|
Most recent reports across all therapeutic categories. The following reflects new findings and outcomes in medical research as presented at major medical meetings and published peer-reviewed medical journals. In this section members can view reports from important congresses as well as summaries of some recently published journal articles. Please let us know if you have a particular area of interest you would like to see covered. MEDI-NEWS - Based on J Clin Oncol 2011 Oct 24. [Epub ahead of print] An Important Therapeutic Advance for Locally Advanced/ Metastatic Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: The ZETA TrialDespite advances in thyroid cancer treatment, neither chemotherapy nor radiation therapy has been able to improve outcomes for patients with locally advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Although MTC accounts for less than 5% of all thyroid cancers, the 10-year overall survival rate in patients with locally advanced or metastatic disease is 40% or less. An international phase III randomized controlled trial involving substantial numbers of patients with MTC, almost all (...) PRIORITY PRESS - 53rd Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Society of Hematology Simplifying Monitoring with Oral AnticoagulantsSan Diego, California / December 10-13, 2011 San Diego - The choice of oral anticoagulants has expanded with the introduction of agents that do not require therapeutic drug monitoring. In new comparative data with warfarin, these agents are continuing to demonstrate advantages in a growing array of indications. As reported here at ASH, one of these newer agents was associated with an average 1-day reduction in hospital stay attributed to eliminating the necessity of establishing a therapeutic international normalized ratio (INR). (...) PRIORITY PRESS - 53rd Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Society of Hematology Enduring Survival Advantages of Novel Therapies for Transplant-ineligible Multiple Myeloma PatientsSan Diego, California / December 10-13, 2011 San Diego - Prior to the introduction of proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulating agents for multiple myeloma (MM), the median survival for patients older than age 65 was MEDICAL FRONTIERS - 53rd Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Society of Hematology Iron Chelation Associated with Improved Survival in Diverse Hematologic DisordersSan Diego, California / December 10-13, 2011 San Diego - New data presented during the 2011 ASH meeting have strengthened the evidence that iron chelation improves survival in patients with diseases involving dysfunctional red blood cells (RBCs). The data are particularly strong for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), but studies conducted in other hematological disorders, such as thalassemia, also expand evidence that iron chelation has important implications for outcome. Most major guidelines recommend monitoring ferritin levels in MDS (...) PRIORITY PRESS - Inflammatory Bowel Disease 10th International Meeting Lessons on Optimizing 5-ASA Therapy and Bowel PreparationVienna, Austria / November 17-19, 2011 Vienna - 5-ASA remains the mainstay of mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis treatment. Non-adherence to treatment, however, can substantially reduce remission rates. Here at IBD 10, delegates discussed the importance of optimizing treatment regimens and endoscopy protocols in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Key data presented showed that adherence can be improved with once-daily dosing of 5-ASA without loss of efficacy even in patients with active disease. Furthermore, evidence (...) MEDI-NEWS Based on Vesikari et al. N Engl J Med 2011;365:1406-16. Novel Adjuvant in Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine for Very Young ChildrenA highly effective oil-in-water emulsion adjuvant was recently incorporated into the trivalent influenza vaccine (ATIV) and tested in a large cohort of children between 6 and PRIORITY PRESS - Critical Care Canada Forum 2011 Hyponatremia in the Hospital SettingToronto, Ontario / November 13-16, 2011 Toronto - Hyponatremia is one of the most common electrolyte disturbance occurring in clinical practice in the hospital setting. It is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in patients yet its diagnosis can be quite delayed often depending on the presence or lack thereof of symptoms. Management can vary considerably based on the severity of the hyponatremia and its underlying cause and can range from simple fluid restriction to hypertonic saline infusion. With the recent (...) PRIORITY PRESS - American Heart Association 2011 Scientific Sessions Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Addressing the Challenge of Early Diagnosis and TreatmentOrlando, Florida / November 12-16, 2011 Orlando - As initial symptoms are non-specific, early diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is challenging. Echocardiography is the best screening tool but a definitive right heart catheterization should not be delayed as early diagnosis permits the use of oral treatments and is associated with the greatest likelihood of prolonged survival. Although there is often reluctance to move to an invasive study when patients are still in functional class I or II disease, this step may (...) PRIORITY PRESS - American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2011 Differences Between Anticoagulants in Percutaneous Coronary ProceduresOrlando, Florida / November 12-16, 2011 Orlando - Anticoagulants and antiplatelets are considered essential for preventing recurrent thrombotic events in patients with an acute coronary syndrome or advanced cardiovascular (CV) disease. Once the standard, unfractionated heparin (UFH) has been challenged by a variety of alternative anticoagulants over the past several years, including low molecular-weight heparin, anti-thrombin agents and factor Xa inhibitors. New data comparing the relative efficacy of these agents suggest that (...) PRIORITY PRESS - American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2011 New Evidence that Glucose Control in Diabetes Offers Greater Protection Against CV Events and the CV Safety of Investigational Diabetes AgentsOrlando, Florida / November 12-16, 2011 Orlando - Diabetes mellitus (DM) is so closely associated with increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events that major guidelines recommend treating risk factors as aggressively in patients with DM as in patients with established coronary heart disease. New data presented here at the 2011 AHA have expanded evidence of the significant risks posed by type 2 DM (DM2) for CV events as well as how treatments to control elevated blood glucose may reduce CV risk. Delegates here at the AHA also (...) PRIORITY PRESS - 75th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology