Study Examines Off-Target Mortality in Cancer Screening
Cancer screening reduced targeted cancer mortality without significantly increasing deaths from other causes. Meta-analysis of 17 studies found a 0.2% increase in off-target mortality rates in screened patients. Results suggest a need to analyze on-target cancer mortality and off-target mortality separately in trials of cancer screening. Screening for cancer reduced targeted cancer mortality without a […]
Linaclotide Eases Abdominal Symptoms in IBS With Constipation
Linaclotide (Linzess) significantly alleviated abdominal symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients with predominant constipation compared with placebo, researchers found in a randomized study. Using an abdominal score that averaged abdominal bloating, discomfort, and pain on an 11-point scale, the average overall change from baseline was -1.9 for patients treated with linaclotide and -1.2 for […]
Surgical Volumes Matter for Outcomes at Ambulatory Centers, Too
As seen for hospital-based procedures, ambulatory surgical outcomes were significantly better on average at centers with relatively high volumes, Medicare data indicated. Odds of hospital admission or emergency department visit within 7 days of an ambulatory surgical procedure were 21% greater in low- versus high-volume centers (95% CI 9%-36%), according to Jeffrey H. Silber, MD, […]
HAIP Chemo Offers OS Advantage in Advanced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
SAN FRANCISCO — Hepatic arterial infusion pump (HAIP) chemotherapy with floxuridine significantly improved overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), according to results from a phase II study. Patients treated with HAIP chemotherapy combined with systemic chemotherapy achieved a 1-year OS of 80% compared with 47% in the historical cohort treated with […]
More Evidence Linking ADT for Prostate Cancer to Adverse Neurocognitive Effects
Men treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer had a significantly higher risk of dementia and other neurocognitive disorders, according to a meta-analysis of more than 2.5 million patients. The magnitude of excess risk ranged from 20% for dementia to 66% for depression. The risk of Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and Parkinson’s disease […]
‘New Gold Standard’ for Previously Untreated CLL
SAN DIEGO — A time-limited, targeted combination significantly improved survival compared with chemoimmunotherapy in fit chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who met criteria for starting treatment, findings from the randomized FLAIR trial indicated. At 3 years, progression-free survival (PFS) rates reached 97% for patients randomized to venetoclax (Venclexta) plus ibrutinib (Imbruvica), as compared with 77% […]
ADHD and Car Crashes; New Guidance on Stimulant Use Disorder Tx; KarXT Heads to FDA
Older adults with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had a significantly higher incidence of car crashes. (JAMA Network Open) Meanwhile, the estimated prevalence of ADHD in kids 4 years and up held steady — between 10.08% to 10.47% — from 2017 to 2022, according to nationally representative data. (JAMA Network Open) The FDA released new draft […]
Study Confirms Better Survival for HPV-Positive Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer associated with detectable human papillomavirus (HPV+) RNA or DNA had significantly better outcomes, including survival, a large meta-analysis of published studies showed. Patients who tested positive for HPV had a 62% improvement in disease-free survival (DFS), 44% improvement in cancer-specific survival (CSS), and 41% improvement in overall survival (OS), as compared with patients […]
Cancer Patients More Likely to Die During COVID Pandemic
Cancer patients experienced significantly higher rates of COVID-19-related deaths compared with the general public, according to two retrospective studies from the U.S. and Canada. In a cross-sectional study published in JAMA Oncology, researchers found that the winter Omicron surge of 2021-2022 was particularly deadly, as the number of deaths among U.S. cancer patients increased by […]
Study Reinforces BRAF-MEK Inhibition Over Anti-BRAF Only in Advanced Melanoma
Combined BRAF-MEK inhibition for advanced BRAF-mutant melanoma led to significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) as compared with single-agent BRAF inhibition, according to a randomized trial. Patients who received encorafenib (Braftovi) plus binimetinib (Mektovi) had a median PFS of 12.9 months as compared with 9.2 and 7.4 months for two cohorts treated with encorafenib alone. The […]