Top stories in health and medicine, March 5, 2015
From MedPage Today:
Flu Vaccine: A Matter of Time. The flu vaccine was about 23% effective this season.
Supreme Court Spars With Both Sides in Subsidies Case. The Supreme Court pummeled both sides with questions during Wednesday’s oral arguments over the fate of the subsidies granted to people enrolling in health insurance through federally run insurance exchanges.
Combo Regimens Active in Advanced Kidney Cancer. A fourth of patients with advanced clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) responded to treatment that simultaneously targeted two pathways involved in the disease’s pathogenesis.
AAMC: Big $$ Needed t...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - March 5, 2015 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Cancer Infectious disease Nephrology Source Type: blogs
Stop with the curbside consultations. They don’t help anyone.
Recently a friend of my husband’s in San Diego had a mammogram that showed some suspicious microcalcifications in her right breast. She underwent a stereotactic biopsy which revealed ductal carcinoma in situ, the earliest form of breast cancer also known as stage 0 breast cancer. This type of cancer is non-invasive and does not metastasize, however, if untreated it can progress or recur as a more serious type of breast cancer, so at the very least excision of the abnormal area is indicated, and in some cases radiation and/or mastectomy are necessary. My husband asked if I would speak to her regarding her breast can...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - January 29, 2015 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Miranda Fielding, MD Tags: Conditions Cancer Source Type: blogs
The Fashion Challenges of the Emperor of Hepatitis C Treatment - Now in the BMJ, but Who Will Notice?
As we wrote, most recently last week, the hepatitis C screening and treatment bandwagon keeps rolling along. There is constant public argument whether about the prices of treatment regimens, which approach $100,000 per patient in the US. However, nearly all the public chatter, which seems mostly to come from corporate public relations people and marketers, investors and investment advisers, physicians with financial conflicts of interest, and pundits with little background in clinical epidemiology, seems never to question the assumption that the new drugs for hepatitis C are miraculous cures, which, of course, ...
Source: Health Care Renewal - January 15, 2015 Category: Health Management Tags: clinical trials evidence-based medicine health care prices hepatitis C Sovaldi Source Type: blogs
I Have DCIS, Should I Have a Bilateral Mastectomy?
By ROBERT McNutt, MD Benefit: There is none. No women with DCIS have been included in a randomized controlled trial. Harm: Cosmetic outcomes are unclear; Second operations to fix the cosmetic outcome may be needed, but reasonable estimates for harm and complications do not exist as bilateral mastectomy has not been systematically studied in DCIS. […] (Source: The Health Care Blog)
Source: The Health Care Blog - December 18, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: THCB Bilateral Mastectomy Ductal Carcinoma in Situ Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, December 17, 2014
From MedPage Today:
Gene Test Has Promise for Nailing DCIS Recurrence Risk. A multigene panel predicted recurrence risk in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), according to a population-based study.
Docs, Guns, and Smokes. One day in clinic, 2 years ago, a patient handed Adam Goldstein, MD, MPH, a request for a concealed weapon permit, soliciting his signature.
Memory Complaints Linked to Risk. Feeling like your memory is going could signal a modestly higher risk of stroke, particularly for well-educated people.
Standards Help Diabetes Devices Talk to Each Other. The first set of interoperability standards for diabetes devic...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - December 17, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Cancer Diabetes Endocrinology Neurology Source Type: blogs
Top stories in health and medicine, November 21, 2014
From MedPage Today:
Clinical Focus in MS: Novel Approaches to Progressive Disease. Although the drug development pipeline still contains numerous products intended for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), the consensus among clinicians is that relapses can be effectively squelched in nearly all RRMS patients with the dozen or so currently approved therapies.
Clinical Focus in Renal Cell Carcinoma: Indolent Disease Tx. A select subset of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) can safely remain in observation for a year or longer, avoiding treatment-related toxicity.
When Primary Care ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - November 21, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Nephrology Neurology Primary care Rheumatology Source Type: blogs
The Art of Medicine or the Medico-Legal minefield
When Hippocrates started tutoring the first medical students on the steps of the Acropolis back in Ancient Greece, the art of medicine was born and the gradual understanding of disease processes and healing could really begin.
It really goes without saying that things have significantly changed from Hippocrates’ day. I would say that even forward thinkers such as himself, could barely imagine the advancements that we have achieved, wondering at our ability to treat a vast array of ailments which truly benefit humanity. He may, however, be a bit disappointed that the common cold still runs rife and that ‘man flu’ caus...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - November 3, 2014 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Johnny Iliff Tags: Administration Arcanum Veritas Art of Medicine Medico-Legal minefield Source Type: blogs
Combination antiviral therapy for hepatitis C
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a single pill containing two different antiviral drugs for the treatment for hepatitis C. It is the first combination pill approved for the disease, and also the first treatment that does not contain interferon or ribavirin.
The new hepatitis C drug, called Harvoni, is a mixture of the antiviral drugs ledipasvir and sofosbuvir. Ledipasvir (pictured) is an inhibitor of the hepatitis C virus protein NS5A, which has multiple roles in the viral replication cycle that include RNA synthesis and virus particle assembly. The mechanism of NS5A inhibition by ledipasvir is n...
