What Is the Treatment for Common Variable Immunodeficiency?
Treatment for common variable immunodeficiency may include immunoglobulin replacement therapy, antimicrobial therapy, and B12 injections. The treatment of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is individualized depending upon various factors such as the person’s age, symptoms, and general health. Various specialists, including hematologists, pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, and immunologists, work as a team to decide the best management approach […]
Fat-secreted molecule lowers response to common cancer treatment
Leptin, a molecule produced by fat cells, appears to cancel out the effects of the estrogen-blocking therapy tamoxifen, a drug commonly used to treat and prevent breast cancers, suggests a new study led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. The findings, published online Aug. 13 in npj Breast Cancer, could help explain […]
Short DAPT Just as Good for High-Bleeding Risk Stenting After MI
For high-bleeding risk patients, a shorter duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) appeared just as safe for those getting novel stent after acute myocardial infarction (MI) in the MASTER-DAPT trial. Stopping anticoagulant at 30 days didn’t yield significantly different outcomes whether patients had a prior MI or not, reported Pieter C. Smits, MD, PhD, of […]
Mixed Results With RT Plus Short-Term ADT in Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer
CHICAGO — Adding a short course of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to dose-escalated radiotherapy (RT) led to a mixed bag of outcomes in intermediate-risk prostate cancer, according to a large randomized trial. The addition of 6 months of ADT did not improve overall survival (OS) compared with RT alone, but the hormonal therapy was associated […]
Meta-Analysis Reaffirms Role of ADT With Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer
CHICAGO — The use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in conjunction with radiotherapy, as well as its prolonged use in the adjuvant setting, improved metastasis-free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with localized prostate cancer, a meta-analysis found. Adding ADT to radiotherapy significantly improved 12-year rates of MFS, the primary endpoint (HR 0.83, […]
Doc Groups Seek to Reinstate Ban on Step Therapy in Medicare Advantage
WASHINGTON — Are Medicare Advantage (MA) plans allowed to require patients to go through “step therapy” to get a medication or treatment they need? Yes — for now — but physician groups are trying to change that. “On August 7, 2018, CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) issued a memo to MA plans […]
ADT Options for Prostate Cancer Come Out Even for Heart Safety
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) options for prostate cancer seemed to have a similar impact on the risk of cardiovascular events among people with documented heart disease, according to results from the PRONOUNCE trial, although the study was terminated early due to slow accrual. In 545 men, there was no statistically significant difference in the rate […]
One Month of DAPT Reasonable in Patients at High Bleeding Risk
Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for 1 month after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) lowered bleeding rates and was non-inferior for ischemic events compared with 3-month DAPT in patients at high bleeding risk, according to results of the MASTER DAPT trial. Among the 4,579 patients in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population, major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding occurred […]
Benefits of Adjuvant Radiation in DCIS Persist Out to 15 Years
Adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) for good-risk ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) reduced long-term ipsilateral breast recurrence (IBR) by more than 50% compared with observation, results of a large intergroup study showed. RT, following surgery with or without tamoxifen, decreased 15-year IBR from 15.1% with observation to 7.1%. RT also reduced the odds of invasive local […]
PD-1 Inhibitor OK’d as Adjuvant Therapy for Bladder Cancer
The FDA has approved nivolumab (Opdivo) as an adjuvant therapy for patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC) who are at high risk of recurrence after undergoing radical resection, regardless of prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy, nodal involvement, or PD-L1 status, Bristol Myers Squibb announced. Nivolumab becomes the first PD-1 inhibitor in UC with an indication in the adjuvant […]