Extended-release opioids in the management of cancer pain: a systematic review of efficacy and safety.

Despite the increased availability of strong analgesics and evidence-based recommendations for pain management, under-treatment of cancer-related pain is still common. Extended-release (ER) opioids, in contrast to immediate-release opioids, provide prolonged analgesia. In this review, we aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of ER opioid analgesics in managing moderate-to-severe pain in patients with cancer.

Sentinel lymph node dissection only versus complete axillary lymph node dissection in early invasive breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The Z0011-study, a landmark randomised controlled trial (RCT) challenged the benefits of complete axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) compared with sentinel lymph node dissection only (SLND) in breast cancer patients with positive sentinel nodes. The study, however, has been criticised for lack of power and low applicability. The aim of this review was to systematically assess the evidence on the comparative benefits and harms of ALND versus SLND for sentinel node positive breast cancer patients.

Comparative benefits and harms of second-generation antidepressants for treating major depressive disorder: an updated meta-analysis.

Background: Second-generation antidepressants dominate the management of major depressive disorder (MDD), but evidence on the comparative benefits and harms of these agents is contradictory.

Purpose: To compare the benefits and harms of second-generation antidepressants for treating MDD in adults.

Data Sources: English-language studies from PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts from 1980 to August 2011 and reference lists of pertinent review articles and gray literature.

[Austrian patient information materials on PSA-screening do not meet international evidence-based standards].

Background: Currently, the available evidence regarding the net benefits of prostate cancer screening with PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests is unclear. Therefore, international guidelines do not recommend PSA-screening on a regular basis for men. Because of the unclear evidence, guidelines emphasize the importance of shared decision-making.

Differences in efficacy and safety of pharmaceutical treatments between men and women: an umbrella review.

Being male or female is an important determinant of risks for certain diseases, patterns of illness and life expectancy. Although differences in risks for and prognoses of several diseases have been well documented, sex-based differences in responses to pharmaceutical treatments and accompanying risks of adverse events are less clear. The objective of this umbrella review was to determine whether clinically relevant differences in efficacy and safety of commonly prescribed medications exist between men and women.