Altitude - Medical & Clinical Posts

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 […]

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect many people in the world, especially patients who are undergoing healthcare treatments. How is this impacting the way physicians treat their patients? In a podcast, the management of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia during the COVID-19 pandemic is being discussed. The podcast features the chairperson of the […]

As SARS-CoV-2 infections have surpassed 1 million cases globally, healthcare systems and professionals are challenged with effectively caring for patients with COVID-19. As the medical community mobilizes to meet the emerging needs, and non-essential surgeries and myelosuppressive therapies are being delayed, oncologists and patients with cancer are faced with the question of whether to proceed […]

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting us all to some extent. However, many pathogens more easily infect those who have concurrent illnesses or are immunocompromised, such as patients with cancer. Prognosis is likely worse in these patients. As the number of COVID-19 cases in China began to plateau in mid-February, doctors started to evaluate outcomes among […]

PD-1 inhibitors have become a mainstay of treatment for many cancers in recent years. However, while these agents are associated with a robust response in some patients, the majority of patients will progress. Several trials have evaluated potential combination strategies to bolster responses to PD-1 inhibitors, but there is no clear consensus in this area. […]

According to an analysis of the PREVAIL and AFFIRM clinical trials, development of new bone lesions in chemotherapy-naive men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who are stable or responding to enzalutamide is a form of pseudoprogression that does not necessarily impact long-term outcomes. The study evaluated outcomes in 1672 patients treated with enzalutamide on […]

Each year the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) releases a report highlighting the greatest clinical advances in cancer research and treatment for the past year. In the most recent report, released in early February, ASCO president Howard “Skip” Burris III, MD, named the refinement of surgical treatment of cancer as the Advance of the […]

The major news in recent months has been the emergence and spread of a novel coronavirus, COVID-19 (formerly known as 2019nCoV). To help clinicians sort fact from fiction regarding this new virus and infection, a primer was recently published in JAMA. This provides background on the origin and spread of COVID-19, common signs and symptoms […]