Altitude - Medical & Clinical Posts

On October 7, 2020, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020 to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna for their discovery of CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors, an innovative technology for genome editing. This technology makes it possible to change the code of life over the course of just a few […]

Widespread implementation of screening mammography has enabled earlier detection of breast cancer and subsequently improved outcomes. However, there are limitations to current processes, as global access to screening mammography is constrained by availability of specialized radiologists and the potential for variation in performance among human readers. To address these restrictions, artificial intelligence (AI) computer-aided detection […]

Major advances in the treatment of lung cancer, specifically targeted therapies and immunotherapies, have demonstrated a survival benefit in clinical trials. To measure the effects of these advances at the population level, researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, conducted an analysis of the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and […]

In late July 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to brexucabtagene autoleucel (KTE-X19) for treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). MCL is a rare, aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that originates in the mantle zone of the lymph node. Brexucabtagene autoleucel, manufactured by […]

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges both to the medical system overall and to the ongoing treatment of patients with cancer. Patients are experiencing delays in care, additional financial strains, and mental health challenges in the current environment. To measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer patients, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action […]

With the continued increase of COVID-19 cases in the United States, social distancing guidelines remain crucial for combating the disease and limiting its spread. Cancer patients remain a highly vulnerable population that must balance social distancing guidelines with receiving necessary treatment in clinics. Following recent results from the FeDeriCa study, the US Food and Drug […]

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grip the world, social distancing guidelines implemented by healthcare officials remain crucial in combating the spread of the virus. These guidelines, however, have a particularly significant impact on cancer patients burdened with transfusion schedules and frequent clinic visits. Use of available oral oncolytics seems to be an obvious choice […]

The recently authorized emergency use of remdesivir by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for patients hospitalized with severe confirmed or suspected COVID-19 represents an important step forward for reducing morbidity during the pandemic. However, while remdesivir was able to significantly accelerate recovery in the double-blind placebo-controlled NIAID ACTT-1 trial, approximately 8% of treated […]

As the global number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise, there is increasing concern about the risk of infection and complications among cancer patients and cancer survivors. A previous study of approximately 1600 COVID-19 patients in China reported that patients with COVID-19 were more than 3 times more likely to have cancer or be cancer […]

In this time of international emergency when COVID-19 is forcing country-wide shutdowns, cancer does not stop, and cancer patients need ongoing treatment and follow-up visits. Recognizing the need to continue treatment for patients with cancer while limiting the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has broadened access to Medicare services […]