Clinical

What we're reading, November 11, 2015: annual flu shots may reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine; Democrats call for changes to the so-called Cadillac tax; and Millennium Health files for chapter 11 bankruptcy.

A new study finds that off-label drug use is associated with higher rates of adverse drug events in adults.

The approval comes after a priority review of the combination that blocks activity of 2 MAPK proteins: BRAF and MEK.

Published in JAMA Oncology, the trial found an association between loss of heterozygosity and cancer-free survival in patients who had been diagnosed with oral premalignant lesions.

Oral contraception, the most widely used contraceptive method in the US, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular side effects. Despite increased awareness of this risk over the years, the use of oral contraceptives among women with conditions that place them at high risk for cardiovascular effects is still common.

Treatment of a recurrent brain tumor harboring a BRAF mutation with an inhibitor approved for melanoma resulted in dramatic tumor shrinkage.

The FDA's meta-analyses, following results of the DAPT trial in 2014, have found no association between treatment with the blood thinner clopidogrel (Plavix) and increased incidence of, or death due to, cancer.

A blood test that can detect mutations in the androgen receptor can predict response to abiraterone in prostate cancer.

New research, published in JAMA Oncology, presents evidence of how the use of disease-specific hashtags on Twitter can help those with common interests collectively share information.

Published in the journal Cancer, the study evaluated the short-term and long-term costs of treating patients with low-risk prostate cancer across the entire care spectrum.

According to a study published in The International Journal of Cancer, tubal ligation can reduce the risk of serous, endometrioid, and clear cell ovarian carcinoma.

A new research study published in the Journal of Dermatology has found that propranolol, a commonly used antihypertensive agent, could substantially reduce proliferation of angiosarcoma.

Fifty organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, have expressed their confidence in Robert Califf, MD, to lead the FDA.

After melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer, the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy status to pembrolizumab in advanced colorectal cancer patients with mismatched repair deficiency.

With the expansion, UnitedHealthcare will bring 5 more oncology practices on board to participate in its bundled program, which will grow the program to 650 oncologists across 7 states.

At the Payer Exchange Summit on Oncology Payment Reform, hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance, Daniel McKellar, MD, who chairs the Commission on Cancer, insisted on meaningful feedback from the community to ensure adequate transformation of practices into a medical home.