Aislinn Antrim, MA, Assistant Managing Editor

A session at the Community Oncology Alliance virtual 2021 conference noted that clinical trials have found promising new treatments for patients with breast cancer, offering opportunities for future new approvals and indications.

In patients who received early palliative care, researchers noted a lower percentage of patients with depression, improved quality of life, and, significantly, longer survival.

Panelists at the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) virtual 2021 conference said the impacts of the pandemic on their day-to-day operations were challenging, although they all said they were proud of how their staff handled the rapid changes in spring of 2020.

Findings from the phase 3 ASCENT trial demonstrate a clinically meaningful 57% reduction in the risk of disease worsening or death for patients receiving sacituzumab govitecan.

Patients with glioblastoma receiving temozolomide in the morning had an average overall survival of about 17 months, compared to an average overall survival of approximately 13.5 months for those taking the drug in the evening.

The investigators concluded that pharmacies who use the patient engagement center are likely to see efficient operations and increased productivity.

FDA grants a fast track designation to GEN-1, a DNA-mediated IL-12 immunotherapy.

Based on their findings and considering the small size and portability of the test, the investigators said it could be used for fast virus detection in schools and airports.

Two-thirds of surveyed physicians said patients are presenting with more late-stage cancers, with 73% saying patients in their practice are not receiving screenings.

The oncology space has seen rapid growth in the last decade, with new approvals and indications necessitating expertise in areas such as medication use, safe practices, and reimbursement practices.

Some drugs commonly used for psoriasis can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, whereas other treatments can reduce the risk.

Researchers found that viral variants expressed their genes at different rates and quantities, which likely contributes to the different timing and severity of symptoms within hosts.

After the implementation of measures to stop COVID-19, newly detected respiratory viruses were approximately 80% lower compared to the same time period from 2015 to 2019.

In addition to the usual considerations of treating pediatric patients, clinicians should consider how pharmacokinetics may differ for children with obesity, according to a session at the 2021 virtual National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners meeting.

Patients who were screened generally were younger, with Black patients more likely to be screened than patients of other races.

The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine was 100% effective in preventing COVID-19 cases in South Africa, where the B.1.351 variant is prevalent.

In April 2020, colonoscopy screenings declined from 15.1 per 10,000 beneficiaries to 0.9, a 95% difference.

Being diagnosed with diabetes does not make a person more likely to use effective contraception and may actually lead to a drop in the use of certain types of effective contraception.

Isatuximab in combination with carfilzomib and dexamethasone reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 45% versus standard of care alone.

Aspects of normal life outside of the pandemic could create difficulties for children with type 1 diabetes, including pressures around food in school.

To begin understanding systemic racism and its impact on social determinants of health, researchers said pharmacists must first look inward and examine their own biases and socializations.

Earlier research has found that vitamin D supplementation can prevent inflammation in other respiratory diseases, but there have been limited studies examining the role of vitamin D supplementation in COVID-19.

Although pediatric patients represent a small portion of total acute myeloid leukemia cases, clinicians said there is a critical need for more effective therapies in this population.

In a clinical trial of idecabtagene vicleucel in multiple myeloma, the overall response rate for the efficacy evaluable population was 72%, and 28% of participants achieved a stringent complete response.

Researchers found no evidence that protection against COVID-19 reinfection declined within a 6-month follow-up period.

In addition to cardiotoxicity from cancer-related treatments, the researchers noted that obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular disease share some common risk factors.

DKN-01 is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to and blocks the activity of the Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) protein, which activates the innate immune system in the tumor microenvironment and anti-tumor activity.

New results show that non-Hispanic Black patients with COVID-19 and type 1 diabetes have an additional risk of diabetic ketoacidosis beyond the risk of having diabetes or being of minority status.

Among surveyed American adults, more than half were diagnosable with probable depression at baseline, in addition to 65% who had anxiety and 51% at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Exposure to fine particulate, carbon monoxide, and ozone over time was linked to increased methylation, leading to higher rates of heart disease and other conditions in adulthood.