Time-Trend Analysis and Risk Factors for Niraparib-Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Ovarian Cancer: A Prospective Study https://tinyurl.com/6wauzndb Niraparib ( zejula ) is one of two PARP inhibitor drugs approved by the TGA in Australia for maintenance therap y of ovarian cancer. A common side effect affecting up to 60% of patients is n ausea and vomiting. Occasionally this may be so severe a s to be life-threatening . This p r ospective survey looked at the treatment course for 53 patients who underwent maintenance therapy with niraparib . 31 had treatment in duce d nausea and vomiting, for 3 of them this was severe with weight loss , dehydration , and malnutrition. The adverse effect was greatest 8 hours after taking the oral medication , which is when the plasma concentration is greatest . The severity of the reaction decreased over time with less severe reactions being reported after 8 weeks. This may be due to dose manipulation which is common. The authors note that nause...

Earlier is not always better: Optimal time to initiate adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery for ovarian cancer https://tinyurl.com/4y2kpmrr Standard treatment of ovarian cancer includes chemo after surgery , either with or without neoadjuvant chemo beforehand . There has always been an imperative to begin chemo as soon as possible, hoping to reduce the risk of recurrence. For some women with ovarian cancer , it is not possible to start chemo early . Either because of debility infection or circumstance. This study looks at outcomes for women who start chemo late and compares them to other women whose chemo is not delayed. The retrospective study looked at the outcomes of 1700 women who had surgery for ovarian cancer at 5 German Hospitals during the period 2020-2021. They were divide d into 3 groups; those who had chemo early ( les s than 3 weeks post-surgery), intermediate ( 3-5 weeks post-surgery), and late (greater than 5 weeks). The outcomes measured were progress free su...

Shared decision making for ovarian cancer survivors with different levels of health literacy: a qualitative interview study on knowledge and comprehension https://tinyurl.com/n8ubvxhz Man a gement of ovarian cancer is best when the patient and the carer can share decision making. For this to occur both parties need to be fully informed and able to understand the process. This shared decision making involves choice of therapy and detection of recurrence . A small retros pective study shows that many women have a limited understanding of medical terms and jargon, making decisions difficult. A group of 17 women with ovarian cancer were asked about their understanding of the care they had received . They also answered a questionnaire aiming to determine their basic medical knowledge and confidence about sharing decisions. Results from the study showed limited understanding about the course of their illness with false confidence in physical examination as a means of detecting rec...

Ovarian Cancer and the Risk of Cataract Episodes: A Nationwide Cohort Study  https://tinyurl.com/449xa994 Both cataracts and ovarian cancer are found in the elderly. It has been known  that cataracts may develop in patients with cancer who have therapy, most often due to ra diation but also as a side-effect of chemo. One of the important causes of cataract is high oxidative stress ,  which is an imbalance of  free oxygen and antioxidants. This is also  linked to  many cancers including ovarian cancer. A   retrospective survey looks at the  incidence  of catar a ct in patients with ovarian cancer compared to the general population. Using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database,  5000 women with ovarian cancer were matched with 20,000 women who were cancer  free . About 10 %  of the cancer group had cataract , of whom less than half required surgery.  Comparison  with the control group showed a slight in...