PIK3CA mutation appears to predict a lack of response to anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, the predictive value of PIK3CA mutations for survival remains inconclusive. Here, we pooled the data from published studies to estimate the association between PIK3CA mutation and survival outcomes in mCRC patients treated with anti-EGFR mAbs.

To derive a more precise estimation on the safety and efficacy of calcium and magnesium (Ca and Mg) infusions in the prevention of oxaliplatin-induced sensory neuropathy.

To assess the impact of preoperative neoadjuvant bevacizumab (Bev) on the outcome of patients undergoing resection for colorectal liver metastases (CLM).

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is standard first-line treatment for metastatic urothelial carcinoma. However, cisplatin is frequently avoided in elderly patients due to concerns regarding toxicities. We analyzed the efficacy, and tolerability, of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in elderly patients.

Bevacizumab is a recombinant, humanised, monoclonal antibody against the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), the aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

To identify whether regular aspirin use protects against esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) and if so, the effect of the duration and frequency of drug exposure.

It has been found that the epigenetic silence of tumor suppressor genes induced by overexpression of histone deacetylases (HDACs) plays an important role in carcinogenesis. HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) that block the activity of specific HDACs have emerged as the accessory therapeutic agents for multiple human cancers. To better understand the effects of HDACi in cancer treatment, we carried out a review based on 30 published clinical trials to determine whether HDACi will benefit patients with solid tumors. Information of complete response, partial response, stable disease, objective responses and objective response rate was collected to assess clinical outcomes. A lack of therapeutic effects was observed when HDACi was used as a single agent. However, when HDACi treatment was combined with other agents, it appeared to increase the anti-tumor activity. High-quality studies are required to better understand the clinical effects of HDACi.

To analize the current role of target therapies in the treatment of small renal masses.

To compare the effects of intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) and intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injections for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME).

This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the efficacy of different anthracyclines and anthracycline dosing schedules for induction therapy in acute myeloid leukaemia in children and adults younger than 60 years of age. Twenty-nine randomized controlled trials were eligible for inclusion in the review. Idarubicin (IDA), in comparison to daunorubicin (DNR), reduced remission failure rates (risk ratio (RR) 0·81; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0·66-0·99; P = 0·04), but did not alter rates of early death or overall mortality. Superiority of IDA for remission induction was limited to studies with a DNR/IDA dose ratio <5 (ratio <5: RR 0·65; 95% CI, 0·51-0·81; P < 0·001; ratio ≥5: RR 1·03; 95% CI, 0·91-1·16; P = 0·63). Higher-dose DNR, compared to lower-dose DNR, was associated with reduced rates for remission failure (RR 0·75; 95% CI, 0·60-0·94; P = 0·003) and overall mortality (RR 0·83; 95% CI, 0·75-0·93; P < 0·001), but not for early death. Comparisons of several other anthracycline derivates did not reveal significant differences in outcomes. Survival estimates in adults suggest that both high-dose DNR (90 mg/m(2) daily × 3 or 50 mg/m(2) daily × 5) and IDA (12 mg/m(2) daily × 3) can achieve 5-year survival rates of between 40 and 50 percent.

Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) has an anti-tumour effect in-vitro and in animal models of malignancy; however, the evidence from clinical trials is controversial. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis from the results of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to assess LMWH efficacy and safety in cancer patients who had no venous thromboembolism (VTE).

To compare the efficacy and safety of short-term versus long-term hormonotherapy (HT) plus radiotherapy (RT) or prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer.

Recent studies suggest that the combination of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) may have a synergistic effect for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Ipilimumab is a human antibody that inhibits cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4, leading to increases in T-cell activation and interleukin 2 secretion and has been approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma. Dermatologic adverse events such as rash, pruritus, and vitiligo have been reported in trials, with varying incidences. The overall incidence and risk of rash to ipilimumab is unknown.

WHAT'S KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT? AND WHAT DOES THE STUDY ADD?: The benefits of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) are well recognized and a multitude of studies have documented the benefits of ADT in conjunction with other therapies. Given the widespread use of ADT due to its important clinical implications, it is imperative that clinicians understand the side effects to limit treatment-related morbidity. There are numerous well recognized adverse effects of ADT, including vasomotor flushing, loss of libido and impotence, fatigue, gynaecomastia, anaemia, osteoporosis and metabolic complications, as well as effects on cardiovascular health and bone density. Present study focuses on the most recent evidence-based treatment options for various side effects of ADT.

To evaluate the effect of Bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy on overall survival of patients with metastatic solid tumors.

Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) reduce the need for transfusions and improve the quality of life in patients receiving chemotherapy, but several clinical trials have suggested that ESA might have a negative impact on survival. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ESA, epoetin beta and darbepoetin alfa, including their impact on overall survival and thromboembolic events, we conducted an individual data-based meta-analysis of three randomized, placebo-controlled trials studying Japanese patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia. All trials were conducted in compliance with Good Clinical Practice. A total of 511 patients with solid tumor or lymphoma (epoetin beta or darbepoetin alfa, n = 273; placebo, n = 238) were included. The ESA significantly reduced the risk of transfusion (relative risk, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.29-0.76). No significant effect of the ESA on overall survival was observed (unadjusted hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-1.34). A prespecified subgroup analysis showed no strong interaction between the baseline hemoglobin concentration and the effect of ESA on overall survival. Among the ESA-treated patients, the highest hemoglobin achieved during the treatment period in each patient had no impact on mortality. No increase in thromboembolic events was observed in the ESA-treated patients (0.7% vs 1.7% placebo). The ESA reduced the risk of transfusion without a negative impact on the survival of patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia.

A trial-level meta-analysis was conducted to determine the relative risk (RR) of venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) associated with approved vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Eligible studies included randomized phase 2 and 3 trials comparing arms with and without a Food and Drug Administration-approved VEGFR TKI (sunitinib, sorafenib, pazopanib, vandetanib, and axitinib). Statistical analyses calculated the RR and 95% confidence intervals (CI), using random-effects or fixed-effects models based on heterogeneity. A total of 7441 patients from 9 phase III trials and 8 phase II trials were selected. The RR of all grade and high-grade VTEs for the TKI vs. no TKI arms was 1.10 (95% CI 0.73-1.66, p=0.64) and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.58-1.25, p=0.41), respectively. No difference in risk was found based on tumor type, age and trial design. The majority of trials exhibited high quality per Jadad scoring and no heterogeneity or publication bias was found.

Patients with cancer experience acute and chronic symptoms caused by their underlying disease or by the treatment. While numerous studies have examined the impact of various treatments on symptoms experienced by cancer patients, there are inconsistencies regarding the symptoms measured and reported in treatment trials. This article presents a systematic review of the research literature of the prevalence and severity of symptoms in patients undergoing cancer treatment.

Genetic variations are related to individual differences of DNA repair ability and drug metabolism, which can greatly influence prognosis of antineoplastic agents, such as oxaliplatin. The aim was to explore the influences of X-ray repair cross-complementing 1(XRCC1) and Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) genetic variants on prognosis of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in colorectal cancer patients.