Improving Communication in Breast Cancer Treatment Consultation: Use of a Computer Test of Health Numeracy.

Communication of statistics and probability is challenging in the cancer care setting. The objectives of this study are to evaluate a novel approach to cancer communication through the use of a computer assessment of patient health numeracy. We conducted a pilot study of the Computer Adapted Test of Numeracy Understanding in Medicine Instrument (CAT-NUMi) before the cancer treatment consultation for women with stage 0-3 breast cancer.

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-mutated Lung Cancer as the Initial Manifestation of Germline TP53 Mutation Associated Cancer.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-driven lung cancer is a rare occurrence in patients with Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) characterized by germline mutations in the tumor protein 53 (TP53) gene. Here we describe a case of primary EGFR mutation-driven lung adenocarcinoma in a young woman with LFS. There is only one other reported case with such presentation.

Breast cancer with brain metastases in pregnancy.

Breast cancer during pregnancy is a therapeutic challenge. Evidence to guide management in metastatic breast cancer during pregnancy is limited, mainly because of a lack of randomized trials. Care needs to be individualized with interdisciplinary collaboration.

Randomized trial of vitamin B6 for preventing hand-foot syndrome from capecitabine chemotherapy.

Background: Capecitabine is an oral fluoropyrimidine that is used to treat various malignancies. Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a dose-limiting toxicity of capecitabine that can limit the use of this agent in some patients. Some investigators have observed that pyridoxine (vitamin B6) can ameliorate HFS that is caused by capecitabine.

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes: unusual presentations of cancer. A practical review.

Introduction: Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes (PNS) are uncommon and imperfectly understood and, therefore, are frequently underdiagnosed.

Methods: We review the current literature on the clinical presentation, diagnosis, pathophysiology and treatment of PNS.

Results: PNS are a heterogeneous group of neurologic disorders caused by an immune response to an underlying malignancy.