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A randomized multicenter trial conducted almost a decade ago and reported in 2004 showed docetaxel plus prednisone to be superior to mitoxantrone plus prednisone for patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer.
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Statin drugs have been increasingly used for management of hypercholesterolemia. Preclinical studies indicated an antiproliferative effect in vitro and in rodent models of breast cancer. The current report is one of several that indicate a lack of evidence for reduction in breast cancer risk among statin users. However, the overall use of drugs in this class in the study cohort (7%) and the relatively short duration of use (approximately 4 years) suggest that the question is not completely resolved.
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Two recent reports examining NCI-SEER registry data demonstrate improved overall survival when external beam radiation therapy is applied in an adjuvant setting for those with pancreatic cancer.
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In a European multicenter trial of interferon alfa with or without bevacizumab for treatment of metastatic renal carcinoma, response rate and progression free survival was superior for those receiving the combination. Future trials, particularly those intending to measure long-term survival will need to also include the newly available tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
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Lenalidomide is highly effective for low risk MDS associated with a deletion(5q). Raza and colleagues report on lenalidomide for low to intermediate-1 (int-1) risk MDS who were transfusion dependent but without a deletion(5q). Patients received 10 mg daily of lenalidomide either continuously or 21 out of 28 days. Grade 3 and 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 25 and 20% respectively. Among the 214 patients, 43% responded of which 26% became transfusion independent and the hemoglobin exceeded 10 g/dL. Lenalidomide is an option for red blood cell transfusion dependent low risk MDS, even in patients without a 5q-deletion.
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The National Alliance for Health Information Technology has called for the creation of a voluntary patient-controlled system of unique patient identifiers to ensure privacy and accuracy when exchanging medical information through an electronic health network.
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Remote monitoring by trained telehealth care coordinators has improved the outcomes and saved costs for high-risk chronically ill patients in the VA Connecticut Healthcare System.
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Environmentally preferable purchasing (EPP), also known as green purchasing, means buying products that have a reduced environmental impact while maintaining the same quality and performance.
