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There has long been an appreciation of the risk of cognitive decline associated with chemotherapy but questions remain about the magnitude and duration of the observed deficits. In this meta-analysis of studies that included neuropsychological assessments at a minimum of 6 months after completion of breast cancer chemotherapy, definite but small deficits were found for both verbal and visuospatial capabilities. In this analysis, age and educational status were not found to be moderators of acquired deficits.
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Women who last give birth at age 40 or older have a 44% decreased risk of endometrial cancer when compared to women who have their last birth under the age of 25, according to results of a new international study.1
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Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy has become the standard approach for patients with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma. For patients who achieve a complete response determined preoperatively, less than maximally aggressive surgery has been contemplated. However, improved accuracy of the preoperative assessment needs to be established. In the current prospective evaluation, assessments of response were made with and without the use of PET/CT in a consecutive series and it was found that the additional scans were useful adjuncts to comprehensive clinical examination.
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Results of this well-done trial strongly suggest that CoQ10 administration over 24 weeks' time does not help relieve the treatment-related fatigue experienced by a significant proportion of women with newly diagnosed breast cancer.
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A 57-year-old retail pharmacist presented to his primary care physician because of progressive headaches, blurry vision, hearing loss, and episodes of confusion. He had not had night sweats, fever, or weight loss. On physical examination he was found to be pale and there were ecchymoses over his upper and lower extremities that he reported occurred spontaneously over the past 3 months. He had attributed these to his current medications including both aspirin (81 mg/day) and clopidogrel (75 mg/day), although he had been taking these medications for more than 5 years without noticing ecchymoses in the past. He did not have palpable lymphadenopathy nor was there splenomegaly.
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In this single-institute pilot study, 30 subjects with hepatocellular cancer were randomized to transarterial chemoembolization with or without bevacizumab. Bevacizumab use significantly improved progression-free survival at 16 weeks but no significant difference was seen with respect to the primary outcome (vessel count) or in the overall survival.
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Lorcaserin for weight loss; statins and fatigue; treatment-resistant gonorrhea; hydrocodone classification changes; USPSTF recommendations; and FDA actions.
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In a multicenter, Phase 3 trial, perioperative chemoradiotherapy with capecitabine proved safe and equivalently effective as fluorouracil in reducing local recurrence. In fact, post hoc analysis demonstrated better disease-free and overall survival for those treated with capecitabine. This is a finding that will resonate in the offices of community-based oncologists.
