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A just-published study indicates that many providers are failing to counsel women on the availability of emergency contraception (EC).
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Results of two case-control studies indicate that women without risk factors for venous thromboembolism (VTE) who use oral contraceptives (OCs) containing drospirenone have an increased risk for nonfatal VTE compared with those who use levonorgestrel OCs.
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Investigators have discontinued the FEM-PrEP study of oral emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Truvada, Gilead Sciences, Foster City, CA) to prevent HIV infection in women in Africa after interim results indicated the research would be unlikely to prove effectiveness in the study population.
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission have issued a joint call to remove products from the market that make unproven claims to treat, cure, and prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
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Results of a new study indicate patients who have tested positive for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) but don't have symptoms or genital lesions still experience virus shedding during subclinical episodes.
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Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolus (PE) occur more frequently in patients with cancer, and the risk appears to vary by tumor type.
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In a Phase 3 trial comparing the recently introduced monoclonal antibody denosumab with zoledronic acid for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer metastatic to bone, the incidence of skeletal events including pathological fracture, radiation, skeletal surgery, or cord compression was delayed on average by more than 3 months for those treated with denosumab. Adverse events were comparable. Denosumab is administered subcutaneously and can be given to patients with renal insufficiency. Clinicians have become familiar with zoledronic acid in this setting, and it remains unclear whether its role as the standard approach will be supplanted.
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Investigators prospectively assessed quality of life in newly diagnosed AML patients 60 years and older using the EORTC QLC-C30 and QOL-E surveys. Among the 113 patients enrolled, 42.4% underwent intensive induction chemotherapy and 57.6% received palliative treatment. Self-rated quality of life did not correlate with physician-rated performance status or induction chemotherapy. Lower self-report functional status predicted higher mortality, even after adjusting for age, treatment, and comorbidity. Patient-reported quality of life may be an independent prognostic factor for AML outcomes.
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Calcium supplements and MI; birth control pills and VTE; ACE inhibitors and breast cancer risk; spending on pharmaceuticals; and FDA actions.