This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the relative effectiveness and vascular access device (VAD)-related complications of VADs in people requiring prolonged systemic anti-cancer treatment.

Recent studies have investigated the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage breast cancer. However, there is an ongoing debate about the optimal approach for integrating this strategy.

To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib targeted therapy for the treatment of patients with advanced digestive system neoplasms (DSNs).

Bleomycin, originally an antitumor drug, was explored as a pathological scar treatment in the mid-1990s. However, its efficacy and safety profile varies among individuals.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a primary CNS tumor that is highly lethal in adults and has limited treatment options. Despite advancements in understanding the GBM biology, the standard treatment for GBM has remained unchanged for more than a decade. Only 6.8% of patients survive beyond five years. Telomerase, particularly the hTERT promoter mutations present in up to 80% of GBM cases, represents a promising therapeutic target due to its role in sustaining telomere length and cancer cell proliferation. This review examines the biology of telomerase in GBM and explores potential telomerase-targeted therapies. We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA-P guidelines in the MEDLINE/PubMed and Scopus databases, from January 1995 to April 2024. We searched for suitable articles by utilizing the terms "GBM", "high-grade gliomas", "hTERT" and "telomerase". We incorporated studies addressing telomerase-targeted therapies into GBM studies, excluding non-English articles, reviews, and meta-analyses. We evaluated a total of 777 records and 46 full texts, including 36 studies in the final review. Several compounds aimed at inhibiting hTERT transcription demonstrated promising preclinical outcomes; however, they were unsuccessful in clinical trials owing to intricate regulatory pathways and inadequate pharmacokinetics. Direct hTERT inhibitors encountered numerous obstacles, including a prolonged latency for telomere shortening and the activation of the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). The G-quadruplex DNA stabilizers appeared to be potential indirect inhibitors, but further clinical studies are required. Imetelstat, the only telomerase inhibitor that has undergone clinical trials, has demonstrated efficacy in various cancers, but its efficacy in GBM has been limited. Telomerase-targeted therapies in GBM is challenging due to complex hTERT regulation and inadequate inhibitor pharmacokinetics. Our study demonstrates that, despite promising preclinical results, no Telomerase inhibitors have been approved for GBM, and clinical trials have been largely unsuccessful. Future strategies may include Telomerase-based vaccines and multi-target inhibitors, which may provide more effective treatments when combined with a better understanding of telomere dynamics and tumor biology. These treatments have the potential to be integrated with existing ones and to improve the outcomes for patients with GBM.

To evaluate the effect of oncology services rendered by clinical pharmacists on reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and improving overall treatment experiences.

A systematic review of the literature found fifteen articles on the effect of a botulinum toxin on neoplastic cell lines and eight articles on in vivo neoplasms. The reported in vitro effects rely on high doses or the mechanical disruption of cell membranes to introduce the botulinum neurotoxin into the cell cytoplasm. The potency of the botulinum neurotoxin to intoxicate non-neuronal cells (even cell lines expressing an appropriate protein receptor) is several orders of magnitude lower compared to that to intoxicate the primary neurons. The data suggest that the botulinum toxin disrupts the progression of cancer cells, with some studies reporting apoptotic effects. A majority of the data in the in vivo studies also showed similar results. No safety issues were disclosed in the in vivo studies. Limited studies have suggested similar anti-neoplastic potential for the clostridium difficile. New modes of delivery have been tested to enhance the in vivo delivery of the botulinum toxin to neoplastic cells. Careful controlled studies are necessary to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of this mode of anti-neoplastic treatment in humans.

Endocrine therapy is the standard treatment for hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC). Yet, it is accompanied by treatment-related toxicities, leading to poor treatment adherence, high relapse, and low rates of survival. While pharmacogenomic variants have the potential to guide personalized treatment, their predictive value is inconsistent across published studies.

