Health Questions and Answers

Archive for July, 2008

Question: What is fever?

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Answer:
A true fever is an increase in core temperature caused by elevation of the hypothalamic setpoint. This causes the body to attempt to generate heat (e.g., by shivering) to elevate the body’s core temperature. In contrast, hyperthermia results in an elevated temperature without altering the set-point, so the body attempts to cool itseff to achieve [...]

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Question: What other drugs may be used to treat metastatic breast cancer?

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

Answer:
For bony or soft tissue metastases in patients with estrogen or progesterone receptor-positive breast cancer, hormonal agents such as tamoxifen, anastrozole, letrozole, exemestane, or luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists (in premenopausal women) can be used for effective palliation lasting many months. Newer drugs that target growth factor pathways in breast cancer are currently in development.
Reference:

National Cancer [...]

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Question: How effective are chemotherapy agents in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer?

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Answer:
Overall induction response rates range from 55% to 65%. Median survival times are 14-18 months. The survival rates depend more on the site of the metastatic disease than on the treatment, with visceral disease faring more poorly than bony or soft tissue metastases. Most patients receive more than one treatment regimen, since the median time [...]

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Question: Which chemotherapy agents are used in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer?

Monday, July 28th, 2008

Answer:
Among the most effective chemotherapy agents for breast cancer are doxorubicin, epirubicin, paclitaxel, docetaxel, vinorelbine, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil, capecitabine, and prednisone. These agents are used singly or in combination in the treatment of advanced or metastatic breast cancer. If the tumor overexpresses the Her/neu oncogene, trastuzumab (Herceptin) may be added to improve the effectiveness of [...]

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Question: How is stage IV breast cancer treated?

Sunday, July 27th, 2008

Answer:
The basic choice is systemic chemotherapy or hormone therapy, depending on hormone receptor status, reserving surgery and radiotherapy for local control.
Reference: American Joint Committee on Cancer: Cancer Staging Manual, 6th ed. New York, Springer-Verlag, 2002.

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Question: What are the guidelines for stage III breast cancer.

Sunday, July 27th, 2008

Answer:
Modified radical mastectomy is performed with postoperative chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy, depending on estrogen and progesterone receptor status of the tumor and menopausal status of the patient, followed by local radiotherapy. For very large or fixed tumors that are initially deemed to be inoperable, preoperative chemotherapy or hormonal therapy may render such cancers surgically removable.
Reference: [...]

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Question: What are the guidelines for stage II breast cancer?

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

Answer:
Modified radical mastectomy with postoperative chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy, depending on estrogen and progesterone receptor status of the tumor and menopausal status of the patient.
Reference:  American Joint Committee on Cancer: Cancer Staging Manual, 6th ed. New York, Springer-Verlag, 2002.

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