Clinical

Duke Appiah, PhD, MPH, discusses maternal health disparities, emphasizing the impact of racial and ethnic factors on pregnancy outcomes for women with cancer.

Data come from patients with stage 3 melanoma enrolled in a phase 3 randomized trial and showed that detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) prior to adjuvant systemic therapy can predict risk of early recurrence.

Panelists discuss how the management of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) is evolving, with promising new therapies that address antibiotic resistance concerns, while emphasizing the continued importance of antimicrobial stewardship, personalized treatment approaches, preventive strategies, and comprehensive patient education to reduce recurrence rates and improve outcomes in this common but burdensome condition.

Panelists discuss how the substantial financial impact of amyloid-targeting therapies necessitates innovative approaches including value-based pricing models, outcomes-based contracts, risk-sharing arrangements between payers and manufacturers, stratified patient selection criteria, and system-level solutions to balance clinical benefit with economic sustainability for health care systems, insurers, and patients.

Panelists discuss how recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) treated with older antibiotics generate 2 to 3 times higher total costs than initial savings, warranting cost-effectiveness analyses in treatment decisions, whereas payers create barriers to newer therapies through restrictive authorizations, high co-pays, step therapy mandates, and limited formulary inclusion that providers can navigate via detailed documentation, pharmacy benefit manager engagement, patient assistance programs, and advocacy for evidence-based coverage policies.

Panelists discuss how managed care organizations can improve Alzheimer diagnostic test access while navigating complex coverage challenges for amyloid-targeting therapies across traditional Medicare (with restrictive NCDs), Medicare Advantage plans, private insurance, and younger patients who face categorical exclusions despite clinical need.

The findings come from a review of 4 randomized clinical trials, which found that statin use at the start of treatment was associated with improved cancer-related survival, overall survival, and progression-free survival.

Duke Appiah, PhD, MPH, explores racial disparities in maternal health outcomes for pregnant women with cancer, revealing critical insights for informed decision-making.

Patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) experienced improvements in central macular thickness and subretinal and intraretinal fluid after switching.

Panelists discusses how the "vicious vortex model" explains bronchiectasis pathophysiology, where airway dilatation leads to mucus stagnation, chronic infections, and neutrophilic inflammation, worsening the condition.

Panelists discusses how bronchiectasis differs from other respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD through symptoms, imaging findings, and pathophysiological mechanisms.

Christine Funke, MD, spoke about the role of doctors in making sure their patients are receiving proper care after being diagnosed with glaucoma.

A panelist discusses how the HIV patient population has aged significantly, with the average age in their clinic now exceeding 50 years and expected to soon exceed 65 years, and how these aging patients experience more comorbidities at younger ages than the general population while their HIV becomes easier to manage with simple regimens.

A panelist discusses how viral suppression in HIV patients means achieving undetectable virus levels (below 50 or 20 copies per ml), which prevents immune system damage and transmission to others, summarized as "undetectable equals untransmissible" (U=U).

Mingyang Song, MBBS, ScD, discusses the link between ultraprocessed foods and cancer risk, emphasizing nutrition's role in prevention.

New treatments for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) enhance patient care with gene therapies and new mechanisms of action on the horizon, explained Casey Koch, PharmD, from Select Health.

From a meeting that celebrates basic research and being "first," a look at 3 data sets on therapies that would break new ground.

Medicaid beneficiaries face higher rates of pulmonary hypertension, with significant economic burdens and racial disparities in prevalence and costs.

A panelist discusses how folate receptor alpha (FRα) expression testing plays a crucial role in determining eligibility for mirvetuximab soravtansine (an antibody-drug conjugate therapy), emphasizing the importance of comprehensive biomarker testing at diagnosis rather than piecemeal testing.

A panelist discusses how National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines have influenced molecular testing in ovarian cancer, highlighting the importance of biomarkers like BRCA genes for treatment decisions, prognostic information, and family prevention strategies.

Zongertinib shows promise for treating HER2-mutant non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with significant activity against brain metastases and low interstitial lung disease risk, explains John Heymach, MD, PhD.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to deliver personalized nutrition; however, there is a need for professional oversight, emphasized Julia Logan, BS.

John Heymach, MD, PhD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the promising results of zongertinib for HER2-mutated non–small cell lung cancer, showcasing high response rates and improved patient quality of life.

Panelists discuss how significant gaps in immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy patient care persist, including delayed diagnosis, limited access to nephrology expertise, inadequate disease monitoring, and insufficient psychosocial support throughout the disease journey.

Panelists discuss how current immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy treatments primarily target downstream inflammatory pathways of the 4-hit cascade, with emerging therapies now beginning to address specific upstream mechanisms including abnormal IgA1 production, autoantibody formation, and immune complex deposition.

A panelist discusses how the comprehensive ADVANCES safety monitoring system data presented at the 2025 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting (AAD 2025) revealed distinct infection risk profiles between Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors (upadacitinib/abrocitinib, n = 1686) and cytokine inhibitors (dupilumab/tralokinumab, n = 3352) in atopic dermatitis patients, with JAK inhibitors showing elevated relative risks for serious infections and Candida infections during the 180-day assessment period, potentially influencing treatment selection based on individual patient risk factors.

Julia Logan, BS, discusses the vital role of nutrition in cancer care, highlighting how artificial intelligence can enhance dietary recommendations for patients.

Ravindra Uppaluri, MD, PhD, lead investigator of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-689 trial (NCT03765918), highlights the need for a multidisciplinary approach to translate the study's findings into real-world care for patients with resectable head and neck cancer.

Ravindra Uppaluri, MD, PhD, lead investigator of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-689 trial (NCT03765918), highlights the potential of pembrolizumab (Keytruda; Merck) to improve outcomes following head and neck cancer treatment.

Panelists discuss how managing patients with mild cognitive impairment using amyloid-targeting therapies faces significant barriers including limited healthcare infrastructure for complex diagnostic testing and monitoring, insufficient insurance coverage and high out-of-pocket costs, challenges in patient selection and risk stratification, logistical hurdles of regular infusions and imaging, shortage of specialists in many regions, and the need for comprehensive patient education about realistic treatment expectations.