This paper studied whether the mitotic activity index (levels of mitotic activity) could be used to predict the outcomes in lymph node-negative invasive breast cancer patients (breast cancer that has spread to surrounding tissues but not the lymph nodes). 

The authors evaluated the safety and effectiveness of certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) in patients with low to moderate rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 

This trial aims to study the restriction of calories in patients with stage 0-I breast cancer during surgery and radiation therapy. The outcome to be measured is the proportion of patients who adhere to the diet restriction and its effects on their health. 

This paper studied the effect of individualized complementary medicine on quality of life in breast cancer patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cetrorelix in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with high gonadotropin hormone levels.

The aim of this trial is to determine whether eribulin (Halaven) is safe and effective as a first- or second-line treatment for human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) negative, metastatic breast cancer (cancer that is not dependent on HER2 for growth, and has spread beyond the breast).

The outcomes measured in this trial will include progression-free survival (time from treatment until the cancer progresses) and time and duration of the response (how long before the cancer shows a response to the treatment, such as tumor shrinkage, and how long that response lasts). The number of adverse (negative) side effects will also be measured, particularly neuropathy, a condition that causes numbness and tingling in the fingers and toes.

Cognitive side effects to chemotherapy, often called “chemobrain” or “chemofog”, are a growing concern among cancer survivors. Symptoms such as a decline in memory, concentration and executive functions (such as organization or attention) are often described. Cognitive changes can cause significant distress and prevent a return to the quality of life experienced before treatment.

Recent studies have started to unravel the way chemotherapy agents affect the brain. Imaging of patients after chemotherapy show that treatments produce structural and functional changes in the brain. A number of explanations have been suggested for these changes after chemotherapy. Inflammatory changes in the brain, low hormone levels, or toxic destruction of nerve cells are a few examples.

Currently, there is no recognized treatment for cognitive dysfunction following chemotherapy. A greater understanding of the causes for cognitive decline will be key to finding ways of preventing or treating the effects of chemobrain.

Some studies have focused on the ability of the hippocampal region of the brain to form new nerve cells (called neurogenesis). Several cognitive and mood disorders, such as memory decline, fatigue and depression, have been linked to problems with neurogenesis.

Two recent studies investigating breast cancer patients focused specifically on the hippocampus. In one study, breast cancer survivors showed an average reduction of 8% in hippocampal size compared with healthy controls. Hippocampal shrinkage in this study was associated with the ability to retrieve facts from memory. Similarly, a second study found that the size of the hippocampus on the left side of the brain was reduced by nearly 7% in chemotherapy-exposed patients compared with healthy controls. Left hippocampal size was associated in this study with verbal memory performance (such as remembering words). Additional studies have also linked reduced hippocampus size in chemotherapy-exposed patients with deficits in figural and visual memory.

Only a few studies have reported chemotherapy-related effects on hippocampal function (rather than size). In all of these studies, activation of the hippocampus was less effecient and less functional in patients treated with chemotherapy.

Taken together, an increasing number of studies suggest that cognitive dysfunction following chemotherapy is associated with changes in the hippocampal region of the brain. Impaired hippocampal neurogenesis may be a contributing factor to cognitive decline, and key to preventing or treating chemobrain.

The authors evaluated whether there was a difference in the treatment response rates between invasive lobular carcinoma and invasive ductal carcinoma.

The authors aimed to determine whether the detection of certain immune response cells in our body had any prognostic (outlook) significance.

The authors analyzed the effect of dose reduction in rheumatoid arthritis patients (RA) in remission (disease recovery).