Administering PARP inhibitor (PARPi) olaparib prior to surgical intervention and chemotherapy in ovarian cancer patients – a new approach – is feasible and resulted in favorable surgical options, managed adverse events, and positive health outcomes, according to results from the Neoadjuvant Olaparib Window (NOW) Trial presented today by Shannon Westin, MD et al. at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2023 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer.
Tag: Clinical Trial
Immunotherapy After Surgery Provides Significant, Durable Benefit for High-Risk Bladder Patients
Immunotherapy after surgery increased bladder cancer patients’ chance of staying cancer-free compared to patients who received a placebo, according to clinical trial results shared in a late-breaking oral presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2023 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in February.
LAPD Sergeant Didn’t Walk Alone
Every day for six weeks, Neil Wank, a 26-year Los Angeles Police Department veteran who in December was diagnosed with an aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma, was escorted down the long hallway leading to the Cedars-Sinai Cancer radiation therapy facility by his wife, Nikki, and 10 to 20 of his fellow officers.
Falling PSA levels predict longer survival in prostate cancer patients at high risk of metastases
Declines in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level after treatment with the next-generation androgen receptor inhibitor drug enzalutamide predict improved survival rates in men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC), reports The Journal of Urology®, an Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
New Formulation of FDA-Approved Drug Shows Encouraging Results for Treating a Common Itch Condition
Notalgia paresthetica is a common and underdiagnosed condition characterized by a persistent itch in the upper back. To date, there are no FDA-approved treatments specifically targeting this disorder. But a new study, published in the NEJM, suggests that patients with the disorder could potentially get relief with oral difelikefalin.
Expert Available for Comment on Black Women, Breast Cancer and Clinical Trials
While there has been an overall decline in breast cancer deaths over the last 30 years, there is a persistent and significant mortality gap between Black women and white women. Black women are also disproportionately affected by more aggressive subtypes of…
A First Clinical Trial for Down Syndrome Regression Disorder Earns $5.3 Million NIH Grant
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has launched the first clinical trial for Down syndrome regression disorder (DSRD), a rare and debilitating condition that affects adolescents and young adults with Down
Does Piccolo PDA Closure Improve Outcomes for Babies?
A new clinical trial aims to shed light on how to best treat a patent ductus arteriosus in the most fragile infants.
UNC Health Provider Ushers in First FDA-Approved Medication for Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an allergic condition of the esophagus that is on the rise throughout the United States. Patients with the condition typically have inflammation throughout their esophagus and trouble swallowing food – known as dysphagia.Without proper treatment, the lining of the esophagus becomes fibrous, and the passage becomes so narrowed, or strictured, that food can lodge in the esophagus, requiring medical attention.
A Heart Fix That Fits
Yvette Honda-Schumacher was 20 weeks pregnant and had just had a routine anatomy ultrasound when she was surprised to hear that a cardiologist was asked to come into the exam room.
Experimental Cancer Therapy Shows Success in More Than 70 Percent of Patients in Global Clinical Trials
A new therapy that makes the immune system kill bone marrow cancer cells was successful in as many as 73 percent of patients in two clinical trials, according to researchers from The Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Phase 1 Trial of the First-In Human HIV Vaccine Shows Promising Results
The George Washington University Vaccine Research Unit in partnership with Scripps Research, IAVI, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (FHCC) and the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Vaccine Research Center published the results of their Phase 1 Clinical Trial in Science.
UC San Diego Awarded $8M to Expand Stem Cell Therapy Clinical Trials
UC San Diego Alpha Stem Cell Clinic awarded $8M to expand clinical trials of novel stem cell therapies. The CIRM award will advance partnerships between academic and industry experts in San Diego to expedite clinical trials for patients with difficult-to-treat diseases.
American College of Rheumatology Educating Dermatologists and Nephrologists on Lupus Clinical Trials Racial Disparities
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has released Continuing Medical Education (CME) for dermatologists and nephrologists to help them learn more about clinical trials for lupus patients in their treatment areas and the importance of getting more of African American/Black patients enrolled.
Ahead Study Is First to Test Lecanemab to Delay or Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease Symptoms at the Stage of Preclinical Ad
The Alzheimer’s Clinical Trial Consortium (ACTC) will be presenting analyses of screening plasma and neuroimaging data from the AHEAD Study at CTAD in November.
Adding radiation to systemic therapy extends overall survival for patients with advanced liver cancer
Adding radiation therapy to systemic therapy for patients with advanced liver cancer can extend overall survival and delay tumor progression without compromising patients’ quality of life, a randomized phase III clinical trial shows.
