The lancet oncology
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Antibody-drug conjugates are monoclonal antibodies conjugated to cytotoxic agents. They use antibodies that are specific to tumour cell-surface proteins and, thus, have tumour specificity and potency not achievable with traditional drugs. Design of effective antibody-drug conjugates for cancer therapy requires selection of an appropriate target, a monoclonal antibody against the target, potent cytotoxic effector molecules, and conjugation of the monoclonal antibody to cytotoxic agents. ⋯ Several promising antibody-drug conjugates are now in late-phase clinical testing. Ongoing efforts are focused on identifying better targets, more effective cytotoxic payloads, and further improvements in antibody-drug linker technology. Improved understanding of the mechanistic basis of antibody-drug conjugate activity will enable design of rational combination therapies with other agents, including immunotherapy.
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The lancet oncology · Jun 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyPostoperative pain and quality of life after lobectomy via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery or anterolateral thoracotomy for early stage lung cancer: a randomised controlled trial.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is used increasingly as an alternative to thoracotomy for lobectomy in the treatment of early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer, but remains controversial and worldwide adoption rates are low. Non-randomised studies have suggested that VATS reduces postoperative morbidity, but there is little high-quality evidence to show its superiority over open surgery. We aimed to investigate postoperative pain and quality of life in a randomised trial of patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer undergoing VATS versus open surgery. ⋯ Simon Fougner Hartmanns Familiefond, Guldsmed AL & D Rasmussens Mindefond, Karen S Jensens legat, The University of Southern Denmark, The Research Council at Odense University Hospital, and Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Odense University Hospital.
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The lancet oncology · Jun 2016
ReviewConsensus definitions of 14 severe acute toxic effects for childhood lymphoblastic leukaemia treatment: a Delphi consensus.
Although there are high survival rates for children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, their outcome is often counterbalanced by the burden of toxic effects. This is because reported frequencies vary widely across studies, partly because of diverse definitions of toxic effects. ⋯ Using the Delphi method over three face-to-face plenary meetings, consensus definitions were obtained for all 14 toxic effects. In the overall assessment of outcome of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treatment, these expert opinion-based definitions will allow reliable comparisons of frequencies and severities of acute toxic effects across treatment protocols, and facilitate international research on cause, guidelines for treatment adaptation, preventive strategies, and development of consensus algorithms for reporting on acute lymphoblastic leukaemia treatment.