Clinical

The FDA has approved the combination of lenvatinib and everolimus for use in patients with renal cell carcinoma who have failed at least 1 anti-angiogenic treatment. The approval raises questions around the sequencing these agents when a patient fails on first-line care.

What we're reading, May 16, 2016: The Supreme Court has sent the Obamacare contraception case back to the lower courts; in some rural markets customers will have 1 option on the Affordable Care Act exchanges; and the first US case of locally transmitted Zika-related microcephaly has been reported.

There is much excitement over the new checkpoint inhibitors, which have shown benefit across a variety of tumors. Right now, researchers are trying to define the subgroup of patients with breast cancer who might be most suited to checkpoint inhibitors, explained Lee Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, chief of Division of Hematology Oncology and professor of medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Despite a federal law enacted to respond to rising national drug shortages, a new study finds that although the numbers of national drug shortages appearing each year has decreased, the overall number of national shortages remains high.

How doctors are using telemedicine to help relieve the desperate situation in war-torn Syria.

Researchers in Germany have discovered that mitoxantrone-used to treat aggressive, relapsing, or progressive multiple sclerosis-can increase the risk of leukemia and colorectal cancer in those being treated.

What we're reading, May 13, 2016: federal judge rules against Obamacare; Senate reaches deal for $1.1 billion to fight Zika; and Los Angeles is using healthcare funds to house the homeless.

Measurement is essential to improving care and having the equivalent measurements across the field will allow clinicians and providers to be held accountable for the care they provide, said Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals.

The immunotherapy agent nivolumab was approved by the European Commission in combination with ipilimumab for the treatment of advanced melanoma, but rejected by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for use in patients with advanced lung cancer.

Cancer patients who receive a particular type of chemotherapy, called doxorubicin, run a risk of sustaining severe, lasting heart damage. But until now, there was no way of knowing who would experience this serious side effect.

A review of the various value calculators that have emerged to measure the value of cancer therapies—these calculators reflect the interests of their developers and vary substantially in their intention, format, and usability.

What we're reading, May 12, 2016: there are 18 bills in the House that address the opioid epidemic and Massachusetts residents don't think medical professionals are doing a good job carrying out a dying person's wishes.

While at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s 21st Annual Meeting, John A. Thompson, MD, co-director of the Melanoma Clinic at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, discussed screening and diagnosis of melanoma, immunotherapy, and biomarkers.

Less than 5% of individuals who received an opioid prescription are abusers, but they account for 32% of total opioid prescriptions and 40% of opioid prescription spending, according to a new report.

In this interview, Steven D. Pearson, MD, MSc, FRCP, founder and president of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, talks about the various value tools that have been developed, the need for understanding the budgetary impact of healthcare costs, and why stakeholders are interested in innovative models such as indication-based pricing.

Algenpantucel-L, an allogenic whole-cell immunotherapeutic vaccine being developed to destroy a patient’s pancreatic cancer cells, has failed to improve overall survival (OS).

Nanostring Technologies has announced that its Prosigna Breast Cancer Gene Signature Assay has received a positive coverage decision from the commercial health plan Aetna.

A new analysis of websites that provide information on pancreatic cancer, published in JAMA Surgery, has found that they overestimate the reading ability of the population and might even misguide them.

What we're reading: Arizona revives its Children's Health Insurance Program; new medical schools focus on creating a new type of physician; and Cigna believes its deal with Anthem won't close until 2017.

There may be an inexpensive way to reduce the risky use of pain medications by people at high risk of overdosing: using trained therapists in the emergency department to provide motivational interviews.

Discovery of a previously unknown heart muscle protein and how it affects mechanisms related to heart failure may lead to further treatments for cardiovascular disease.

A new study found the increase in the use of insulin reaped dual results: the pharmacy expenses were substantially increased but the number of hypoglycemia-related emergency department visits were reduced.

What we're reading, May 6, 2016: Both Democrats and Republicans are pushing back against the recent Medicare Part B proposal; medical overdose risk is high among people ages 45 to 64; and the Cayman Islands are releasing genetically modified mosquitoes to combat disease.

With reports documenting the shockingly rising use of e-cigarettes by middle and high school children, the announcement today that the FDA will extend its regulatory authority to include e-cigarettes is welcome news.

Scientists have discovered a new biomarker that could predict survival outcomes, and help establish the need for aggressive treatment, in patients with head and neck cancer.

What we're reading, May 5, 2016: obtaining life-ending medications under California's new law won't be easy come June 9; Arizona is now the only state to not participate in CHIP; struggling insurers propose big premiums increases on Obamacare plans.

A new study finds that more than one-third of heart failure (HF) patients do not receive recommended HF-specific medications within 30 days of diagnosis.

Patients and families can still have a limited understanding of palliative care, which may mean they have an open mind toward the suggestion, said Toby C. Campbell, MD, MSCI, associate professor of medicine, hematology-oncology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

What we're reading, May 4, 2016: heart disease risk calculator has led to overtreatment; healthcare price transparency tool actually increased spending for those who used it; and Martin Shkreli may be facing additional charges.