The lancet oncology
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The lancet oncology · Jul 2013
ReviewVertebral compression fracture after stereotactic body radiotherapy for spinal metastases.
The use of stereotactic body radiotherapy for metastatic spinal tumours is increasing. Serious adverse events for this treatment include vertebral compression fracture (VCF) and radiation myelopathy. Although VCF is a fairly low-risk adverse event (approximately 5% risk) after conventional radiotherapy, crude risk estimates for VCF after spinal SBRT range from 11% to 39%. In this Review, we summarise the evidence and predictive factors for VCF induced by spinal SBRT, review the pathophysiology of VCF in the metastatic spine, and discuss strategies used to prevent and manage this potentially disabling complication.
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The lancet oncology · Jul 2013
ReviewExtracranial rhabdoid tumours: what we have learned so far and future directions.
Extracranial rhabdoid tumours are rare, and often occur in infants. Although the kidney is the most common site, they can occur anywhere in the body. Most contain a biallelic inactivating mutation in SMARCB1, which is part of the chromatin remodelling complex SWI/SNF, and functions as a classic tumour suppressor gene. ⋯ The young age of patients limits use of radiotherapy, which, along with age, is an important prognostic factor. Because the tumours are rare, no standard therapeutic pathway exists, and no randomised trials have examined the role of new therapeutic approaches. Improved understanding of the biology and role of SMARCB1 has enabled identification of new targets for small molecule inhibitors to combine with chemotherapy backbones that we might establish from the current EpSSG and COG studies.
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The lancet oncology · Jul 2013
Review Meta AnalysisDepression and anxiety in long-term cancer survivors compared with spouses and healthy controls: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Cancer survival has improved in the past 20 years, affecting the long-term risk of mood disorders. We assessed whether depression and anxiety are more common in long-term survivors of cancer compared with their spouses and with healthy controls. ⋯ None.
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The lancet oncology · Jul 2013
Review Meta AnalysisDepression and anxiety in long-term cancer survivors compared with spouses and healthy controls: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Cancer survival has improved in the past 20 years, affecting the long-term risk of mood disorders. We assessed whether depression and anxiety are more common in long-term survivors of cancer compared with their spouses and with healthy controls. ⋯ None.
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The lancet oncology · Jul 2013
ReviewNovel targets in HPV-negative head and neck cancer: overcoming resistance to EGFR inhibition.
Cancers of the head and neck that arise from habitual exposure to carcinogens have lower cure rates than those that arise from infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), and intensification of cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiation has not improved outcomes. HPV-negative head and neck cancers abundantly express EGFR, and the monoclonal antibody cetuximab, directed against EGFR, is the only targeted therapy that has improved disease survival so far. ⋯ Thus, investigating the mechanisms of resistance to EGFR inhibition in HPV-negative head and neck cancer might help identify novel and active therapies. In this Review, we focus on therapies in development that target redundant receptor tyrosine kinases (eg, HER2 and MET), reduce or abrogate nuclear functions of EGFR, affect cellular trafficking by inhibition of histone deacetylase, or treatments that might address resistance that arises in the EGFR signalling stream (eg, aurora-kinase inhibitors and STAT decoys).