Radiation therapy for high-risk, asymptomatic bone metastases may prevent pain and prolong life
Treating high-risk, asymptomatic bone metastases with radiation may reduce painful complications and hospitalizations and possibly extend overall survival in people whose cancer has spread to multiple sites, a phase II clinical trial suggests. Results of the multicenter, randomized trial (NCT03523351) will be presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting.
Second patient to receive a first-of-its-kind surgery
Michelle and Jeff were excited to build their new family together, but when she received the distressing news that her developing baby was diagnosed with spina bifida, she looked for the best treatment. She was referred to the world’s first stem cell clinical trial.
MD Anderson celebrates World Cancer Research Day
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center again supports World Cancer Research Day, Sept. 24, and its goals to highlight the importance of cancer research, to promote scientific collaboration and to reduce the global burden of cancer through improved prevention, early detection, treatment and survivorship strategies.
UCSF Develops First of Its Kind Robotic Surgery Trial in Partnership with FDA
UCSF Health is recruiting patients for the only FDA-approved study of the use of single port robotic technology for colorectal surgery in the United States. UC San Francisco clinical investigators Ankit Sarin, MD, FACS, and Hueylan Chern, MD, initiated the study which will evaluate whether single port robot technology is more advantageous than the current multi-port technology used in colorectal surgery.
Personalized prediction of depression treatment outcomes with wearables
An interdisciplinary team built a multitask machine learning model for randomized controlled trials of the efficacy of certain depression treatments on individuals.
Three-drug combination slows progression of advanced kidney cancer
A targeted kinase inhibitor added to a two-drug immunotherapy combination slowed the progression of advanced kidney cancer in previously untreated patients, according to research led by an oncologist from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
New Risk Score Predicts Mortality for Atrial Fibrillation Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Mount Sinai researchers develop new risk stratification tool to optimize patient care and outcomes after TAVR
MD Anderson Research Highlights for August 24, 2022
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include confirmation of improving response rates in Phase I trials over the last 20 years, a novel targeted therapy combination and biomarkers of response for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in B-cell lymphomas, a combination therapy for patients with melanoma brain metastases, and new treatment options for metastatic sarcomas, HPV-driven cancers and uterine cancer.
Thermedical Announces FDA Approval of Clinical Trial for SERF Ablation to Treat Patients with Ventricular Tachycardia, Leading Cause of Sudden Cardiac Death
WALTHAM, Mass., Aug. 23, 2022 – Thermedical®, a developer of thermal-ablation systems to treat ventricular arrhythmias, announced today that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an open-label, single-arm interventional clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Thermedical® SERF Ablation System with the Durablate® Catheter in people with ventricular tachycardia (VT) resistant to conventional treatment.
Media Briefing Schedule for ACS Fall 2022
Media Briefing Schedule for ACS Fall 2022
Lupus pill shows promise in mice; clinical trial underway
There’s no cure for lupus, an autoimmune disease that attacks organs. But today, scientists report they have begun phase 2 clinical trials with a pill containing a compound that, in mice, reverses organ damage and prevents death. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2022.
COVID OUT clinical trial suggests metformin effective at reducing odds of serious outcomes for COVID-19 patients seeking early treatment
Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers — led by the University of Minnesota Medical School and School of Public Health — have found that metformin, a commonly prescribed diabetes medication, lowers the odds of emergency department visits, hospitalizations, or death due to COVID-19 by over 40 percent; and over 50 percent if prescribed early in onset of symptoms.
Pralsetinib achieves tissue-agnostic benefits for patients with RET gene fusions
The targeted therapy pralsetinib was well-tolerated and demonstrated high response rates in patients with RET gene fusions regardless of tumor type, according to results from the Phase I/II ARROW trial.
Doctors with Texas Comprehensive Epilepsy Program lead 22-year-old Tyler resident to seizure freedom
Elisabeth Gentry had experienced auras ever since she was a toddler, but she didn’t learn that the occasional strange tastes in her mouth and feelings of impending doom were epilepsy until 2015, when she was 15 years old and suffered a grand mal seizure.
Saint Louis University and Industry Partners Discover Treatment for Rare, Genetic Liver Disease
Researchers at Saint Louis University’s School of Medicine, in collaboration with Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals and Takeda Pharmaceuticals, report the first effective drug to treat a rare, genetic liver disease that formerly could only be treated with a liver transplant.
Most patients with appendicitis can be treated with antibiotics
Outpatient antibiotic management of selected patients with appendicitis is safe, allowing many patients to avoid surgery and hospitalization, and should be considered as part of shared decision-making between doctor and patient.
