Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Hematology & Oncology for July 2019. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
U-Shaped Association Found for Hemoglobin Level, Dementia Risk
WEDNESDAY, July 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There is a U-shaped association for hemoglobin levels with risk for dementia, including Alzheimer disease, according to a study published online July 31 in Neurology.
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Trial Tests CRISPR Gene-Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease
WEDNESDAY, July 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A U.S. clinical trial of CRISPR gene-editing to treat people with sickle cell disease is underway.
CNN Article
More Information: CDC
Burnout Symptoms May Up Racial Bias Among Resident Physicians
WEDNESDAY, July 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Symptoms of burnout seem to be associated with greater explicit and implicit racial bias among resident physicians, according to a study published online July 26 in JAMA Network Open.
$70 Million Settlement Reached in Generic Drug Delay Case
TUESDAY, July 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Three drug companies will pay a total of nearly $70 million to California to settle charges of delaying the sale of generic drugs to keep brand-name drug prices high, the state’s attorney general said Monday.
Global Burden of Childhood Cancers Examined
TUESDAY, July 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Childhood cancers have a considerable disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) burden, which disproportionately affects countries with low resources, according to a study published online July 29 in The Lancet Oncology.
National Norms Developed for Assessing Medical School Empathy
TUESDAY, July 30, 2019 (HealthDay News) — National norms have been developed for assessing empathy among men and women at different levels of medical school education, according to a study published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
AI Model Can Predict Long-Term Mortality From Chest Radiographs
MONDAY, July 29, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A convolutional neural network (CNN) can predict long-term mortality from chest radiographs (CXRs), according to a study published online July 19 in JAMA Network Open.
JUUL E-Cigarettes Never Meant for Teens, Company Cofounder Says
FRIDAY, July 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — JUUL developed its electronic cigarette for adult smokers who want to stop and never intended it to be adopted by underage teenagers, company cofounder James Monsees told a U.S. House subcommittee on Thursday, adding that “combating underage use” is the company’s highest priority, the Associated Press reported.
Roxadustat Noninferior to Epoetin Alfa in Dialysis Patients
FRIDAY, July 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Roxadustat is noninferior to epoetin alfa for increasing hemoglobin levels among patients with anemia who are undergoing dialysis, and is superior to placebo for patients not undergoing dialysis, according to two studies published in the July 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Daily E-Cigarette Use May Increase Prolonged Cigarette Abstinence
FRIDAY, July 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Daily electronic-cigarette use is associated with increased odds of prolonged regular cigarette smoking abstinence, according to a study published online July 11 in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
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Mortality Up in Women With Central Obesity, Regardless of BMI
FRIDAY, July 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Women with normal-weight central obesity have increased mortality risk compared with normal weight women with no central obesity, according to a study published online July 24 in JAMA Network Open.
Female Oncologists Attend Fewer Conferences Than Men
THURSDAY, July 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Female oncologists attend significantly fewer conferences than male oncologists, according to a research letter published online July 18 in JAMA Oncology.
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Targeted Interventions Raise HPV Vaccine Acceptance in Women
THURSDAY, July 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Among young women, targeted educational interventions, particularly educational videos, increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine acceptability and knowledge, according to a study published online July 9 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Higher Fasting Plasma Glucose May Up Pancreatic Cancer Risk
THURSDAY, July 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The incidence rate of pancreatic cancer increases with rising fasting blood glucose levels, even within the normal range, according to a study published online July 24 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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ASCT May Offer Alternative for Tx of High-Risk Follicular Lymphoma
THURSDAY, July 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) may be an effective treatment option in high-risk, early therapy failure (ETF) follicular lymphoma (FL), prior to the use of rituximab, according to a study published online July 9 in Hematology/Oncology and Stem Cell Therapy.
Allergan Recalls Textured Breast Implants Linked to Lymphoma
WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Allergan’s textured breast implants will be recalled due to their link to a rare cancer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday.
FDA Press Release
FDA Safety Communication
Allergan Press Release
FDA Warns CBD Product Maker About False Claims
WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A warning letter has been issued to Massachusetts-based Curaleaf Inc. for illegally selling unapproved cannabidiol (CBD) products online with unproven claims that the products treat cancer, Alzheimer disease, opioid withdrawal, pain, and other health problems, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.
