Matthew is an associate editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®). He joined AJMC® in 2019 and creates content for Medical World News®, a 24-hour online program developed MJH Life Sciences® focusing on pressing topics within managed care, as well as the nonwork-related activities of health care stakeholders.
He has a BA in journalism & media studies and economics from Rutgers University. You can connect with Matthew on LinkedIn.
Personalizing Breast Cancer: How Liquid Biopsy Testing for ctDNA, CTCs Can Promote Preventive Care
December 14th 2019Two abstracts on liquid biopsy tests revealed the potential of analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in promoting heightened decision-making by clinicians for patients with early-stage and metastatic breast cancer.
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In phase 3 trial results presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in San Antonio, Texas, oral paclitaxel with encequidar, the first orally administered paclitaxel, was shown to exhibit superior confirmed response and survival with less neuropathy for patients with metastatic breast cancer compared with intravenous (IV) paclitaxel.
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Data from the MINDACT trial revealed that among women with luminal breast cancers (hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative by local pathology) with a high clinical risk and low genomic risk, those aged 40 to 50 years had a greater, but insignificant, benefit from chemotherapy than patients older than 50.
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PwC Health Research Institute Unveils Impending Top Health Industry Issues of 2020
December 13th 2019In PwC Health Research Institute’s report, “Top health industry issues of 2020: Will digital start to show an ROI?” researchers highlighted the forces that will most powerfully affect the health industry in 2020, with a chief focus on the concern emerging from revisions to overseas tax provisions.
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Measuring Therapeutic Intervention Impact, Receptiveness for Patients With Breast Cancer
December 12th 2019In 3 abstracts presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in San Antonio, Texas, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and quality of life were measured for different therapeutic interventions aiming to either heighten tumor detection or ease chemotherapy-induced effects.
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Trastuzumab Deruxtecan Demonstrates Durable Efficacy in Phase 2 DESTINY-Breast01 Trial
December 12th 2019Results from the phase 2 DESTINY-Breast01 clinical trial show the novel efficacy of trastuzumab deruxtecan in providing durable benefit to heavily pretreated patients having undergone other HER2-targeted treatments.
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Overall survival was shown to be greater but insignificant in patients administered pertuzumab compared with placebo, while subgroups of lymph node–positive and hormone receptor–negative patients were distinguished as major beneficiaries, according to the results of the second interim analysis of APHINITY presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in San Antonio, Texas.
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Two migraine prevention agents, cinnarizine and sodium valproate, were shown to be safe and effective in reducing incidence and severity of migraine within children and adolescents, according to study findings. Safety findings must be weighed alongside warnings from European regulators about the risks of valproate for girls and adolescent women who could bear children in the future.
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Lifestyle Behaviors in Early Childhood Vital to Managing Risk of Obesity, Cardiometabolic Conditions
December 5th 2019Modifiable lifestyle behaviors, such as physical activity, sleep time, television time, and diet, were shown to contribute to risk of obesity and cardiometabolic conditions in early childhood, according to study findings.
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Aspirin Effective in Treating Acute Migraine, Preventing Recurrent Migraine, Review Finds
December 4th 2019Aspirin, in high doses from 900 to 1300 mg, was shown to be an effective and safe treatment option for acute migraine headaches, with further research showing its potential efficacy in preventing recurrent migraine headaches through lower doses of 81 to 325 mg, according to findings of a review.
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Prominence Health Plan Reveals Increased Cost Savings, Improved Quality of Care in Its 2018 Results
December 2nd 2019Prominence Health Plan announced that its 7 Universal Health Services (UHS) Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) revealed a continued trend of increased cost savings and improved quality in 2018 results.
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The association between disadvantaged communities and heightened risk of cardiovascular disease was attributed to factors that impair sleep quality and duration, such as living in noisy environments, working several jobs with various shifts, and having greater levels of emotional and financial stress, according to study findings.
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COPD Mortality Rate Drops in Some Countries, While Total Mortality Rises, Study Finds
November 27th 2019An international study examining trends in COPD mortality over more than 2 decades showed that COPD mortality rates declined in most countries, but remained stable among US women and increased in several European countries, with total mortality additionally increasing or remaining stable in most countries.
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Minimally Invasive Procedure Reduces Tremors in Patients With Parkinson Disease
November 26th 2019A minimally invasive procedure that applies pulses of focused ultrasound to the brain was found to be safe and effective in reducing tremors and improving the quality of life in patients with Parkinson disease and essential tremor, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
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Researchers Uncover Mechanism Behind Relationship of Migraine, Opioid-Induced Pain in Mice
November 22nd 2019The link between prolonged opioid treatment and an increased frequency, severity of migraines has been attributed to the discovery of a peptide confirmed in mice that distinguishes the relationship of migraine pain and opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH), according to study findings.
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New Molecular Drivers of Parkinson Disease Discovered, Indicating Potential Treatment Innovations
November 21st 2019Researchers discovered new molecular drivers of Parkinson disease (PD) and determined their impact on the functions of genes involved in PD, potentially leading to novel treatments, according to study findings.
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TMF Health Quality Institute Highlights Benefit of COPD Rescue Pack in Suppressing Exacerbations
November 21st 2019As part of its Quality Improvement Snapshots series, TMF Health Quality Institute issued 4 healthcare quality improvement efforts, highlighting the use of a rescue pack for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as an impactful strategy in managing COPD-related exacerbations.
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Chronic Opioid Therapy, Prescription Drug Use Linked With Increased Risk of Sleep Disorders, Frailty
November 21st 2019Chronic opioid therapy was found to disrupt sleep and increase the risk of sleep disorders, while prescription drug use for pain and sleep exhibited an increased risk of frailty among users, according to 2 study findings stressing the need for heightened prescription education among providers for potential adverse risks.
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Longitudinal Assessment Reveals Cost-Effectiveness of Erenumab for Treatment of Migraine
November 17th 2019A longitudinal assessment of the cost-effectiveness of erenumab as a treatment for migraine exhibited higher patient utility when compared with placebo, according to study findings published this week.
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Mercer’s 2019 National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans highlighted 3 key areas of focus for employers in 2019, which were balancing affordability and choice, empowering employees to improve their health through tech-enabled solutions, and addressing high-cost claims.
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EPA Proposal to Limit Science Used in Rulemaking Takes Center Stage During Committee Meeting
November 14th 2019The EPA proposal to limit science used in rulemaking was discussed by panel members during a hearing held today by the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, with patient confidentiality serving as a major issue.
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Chemical Found in e-Cigarette Fluid Linked to Vaping-Related Respiratory Failure of Teen
November 13th 2019The fluid in e-cigarettes were associated with the near fatal respiratory failure of a teenage boy who was found to have an exaggerated immune response to one of its chemicals while vaping, according to a report published this week by doctors.
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Researchers Propose New Diagnostic Criteria for COPD
November 12th 2019Researchers proposed new diagnostic criteria for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that seek to identify more patients in early stages of the disease, promote better care for patients, and stimulate research to slow and prevent COPD, in a paper published today in the journal Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases.
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Insufficient Sleep Linked to Biological Aging, Increased Risk of CVD Through Wearable Trackers
November 12th 2019The use of wearable trackers found a link in patients reporting insufficient sleep with biological aging and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to study findings.
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