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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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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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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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A 51-year-old man, a foreman for a local construction business, presented to the emergency department with progressive lower back pain of 2 weeks duration and shortness of breath. Initially mild, the pain had become incapacitating within the prior 48 hours.
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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.
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In a multinational observational study, independent from pharmaceutical support and involving both academic and community treatment centers, long-term follow-up for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients who, after two years of imatinib therapy, were in complete cytogenetic remission was undertaken for a median of 5.8 years. Although side effects were common, only a very small percentage of patients discontinued the drug and the majority maintained their cytogenetic response. In fact, the incidence of second malignancies and overall survival were no different for the CML patients in this cohort than for the general population in Italy.
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Limited data are available to guide the decision between up-front allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) or imatinib on long-term outcomes for accelerated phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).
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A 71-year-old retired police officer was admitted through the emergency room with right upper quadrant pain and low-grade fever.
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