Most patients on Tamoxifen receive a standard dose of medication. However, patients may benefit more from individually adjusted doses. This paper highlights potential strategies for personalized Tamoxifen treatments. Tamoxifen is not active on its own. Once ingested, the body converts it into other substances (metabolites). Some of these...
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In a nutshell The present study evaluated the long-term quality of life (QOL) for patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) who had cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and HIPEC (hyperthermic perioperative chemotherapy). Main findings: patients who survived the procedure regained their baseline (pre-operative) QOL within 6-12 months after...
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In a nutshell The present study compared the efficacy of two surgical techniques to treat pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP): debulking and cytoreduction. Cytoreductive surgery achieved better surgical results and yielded higher 3- and 5-year survival rates, compared with debulking. Some background PMP is a rare condition caused by the production of...
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In a nutshell This article evaluated the long-term quality of life of patients with rectal cancer, treated with either a short course of radiation before surgery, or postoperative chemo-radiation. Patients treated with pre-operative radiation reported worse sexual- and bowel-related functional outcomes. Some background In patients with...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The present study classified tumors of the appendix and reviewed treatments that aim to prevent cancer spread to the abdominal cavity. Some background Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare condition caused by the production of too much mucin (a protein that is secreted in mucus). PMP affects women more than men and symptoms...
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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...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study evaluated if strategies to prevent cancer recurrence are associated with prolonged survival 15 years after treatment. Their main findings were that postoperative radiation managed to prevent cancer recurrence and was associated with higher rates of long-term survival. Some background Early breast cancer is often treated...
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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 discusses how tests such as the Oncotype DX or Mammaprint can be used to design individual treatment plans for patients with breast cancer. Patients with stage I and stage II breast cancer are treated similarly. Following surgical removal of a breast tumor, systemic (body-wide) treatment is often used. This secondary treatment is...
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In a nutshell This study compared survival rates for two surgical strategies in treating invasive breast cancer. The main finding was that the targeted Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection (SLND) procedure was just as effective as the traditional Axillary Lymph Node Dissection (ALND) surgery. Some background Lymph from the breast drains...
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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 compared the survival benefits of two drug combinations used for adjuvant chemotherapy: Capecitabine/Oxaliplatin (Xelox) versus Fluorouracil/Folinic Acid (FU/FA). The study found Xelox to be a superior therapy for stage III colon cancer. Some background Stage III colon cancer is cancer...
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