Journal of the National Cancer Institute
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · Jan 2008
Comparative StudyThe association between statins and cancer incidence in a veterans population.
Meta-analyses of trials of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors or statins for cardiovascular disease prevention have failed to show any statistically significant benefit of statins for cancer prevention. However, these trials included relatively young participants, who develop few cancers, and their follow-up periods may have been too short to detect an association between statin use and cancer incidence. We investigated this association in a population of veterans. ⋯ Patients using statins may be at lower risk for developing cancer. Additional observational studies and randomized trials of statins for cancer prevention are warranted.
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · Jan 2008
Meta AnalysisHER2 status and efficacy of adjuvant anthracyclines in early breast cancer: a pooled analysis of randomized trials.
Adjuvant chemotherapy with anthracyclines improves disease-free and overall survival compared with non-anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy regimens in the treatment of early breast cancer. The role of HER2 status as a marker of anthracycline responsiveness has been explored by subset analyses within randomized clinical trials, with inconsistent results. We performed a pooled analysis of the interaction between HER2 status and the efficacy of adjuvant anthracyclines based on the published subset data. ⋯ The added benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy with anthracyclines appear to be confined to women who have HER2 overexpressed or amplified breast tumors.
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · Jan 2008
Absence of cancer diagnosis and treatment in elderly Medicaid-insured nursing home residents.
Little is known about the effect cancer has on the lives of nursing home patients and the quality of care, including palliative care, delivered to them. ⋯ Very few cancer services are provided to Medicaid-insured nursing home patients, despite the fact that many of these patients likely experienced cancer-related symptoms and marked physical decline before diagnosis and death. A middle ground between what would be considered guideline treatment practices and the apparent absence of diagnosis and treatment is needed.