Cochrane Db Syst Rev
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Pegloticase is a potential new treatment option for patients with chronic gout intolerant to other urate-lowering therapies. ⋯ There are no published double-blind, placebo-controlled RCTs of pegloticase. More evidence is needed to assess risks/benefits of pegloticase in patients with chronic gout.
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Carotid patches for carotid endarterectomy may be made from an autologous vein or synthetic material. ⋯ The number of outcome events is too small to allow reliable conclusions to be drawn and more trial data are required to establish whether any differences do exist. Nevertheless, there is some evidence that other synthetic (e.g. PTFE) patches may be superior to collagen impregnated Dacron grafts in terms of perioperative stroke rates and restenosis. Pseudoaneurysm formation may be more common after use of a vein patch compared with a synthetic patch.
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Tamoxifen is an important drug for treating breast cancer. Ovarian cancer cells are known to possess receptors for hormones and may thus also respond to tamoxifen. ⋯ We are unable to make any evidence-based recommendations as we found no comparative studies assessing the effectiveness of tamoxifen in women with recurrent ovarian cancer. There is limited evidence on anti-tumour activity from phase 2 studies, but these contain no data on the effect of tamoxifen on symptom control, QOL or the prolongation of life.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Mar 2010
ReviewPharmacological treatment of depression in patients with a primary brain tumour.
Patients with a primary brain tumour often experience depression, for which drug treatment may be prescribed. However, these patients are also at high risk of epileptic seizures, cognitive impairment and fatigue, all of which are potential side-effects of antidepressants. The benefit, or harm, of pharmacological treatment of depression in brain tumour patients is unclear. ⋯ No high-quality studies have examined the value of any drug treatment of depression in patients with primary brain tumours. Detailed prospective studies and RCTs are needed to inform the safe and effective treatment of this common and important complication of brain tumours.