Cochrane

Screening aims to identify people who might have a disease, by testing a group of people for signs of disease. Breast cancer screening with mammography has focused on women aged 50 to 69 years. The review of trials found that a letter of invitation, mailed educational material, a phone call and some combined actions (such as a letter of invitation plus ...

Worldwide, bladder cancer is common in both men and women. In most cases, the cancer occurs in the superficial layers of the bladder and can be surgically removed. However, in many people the cancer returns. Drugs placed directly into the bladder tissue following surgery are therefore often used to try to prevent the cancer recurring. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin ...

Small-cell lung cancer accounts for 20-25% of lung cancer. Treatment with chemotherapy and thoracic radiotherapy yields complete response rates of 50-85%. But, due to relapses, only 15% of patients who achieved complete response survived at 3 years since treatment. Tumour spread to brain (metastasis) is one of the main types of relapse, occurring in ...

Cervical screening (pap smear) is an effective way of detecting pre-cancerous abnormalities of the cervix (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia). Tests can be affected by the tester's skill and the design of the device used. Inadequate smears can produce incorrect results, causing stress and inconvenience to women having to undergo repeat screening. This ...

Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer. The standard treatment for small tumours is surgery (operation to remove the tumour) or surgery and radiotherapy (x-ray treatment). Where the tumour has spread within the chest, standard treatment is radiotherapy. Where the tumour has spread beyond the chest supportive (treatment to ...

Vulvar cancer is rare, affecting mainly older women. Until the 1980s, affected women underwent extensive, mutilating surgery. Groin nodes on both sides as well as all vulvar tissue were removed. Recently surgeons have carried out a smaller operation, leaving as much vulvar tissue as possible behind. No randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been conducted ...

There are no randomised trials comparing the effects of systemic therapies for metastatic cutaneous melanoma with best supportive care or placebo. Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer. When it has spread (metastatic cutaneous melanoma), the prognosis is very poor. Current practice, based upon the results of non comparative studies, ...

Malignant gliomas are aggressive tumours of the nervous system. Resection (surgery to remove the tumour) may relieve symptoms but there is uncertainty that it extends survival. Biopsy can confirm diagnosis and carries fewer risks, but will not extend survival or improve symptoms. It is controversial as to which procedure is the best management option. ...

Colorectal (bowel) cancer is common worldwide, but can often be treated effectively with surgery. In some people, however, the cancer returns and sometimes also spread to other parts of the body. When this happens, chemotherapy (anti-cancer drugs) can be used to try to slow the progression of the cancer. However, chemotherapy also have adverse effects. ...

Corticosteroids may reduce bowel obstruction for people with advanced gastrointestinal or ovarian cancer. Malignant bowel obstruction is fairly common in people with gastrointestinal (gut) cancer or ovarian cancer. It can lead to pain, vomiting, nausea, or complete constipation. Corticosteroids may lower inflammation and so help to reduce the obstruction ...