Acta oncologica
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Review Meta Analysis
Physical activity, risk of death and recurrence in breast cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.
Strong evidence exists supporting the effect of lack of physical activity on the risk of developing breast cancer. However, studies examining the effects of physical activity on breast cancer outcomes, including survival and prognosis have been inconclusive. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating the association between physical activity and breast cancer recurrence and death. ⋯ There is an inverse relationship between physical activity and all-cause, breast cancer-related death and breast cancer events. The current meta-analysis supports the notion that appropriate physical activity may be an important intervention for reducing death and breast cancer events among breast cancer survivors.
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Review Meta Analysis
Cancer survivors' experience of exercise-based cancer rehabilitation - a meta-synthesis of qualitative research.
Evidence for the safety and benefits of exercise training as a therapeutic and rehabilitative intervention for cancer survivors is accumulating. However, whereas the evidence for the efficacy of exercise training has been established in several meta-analyses, synthesis of qualitative research is lacking. In order to extend healthcare professionals' understanding of the meaningfulness of exercise in cancer survivorship care, this paper aims to identify, appraise and synthesize qualitative studies on cancer survivors' experience of participation in exercise-based rehabilitation. ⋯ In addition to the accumulating evidence for the efficacy of exercise training in cancer rehabilitation, it is incumbent upon clinicians and policy-makers to acknowledge and promote the meaningfulness of exercise for the individual, and to use this knowledge to provide new solutions to current problems related to recruitment of underserved populations, long-term adherence and implementation.
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Review Meta Analysis
The predictive value of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA and PTEN for anti-EGFR treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
In metastatic colorectal cancer, mutation testing for KRAS exon 2 is widely implemented to select patients with wild-type tumors for treatment with the monocloncal anti-EGFR antibodies cetuximab and panitumumab. The added predictive value of additional biomarkers in the RAS-RAF-MAPK and PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathways in colorectal cancer is uncertain, which led us to systematically review the impact of alterations in KRAS (outside of exon 2), NRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA and PTEN in relation to the clinical benefit from anti-EGFR treatment. ⋯ Meta-analysis suggests that mutations in KRAS exons 3 and 4, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA and non-functional PTEN predict resistance to anti-EGFR therapies and demonstrates that biomarker analysis beyond KRAS exon 2 should be implemented for prediction of clinical benefit from anti-EGFR antibodies in metastatic colorectal cancer.
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Review Meta Analysis
Interventions for alleviating cancer-related dyspnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Dyspnea is commonly encountered by many cancer patients in the terminal stage of their disease and it severely hampers their quality of life. We aimed to evaluate the role of interventions to alleviate dyspnea. ⋯ Our systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrate a beneficial effect to opioids in alleviating cancer-related dyspnea, and no advantage for the use of oxygen.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Non-inferiority trials in breast and non-small cell lung cancer: choice of non-inferiority margins and other statistical aspects.
Determining the non-inferiority margin is an essential step in the design and interpretation of non-inferiority trials, and this margin should be preferably justified on clinical and statistical grounds. ⋯ Non-inferiority margins for cancer trials appear to be chosen mostly on historical grounds. Since nearly three-quarters of non-inferiority trials achieve their primary objective, the extent to which the choice of margins has influence on trial results remains to be determined.