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The prevalence of breast cancer is increasing as more women are living with the disease. Outcomes have improved as a result of progress in all major aspects of multidisciplinary care. These include surgery, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, chemotherapy and newer targeted drugs. Two aspects merit particular attention here. First, there is an understanding now that cancer is a heterogenous disease and a 'one-size-fits-all' approach is becoming redundant, albeit slowly. Second, basic science and an appreciation of cellular molecular targets in those different types of breast cancer is being translated into the clinic and has led to the development of exciting new drugs for both triple negative and HER2-positive relapsed disease. An improved understanding of endocrine resistance remains an unmet need in drug development and here, it appears worthwhile to adopt less conventional approaches. Better trial design with a focus on biomarkers should lower barriers to regulatory approval as well as increase cost effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the drug therapy for colorectal cancer in Great Britain. It notes that Bevacizumab (Avastin) is a monoclonal antibody which targets vascular endothelial growth factor receptor for treating colon cancer, kidney cancer, and gliomas. Moreover, it highlights the drug cetuximab (Erbitux) which is a monoclonal antibody targeted against human epidermal growth factor receptor.

The article compares British and American medicine. The emphasis on the first exposure of the medical students to the wards in Great Britain is all on the history and examination. Students are assessed on this ability. The examinations of students in America in are all multiple choice whether before or after qualification.

Background: Previous studies have indicated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with cancer have a high fatality rate., Methods: We conducted a systematic review of studies that reported fatalities in COVID-19 patients with cancer. A comprehensive meta-analysis that assessed the overall case fatality rate and associated risk factors was performed. Using individual patient data, univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for each variable with outcomes., Results: We included 15 studies with 3019 patients, of which 1628 were men; 41.0% were from the United Kingdom and Europe, followed by the United States and Canada (35.7%), and Asia (China, 23.3%). The overall case fatality rate of COVID-19 patients with cancer measured 22.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 17.3% to 28.0%). Univariate analysis revealed age (OR = 3.57, 95% CI = 1.80 to 7.06), male sex (OR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.07 to 4.13), and comorbidity (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.04 to 3.85) were associated with increased risk of severe events (defined as the individuals being admitted to the intensive care unit, or requiring invasive ventilation, or death). In multivariable analysis, only age greater than 65 years (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.45 to 6.88) and being male (OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.07 to 4.87) were associated with increased risk of severe events., Conclusions: Our analysis demonstrated that COVID-19 patients with cancer have a higher fatality rate compared with that of COVID-19 patients without cancer. Age and sex appear to be risk factors associated with a poorer prognosis., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Introduction: Tumour staging at time of presentation is an important factor in determining survival in colorectal cancer. The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between ethnicity and deprivation in late (Stage IV) presentation of colorectal cancer., Methods: Data from the Thames Cancer Registry comprising 77,057 colorectal cancer patients between the years 2000 and 2012 were analysed., Results: A total of 17,348 patients were identified with complete data, of which 53.9% were male. Patients from a Black Afro/Caribbean background were diagnosed with CRC at a much younger age than the White British group (median age 67 compared with 72, p<0.001). In multiple regression, ethnicity, deprivation and age were positive predictors of presenting with advanced tumour stage at time of diagnosis. Black patients were more likely to present with Stage IV tumours than white patients (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.18-1.59, p<0.001). Social deprivation was also a predictor of Stage IV cancer presentation, with the most deprived group (Quintile 5) 1.26 times more likely to be diagnosed with Stage IV cancer compared with the most affluent group (CI 1.13-1.40, p<0.001). Sub-group analyses demonstrated that Black & Affluent patients were still at greater risk of Stage IV CRC than their White & Affluent counterparts (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.11-1.45, p=0.023). Patients with rectal cancer were less likely to present with Stage IV CRC (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.61-0.71, p<0.001)., Conclusion: Racial and age related disparities exist in tumour presentation in the United Kingdom. Patients from black and socially deprived backgrounds as well as the elderly are more likely to present with advanced tumours at time of diagnosis., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)