CDC: Mortality Rates Continue to Decrease for Hispanic Adults
WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Age-adjusted death rates decreased for Hispanic adults from 2000 through 2017, while for non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black adults, the rates have remained stable since 2011-2012, according to a July data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
Cancer Risks Examined in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Compared with the general population, there is an increased risk for certain cancers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Singapore, according to a study published online July 11 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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Senate Bill Would Reduce Drug Costs for Seniors
TUESDAY, July 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A bill to reduce prescription drug costs for millions of Medicare recipients and lower federal and state health costs has been introduced by two U.S. senators.
MGUS Can Progress to Multiple Myeloma Within Five Years
TUESDAY, July 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Individuals with low- or intermediate-risk monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) can experience progression to multiple myeloma within five years, according to a study published online July 18 in JAMA Oncology.
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T2DM Increases Gastric Cancer Risk After H. Pylori Eradication
TUESDAY, July 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Type 2 diabetes mellitus increases the risk for gastric cancer after treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection, according to a study published online July 11 in Diabetes Care.
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One in Five Workers Exposed to Secondhand Smoke on the Job
TUESDAY, July 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — One in five nonsmoking workers report exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) at work, according to research published in the July 12 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Light Therapy May Prevent Oral Mucositis for Some in Cancer Tx
MONDAY, July 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Photobiomodulation (PBM), such as laser and other light therapies, is recommended for prevention of oral mucositis (OM) in specific populations of cancer patients, according to a review published online July 8 in Supportive Care in Cancer.
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Rates of Anal Cancer Precursors High in Women Living With HIV
MONDAY, July 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs), which precede anal cancer, is high among women living with HIV (WLHIV) in the United States, according to a study published online July 11 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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Proportion of CRC Diagnoses Increased in Adults Younger Than 50
MONDAY, July 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 2004 to 2015, there was an increase in the proportion of persons diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) at an age younger than 50 years in the United States, according to a study published online July 22 in Cancer.
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Financial Incentives Help People Stop Smoking
FRIDAY, July 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Financial incentives do seem to help people quit smoking, according to a study published July 17 in the Cochrane Library.
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Nonprofit Funding by Cancer Type Not Proportional to Cancer Burden
FRIDAY, July 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Nonprofit funding by cancer type is not proportionate to the burden of individual cancers, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Factors Associated With Thyroid Cancer Overtreatment Identified
FRIDAY, July 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — One-fourth of patients receive unnecessary treatment with radioactive iodine after surgery for low-risk papillary thyroid cancer, according to a study published in the June issue of Surgical Oncology.
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CDC: Prevalence of Smoking Quit Attempts Unchanged in Most States
THURSDAY, July 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — During 2011 to 2017, the prevalence of quit attempts in adult smokers did not change significantly in 44 states and increased in only four states, according to research published in the July 19 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Novel Test Accurately Identifies Precancerous Pancreatic Cysts
THURSDAY, July 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A comprehensive test is more accurate than conventional clinical and imaging criteria for identifying precancerous pancreatic cysts, according to a study published online July 17 in Science Translational Medicine.
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About One in 20 Patients Exposed to Preventable Harm
THURSDAY, July 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The pooled prevalence of preventable patient harm is 6 percent across a range of medical settings globally, according to a review published online July 17 in The BMJ.
Man’s Award in Roundup Cancer Case Slashed by Judge
WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A man who was awarded $80.27 million in a lawsuit alleging Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller caused his cancer had that amount cut by $55 million by a judge.
