Researchers from the NYU School of Medicine and Perlmutter Cancer Center have determined that blood tests that track the amount of tumor DNA—after just 1 month of treatment—detect how well treatment is working in patients with skin cancer.
Researchers from the NYU School of Medicine and Perlmutter Cancer Center have determined that blood tests that track the amount of tumor DNA—after just 1 month of treatment—detect how well treatment is working in patients with skin cancer.
During the study, the researchers traced circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for the cancer gene BRAF, which plays a role in various types of melanoma. They found that a tumor’s BRAF mutation could be detected by the new blood test in 93% of the patients before treatment started. After 1 month of therapy, BRAF ctDNA levels were no longer detectable in the 40% of patients who had a positive clinical outcome after targeted therapy.
Politics vs Science: The Future of US Public Health
February 4th 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health, on the public health implications of the US withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the role of public health leaders in advocating for science and health.
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Addressing the Bidirectional Impact of Schizophrenia and Substance Use Disorders
February 8th 2025Joshua Kaufman, MD, medical director of Behavioral Health and Medical Integration at Capital District Physicians' Health Plan, discusses the bidirectional relationship between schizophrenia and substance use disorders in an interview.
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