Reviews on recent clinical trials
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Rev Recent Clin Trials · Jun 2013
ReviewEmerging evidence that radial is safer than femoral percutaneous coronary intervention in subjects with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.
Bleeding complications in patients with acute coronary syndromes are a significant predictor of mortality. Trans-radial approach (TRA) is a promising strategy to reduce bleedings in patients undergoing invasive coronary procedures. Recently, two multicentre prospective randomized trials aimed to test whether TRA, compared to trans-femoral approach (TFA), may improve clinical outcome in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: the RIFLE STEAC and STEMI-RADIAL. ⋯ The rate of MACE at 30 days was 4.2 percent in the TFA group, and 3.5 percent in the TRA group (p=0.7). The results of two recent trials support the systematic adoption of TRA instead of TFA approach to improve the clinical outcome of STEMI patients. In the present paper, we overview the results of these two trials and put them in the context of previous scientific evidences collected in this field.
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Rev Recent Clin Trials · Jun 2013
ReviewSelumetinib in advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbouring KRAS mutation: endless clinical challenge to KRAS-mutant NSCLC.
During the past few years, oncologists have witnessed the reclassification of non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as not one disease, but several molecularly defined subsets of disease with relevant therapeutic implications in the field of molecularly targeted therapies. Two not very common genetically defined subsets of NSCLC, including those with EGFR or ALK activating mutations, and show high sensitivity to tyrosine-kinase inhibitors such that patients frequently have sustained clinical responses to therapy. However, the largest subset harbours an activating KRAS mutation and up to now, no successful targeted therapy has been developed for RAS-mutant lung cancer, with few compounds being assessed by clinical trials. ⋯ Selumetinib (AZD6244; ARRY-142886) is an oral, tight-binding, uncompetitive inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MEK) 1 and 2, downstream of KRAS, with preclinical evidence of synergistic activity with docetaxel in KRAS-mutant cancers and currently in clinical development. The Ras/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway is frequently deregulated in cancer and a number of inhibitors that target this pathway are currently in clinical development. Recently, in a randomised, phase II trial selumetinib plus docetaxel has proven to improve progression free survival compared to docetaxel alone in previously treated patients with advanced KRAS-mutant NSCLC.
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Rev Recent Clin Trials · Jun 2013
ReviewSomatic treatments excluding psychopharmacology in obsessive- compulsive disorder: a review.
Somatic treatments other than psychotropic drugs are increasingly used in the patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), however there has been little systematic review of them. Therefore, the present review deals with a variety of somatic treatment methods excluding psychotropic drugs. ⋯ Afterwards, the obtained investigations on electroconvusive therapy (ECT), deep brain stimulation (DBS), neurosurgical methods and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) were presented. Although psychopharmacological treatment and psychotherapeutic approaches are primary treatment modalities in the management of OCD, other somatic treatment options seem to be used as alternatives, especially for patients with treatmentresistant OCD.