Ripretinib Continues to Demonstrate Benefit in Advanced GIST
An updated analysis of the phase III INVICTUS trial showed improved survival in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) treated with ripretinib (Qinlock) as later-line therapy, a researcher reported. At 19 months after the primary analysis, median progression-free survival (PFS) with the fourth- or later-line therapy remained stable, at 6.3 months with ripretinib versus […]
Fewer Hepatitis C Patients Seeking Treatment of Late
The number of people with hepatitis C virus (HCV) treated with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) dropped sharply in 2020, accelerating a decline that began in 2015, CDC researchers found. While 843,362 individuals from 2014-2020 were estimated to receive DAAs for HCV, only 83,740 initiated DAA treatment in 2020, down from 114,893 in 2019 and a […]
AI helps design the perfect chickpea
A massive international research effort has led to development of a genetic model for the ‘ultimate’ chickpea, with the potential to lift crop yields by up to 12 per cent. The research consortium genetically mapped thousands of chickpea varieties, and the UQ team then used this information to identify the most valuable gene combinations using […]
Supportive strategies help ‘picky eaters’ deal with food aversions
In a large national survey, adults who struggled with picky eating habits as children overwhelmingly said they benefitted more from positive and encouraging strategies their parents used than forceful or coercive approaches. The research, led by a team at Duke Health, was conducted among a generation of people who struggled with food avoidance before it […]
U.S. Should Take Heed Of Europe, Pandemic’s New Epicenter, WHO Official Warns
Europe has again become the epicenter for the COVID-19 pandemic, with the World Health Organization warning Wednesday that deaths from the coronavirus had risen in Europe by 10% over the past week. The European region was the only one of the WHO’s six regions where cases and deaths had risen, with the other world regions […]
Are Your Hobbies Connected to Your Specialty?
Throughout my career I have met doctors with some of the most interesting hobbies — car collectors, wine makers, coffee roasters, and many others. I’ve often wondered whether physicians who have utilized their specialized skills in the practice of medicine have parlayed those skills into hobbies. In other words, is there a connection between physicians’ […]
Immunotherapy Combo in Advanced RCC Led to More Time Off Treatment
Nearly one-fifth of patients with intermediate- or poor-risk advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) in the CheckMate 214 trial were alive and treatment free beyond 3 years. Among the phase III trial participants, the treatment-free survival (TFS) rate at 42 months was 18% for those who were randomized to […]
Landmark study points to source of rapid aging, chronic inflammation in people living with HIV
In a groundbreaking study of people living with HIV, University of Alberta researchers found that elusive white blood cells called neutrophils play a role in impaired T cell functions and counts, as well as the associated chronic inflammation that is common with the virus. Neutrophils are a foundational part of the body’s immune system and […]
Some Babies Get Bad Start on Obesity Risk From Mom
Babies of mothers who have unhealthy obesity (that is, obesity along with other metabolic comorbidities) appear to have greater levels of adiposity when compared with the offspring of women with metabolically healthy obesity, researchers reported. At the time of birth, children of mothers with unhealthy obesity weighed an average of 0.62 kg (1.4 lb) more […]
Vaccinated Blood Cancer Patients Still at Risk for Severe COVID-19
Patients with hematologic malignancies who had breakthrough COVID-19 infections still had high risk for severe or critical disease, according to a registry-based study. Out of 113 reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection post-vaccination in people with blood cancers, 79 (60.4%) experienced severe or critical disease, with 75 requiring hospitalization, reported Livio Pagano, MD, of the Università […]