Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology
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Review Meta Analysis
Cardiotoxicity of aromatase inhibitors and tamoxifen in postmenopausal women with breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) have been associated with cardiovascular disease in adjuvant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing these drugs to tamoxifen. However, it is unclear whether this risk is real or due to cardioprotective effects of tamoxifen. To address this question, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all RCTs of AIs and tamoxifen in adjuvant and extended adjuvant setting. ⋯ The increased risk of cardiovascular events with AIs relative to tamoxifen is likely the result of cardioprotective effects of the latter. This new evidence should be considered when assessing the benefits and risks of AIs in the treatment of breast cancer.
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Sorafenib is a multikinase-tyrosine kinase inhibitor commonly used in a variety of cancers. There are concerns about the increased risk of serious adverse events (SAEs) and fatal adverse events (FAEs) with sorafenib. We performed an up-to-date meta-analysis of all phase 3 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of sorafenib to quantify the increased risk of SAEs and FAEs. ⋯ This meta-analysis of phase 3 RCTs demonstrates an increased risk of both SAEs and FAEs with sorafenib use in adult patients with solid cancers. This quantification of increased risks of SAEs and FAEs will be important in considering the trade-off of sorafenib treatment during shared decision-making.
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Review Meta Analysis
Fruits, vegetables and lung cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death. Fruits and vegetables containing carotenoids and other antioxidants have been hypothesized to decrease lung cancer risk. As part of the World Cancer Research Fund International Continuous Update Project, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. ⋯ Eliminating tobacco smoking is the best strategy to prevent lung cancer. Although residual confounding by smoking cannot be ruled out, the current evidence from prospective studies is consistent with a protective role of fruit and vegetables in lung cancer aetiology.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
A Bayesian network meta-analysis comparing concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy, concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone and radiotherapy alone in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Given the lack of studies, whether the addition of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is superior to CCRT alone for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. The main objective of this Bayesian network meta-analysis was to determine the efficacy of CCRT + AC when compared with CCRT alone. ⋯ No significant improvement was found following CCRT + AC compared with CCRT alone. Whether the omission of additional AC can reduce toxic effects without adversely affecting survival in patients with locoregionally advanced NPC should be further explored, in addition to the precise patient status that would benefit from AC following CCRT.
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Review Meta Analysis
The efficacy and safety of probiotics in people with cancer: a systematic review.
Probiotics are living microorganisms that are generally thought of as being beneficial to the recipient. They have been shown to be effective in people with acute infectious diarrhoea, and cost-effective in antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Probiotics may have a role in people with cancer, as various cancer treatments often lead to diarrhoea. However, as people with cancer are often immunocompromised, it is important to assess for adverse events (AEs) such as infection, which could potentially be a consequence of deliberate ingestion of living microorganisms. ⋯ Probiotics may be a rare cause of sepsis. Further evidence needs to be collated to determine whether probiotics provide a significant overall benefit for people with cancer.