In a nutshell This article looked at 5-year outcomes of intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) for breast cancer (BC). The authors found that IORT may have a higher rate of cancer return compared to whole-breast radiation therapy (WBRT). Some background BC is one of the most common forms of cancer found in women. Standard care for BC is usually a...
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In a nutshell This article investigated the long-term safety and effectiveness of oncoplastic breast surgery (removal of the tumor and breast reconstruction at the same time) on women survivors of breast cancer. The authors concluded that this treatment is safe and resulted in acceptable long-term outcomes. Some background Breast conservative...
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In a nutshell This study aimed to examine breast conserving surgery (BCS) in combination with intra-operative radiotherapy (IORT) for patients who have previously had radiation treatment to the chest. This study found that BCS in combination with IORT provides good local control and overall survival in patients with previous chest...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study investigated the long term risk of axillary (underarm lymph node) recurrence in breast cancer (BC) patients who were not treated with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) following a negative sentinel node biopsy (SNB) result. The study concluded that the risk of axillary recurrence after 10 years was lower than expected after...
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In a nutshell This study investigated the role of trastuzumab (Herceptin) as part of standard care in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive (HER2+) early breast cancer (BC). The study conclude that trastuzumab was effective in general practice, including patients not often included in clinical trials (such as the...
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In a nutshell This study investigated the impact of whole breast radiation therapy (WBRT) and accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) on the severity of post-treatment side effects and quality of life. This study concluded that both forms of radiation therapy (RT) show similar survival benefits and similar quality of life in early-stage breast...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study investigated the complications that occur after intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) treatment. The authors concluded that IORT is generally a safe treatment to use with BCS. Some background Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) treats breast cancer by removing just the tumor from the affected breast. IORT is sometimes...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to assess the influence of possible infections following breast reconstruction on the risks of breast cancer recurrence. This study showed that post-operative complications or infections had a significant impact on the rates of breast cancer recurrence. Some background Breast reconstruction surgery is a procedure...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to assess whether adding pertuzumab (Perjeta) to chemotherapy could improve response in women with metastatic (has spread) breast cancer. This study showed that adding pertuzumab to chemotherapy resulted in higher response rates among women with breast cancer that relied on the human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) to...
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In a nutshell The authors aimed to determine the long-term effects of hormone therapy to treat post-menopausal women with advanced breast cancer. Some background Hormone therapy is a form of breast cancer treatment. It targets cancer cells that may be affected by hormones. It is often administered prior to surgery in patients who are unfit to...
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In a nutshell This article looked at the influence of calpain-9 on breast cancer survival following endocrine therapy. Some background Calpain-9 is a protein that is important in the processes of cell signalling (communication between cells). Irregular expression of these proteins can be seen in breast cancer and some of these proteins can even...
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In a nutshell This paper studied the outcomes of a skin-sparing mastectomy procedure. Some background More and more people are undergoing skin-sparing mastectomies. This is a treatment for breast cancer where breast tissue is removed, but the overlying skin is preserved as much as possible. It also allows for immediate breast...
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