Sickle Cell Disease Patients Miss Out on Decades of Life
A cohort study of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries with sickle cell disease (SCD) showed a life expectancy of just 52.6 years, well below that of the general population. And among SCD patients, survival varied by sex and insurance status. Men, individuals covered by Medicare for disabilities or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and the dual-eligible were […]
Novel PET Imaging Agent Accurately IDs Clear Cell Renal Cancers
An investigational PET imaging agent — zirconium-89 (89Zr)-deferoxamine (DFO)-girentuximab — identified clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) with high sensitivity and specificity, according to results from the phase III ZIRCON trial. Use of the agent achieved sensitivity and specificity rates of 85.5% (95% CI 79.8-89.8) and 87% (95% CI 78.8-92.3), respectively, reported Peter Mulders, MD, […]
Rigid In-Hospital Diet Offers No Advantage in Patients After HSCT
NEW ORLEANS — Patients who have neutropenia after undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) do not need to restrict themselves to unpalatable hospital foods, a researcher said here. A randomized study of over 200 patients with hematologic diseases showed that patients who received a non-restrictive diet — including fresh fruits and vegetables, cold cuts, and […]
New Evidence Sheds Light on Stem Cell Transplantation for Progressive MS
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) was not superior in preventing relapses or reducing disability progression than natalizumab (Tysabri) in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), new research suggested. Patients with progressive MS, advanced disability, and low pre-treatment relapse activity who had AHSCT experienced similar on-treatment frequency of relapses as matched patients treated with natalizumab over up […]
Patients With Head/Neck Cancer See Lower Stroke Risk With Initial Surgery
In oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), the type of initial treatment appears to influence the likelihood of stroke in the years afterward, researchers said. A population-based study of U.S. veterans treated for OPSCC found 23% lower stroke risk for those who underwent up-front surgery compared with patients who received definitive (chemo)radiotherapy, reported Lova L. Sun, […]
Young Adults With NSCLC More Apt to Get Advanced Disease Diagnosis
VIENNA — Younger adults (ages under 50) with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were significantly more likely than older adults to be diagnosed with advanced disease, a researcher said here. In 2018, 5 years after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended low-dose CT lung cancer screening (LCS) for people over age 55 — lowered […]
Competing cells: Cleaning up after yourself brings benefits
When different cell types compete in a confined space, those which remove debris faster have a better chance to dominate their environment. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) showed in their model that not only a higher net proliferation rate, but also the swift removal of dead cells provides a […]
Fluorescence microscopy shows how living cells form vesicles to transport cargo like growth factors
Cells have a clever way to transport cargos like growth factors across the cell membrane and into the cell. It is called clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Molecules of the protein clathrin gather on the inside of the cell membrane, and they deform the membrane to make what looks like a pit as seen from the outside. After […]
Study identifies receptor that could alleviate need for chemo, radiation pre-T cell therapy
Before a patient can undergo T cell therapy designed to target cancerous tumors, the patient’s entire immune system must be destroyed with chemotherapy or radiation. The toxic side effects are well known, including nausea, extreme fatigue and hair loss. Now a research team, led by UCLA’s Anusha Kalbasi, MD, in collaboration with scientists from Stanford […]
KRAS Inhibitor Shrinks Tumors in Over 40% of NSCLC Patients
CHICAGO — More than 40% of patients with KRAS G12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) responded to treatment with adagrasib, findings from a phase II trial showed. Among 112 evaluable patients in the KRYSTAL-1 study, all of whom were previously treated, the confirmed objective response rate (ORR) was 42.9% with the investigational KRAS G12C inhibitor, […]