Addressing Racial Disparities in Health Care
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The Clinical Trial Disparity: Why So Few Black Patients Enroll
In trials for 24 of the 31 cancer drugs approved since 2015, fewer than 5% of participants were Black. As a result of this disparity, Black patients aren't getting access to experimental, and possibly lifesaving new therapies.
Learn MoreThe Evolution of Telemedicine – Considering Patients Who Don’t have WiFi
By Kayle Waterhouse As physicians adapt to a world in which connecting with patients over video has become a part of their day to day lives, there is significant debate about the effectiveness of telemedicine. In SurvivorNet’s virtual conference about reducing racial disparities in multiple myeloma, leading oncologists shared different views on telemedicine. “Unfortunately, not […]
Learn MoreThe Evolution to BTK Inhibitors in CLL Treatment
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treatment used to be one-size-fits-all. Today, the approach has shifted to more targeted therapies, thanks to the introduction of the Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors. Dr. James Gerson, hematologist-oncologist at Penn Medicine, tells SurvivorNet Connect that he prefers acalabrutinib (brand name: Calquence) because it has fewer side effects than ibrutinib in a similar patient population.
Learn MoreThe Latest Efforts to Preserve the Bladder
In solid tumors affecting organs, efforts have been made to preserve the organ while still eradicating the cancer. The same is true for bladder cancer. Radical cystectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection is a highly morbid procedure, which is often performed in patients who are already elderly and frail.
Learn MoreThe Message from Leading Voices in Cancer Care — Don’t Lose Yourself in Caring for Your Patients
Physician burnout is real. The mental and physical exhaustion that characterizes this condition affects up to half of doctors, and it can have both professional and personal implications. Even in times of great duress, like the COVID-19 pandemic, our instinct is to put patients first, and we may fail to recognize our own needs as a result.
Learn MoreThe PACIFIC Trial Marks Major Breakthrough in Stage III Lung Cancer Treatment
Nearly one-third of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) present at stage III, most with unresectable tumors. Treatments up to now have had limited success with these patients, who have faced a median survival time of approximately two years. Thanks to durvalumab (brand name: Imfinzi), the outlook is finally looking up.
Learn MoreThe Promise of CAR T-Cell Therapy for Multiple Myeloma
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is showing great promise in multiple myeloma, with response rates in studies of 85% or more, and about half of patients going into complete remission for a year or longer.
Learn MoreThe Pros and Cons of a Patient’s HRD Score
Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) score is an emerging marker to predict an ovarian cancer patient’s response to PARP inhibitors. However, its use is complicated by a lack of standardization between the molecular diagnostic companies.
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