No End in Sight, Bladder Cancer Drug Shortage Takes a Toll
A bacteria-based immunotherapy product that has been used in the treatment of bladder cancer for the past 40 years is now in short supply, and it appears that the situation will continue for the rest of 2019 at least.
The shortage is now negatively affecting patient care, clinical trials, and clinicians' patience, according to various...
23andMe Offers Customers New Diabetes Risk Score
The personal genetics company 23andMe has begun offering its customers a new report informing them of their likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.
The report was developed and validated using data 23andMe has gathered from over 2.5 million of its users who have opted into research. The information was used to create a polygenic score...
After Fatal Toxicity, Questions Over DPD Testing Before Chemo
Some cancer patients react very badly to commonly used chemotherapies — but there is a test that can identify those patients.
So why isn't this test being used?
This is the question currently being asked in a courtroom, where the families of four patients who died are now suing the health authorities because testing was not...
Distinct Clinical Subgroups In Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer
Although early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) is clinically and genetically distinct from standard CRC in adults older than 50, a retrospective review of more than 36,000 patients from four separate cohorts shows there are also unique subgroups among these younger patients.
Special consideration and more investigation is needed for patients with CRC who are 18 to...
Tramadol Linked to Higher Mortality in Osteoarthritis
Tramadol (multiple brands) was associated with significantly higher all-cause mortality compared with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) among older patients with osteoarthritis (OA) in an observational study of more than 88,000 patients. The mortality risk with tramadol was similar to that associated with codeine.
The propensity score-matched cohort study by Chao Zeng, MD, PhD, from the...
Consensus Guidelines Target Maintenance Therapies for Lymphomas After Autologous Transplant
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Maintenance therapy guidelines for lymphoma patients who have undergone autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) were recently released by an expert panel from the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, and European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.
Such treatments are often...
Chemo Is 'Invisible Threat' to Cancer Clinic Staff
It's long been known that handling and administering chemotherapy is a health hazard for cancer clinic staff, especially nurses and pharmacists, owing to its potent toxicity.
There is observational evidence that occupational exposure to chemotherapy is associated with conditions ranging from respiratory problems to miscarriage.
However, getting health professionals in the United States to fully use...
Single-Patient Trials Help Find Best Medication for Hypertensive Kids
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - There is no single blood pressure-lowering drug that works for most hypertensive children, but single-patient randomized crossover trials (n-of-1 trials) can be used to optimize their management, researchers report.
The 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Practice Guidelines do not specify a particular agent or class of antihypertensive as first-line...
CRC in Young Adults: Misdiagnosed, so Advanced When Found
A comprehensive survey of patients and survivors of young-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) has revealed that the disease is often misdiagnosed in these patients, which may explain why the disease is often advanced when it is eventually diagnosed.
These survey findings were highlighted at a media preview ahead of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR)...
Updated UC Guideline Adds Mucosal Healing to Treatment Goal
An updated clinical guideline on the management of ulcerative colitis (UC) shifts the focus from symptom-based treatment to both symptom management and mucosal healing.
The guideline was prepared by David T. Rubin, MD, FACG, from the University of Chicago, Illinois, and colleagues on behalf of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). It was published online...
