Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is a tough opponent. When it advances, doctors often turn to gemcitabine and cisplatin (GP) as a first line of defense. But what happens when GP treatment fails? That's when things get really tricky. The outlook for these patients is grim. However, there's a potential backup plan: fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy. The idea is to swit...
Breast cancer is a formidable foe, and predicting how patients will respond to treatment is a big deal. A recent breakthrough involves a new tool called MIFAPS. This system uses a mix of data types to guess if a patient will have a complete response to a specific type of chemo before it even starts. The creators of MIFAPS gathered info from over a thousand patients....
Ovarian cancer is a serious condition. It affects many women worldwide. Doctors often use a mix of treatments. One common approach is neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This involves giving chemo before surgery. The goal is to shrink tumors and make surgery easier. Doctors usually give three to four cycles of chemo before surgery. A recent study looked at what happens when m...
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of breast cancer that lacks three specific receptors. This makes it tricky to treat. However, a recent study has shown some promising results. This study looked into how well a mix of two drugs, docetaxel and cisplatin, work together to fight TNBC. It was a phase II trial, which means it was a small-scale test to see i...
Stomach cancer is a serious health issue. It can spread to the lining of the abdomen. This is known as peritoneal metastasis. Doctors have been testing a treatment called intraperitoneal chemotherapy. This is a type of chemo that goes directly into the belly. It sounds promising, but how well does it work? A recent study looked at many past studies. It tried to find ...
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients often face a tough battle against malnutrition. This is especially true for those who undergo a specific treatment called cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC). This treatment can boost survival rates for those with GI cancer and peritoneal disease (PD). However, it also raises ...
In Uganda, people with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) face a tougher fight than those in wealthier nations. The main reason is that they do not have the same access to treatments. One treatment that has shown to improve survival rates is a combination of rituximab and chemotherapy. Rituximab is a drug that targets and destroys certain cells in the body. Ho...
Cancer can be a tricky foe. Immunotherapy is a promising weapon, but it often falls short. Why? Because it sometimes struggles to trigger a strong immune response. So, scientists are exploring ways to combine different treatments to boost their punch. Enter the nucleic acid-locked smart carrier (NASC). This isn't your average carrier. It's a clever little package des...
Imagine tiny molecules that can seek and destroy cancer cells. Scientists have created a special molecule called TPBBT. This molecule has a unique structure that allows it to absorb near-infrared light. This is important because near-infrared light can penetrate deep into the body, making it perfect for targeting tumors. TPBBT has a special trick. It can cha...
Skin is the body's biggest shield, constantly fending off environmental dangers and harmful substances. These threats can sometimes lead to skin cancer. Traditional chemotherapy has been a go-to treatment, but its high cost and nasty side effects have left many searching for better options. This is where plants step in. Plants produce compounds called phytoconsti...