In a nutshell This study compared the safety and effectiveness of afatinib (Gilotrif) and erlotinib (Tarceva) as second-line treatments for advanced squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Authors reported improved survival and disease progression with afatinib compared to erlotinib. Both treatments were associated with a good safety profile. Some background...
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In a nutshell In this study, the American Society of Clinical Oncology Provisional Clinical Opinion (PCO) updated recommendations for treating metastatic (spread to other organs) colorectal cancer patients with RAS gene mutation. Some background RAS mutation (change) is one of the most common in colorectal tumors. This mutation can affect the...
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In a nutshell This study investigated the safety and efficacy of chemotherapy (capecitabine and oxaliplatin, or XELOX) combined with bevacizumab (Avastin) as treatment for metastatic (spread to other areas of the body) colorectal cancer in patients 75 or more years old. Researchers suggested that XELOX plus bevacizumab was effective in patients aged...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine whether or not the breast cancer treatment trastuzumab (Herceptin) increased the risk of developing certain infections. Some background Human epidermal growth factor receptor positive (HER2+) breast cancers are dependent on the HER2 protein for growth. It is often targeted with a particular...
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In a nutshell This study looked at the usefulness of radiotherapy in combination with EGFR inhibitors in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Some background 66% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) develop stage IV cancer, where the cancer spreads to both lungs and...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to assess the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine used with conventional breast cancer treatments on breast cancer survival. Some background Traditional Chinese medicine is an alternative therapy that can complement breast cancer treatments. This generally includes various forms of herbal medicine,...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to identify the impact of trastuzumab on cardiac (heart) function when treatment was not specifically restricted to those with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer. Some background Trastuzumab is a type of targeted drug used to treat breast cancer. Specifically, it targets...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine whether levels of YAP protein could predict the success of treatment in patients with lung cancer. Some background YAP protein is a protein active in many cancers that can have a positive or negative effect depending on the location. When YAP protein is present in the nucleus (brain of the cancer...
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In a nutshell This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab (Avastin) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer aged 70 and above versus younger patients. Some background Bevacizumab is a new biologic therapy (a medicine extracted from biological sources e.g. produced by cell lines) for cancer treatment. It works by blocking the...
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In a nutshell This study evaluated how cetuximab (Erbitux) might be safely and effectively added to intermittent (a planned interruption in the treatment) chemotherapy regimens. Some background Advanced colorectal cancer is treated with a combination of cytotoxic drugs and novel treatments. Cytotoxic drugs, including chemotherapy, work by killing...
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In a nutshell This study evaluated whether specific microRNA expression was predictive of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) treatment success in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (late stage cancer that has spread to distant sites). Some background MicroRNA’s are small messengers that help to regulate expression of...
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In a nutshell This paper studied the safety and efficacy of sunitinib (Sutent) in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin) in the treatment of advanced breast cancer. Some background Trastuzumab is used to treat metastatic (cancer that has spread to other parts of the body) breast cancer that is human epidermal growth factor receptor 2...
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