In a nutshell The authors aimed to evaluate a series of treatments used for advanced breast cancer; this was a review of chemotherapy drugs such as paclitaxel (Taxol), doxetaxel (Taxotere) and nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane). Some background Taxanes are a group of chemotherapy drugs used commonly in locally advanced (cancer has spread into nearby...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to assess the effectiveness of radiotherapy treatment (uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA) on women with breast cancer who have previously had surgery. Some background Breast- conserving surgery (removes the breast cancer but not the breast itself) is just one method of breast...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The authors aimed to assess the effect of ipilimumab (Yervoy) as an additional therapy after surgery in advanced (stage III) melanoma patients who were at a high risk of relapse. Some background In the advanced stage of melanoma (stage III), cancer spreads from the skin to nearby lymph nodes (tiny, bean-shaped organs that help fight...
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In a nutshell The objective of this study was to determine if enzalutamide (Xtandi) is both safe and effective in patients with prostate cancer not previously treated with hormone therapy. Some background Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is one of the main treatments for advanced prostate cancer. Many ADT drugs can lower levels of...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine whether hormone therapy alone or hormone therapy combined with radiation improved survival in prostate cancer patients. Some background Hormone therapy is a type of prostate cancer treatment that targets the male sex hormones active in prostate cancer, such as testosterone. Radiation therapy...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine how microscopic vessel invasion affects lung cancer patient outcome. Some background The visceral pleura are the membranes surrounding the lungs. In lung cancer, the presence of tumors in the visceral pleura (known as visceral pleural invasion – VPI), is a factor used in standard...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine whether long-term hormone treatment was superior to short-term treatment when used with radiation therapy. Some background Radiotherapy and hormone therapy are common treatments used in prostate cancer patients. Radiotherapy involves directing a beam of radiation at the tumor site in order to kill...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the effect of hepatic intra-arterial (HIA) compared to intravenous (IV) fotemustine (Muphoran) treatment in patients with liver tumors from uveal melanoma. Some background Uveal melanoma is a rare form of cancer that occurs in the eye. In 5% of patients this will lead to cancer spread into other parts...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the effects of sildenafil citrate in improving sexual function after radiotherapy. Some background Radiotherapy is the use of high-energy rays to target and cure cancer with minimal damage to normal cells and is a common treatment option in prostate cancer. It can be given from outside the body or from...
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In a nutshell This paper studied whether observation or radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery (surgery to remove part of breast) was better for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ. Some background Ductal carcinoma in situ describes cancer that starts in the milk ducts of the breast, and that has not spread to surrounding breast...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The authors aimed to determine how effective magnetic resonance imaging is in monitoring patients with prostate cancer undergoing active surveillance. Some background Active surveillance is used in patients with favorable-risk prostate cancer (very low or low risk – cancer cannot be felt or seen by imaging or is localised to...
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In a nutshell This study investigated if measuring the levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) after cancer therapy could indicate a cure or if the patient should be considered for long term androgen deprivation (suppression) therapy. The main finding was that lower PSA blood levels predict better survival in patients with prostate cancer. Some...
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