Journal of the National Cancer Institute
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · Dec 2006
Comparative StudyCost-utility analysis of short- versus long-course palliative radiotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.
Radiotherapy can effectively palliate the symptoms of poor-prognosis patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. However, controversy remains about whether short-course or more protracted radiotherapy schedules provide better value for the money. We conducted a societal cost-utility analysis of a Dutch multicenter randomized trial with 1-year follow-up that compared the efficacy of radiotherapy schedules consisting of 10 fractions of 3 Gy (10 x 3 Gy) versus two fractions of 8 Gy (2 x 8 Gy) in 297 patients with inoperable stage IIIA/B or stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer. this trial found that the 10 x 3-Gy group had better survival than the 2 x 8-Gy group. ⋯ In these poor-prognosis non-small-cell lung cancer patients, the estimated cost-utility ratio for the palliative 10 x 3-Gy schedule was acceptable according to current economic standards. However, the additional costs for the protracted schedule were justified not by improved quality of life but by longer survival.
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Statins are commonly used cholesterol-lowering drugs that have proapoptotic and antimetastatic activities that could affect cancer risk or progression. Results from previous epidemiologic studies of the association between statin use and cancer have been inconsistent. We investigated the association of statin use with total and advanced prostate cancer, the latter being the most important endpoint to prevent. ⋯ In this cohort of male health professionals, use of statin drugs was not associated with risk of prostate cancer overall but was associated with a reduced risk of advanced (especially metastatic or fatal) prostate cancer.
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · Dec 2006
Population BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation frequencies and cancer penetrances: a kin-cohort study in Ontario, Canada.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in general populations and in various types of cancers have not been well characterized. We investigated the presence of these mutations in unselected patients with newly diagnosed incident ovarian cancer in Ontario, Canada, with respect to cancers reported among their relatives. ⋯ BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations may be more frequent in general populations than previously thought and may be associated with various types of cancers.