Maggie is an editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and produces written, video, and podcast content covering several disease states. She joined AJMC® in 2019, and has been with AJMC®’s parent company, MJH Life Sciences®, since 2014, when she started as a copy editor.
She has a BA in English from Penn State University. You can connect with Maggie on LinkedIn.
Healthcare, Genetic Testing Disparities Persist in Black Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
December 19th 2019Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited condition in which mutations in genes that encode the sarcomere proteins in the heart cause an abnormal thickening of that muscle, with no known cure. In black patients, HCM is usually diagnosed at a younger age and accompanied by a greater burden of symptomatic heart failure. These patients, however, are not well represented in surveys of the condition, which tend to focus on white patients.
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Biomarker Use in Colorectal Cancer
December 18th 2019Despite a 20% drop in mortality since 2009, colorectal cancer accounted for 9.8% (881,000) of deaths worldwide in 2018 and represents 10.2% of all cancer cases worldwide. It is No. 3 on the list of most prevalent cancers worldwide—1.8 million new cases in 2018—behind only lung cancer and breast cancer.
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Risk of Heart Failure Greater in Patients With AML, ALL on Anthracyclines
December 18th 2019In cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), there is a greater risk of symptomatic heart failure in the first year following initiation of anthracycline treatment.
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Treating HIV Comorbidities in the Fight to End the Epidemic
December 16th 2019HIV-positive individuals face greater risks of kidney and liver diseases, cardiovascular events, osteoporosis, hepatitis C, and cancer. Clinical trials and research advances into the cause and development of the comorbid conditions are needed.
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There was a 37% increase in childhood cancer survival between 1975 and 2010. With more children receiving chemotherapy and radiation to treat their diseases, leading to more survivors, awareness has grown of the belated effects of those treatments once patients reach adulthood.
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A second study, slated for next year, will continue these infants on antiretroviral treatment with 2 experimental monoclonal antibodies, hoping the medications produce viral suppression—and testing the effects of temporarily stopping them—so that they don’t have to eventually initiate the standard triplet therapy that most older patients typically take. For adults, most treatments for HIV come from the cancer field, and are inflammatory, and are not safe enough to apply in children. An ongoing debate is when is it appropriate to begin these therapies in children.
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Most Patients With Medicare Need Additional Financial Assistance to Get Novel Oral Therapies
December 9th 2019Karmanos Cancer Institute, in Detroit, Michigan, established a specialty pharmacy to help alleviate the financial burden many patients face when paying for their oral novel therapeutics.
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ASCO Updates Patient-Centered Oncology Payment Model
November 27th 2019After a request for additional input from oncologists, practice administrators, payer representatives, and experts in physician payment and business analysis, ASCO has issued updated guidance on PCOP. With CMS’ Oncology Care Model set to end in 2021, the current draft of ASCO’s Community-based Oncology Medical Home model would be an option to take its place.
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Kaiser Permanente Study Results Suggest Link Between Older Age, Heart Failure
November 6th 2019The rate of decrease in deaths from heart disease (HD) slowed between 2011 and 2014 versus 2000 and 2011, while the population above 65 years jumped 22.9% and there was a concurrent 38% rise in deaths from HD among this patient population.
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Are MS Biosimilar Approvals Risking Patient Health?
January 1st 2000A recently published commentary examined issues surrounding biosimilars in the treatment of multiple sclerosis from an international point of view, noting the tremendous opportunity for cost savings while wondering if patient concerns are being adequately considered.
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