Mary Caffrey

Germline testing at diagnosis, along with tumor testing, have the potential to identify candidates for investigational poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, and updated guidelines call for their expanded use.

For SGLT2 inhibitors and a fish oil capsule, there was plenty of good news; for aspirin, not so much. A recap of the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session, held March 16-18, 2019, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Guideline updates discussed Thursday at the 2019 National Comprehensive Cancer Network Annual Conference reflect recent practice-changing clinical trials involving pembrolizumab and chemotherapy.

A panel during the opening day of the 2019 National Comprehensive Cancer Network Annual Conference examined the recent process for National Coverage Determination for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and what it means for the future of innovative treatments.

If approved the oral form of semaglutide would be the first pill in the GLP-1 receptor agonist class.

The findings show that patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma who had continuous systemic treatment had average monthly emergency department costs that were $100 lower than those with interrupted treatment.

The INFINITY trial, presented at the 68th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, tracked hypertension, brain lesions, and gait in groups of older seniors who had their systolic blood pressure managed to either 130 mm Hg or 145 mm Hg. Results showed significant differences in brain lesions between the 2 groups after 3 years.

New results presented at the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session find a high-dose fish oil pill reduced the risk for first and future cardiovascular events among patients taking statins by 30%. The early results grabbed headlines last fall in part because researchers aren't entirely sure how the capsule works.

New findings show reduced hospitalizations for a wide group of patients with heart failure. For high-risk patients with reduced ejection fraction, the drug appears to cut deaths, but more studies will answer these questions.

More than a decade after an FDA mandate for cardiovascular outcomes trials, cardiologists say insights gained on how 2 new drug classes affect heart failure in diabetes should be used to prevent complications. Several sessions at the 68th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology addressed this topic.

The AUGUSTUS trial was designed to guide clinicians in treating patients with complex heart problems who are typically left out of other clinical trials. Results were presented Sunday at the 68th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, held in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The joint guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association call on clinicians to pay more attention to social determinants of health. They were announced Sunday at the 68th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans, Louisiana.

A session at the 68th American College of Cardiology Scientific Session continues the ongoing debate whether a CMS reimbursement model has contributed to rising mortality in patients with heart failure.

The 68th American College of Cardiology Scientific Session and Exposition opens with a study that suggests the Apple Watch can detect atrial fibrillation with a reasonable degree of accuracy, giving people an opportunity to get in touch with their doctor before a serious event like a stroke.

In recent years, the big news on the first day of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Session and Exposition has involved a therapy—usually an expensive cholesterol drug with a name almost no one could pronounce: proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors. This year, it's tech, and an easy-to-pronounce name: Apple.

Finding a less invasive way of determing if pancreatic cysts are likely to become cancerous would be good for patients and less taxing on the healthcare system.

There is concern among stakeholder groups that references to “hospital” could mean that community practices would be unable to be reimbursed by Medicare under a proposed National Coverage Determination.

A report from the Health Care Cost Institute examined 4 years' worth of data covering 1.8 billion claims in 112 markets.

Not having enough tissue is often a problem in precision medicine. The senior author of a new study said a liquid biopsy could become a new standard.

The results come after the American Diabetes Association and the American College of Cardiology have recently issued guidelines calling for the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists for patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk.

The change comes on the heels of hearings in Congress where insulin costs were held up for scrutiny.

AstraZeneca and Merck will present full results at a future meeting; Myriad Genetics will file a supplemental application for its companion diagnostic.

Areas such as physical health showed improvement, but career and social well-being continue to weaken for Americans.

Therapeutic updates from Patient-Centered Oncology Care® 2018.

Updates on reporting otucomes and pathway design from Patient-Centered Oncology Care®.

The study followed a directive from CMS to screen dialysis patients for depression and develop a follow-up plan for care for those diagnosed.

Various stakeholders discuss the future of oncology care at the Patient-Centered Oncology Care® meeting. Editor’s Note: After this issue went to press, Wes Hall passed away February 20, 2019, after living more than 5 years with stage IV stomach cancer. He was active in the Community Oncology Alliance Patient Advocacy Network and supported participation in clinical trials.

The major alternative payment model put forth by Medicare, the Oncology Care Model, doesn’t tell practices how they are doing until after the fact. This puts practices at risk for things beyond their control, said Barbara McAneny, MD, a New Mexico oncologist/hematologist who is the current president of the American Medical Association (AMA).

The rule takes effect in 60 days, but the provision requiring physical separation of facilities that perform abortion takes effect in a year.

Digital tools for managing diabetes and insulin have proliferated in recent years.