Critical reviews in oncology/hematology
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Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most aggressive entity of breast cancer. Management involves coordination of multidisciplinary management and usually includes neoadjuvant chemotherapy, ablative surgery if a tumor-free resection margin is expected and locoregional radiotherapy. This multimodal therapeutic approach has significantly improved patient survival. ⋯ By elucidating the biologic characteristics of IBC, new treatment options may become available. We performed a comprehensive review of the English-language literature on IBC through computerized literature searches. The objective of the current review is to present an overview of the literature related to the biology, imaging and multidisciplinary treatment of inflammatory breast cancer.
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Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol. · Nov 2014
Review Meta AnalysisRisk of arterial thromboembolic events with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: an up-to-date meta-analysis.
Arterial thromboembolic events (ATEs) with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKIs) have emerged as a serious concern, we perform a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine the incidence and risk of ATEs in cancer patients treated with these agents. ⋯ In this largest meta-analysis to date, we find that treatment with VEGFR-TKIs significantly increase the risk of developing ATEs. Further studies are still needed to investigate this association. In the appropriate clinical scenario, the use of these drugs remains justified in their approved indications.
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Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol. · Sep 2014
ReviewAdvanced progress on the relationship between RA and its receptors and malignant tumors.
Retinoic acid (RA) is an active derivative of vitamin A, and it has different isomers, including ATRA (all-trans-retinoic acid), 13-cRA (13-cis-retinoic acid) and 9-cRA (9-cis-retinoic acid), etc. Combining with RARs and RXRs, RA plays important roles not only in embryonic development but also in cellular growth and differentiation through transcriptional regulation of its target genes. Following the successful application in the differentiation therapy of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in clinical, recent studies have found that the disturbance of RA signal transduction was also related to differentiation, proliferation or apoptosis of tumor cells. To develop novel mechanisms-based differentiation therapy for other tumors, the relationship between RA or its receptors and tumors will be summarized in this review.
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Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol. · Apr 2014
ReviewMetastatic castration resistant prostate cancer: current strategies of management in the Middle East.
Although most patients with prostate cancer respond to initial androgen-deprivation therapy, progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is almost inevitable. In 2004, the docetaxel/prednisone regimen was approved for the management of patients with metastatic CRPC, becoming the standard first-line therapy. ⋯ Such drugs are either already marketed or about to be marketed in the Middle East. Data supporting the approval of each of these agents are described in this review, as are recent approaches to the treatment of metastatic CRPC.
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Crit. Rev. Oncol. Hematol. · Mar 2014
Review Meta AnalysisRisk of gastrointestinal perforation in cancer patients treated with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The use of vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody bevacizumab is associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal (GI) perforation, but the incidence and risk of GI perforation associated with vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKIs) has not been well described. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of published trials to evaluate the overall incidence and risk of GI perforation associated with VEGFR-TKIs. ⋯ The use of VEGFR-TKIs dose not significantly increase the risk of GI perforation in comparison with the controls. Further studies are recommended to investigate this association and the risk differences among different tumor types, VEGFR-TKIs or treatment regimens.