Prevalence of Malignancy High in Takotsubo Syndrome Patients
WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Overall, 16.6 percent of patients with takotsubo syndrome (TTS) have malignancy, and long-term mortality is higher in patients with malignancy, according to a study published online July 17 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
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Continuous Anticoagulants + Cold Snare Polypectomy Noninferior
WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with subcentimeter colorectal polyps receiving oral anticoagulants, continuous administration of anticoagulants (CA) with cold snare polypectomy (CSP) is noninferior to periprocedural heparin bridging (HB) with hot snare polypectomy (HSP) for polypectomy-related major bleeding, according to a study published online July 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Protocolized Sepsis Care Lowers Sepsis Mortality in NY State
TUESDAY, July 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — State-mandated protocolized sepsis care is associated with a greater decrease in sepsis mortality compared with that seen in states not implementing sepsis regulations, according to a study published in the July 16 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Colonoscopy Rates Increased in Those Aged 45 to 54 Years
TUESDAY, July 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 2000 to 2015, colonoscopy rates increased among those aged 45 to 54 years, while colorectal cancer incidence increased among those aged 40 to 54 years, according to a study published online July 11 in the Journal of Medical Screening.
Most Adults Favor Cutting Nicotine Levels in Cigarettes
TUESDAY, July 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Most adults favor requiring cigarette makers to lower the level of nicotine in cigarettes, according to a study published online July 11 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
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Racial Disparity Shown in Odds of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Diagnosis
TUESDAY, July 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The odds of diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are increased for non-Hispanic black and Hispanic women and for younger women, according to a study published online July 8 in Cancer.
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Depression at Time of Diagnosis May Worsen Survival in Blood Cancers
TUESDAY, July 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Symptoms of depression are common among patients diagnosed with hematological malignancy, and depressive symptoms are associated with shorter survival, according to a study published online July 2 in Psycho-Oncology.
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Many Perceive Lack of Choice in Receipt of RAI for Thyroid Cancer
MONDAY, July 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Many patients diagnosed with differentiated thyroid cancer perceive that they have no choice about receiving radioactive iodine (RAI), according to a study published online July 8 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Erectile Dysfunction Presents Large Global Health Burden
FRIDAY, July 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a large global burden and is associated with increased risks for cardiovascular disease, dementia, and early death, according to a review published online July 2 in BJU International.
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Serious Misdiagnosis-Related Harms Mostly Due to ‘Big Three’
FRIDAY, July 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Vascular events, infections, and cancers account for about three-quarters of serious misdiagnosis-related harms, according to a study published online July 11 in Diagnosis.
State-Level Variation Noted in Economic Burden of Cancer
FRIDAY, July 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There is considerable state-level variation in the economic burden of cancer, according to a study published online July 3 in JAMA Oncology.
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Medicare Drug Rebate Plan Withdrawn by Trump Administration
THURSDAY, July 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A plan to let Medicare patients receive rebates that drug companies currently pay to insurers and middlemen has been withdrawn by the Trump administration.
Capping Work Hours in Residency Does Not Impact Outcomes Later
THURSDAY, July 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Exposure of U.S. physicians to work-hour reforms during residency training is not associated with post-training differences in patient mortality, readmissions, or costs of care, according to a study published online July 11 in The BMJ.
Sugary Beverage Consumption Linked to Increased Cancer Risk
THURSDAY, July 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Higher consumption of sugary drinks is associated with an increased risk for overall cancer and breast cancer, according to a study published online July 10 in The BMJ.
Health Care Professionals Exhibit Gender Bias
THURSDAY, July 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Survey results show that health care professionals have implicit and explicit gender bias, according to a study published online July 5 in JAMA Network Open.
Focus on Ovarian Cancer Surgical Volume May Not Be Best Metric
WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Limiting ovarian cancer surgery to high-volume surgeons and hospitals to improve survival could restrict care at many low-volume centers with better-than-expected outcomes, according to a study published in the June issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
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Two-Dose Course of Vaccine After HSCT Cuts Incidence of Zoster
WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A two-dose course of recombinant zoster vaccine is associated with a reduction in the incidence of herpes zoster among adults who have undergone autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), according to a study published in the July 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Risk for Cancer Higher in Those With Congenital Heart Disease
WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Children and young adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) have an increased risk for developing cancer, according to a study published online July 5 in JAMA Network Open.
EHR System-Generated In-Basket Messages Linked to Burnout
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Receipt of more than the average number of electronic health record (EHR) system-generated in-basket messages is associated with an increased probability of physician burnout, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of Health Affairs.