Oral mucositis is a frequent adverse reaction in cancer treatment. Probiotics exhibit anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties that could prevent the occurrence of severe oral mucositis (SOM) induced by chemotherapy or radiation therapy in patients. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the influence of probiotics on the incidence of SOM in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

We conducted this meta-analysis to investigate neurological toxicities with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) in cancer patients. Databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from 1 January 2000 to 1 November 2023. Forty-six RCTs and 9529 patients were included. PARPis could increase the risk of all-grade headache [risk ratio (RR), 1.22; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.14-1.30; P < 0.00001], dizziness (RR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.28-1.53; P < 0.00001), dysgeusia (RR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.44-2.60; P < 0.0001) and insomnia (RR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.09-1.60; P < 0.0001) in cancer patients. Headache was the most common neurological toxicity. Niraparib was associated with a higher risk of headache and insomnia, talazoparib with a higher risk of dizziness and rucaparib with a higher risk of dysgeusia. Breast cancer patients receiving PARPis have a higher risk of dysgeusia, while ovarian cancer patients are at an increased risk of insomnia. PARPis may increase the risk of mild to moderate neurological toxicities, but not severe ones.

Cancer survivors are at increased risk of heart failure (HF). While cardiotoxicity is commonly sought at the time of cancer chemotherapy, HF develops as a result of multiple 'hits' over time, and there is limited evidence regarding the frequency and causes of HF during survivorship.

The plant genus Tacca comprises twenty species including Tacca plantaginea, essentially distributed in the Indo-China region. Medicinal preparations from the rhizomes are used traditionally to treat gastrointestinal ailments, stomach aches and inflammatory disorders. A variety of bioactive molecules have been isolated from T. plantaginea, including potent anticancer steroids such as the taccanolides which interfere with microtubules dynamic. Other efficient anticancer natural products have been isolated from the plant, in particular a series of diosgenin/yamogenin-type sapogenins including taccaoside (monodesmosidic) and taccaoside A (bidesmosidic). Taccaoside A displays marked anticancer properties through two complementary mechanisms: a direct action on cancer stem cells via HRas and Pi3K/Akt signaling and an indirect immunomodulatory action via activation of cytotoxic T cells. A similar mechanism of action has been invoked with a total saponin extract from Schizocapsa plantaginea Hance (synonym to T. plantaginea) and the saponin SSPH 1. This saponin reduced tumor growth in mice through stimulation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Other bioactive products have been isolated from T. plantaginea, including withanolide-type steroids (plantagiolides, chantriolides), diarylheptanoids (plantagineosides) and different saponins (diosbulbisides, lieguonins). The discussion centers around the mechanism of action of spirostanol saponins, with the objective to promote their study as immuno-active anticancer agents.

The extensive utilization of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) has achieved significant advancements in the treatment of diverse solid tumors. The present meta-analysis aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) plus PD-1 inhibitors for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC).

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) improve outcomes in a wide range of cancers; however, serious adverse effects, including cardiovascular adverse effects (CVAEs), can occur.

Baduanjin was also called Eight Brocades (EB), a branch of Qigong exercise, is classified as a mild-to-moderate intensity aerobic exercise. It has been theorized that regular practice of EB can alleviate anxiety and depression in patients undergoing chemotherapy; however, there are currently no comprehensive quantitative reviews on the efficacy of EB for this population. Therefore, this meta-analysis aims to investigate the effects of EB on chemotherapy-treated patients.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) can cause treatment delays or discontinuation. Exercise can improve CIPN, but the effects have been inconsistent.

Growing evidence suggests that immunotherapy has a positive effect on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases (BMs). However, it remains unclear which type of immunotherapy is more efficient. The aim of this network meta-analysis (NMA) was to compare the efficacy and safety of different immunotherapy types and determine the optimal option.

The previous effects of acupuncture-related interventions in improving chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) symptoms and quality of life (QoL) remain unclear in terms of pairwise comparisons.

Metronomic capecitabine has been found to be useful in several types of cancers such as pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and metastatic colorectal cancer. This unique systematic literature review and meta-analysis was undertaken to assess the effectiveness and safety of metronomic capecitabine as a treatment regimen for hepatocellular carcinoma.

The clinical benefits of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based treatments in treating individuals with advanced EGFR-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have progressed on EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) remain controversial. We aimed to review the literature to comprehensively investigate the individual and comparative clinical outcomes of various ICI-based treatment strategies in this population.