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Erythromycin and the Risk of Sudden Death; Vaccine Shortage Putting Americans At Risk; FDA Actions.
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Approximately 20% of patients with colorectal cancer will have hepatic metastases at the time of original presentation. Partial hepatectomy has become increasingly used in the treatment of liver metastases, but the timing of this procedure for those who present with liver involvement remains an unsettled question. The current single-institution experience would suggest that for selected patients, a simultaneous, one-stage procedure offers a safe and effective treatment strategy.
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Fit elderly patients benefit at least to the same extent from palliative chemotherapy with 5-FU as younger patients. Infusional 5-FU was shown to be more effective than bolus 5-FU in both age groups. Therefore, standardized palliative chemotherapy should generally be offered to elderly patients and they should not be excluded from clinical trials.
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Breast tissue density, as determined by mammography, is known to be a risk factor for the development of invasive breast cancer. In the current analysis of a subgroup of patients participating in the NSABP B-17 trial, those women with highly dense breast tissue were found to have significantly more subsequent breast cancer. Thus, a quantitative assessment of breast density may prove useful in assessment of additional breast cancer risk for patients having breast-conserving surgery for DCIS.
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Some physicians advocate early, aggressive therapy to help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. One new study, however, indicates that patients treated with high-dose simvastatin (Zocor) did not show a significant reduction in the primary composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, readmission for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and stroke.
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Many elderly Americans still are being prescribed potentially inappropriate medications, according to a study published in the Aug. 9/23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Patients warned of clinical differences in thyroid meds; Higher costs affect MS patients adherence to medications; FDA issues warnings, label changes; Survey highlights importance of pharmacist/patient relationship.
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Pentetate calcium trisodium injection (Ca-DTPA) and pentetate zinc trisodium injection (Zn-DTPA) by Hameln Pharmaceuticals, GmbH, of Hameln, Germany.
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Now that the National Cholesterol Education Program has updated its clinical practice guidelines on cholesterol management, one of the questions is how health care providers can reach the lower treatment goals for low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol for patients at high and moderately high risk of a heart attack.
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Rosuvastatin calcium (Crestor) just passed its one-year anniversary since being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although by reports it has generated almost $4 billion in annual sales for AstraZeneca, the approval initially brought mixed feelings for many physicians, says Peter H. Jones, MD.