Rule Requiring Drug Prices in TV Ads Blocked by Judge
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A Trump administration rule to force pharmaceutical companies to disclose the list prices of their drugs in television ads was blocked Monday by a federal judge.
Xpovio With Dexamethasone Approved for Refractory Multiple Myeloma
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Xpovio (selinexor) tablets have been approved for use in combination with dexamethasone to treat adults with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced last week.
Androgen Deprivation Therapy May Up Risk of Alzheimer Disease
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Among elderly patients with prostate cancer, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) exposure is associated with subsequent diagnosis of Alzheimer disease or dementia, according to a study published online July 3 in JAMA Network Open.
In-Hospital Maternal Mortality Down in Pregnancies With Lupus
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In-hospital maternal mortality decreased from 1998 to 2015 in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and non-SLE pregnancies, with a greater decline for SLE pregnancies, according to a study published online July 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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History of Liver Disease Does Not Impact Efficacy of Edoxaban
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), the efficacy and safety of edoxaban versus warfarin is not altered with a history of liver disease, according to a study published in the July 16 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Environment May Be Main Factor in Norway’s Obesity Epidemic
TUESDAY, July 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Environment most likely remains the main contributor to the obesity epidemic in Norway, given that body mass index (BMI) has increased for both genetically predisposed and nonpredisposed people since the 1960s, according to a study published online July 3 in The BMJ.
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Extended Follow-Up Supports Low-Dose CT for Lung Cancer Screening
MONDAY, July 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Extended follow-up of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) showed that the number needed to screen to prevent one lung cancer death among patients at high risk for lung cancer is 303, similar to the original estimate, according to a study published online June 28 in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology.
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Image-Based Model Predicts Radiation Tx Failure in Lung Cancer
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — An image-based deep learning framework can predict radiation treatment failure in lung cancer patients, according to a study published in the July issue of The Lancet Digital Health.
Urine Biomarker Helps Classify Risk Level in Prostate Cancer
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Urine-derived extracellular vesicle RNA can provide diagnostic information for aggressive prostate cancer prior to biopsy as well as prognostic information for men under active surveillance for prostate cancer, according to a study published online June 25 in BJU International.
Lack of Evidence for Treating Chronic Pain in Children
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There is a lack of evidence on the efficacy and safety of pharmacological treatments for chronic pain in children, according to research published online June 19 in PAIN.
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Vermont Places 92 Percent Tax on E-Cigarettes
TUESDAY, July 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A 92 percent tax on electronic cigarettes took effect in Vermont on Monday as the state tries to reduce young people’s use of the devices.
I-131 Tx for Hyperthyroidism May Up Risk for Solid Cancer Death
TUESDAY, July 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with hyperthyroidism treated with radioactive iodine (RAI), greater organ-absorbed doses seem to be positively associated with increased risk of death from solid cancer, according to a study published online July 1 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Considerable Number of Patients Receive Surprise Hospital Charges
TUESDAY, July 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Eighteen percent of all emergency department visits and 16 percent of in-network hospital stays have at least one out-of-network charge, according to a report published June 20 by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Calculated Tumor Area Has Prognostic Value for Melanoma
MONDAY, July 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Stratification of melanoma into groups based on calculated tumor area improves prognostic value over stratification using the category based on Breslow thickness, according to a study published online June 26 in JAMA Dermatology.
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Metformin May Cut Mortality Risk in Post-Pancreatitis Diabetes
MONDAY, July 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Metformin use may promote a survival benefit in individuals with post-pancreatitis diabetes mellitus (PPDM), but not pancreatic cancer-related diabetes (PCRD), according to a study published online June 21 in Diabetes Care.
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Longevity Benefits for Adults Becoming More Physically Active
MONDAY, July 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Middle-aged and older adults, including those with cancer and cardiovascular disease, can gain longevity benefits by becoming more physically active, according to a study published online June 26 in The BMJ.
Model Can Predict Lung Cancer in Patient With Visible Nodule on CT
MONDAY, July 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with visible lung nodules, a model combining clinical and radiologic factors can predict risk for incident lung cancer, according to a study published online June 27 in Cancer Prevention Research.
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