In a nutshell This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of radiation treatment (RT) given after breast-conserving surgery. The main findings are that RT leads to a dramatic drop in cancer recurrences and a moderately improved survival rate 15 years after the operation. Some background Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) involves the removal of...
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In a nutshell The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between survival outcomes and specific adverse events (AEs) in patients after menopause (postmenopausal) with breast cancer treated with hormone therapy. Some background Most breast cancers grow in response to estrogen, the main female sex hormone. Therefore, hormone therapy...
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In a nutshell This study tested the effect of complete axillary lymph node removal, on survival without recurrence of the cancer (called disease free survival or DFS) in patients with breast cancer. Some background Lymph nodes are small organs which are part of the immune system. They filter fluid called lymph. Lymph can be thought of as the...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The study compared survival rates in patients with early stage breast cancer treated with mastectomy versus lumpectomy plus radiation therapy. Some background Most breast cancers grow in response to female hormones (estrogen or progesterone), via their receptor (a protein found on the surface of the cancer cells). These cancers are...
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In a nutshell This review summarizes the outcomes of surgical treatment for rectal cancer in elderly patients. Some background The risk of developing rectal cancer increases with age. Up to half of the patients with rectal cancer are 75 or older. However, elderly patients also have other health problems, thus they are exposed to a higher risk of...
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In a nutshell The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and utility of a wait and see policy in patients with rectal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy. Some background Treatment options for patients with rectal cancer (cancer in the final part of the large bowel) is chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy (together called...
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In a nutshell This phase 3 clinical trial investigated the safety and efficacy of lapatinib (Tykerb) in women with HER2 positive early-stage breast cancer. Some background HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer is a type of cancer where a protein named human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is present on the surface of the breast...
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In a nutshell This article looked at the use of a platinum based chemotherapy (cisplatin) to a non-platinum based chemotherapy for patients with triple negative breast cancer. Some background Most breast cancers have on their surface some proteins called receptors that help the breast cancers grow. These can be hormone receptors (estrogen or...
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In a nutshell This review analyzed the results from several clinical trials which compared the benefits of the standard dose of 250mg of fulvestrant (Ful) once a month to higher doses in breast cancer patients. Some background Some breast cancers need estrogen (a female sex hormone) to grow. Cancer cells respond to estrogen via...
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In a nutshell This phase 3 clinical trial tested whether everolimus (a non-hormonal treatment) added to hormone therapy with exemestane improved survival in patients with advanced breast cancer (BCa). Some background Some BCa are fueled by female sex hormones (estrogen or progesterone) that help them grow. These types of cancer are called...
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In a nutshell This article evaluated whether the use of a minimally invasive diagnostic technique called laparoscopy before surgery to treat peritoneal carcinomatosis improves the selection of patients who can benefit the most from treatment. The authors of the study found that laparoscopy can be used to select patients for whom surgery may be a...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study compared the short- and long-term outcomes of two types of surgery for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC): open surgery (OS) versus laparoscopic surgery (LS). LS led to less pain following surgery, shorter hospital stays, faster recovery times, and improved survival rates. Some background CRC is very common,...
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