‘Fantastic,’ ‘Terrific’ Results With Oncolytic Virus Combo for Bladder Cancer
CHICAGO — An oncolytic virus therapy combined with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) produced complete responses (CRs) in 85% of patients with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), a small phase II trial showed. The results showed CRs in 29 of 34 patients with detectable carcinoma in situ (CIS) treated with cretostimogene grenadenorepvec (CG0070) and the PD-1 […]
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 […]
Some Private Companies Charge Hefty Fees to Help Veterans With Disability Claims
When Glenn Janssen decided to file a claim for disability benefits with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) last year, he dreaded the prospect of dealing with federal bureaucracy and paperwork. Janssen, 57, lives in Portugal with his wife and has worked as a government contractor since leaving the Army in 2004. The Gulf War […]
Opinion | It’s a Precarious Path From Dreamer to Doctor
My passion for serving others is what drew me to medicine. Beyond the fascination with science, I am driven by a fervent desire to improve the lives of marginalized communities. However, despite years of hard work, education, and personal sacrifice, it is still uncertain whether I will be able to use my education, abilities, and […]
Sodium Thiosulphate Not Much Help for Calciphylaxis in CKD
Intravenous sodium thiosulphate flopped for treating calciphylaxis in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), researchers reported. In a systematic review and meta-analysis, there was no significant difference in skin lesion improvement seen across 12 studies of patients treated with and without IV sodium thiosulphate (risk ratio 1.23, 95% CI 0.85-1.78), found Wen Wen, MD, MMSc, […]
Opinion | AI Offers Hope for Those With Alzheimer’s Disease
According to the CDC, as of 2020, approximately 5.8 million people in the U.S. were living with Alzheimer’s disease. The prevalence of this disease is expected to continue to rise as the population ages. The number of people living with the disease is projected to grow three-fold, to 14 million, by 2060. While there is […]
Lupus During Pregnancy Carries Higher Maternal, Fetal Morbidity Risks
Women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had higher risks for maternal and fetal morbidity compared to those without the chronic autoimmune disorder, according to a nationwide analysis of U.S. data. The 10-year study showed that patients with SLE had higher intrauterine growth restriction versus people without SLE (8.0% vs 2.7%) and more frequent preterm delivery […]
Drug for Rare Form of ALS Earns FDA Nod
The FDA granted accelerated approval to tofersen (Qalsody) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with mutations in the SOD1 gene, the agency announced on Tuesday. The drug was cleared under the accelerated approval pathway, a program that uses a surrogate endpoint to approve drugs for serious conditions with an unmet medical need. For tofersen, the […]
Problems with ‘pruning’ brain connections linked to adolescent mental health disorders
Problems with the brain’s ability to ‘prune’ itself of unnecessary connections may underlie a wide range of mental health disorders that begin during adolescence, according to research published today. The findings, from an international collaboration, led by researchers in the UK, China and Germany, may help explain why people are often affected by more than […]
You Might Want To Change How You’re Doing At-Home COVID Tests
By now, you’ve probably read a million articles and instructions on the proper way to swab with an at-home COVID-19 test. You typically need to put the soft end of the swab about half an inch into your nose, swirl it around each nostril for roughly 15 seconds, mix it with some liquid, and let […]