A Win and A Loss for Adjuvant ICIs in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
SAN FRANCISCO — The use of adjuvant pembrolizumab (Keytruda) boosted overall survival (OS) in post-surgical patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at risk for recurrence, according to KEYNOTE-564 findings. Patients treated with the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) had a 38% reduced risk of death compared to patients on placebo, reported Tony Choueiri, MD, […]
Hashimoto’s Patients Felt Better for 5 Years After Thyroidectomy
Total thyroidectomy boosted patient-reported general health in euthyroid Hashimoto’s thyroiditis for up to 5 years, an extension of a randomized trial showed. Measured via the Short Form-36 Health Survey, the big bump in quality of life right after thyroidectomy was fully maintained among 65 patients who were tracked for 60 months post-surgery, Geir Hoff, MD, […]
Enzalutamide-ADT Cuts Risk for Disease Spread in Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer
CHICAGO — Combining enzalutamide (Xtandi) with an androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) boosted metastasis-free survival (MFS) in patients with prostate cancer at high risk for biochemical recurrence, according to the EMBARK trial. After a median follow up of 60.7 months, the combination of enzalutamide and leuprolide acetate ADT demonstrated a 58% reduction in the risk of […]
Far Fewer Deaths During Omicron for Seniors Treated With Paxlovid
Older patients treated with nirmatrelvir boosted by ritonavir (Paxlovid) for COVID-19 had lower rates of hospitalization and death compared with those not treated with the antiviral during the Omicron wave, according to an observational retrospective cohort study from Israel. Among patients ages 65 and older, the rate of hospitalization due to COVID was 14.7 cases […]
Automated Head-Raising Device Tied to Better CPR Results in Cardiac Arrest
A device that raises the head during CPR to improve blood circulation boosted the likelihood that patients in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) reached neurologically intact recovery, a researcher reported. Patients who received CPR along with the EleGARD “head-up” device were more likely than those in a comparison group to reach “neuro-intact” survival,” according to Paul […]
Ablation, CRT Boost Survival in Permanent Afib With Narrow QRS
A “pace-and-ablate” strategy substantially boosted survival for permanent atrial fibrillation (Afib) patients with a narrow QRS across the range of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the APAF-CRT trial showed. While relatively small with 133 patients after being stopped early for efficacy at a median 29 months of follow-up, the trial showed a relative 74% survival […]
Can Working Out Slow Prostate Cancer Progression?
Rigorous exercise not only boosted cardiorespiratory fitness, but also improved indicators of prostate cancer biochemical progression in patients undergoing active surveillance, according to results of a randomized trial. Patients participating in a 12-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) regimen saw an increase in peak oxygen consumption (VO2) — the study’s primary outcome — of 0.9 mL/kg/min, […]