Source: virology blog - October 14, 2014 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information AIDS antiviral drug drug resistance ebola virus Harvoni HCV hepatitis C virus hepatocellular carcinoma HIV-1 ledipasvir liver mutation rate sofosbuvir triple therapy uridine Source Type: blogs
Hall of Fame Quarterback Jim Kelly Cancer Free
Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly is cancer free after completing a grueling course of chemotherapy and radiation to treat metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the jaw that had spread to his sinuses.
Kelly first had surgery on his jaw in June of 2013. Although his physicians were hopeful that they had eradicated the disease, he experienced severe head pain in March, 2014, leading to the discovery that the cancer had spread to his sinus.
The post Hall of Fame Quarterback Jim Kelly Cancer Free appeared first on InsideSurgery Medical Information Blog. (Source: Inside Surgery)
Source: Inside Surgery - August 22, 2014 Category: Surgery Authors: Editor Tags: Cancer Medical News Wire Buffalo Bills cancer free chemotherapy jaw Jim Kelly radiation sinus squamous cell surgery Source Type: blogs
Four Genomic Subtypes of Gastric Cancer; Overhaul of Cancer Categorization Schema
This article described how tumors were characterized using six different platforms—mostly genomic platforms such as DNA and RNA sequencing, plus a protein expression analysis.
(Source: Lab Soft News)
Source: Lab Soft News - August 12, 2014 Category: Pathologists Authors: Bruce Friedman Tags: Clinical Lab Industry News Clinical Lab Testing Lab Information Products Laboratory Industry Trends Medical Education Medical Research Source Type: blogs
AstraZeneca Partners with Roche on Development of a Companion Diagnostic
This article illustrates the dual use of companion diagnostics. First of all, the test can be used to determine whether a patient is a candidate for a particular drug therapy -- compound AZ9291 in this case. The fact that the drug does not yet have a proprietary name is evidence of the very early stage at which the companion diagnostic is being developed. Secondly, the diagnostic test can also be used to identify circulating tumor DNA in the plasma.
NSCLC, a confusing term, is the most common type of lung cancer. Unfortunately and as noted above, some 70% of NSCLC patients have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis tha...
Source: Lab Soft News - July 29, 2014 Category: Pathologists Authors: Bruce Friedman Tags: Clinical Lab Industry News Clinical Lab Testing Laboratory Industry Trends Medical Research Source Type: blogs
Poetry Corner - Cancer's a funny thing
J.B.S. Haldane retained his wit even while undergoing cancer treatments — he wrote this poem in a hospital in 1964:I wish I had the voice of HomerTo sing of rectal carcinoma,Which kills a lot more chaps, in fact,Than were bumped off when Troy was sacked.Yet, thanks to modern surgeon’s skills,It can be killed before it killsUpon a scientific basisIn nineteen out of twenty cases.I noticed I was passing blood(Only a few drops, not a flood).So pausing on my homeward wayFrom Tallahassee to BombayI asked a doctor, now my friend,To peer into my hinder end,To prove or to disprove the rumourThat I had a malignant tumour.They pu...
Source: PharmaGossip - July 20, 2014 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
Rare Diseases Hiding Among Common Diseases
In June, 2014, my book, entitled Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs: Keys to Understanding and Treating the Common Diseases was published by Elsevier. The book builds the argument that our best chance of curing the common diseases will come from studying and curing the rare diseases. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 12:It is easy to find cases wherein a rare disease accounts for a somewhat uncommon clinical presentation of a common disease. 12.1.2 Rule—Uncommon presentations of common diseases are sometimes rare diseases, camouflaged by a common clinical phenotype. Brief Rationale—Common diseases tend to occur with a char...
Source: Specified Life - July 18, 2014 Category: Pathologists Tags: common disease cryptic disease disease genetics genetics of common diseases genetics of complex disease orphan disease orphan drugs rare disease subsets of disease Source Type: blogs
Pareto's Principle and Long-Tailed Distribution Curves
In June, 2014, my book, entitled Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs: Keys to Understanding and Treating the Common Diseases was published by Elsevier. The book builds the argument that our best chance of curing the common diseases will come from studying and curing the rare diseases. The book has an extensive glossary, that explains the meaning and relevance of medical terms appearing throughout the chapters. The glossary can be read as a stand-along document. Here is an example of one term, "Pareto's Principle", excerpted from the glossary.Pareto’s principle - Also known as the 80/20 rule, Pareto’s principle holds th...
Source: Specified Life - July 17, 2014 Category: Pathologists Tags: 80/20 rule common disease data analysis glossary orphan disease orphan drugs rare disease statistics Source Type: blogs
Relationship between Hamartoma and Cancer
In June, 2014, my book, entitled Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs: Keys to Understanding and Treating the Common Diseases was published by Elsevier. The book builds the argument that our best chance of curing the common diseases will come from studying and curing the rare diseases. The book has an extensive glossary, that explains the meaning and relevance of medical terms appearing throughout the chapters. The glossary can be read as a stand-along document. Here is an example of one term, "hamartoma", excerpted from the glossary.Hamartoma - Hamartomas are benign tumors that occupy a peculiar zone lying between neoplasi...
Source: Specified Life - July 15, 2014 Category: Pathologists Tags: cancer types carcinogenesis common cancers disease genes genetic disease hyperplasia orphan disease orphan drugs rare cancers rare disease tissue overgrowth tumor biology tumor types Source Type: blogs