Rapid Treatment Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Valuable Indicator of Reduced Risk of Joint DamageChicago, Illinois / November 5-9, 2011 Chicago - Previously, tight, early control of rheumatoid arthritis has been associated with less disease activity and fewer symptoms when measured over 1 year. New data with biologics associate early control with a reduction in structural damage. In an effort to incorporate this information into clinical practice, a series of studies and expert analyses presented at the 2011 ACR suggested that decision points may be identifiable relatively early in the course of therapy to allow an (...) PRIORITY PRESS - 75th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology Non-TNF Inhibitor Biologics: Expanding Opportunities for Rheumatoid Arthritis ControlChicago, Illinois / November 5-9, 2011 Chicago - Led by TNF inhibitors, biologics addressing a variety of mediators of inflammation, including other cytokines, as well as enzymatic pathways in the inflammatory response, have demonstrated unprecedented rates of control in rheumatoid arthritis and related joint diseases. In new data presented at the 2011 ACR meeting, guidance was provided for developing strategies in patients who do not respond to TNF inhibitors or respond poorly to a combination therapy that includes a biologic (...) PRIORITY PRESS - 75th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology Novel Oral Inhibitors of Select Enzymatic Pathways in Rheumatoid Arthritis InflammationChicago, Illinois / November 5-9, 2011 Chicago - Small-molecule inhibitors of enzymatic pathways that control inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are advancing rapidly in clinical trials and are expected to generate the next major evolution in targeted therapy. The most advanced of these inhibitors, all of which are being developed as oral agents, are in late-stage phase III studies. Not the least important aspect of these agents is that they promise to provide a wider array of therapeutic targets, increasing options for (...) PRIORITY PRESS - 75th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology Interleukin-1 Inhibitors in Specific Rheumatoid DiseasesChicago, Illinois / November 5-9, 2011 Chicago - Targeted biologics are generating previously unprecedented levels of control in inflammatory diseases. By blocking the activity of highly specific signals of inflammation, these agents are interrupting key pathophysiologic processes to restore normal function. The efficacy of inhibitors of interleukin-1 (IL-1) have helped draw attention to the relatively uncommon and easily missed cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes and propose a larger role in challenging forms of arthritis (...) MEDICAL FRONTIERS - 75th Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology Sequencing Biologic Therapeutic Strategies in Rheumatoid DiseasesChicago, Illinois / November 5-9, 2011 Chicago - By preventing tissue damage caused by inflammation, TNF inhibitors are changing the natural history of joint diseases and other autoimmune processes. At the ACR 2011 meeting, substantial data and discussion were devoted to the effort to identify a rational order of biologics in patients inadequately controlled on disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. While TNF inhibitors are still widely considered first-line among biologics, there are important differences between agents within (...) PRIORITY PRESS - Family Medicine Forum 2011 Asthma Management: The Goal Is ControlMontréal, Quebec / November 3-5, 2011 Montréal - Recent surveys suggest poor control of symptoms and disease is endemic among patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There are numerous reasons for this finding, including lack of awareness of the characteristics of good control, insufficient knowledge about disease management, and poor compliance with therapy. These problems often result from a lack of dialogue between patients and their physicians. Several sessions here were devoted to detection, (...) PRIORITY PRESS - Family Medicine Forum 2011 Achieving Broad Protection Against Serogroup B: Vaccine Targets Most Common Meningococcus SerogroupMontréal, Quebec / November 3-5, 2011 Montréal - As reported here this week, Neisseria meningitidis is unique in its capacity to produce outbreaks of meningitis and septicemia. Although the incidence of invasive meningococcal disease has been decreased by large-scale vaccination programs, this pathogen continues to present an important risk, especially to infants, adolescents and young adults, investigators reported. Currently available vaccines protect against 4 of the most common circulating serogroups: A, C, W-135 and Y. (...) JOURNAL CLUB - Gastroenterology Proton Pump Inhibitor Use in Patients on Antiplatelet Therapies: A Consensus Approach to Risk ManagementOctober 2011 Editorial Review: Alan Barkun, MD, FRCPC, FACP, FACG Director, Division of Gastroenterology, MUHC-Montreal General Hospital, Professor of Medicine and Surgery, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec The concern that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) reduce or blunt the ability of clopidogrel, a thienopyridine inhibitor of platelet function, to prevent cardiovascular (CV) events was initially generated by case-control data. Despite the inconsistency of this association across retrospective (...) PRIORITY PRESS - Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2011 Canadian Interventional Cardiology Guidelines Recognizing Outcome Benefits of Newer Antiplatelet StrategiesVancouver, British Columbia / October 22-26, 2011 Vancouver - New guidelines in Canada and Europe have been issued to identify where the new P2Y12 inhibitors can be employed in the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) to improve outcomes. In the phase III trials that brought these agents forward, both were superior to clopidogrel, the previous standard, for the primary cardiovascular end points in the study populations. Here at the CCC, several presentations were devoted to defining where the newer agents are best applied. Both act (...) PRIORITY PRESS - Canadian Cardiovascular Congress HDL-C Mechanisms for CV Risk Management: Quality over QuantityVancouver, British Columbia / October 22-26, 2011 Vancouver - Presentations here at the 2011 CCC demonstrated that the HDL-C hypothesis is set to be retested. The new-generation agents for raising HDL-C are not only capable of proving that it is a targetable risk factor but will also help explore which of the HDL-C complex mechanisms provide the greatest opportunity for cardiovascular (CV) risk reduction. The premise of the HDL-C hypothesis is that a depressed level is a treatable CV risk factor. It was weakened several years ago by (...) |
  Canada's #1 physician portal       |
