Cancer

Break in cancer treatment cuts side effects and does not affect life expectancy, study finds

A trial has shown that breaks from first-line treatments for patients with metastatic and/or locally advanced kidney cancer did not cause meaningful detriment to their life expectancy or quality of life.…

NHS patients will be first in Europe to receive mutation-targeting lung cancer treatment

The tumour-agnostic drug sotorasib has been approved for the treatment of patients in England with non-small cell lung cancer.…

New drug cuts the risk of death in bladder cancer by 30% compared with chemotherapy, study suggests

A trial comparing new antibody-drug conjugate enfortumab vedotin with chemotherapy in patients with bladder cancer has found that overall survival was longer in the group receiving the new drug.…

New estimates for breast cancer risk associated with HRT

New estimates of the increased risks of breast cancer associated with use of different hormone replacement therapy preparations have been published in the BMJ.…

Consistent use of statins linked to reduced risk of cancer death

Women who take cholesterol-lowering medicines, who are subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer, colorectal cancer or melanoma, are less likely to die from their cancer if they adhere to their cholesterol medicines, research published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology has su…

Five years on: what my experience with breast cancer taught me about good patient care

Ruth Edwards reflects on her experience as a patient with breast cancer and how it taught her a valuable lesson about patient care.…

Cervical cancer prevention: advice and services

With the uptake of cervical screening at 70–73% in the UK, it is important for pharmacy teams to recognise the symptoms of cervical cancer, as well as provide advice on prevention strategies.…

Addition of abemaciclib to hormonal therapy for high-risk early breast cancer reduces recurrence by 25%, research suggests

Combining abemaciclib with hormonal therapy reduces the risk of cancer recurrence by 25% in patients with high-risk early hormone receptor positive (HR+) human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) breast cancer, interim analysis of a phase III study has suggested.…

Cancer-associated thrombosis

Venous thromboembolism is a complication of cancer that pharmacists should understand to ensure that their patients have the best possible outcomes.  …

Community pharmacists help deliver chemotherapy to thousands of patients’ homes during COVID-19 pandemic

Community pharmacists, along with other NHS staff and volunteers, have been dropping off chemotherapy to thousands of patients with cancer in England.…