Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
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Androgen-deprivation therapy is a commonly used treatment for men with prostate cancer; however, the adverse effects can be detrimental to patient health and quality of life. Exercise has been proposed as a strategy for ameliorating a range of these treatment-related adverse effects. We conducted a systematic review of the literature regarding the effects of exercise on treatment-related adverse effects in men receiving androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. ⋯ Among patients with prostate cancer treated with androgen-deprivation therapy, appropriately prescribed exercise is safe and may ameliorate a range of treatment-induced adverse effects. Ongoing research of high methodologic quality is required to consolidate and expand on current knowledge and to allow the development of specific evidence-based exercise prescription recommendations.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
High-dose cytarabine in induction treatment improves the outcome of adult patients younger than age 46 years with acute myeloid leukemia: results of the EORTC-GIMEMA AML-12 trial.
Cytarabine plays a pivotal role in the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Most centers use 7 to 10 days of cytarabine at a daily dose of 100 to 200 mg/m(2) for remission induction. Consensus has not been reached on the benefit of higher dosages of cytarabine. ⋯ HD cytarabine produces higher remission and survival rates than SD cytarabine, especially in patients younger than age 46 years.
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It is a challenge for oncologists to distinguish patients with breast cancer who can forego adjuvant systemic treatment without negatively affecting survival from those who cannot. Risk prediction models (RPMs) have been developed for this purpose. Oncologists seem to have embraced RPMs (particularly Adjuvant!) in clinical practice and often use them to communicate prognosis to patients. We performed a systematic review of published RPMs and provide an overview of the prognosticators incorporated and reported clinical validity. Subsequently, we selected the RPMs that are currently used in the clinic for a more in-depth assessment of clinical validity. Finally, we assessed lay comprehensibility of the reports generated by RPMs. ⋯ The accuracy of RPMs' prognostic estimates is suboptimal in some patient subgroups. This urgently needs to be addressed. In their current format, RPM reports are not conducive to patient comprehension. Communicating survival probabilities using RPM might seem straightforward, but it is fraught with difficulties. If not done properly, it can backfire and confuse patients. Evidence to guide best communication practice is needed.
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Reporting adverse events is a critical element of a clinical trial publication. In 2003, the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) group generated recommendations regarding the appropriate reporting of adverse events. The degree to which these recommendations are followed in oncology publications has not been comprehensively evaluated. ⋯ Reporting of adverse events in oncology publications of randomized trials is suboptimal and characterized by substantial selectivity and heterogeneity. The development of oncology-specific standards for adverse event reporting should be established to ensure consistency and provide critical information required for medical decision-making.