Henry Ford Health Participated in Novel Clinical Trial Without In-Person Patient Involvement
DETROIT (June 22, 2022) –Henry Ford Health was part of a multi-institutional heart failure study that was launched and executed completely virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic. The novel study design could serve as a model for future research.Unlike traditional clinical trials that involve in-person clinic visits, researchers in this study engaged directly with more than 400 patients through a mobile app and secure website to collect participants’ data and other information.
Improved progression-free survival in multiple myeloma patients following three-drug therapy with autologous stem cell transplant
Patients with multiple myeloma who have been treated with a three-drug combination therapy have a growing number of choices for subsequent treatment. Results of a new study led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute can help patients and their physicians weigh benefits and risks of each option.
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Selected for National NF2 Tumor Clinical Trial
A University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researcher is hoping an innovative multicenter clinical trial will lead to new therapies for neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a devastating disease causing multiple types of tumors involving the brain, spine, and peripheral nerves.
Fast-tracked: First in-human trial for aggressive brain tumours
A novel technology designed to precisely image aggressive brain cancers and guide treatment is being developed by the University of South Australia and Australian cancer diagnostic company, Ferronova, potentially helping thousands of people who are diagnosed with the deadly condition each year.
Novel Surgical Device Can Potentially Improve Outcomes of Coronary Bypass Grafting That Uses Leg Veins
(New York, NY – November 13, 2021) –A novel device called venous external support (VEST) may lead to increased longevity and durability of saphenous (leg) vein grafting during coronary artery bypass surgery, according to a new trial done in collaboration…
Expert panel explores challenges, presents solutions to improve breast cancer outcomes for Black women
Although awareness and research activity is growing, much work still needs to be done to ensure equity in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Black women, according to an expert panel who spoke earlier this week at the virtual American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2021.
Shortened course of radiation therapy offers similar long-term side effects following prostate removal surgery
Using fewer—but higher—doses of radiation to treat men with prostate cancer who had their prostates removed does not increase long-term side effects or lower their quality of life compared to conventional radiation treatment, a new, multi-institutional clinical trial shows.
Edoxaban May Be Effective Treatment for Atrial Fibrillation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Mount Sinai study is first to compare this anticoagulant with the standard of care in large randomized clinical trial
Mount Sinai Receives $2.9 Million to Study First-of-its-kind Brain Implant for Restoring Function in Paralyzed Patients
Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance will lead Mount Sinai in national clinical trial
With short course of TB prevention for people living with HIV, completion soars
People who are HIV positive and living in high tuberculosis-transmission regions of the world are much more likely to finish a TB-prevention regimen lasting just three months – half as long as the standard treatment, a large clinical trial in Africa has found.
When provided personalized health resources, patients often share with others
A survey of participants in a clinical trial for CommunityRx, a community resource referral intervention, found that nearly half of users reported sharing their personalized health resources with at least one other person.
Graphic Warning Labels on Cigarette Packaging Changes Perceptions
A Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego clinical trial showed that graphic warning labels on cigarette packaging changes perceptions of smokers to recognize the negative consequences of tobacco and consider quitting.
No more finger pricks: a continuous glucose monitor benefits patients with diabetes in more ways than one
For adults with type 2 diabetes, pairing basal insulin with continuous glucose monitoring improved blood sugar and quality of life.
Pulmonary Fibrosis Care Leaders And Patients Will Unite At PFF Summit 2021
All Virtual Conference To Highlight PF Research And Quality Of Life Nov. 8-13
Data and safety review board reports how it monitored the COVID-19 vaccine trials
Evaluation of three vaccine candidates during the COVID-19 pandemic fell to 12 experts of the federally appointed COVID-19 Vaccine Data and Safety Monitoring Board. This team has now taken the unusual step of publishing details of their review process in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.
Survival benefits of immunotherapy combination persist for more than six years in patients with advanced melanoma
In the longest follow-up results from a clinical trial of combination immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma, investigators report that nearly half the patients who received the drugs nivolumab and ipilimumab were alive a median of six and a half years after treatment.
Experts call for urgent action to reduce global burden of cardiovascular disease in women by 2030
The Lancet women and cardiovascular disease Commission outlines 10 ambitious recommendations to improve health outcomes for millions of women around the world and achieve the global targets set.
Study Shows Significant Reduction in Triglycerides in Patients at High Risk for Acute Pancreatitis Through Novel Monoclonal Antibody
The investigational drug evinacumab reduced triglycerides in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG) and a history of hospitalizations for acute pancreatitis in a phase 2 global study led by Mount Sinai