuzumab and capecitabine increased survival of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer spread to the brain
In a nutshell This study looked at treating patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer and brain metastases (BM) with tucatinib (Tukysa) plus trastuzumab (Herceptin) and capecitabine (Xeloda). This study found that this treatment reduces the risk of cancer worsening in these...
Read MoreEffects of stopping asparaginase therapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
In a nutshell The study evaluated outcomes after stopping PEG–asparaginase (PEG-ANAse; Oncaspar) and substituting with Erwinia ASNase (Elspar) in children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). The main finding was that completely stopping ASNase was associated with poorer outcomes in such patients. Some background...
Read MoreCan biological drug pembrolizumab added to chemotherapy improve treatment results long-term for patients with non-small cell lung cancer?
In a nutshell This study examined if the addition of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to chemotherapy with pemetrexed (Alimta) and platinum improved treatment results long-term for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The authors found that patients who received pembrolizumab with chemotherapy had improved survival and...
Read MoreCan acupuncture help patients with nerve damage following chemotherapy for breast cancer?
In a nutshell This study examined if acupuncture is an effective treatment for patients with nerve damage caused by chemotherapy for breast cancer. The results showed that patients had improved sensory and muscle symptoms, less pain, and improved quality of life following acupuncture treatment. Some background One side effect of chemotherapy is...
Read MoreHow effective is a modified anti-nausea and vomiting treatment for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy?
In a nutshell This study examined the effectiveness of a modified anti-nausea and vomiting treatment for patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) receiving high-dose (HD) chemotherapy. The results showed that netupitant/palonosetron (NEPA; Akynzeo) alone was very effective and safe for these patients. Some background Chemotherapy...
Read MoreWhich chemotherapy combination causes less kidney damage to patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
In a nutshell This study compared two chemotherapy combinations – R-DHAP and R-DHAOx – to see which caused less kidney damage in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The results showed that fewer patients receiving R-DHAOx developed poor kidney function than patients receiving R-DHAP. Some background Combinations of chemotherapy...
Read MoreDoes immune cell boosting drug G-CSF reduce the effects of chemotherapy in different cancers?
In a nutshell This study examined the effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) given as a preventative measure in patients with high- and medium-risk cancer receiving chemotherapy. The results showed that preventative G-CSF allowed more patients to complete chemotherapy treatment and lowered patients’ chances of developing secondary...
Read MoreHow does maintenance therapy affect quality of life for patients with DLBCL?
In a nutshell This study evaluated lenalidomide (Revlimid) maintenance therapy versus placebo for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The authors found that lenalidomide increased the number of side effects but did not impact health status. Some background DLBCL is an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma....
Read MoreVenetoclax in patients with acute myeloid leukemia where hypomethylating agents have failed
In a nutshell This study aimed to investigate if venetoclax would enable patients with acute myeloid leukemia to overcome disease progression after hypomethylating agents. This study concluded that adding venetoclax to these patient's treatment may result in a substantial...
Read MoreHeart side effects and anthracyline medications – what is the benefit/risk in breast cancer?
In a nutshell This study investigated the effectiveness and side effects on the heart of anthracycline-based therapies (ABTs) for breast cancer. They found that non-doxorubicin (non-DXR) ABTs had a better benefit/risk ratio (BRR) than DXR alone. Some background Anthracycline-based therapies (ABTs) are commonly used to treat breast...
Read MoreEvaluating the heart side effects of anthracycline treatment in patients with AML undergoing stem cell transplantation
In a nutshell This study evaluated the side effects associated with anthracycline treatment in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who undergo stem cell transplantation (SCT). This study concluded that anthracycline treatment may impact survival outcomes for these patients after a SCT. Some background Cytarabine (Ara-C) plus an anthracycline...
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