Cochrane

Review question We reviewed the evidence concerning the effectiveness and safety of fulvestrant in prolonging time without further progression of cancer in women with advanced hormone-sensitive breast cancer. We found nine studies testing whether or not fulvestrant is superior to other treatment options. Background Seventy percent of breast cancers ...

What is the issue? Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Although the number of women who survive breast cancer is increasing, those women often suffer from psychological or physical problems. We wanted to find out whether yoga can improve quality of life, mental health and symptoms related to cancer in women with a diagnosis ...

Review question We reviewed the evidence to compare two treatments for throat cancer. The treatments were keyhole surgery and radiotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy. Background More than 400,000 cases of cancer of the middle part of the throat (oropharynx) are diagnosed each year worldwide and this number is rising, with human papillomavirus ...

Review question We reviewed the evidence about the effectiveness and safety of nipple-sparing mastectomy (that is, removing the breast tissue but preserving the entire skin, nipple and areola) compared to traditional mastectomy (that is, removing the skin that overlies the breast including nipple and areola) or skin-sparing mastectomy (that is, removing ...

Review question We reviewed the evidence about what helps children with cancer to take part in decisions about their health care. We found no studies. Background Cancer is a serious illness that involves complex treatments with unpleasant side effects. Children with cancer generally prefer to be involved in some way in decisions about their care ...

What is the issue? Colorectal cancer affects about 1 in 20 people in developed countries. Most patients (about two thirds) have curable disease. Follow-up after curative treatment usually means visits to the doctor as well as having some tests. Many people believe that follow-up saves lives, but we are not sure how often the patient should see the ...

Objectives This systematic review sought to find out how well educational interventions worked for managing cancer-related fatigue. Condition Fatigue is a common and problematic symptom for people with cancer that is greater than the tiredness experienced in everyday life. It can make the experience of other symptoms worse, negatively affect mood, ...

Background Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women. Most women with early stage cervical cancer (stages I to IIA) are cured with surgery or, radiotherapy, or both. Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to damage tumour cells. Chemotherapy (anti-cancer) drugs use different ways to stop tumour cells dividing so they stop growing ...

Background Pruritus is the medical term for itching. This symptom can be a problem in palliative care settings where treatments for cancer or severe kidney disease are given at the same time. In this updated review, we searched for high quality clinical trials of drugs for preventing or treating itch in palliative care. Key findings and quality of ...

Review question Is drain use able to reduce postoperative complications after pancreatic surgery? Background The use of surgical drains has been considered mandatory after pancreatic surgery. The role of drain use to reduce complications after pancreatic surgery (called postoperative complications) is controversial. Study characteristics We searched for ...