In a nutshell This review evaluated the safety and efficacy of focal salvage ablative therapy for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer recurrence (return of the cancer) after radiation therapy. Some background Radiation therapy (RT) is often used to treat early stage prostate cancer. However, after RT, the cancer may recur, locally...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study compared two therapy options for early stage lung cancer patients. Standard surgery was compared to stereotactic body radiation therapy. Some background Early stage lung cancer is typically treated with surgery. At this stage of the disease, the cancer is generally manageable. However, some patients may not be able to...
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In a nutshell This article looked at the benefit on survival of short term hormone therapy called androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), in combination with radiation therapy, for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer. Some background Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate gland. Men with a healthy...
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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 study examined the efficacy of High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) as primary (main) treatment for patients with localized (confined) prostate cancer (PCa). Some background Localized PCa is cancer confined to the prostate gland. Usually, standard treatment for this stage is surgery or radiotherapy. A newer treatment...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study evaluated the long-term survival of prostate cancer patients who have experienced biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP) and adjuvant radiotherapy (aRT). The authors of the study found that certain features of the cancer can predict poorer survival rates. Some background Many newly diagnosed patients...
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In a nutshell The present study evaluated the efficacy of dutasteride (Avodart) in delaying PSA progression in patients who experienced recurrence after radical therapy for prostate cancer (PCa). PCa progression was significantly reduced in patients who received treatment with dutasteride. Some background Most patients with PCa receive treatment...
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In a nutshell In patients with recurrent breast cancer, knowledge of regional lymph node involvement serves as an important guide for disease prognosis and treatment decisions. The study presented here investigates the feasibility of “repeat sentinel node biopsy” (SNB) as a prognostic indicator instead of the more invasive “axillary...
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In a nutshell The present article evaluated the time interval and site of relapse (return of the cancer) as well as survival rates in stage III melanoma patients who were considered cured after treatment. Some background Stage III melanoma is skin cancer that has spread to the nearby lymph nodes. Further classification (III A, III B and III...
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In a nutshell This article presents the results of a phase II clinical trial that evaluated the efficacy and safety of the combination of two targeted therapies – cetuximab and erlotinib – for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Some background Colorectal cancer that has spread outside the large...
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In a nutshell The present paper compares long-term survival rates of surgery versus non-operative treatments in patients with recurrent rectal cancer (RRC). Some background Rectal cancer is cancer in the final section of the large intestine, or rectum. Surgery to remove the cancer is the first choice of treatment, but chemotherapy with or...
Read MoreIn a nutshell The present study evaluated the efficacy of a new drug, Regorafenib, for the treatment of refractory (progressing despite several lines of treatment) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Some background Many of the patients with colorectal cancer do not present any symptoms in the early stages of the disease so the cancer...
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