With fully 70% of working age Americans with disabilities outside the workforce, BMX bike legend and host of MTV’s The Challenge, T.J. Lavin, Governor Jack Markell (DE), Rep. Pete Sessions (TX), Rep. Brad Sherman (CA) and Paralympian Matt Cowdrey joined together to meet with dozens of Capitol Hill professionals. The group could not be farther apart geographically or ideologically, but …
REAC/TS releases proceedings from fifth international medical radiation symposium and workshop
37 experts discuss a wide range of topics, such as Fukishima lessons learned, advancements in radiation stem cell therapy and using ultrasound to diagnose radiation injuries As part of its mission to provide continuing education for personnel responsible for treating radiation injuries, the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) hosted the Fifth International REAC/TS Symposium on the Medical Basis for …
A Rare Cancer Survivor’s Journey to Thriving and Advocating
From: Inspire as posted on Scope We’ve partnered with Inspire, a company that builds and manages online support communities for patients and caregivers, to launch a patient-focused series here on Scope. Once a month, patients affected by serious and often chronic diseases share their unique stories. In honor of the upcoming Rare Disease Day (Feb. 28), our latest comes from …
Everyone should have a pleasant mammogram experience
by: Abigail Schildcrout, MD From: KevinMD.com This morning I went for my annual mammogram. It’s not something I generally look forward to. In fact, I mildly dread it. In my personal experience, mammograms have ranged from quite uncomfortable to downright painful. And then there’s the general unpleasantness of standing topless in a cold room. The first time I had this …
New Breast Cancer Surgical Guideline Offers Cost- and Life-Improving Recommendations
The Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) is proud to announce the release of a comprehensive consensus guideline for physicians treating breast cancer that will reduce healthcare costs and improve the course of treatment. Developed in conjunction with the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), it outlines an evidence-based surgical treatment path that will save patients from unnecessary surgery. “A significant …
FDA: Use Sicker Patients in Clinical Trials
By David Pittman, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today The FDA is taking steps to include more patients with multiple chronic conditions in clinical trials of new drugs, believing such patients are too frequently excluded from new drug studies. Pharmaceutical companies routinely exclude the sickest patients from studies, fearing complications they may suffer from the drug candidates, but, as a result, the studies …
3 Signs You’re Suffering from Caregiver Burnout
From: Home Care Assistance As a caregiver you likely know all the particulars about the physical and emotional health of the loved one for whom you are caring. You know exactly what medications must be taken and when, and you are highly sensitive to the slightest change in his or her mood and temperament. But, are you just as aware …
Breast Cancer Not Indicator of CVD Risk Among Older Breast Cancer Survivors, AJMC Study Finds
Factors such as smoking, diabetes and hypertension were far better indicators of an older woman’s likelihood of suffering a cardiovascular event than being a breast cancer survivor, according to a study published this month in The American Journal of Managed Care. Breast cancer survival rates are rising due to better screening and early detection. That means breast cancer survivors are …
Strategies To Rein in Oncology Drug Costs
by Susan Birk From: pharmacypracticenews.com The staggering price tag of some oncology drugs points to a health care system that is out of control, the president of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacists Association said at the group’s Inaugural Fall Practice Management Meeting. Coupled with the added costs associated with chronic medication shortages, off-label medication use and unfunded regulatory mandates, hematology/oncology pharmacists have …
Kadcyla, an Antibody Drug Conjugate for Breast Cancer Treatment
by: Sheena Gurai, PharmD Intern From: rxeconsult.com What are Antibody-Drug Conjugates? There is a new class of drugs that has significant potential to create breakthroughs in cancer treatment. This class is known as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which simply refers to a drug that is attached to an antibody [see figure 1]. Antibodies are proteins that the immune system uses to …