Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Efficacy of methylprednisolone on pain, fatigue, and appetite loss in patients with advanced cancer using opioids: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.
Corticosteroids are frequently used in cancer pain management despite limited evidence. This study compares the analgesic efficacy of corticosteroid therapy with placebo. ⋯ MP 32 mg daily did not provide additional analgesia in patients with cancer receiving opioids, but it improved fatigue, appetite loss, and patient satisfaction. Clinical benefit beyond a short-term effect must be examined in a future study.
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Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway aberrations are common in breast cancer, with mutations in PIK3CA being the most common. This study investigated the association between PIK3CA genotype and pathologic complete response (pCR) rates in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer treated with either dual or single anti-HER2 treatment in addition to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. ⋯ HER2-positive breast carcinomas with a PIK3CA mutation are less likely to achieve a pCR after neoadjuvant anthracycline-taxane-based chemotherapy plus anti-HER2 treatment, even if a dual anti-HER2 treatment is given.