In a nutshell This study compared breast cancer recurrence rates and overall survival between women treated with breast-conserving surgery versus radical mastectomy. Results showed that in the case of small tumors, breast-conserving surgery is the recommended option. Some background Most patients with breast cancer have surgery to remove the...
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In a nutshell This article evaluates the use of Calcium and magnesium (Ca/Mg) infusions for the prevention of Oxaliplatin-related neurological side effects in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The main findings were that Ca/Mg helps preventing neuro-toxic side effects of Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy regimens. Some background...
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In a nutshell Tamoxifen treatment is given to many breast cancer patients after surgery to prevent recurrences and improve survival. It is usually given for a maximum of 5 years. This study determined that longer treatments offer further survival benefit. Some background Tamoxifen is a drug used against breast cancers which produce...
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In a nutshell This article presents summarized data from two clinical trials. The trials evaluated the addition of Capecitabine to standard postoperative chemotherapy for patients with high risk early breast cancer. Some background Capecitabine is a chemotherapy drug that is taken orally and slows the growth of tumors. It can be...
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This article summarizes recent findings regarding cognitive problems and decline in patients previously treated with chemotherapy. It gives a comprehensive overview of results from neuropsychological, imaging and animal studies. It also proposes investigating post-chemotherapy mental decline in the context of the normal aging process. In long...
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In a nutshell This study questioned the benefit of adding chemotherapy to postoperative hormonal treatment in the case of lobular breast cancer. Their findings were that chemotherapy seems to offer no additional beneficial effects in women with lobular breast cancer receiving hormonal therapy. Some background There are two main types of breast...
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In a nutshell The present study evaluated whether combining Bevacizumab (Avastin) with chemotherapy for patients with stage IV (metastatic) colorectal cancer (CRC) has any benefits in the terms of survival and quality of life. Main findings: Bevacizumab may be beneficial only as part of certain chemotherapy regimens. Some...
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In a nutshell The present article compared survival rates of adjuvant chemotherapy regimens with and without Oxaliplatin in patients with stage III colon cancer. This article shows that Oxaliplatin improved survival in large clinical trials. Some background Treatment for patients with stage III colon cancer consists of surgery to...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The present study evaluated the association between time until initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy and survival in colorectal cancer patients. The main findings were that a shorter time until adjuvant chemotherapy improves survival rates in patients with resected colorectal cancer. Some background Colorectal cancers that are within...
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In a nutshell This paper assessed the benefits of giving systemic (whole-body) chemotherapy in cancers of the appendix, when surgery combined with intraperitoneal chemotherapy was not an option. Some background Cancers of the appendix are rare, accounting for about 1% of all colon cancers. However, some of these tumors are aggressive and quickly...
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In a nutshell The present study evaluated whether the presence of cancer cells in the blood stream predicts a worse prognosis in women with operable breast cancer. The main finding was that progression-free survival (time before cancer progression) and overall survival were lower if circulating cancer cells were detected in the blood. Some background...
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In a nutshell The present study evaluated the effects of systemic chemotherapy and cytoreductive surgery (CRS) on survival in patients with aggressive types of cancer of the appendix (poorly differentiated and signet ring cell adenocarcinoma). The main findings were that systemic chemotherapy appears to be a viable treatment option for these types of...
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