Racial and ethnic minorities diagnosed with advanced liver cancer have a lower chance of receiving immunotherapy, the most effective treatment for patients with the disease, according to a new study led by Cedars-Sinai Cancer investigators. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Hepatology, found Black and Hispanic patients were significantly less likely to receive immunotherapy… Continue reading Race and Ethnicity in Cancer Care
Tag: clinical trials
A Simpler Way to Detect Alzheimer’s
A new blood test can accurately predict the presence of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain, making a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s easier, according to a new study funded in part by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Published in Neurology, the study analyzed the ability of a blood test to predict the presence of Alzheimer’s disease-associated… Continue reading A Simpler Way to Detect Alzheimer’s
Could Another Drug Fight Opioid Misuse?
Researchers are testing an experimental drug aimed at treating cravings associated with opioid use disorder (OUD). The trial has begun at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The research, conducted on healthy adults, will analyze the safety of the experimental compound, ANS-6637, and how it is processed in the body when… Continue reading Could Another Drug Fight Opioid Misuse?
Early Parkinson’s Patients Waiting Too Long Before Seeking Medical Evaluation
Too many patients with early stage Parkinson’s disease are waiting too long before seeking medical attention, while others start taking symptomatic medications before that is required, according to new research. As a result, the pool of candidates for clinical trials is dramatically reduced, says the paper, published in npj Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is… Continue reading Early Parkinson’s Patients Waiting Too Long Before Seeking Medical Evaluation
Veterans to Get Easier Access to Clinical Trials
Veterans with cancer who receive treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will now have easier access to clinical trials of novel cancer treatments, thanks to an agreement between VA and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NCI and VA Interagency Group to Accelerate Trials Enrollment,… Continue reading Veterans to Get Easier Access to Clinical Trials
Obese People Underrepresented in Clinical Trials
Although obesity is a risk factor for a number of cancer types and can influence cancer treatment outcomes, obese patients are underrepresented in clinical trials, according to new research. In 2014, kinds of cancer associated with being overweight or obese represented about 40 percent of all cancers diagnosed in the United States. But a new… Continue reading Obese People Underrepresented in Clinical Trials
Not Enough Women Included in Some Heart Disease Clinical Trials
Women are underrepresented in clinical trials for heart failure, coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome but proportionately or overrepresented in trials for hypertension, atrial fibrillation and pulmonary arterial hypertension, when compared to incidence or prevalence of women within each disease population, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.… Continue reading Not Enough Women Included in Some Heart Disease Clinical Trials
Are Women Really Under-Represented in Clinical Trials?
Several studies have reported a lack of gender diversity in clinical trials, with trials including mostly adult males; however, a recent review of publicly available registration data of clinical trials at the US Food and Drug Administration for the most frequently prescribed drug classes found no evidence of any systemic significant under-representation of women. The… Continue reading Are Women Really Under-Represented in Clinical Trials?
Should Your Child Take Part in A Clinical Trial?
You may have heard of clinical trials, and your doctor may even have suggested your child enroll in one. Here, from the experts at the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), are some of the things to consider: Clinical trials are voluntary research studies conducted in people and designed to answer specific questions about the… Continue reading Should Your Child Take Part in A Clinical Trial?
FDA Facilitates Research on Earlier Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a nightmare haunting many Americans. More than 5 million Americans have been diagnosed with the disease, which is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and the most common cause of dementia among people 60 or older. Alzheimer’s is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and… Continue reading FDA Facilitates Research on Earlier Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease
Clinical Trials Often Exclude Women Even Though Sex Hormones Can Alter Results
“Right now, when you go to the doctor and you are given a prescription, it might not ever have been specifically tested in females,” says Deborah J. Clegg, a Professor of Biomedical Science at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in California and one of the authors of an Essay published August 9th 2016 in Cell Metabolism criticizing this… Continue reading Clinical Trials Often Exclude Women Even Though Sex Hormones Can Alter Results
Results of Clinical Trials Often Not Shared, Creating “Blind Spots”
Less than 40% of the results of clinical trials conducted at leading academic medical centers were shared within two years of completion, researchers found. The investigators, from Yale School of Medicine researchers, reported their finding in the current issue of the British Medical Journal. “Not only was performance poor, but there was significant variation across… Continue reading Results of Clinical Trials Often Not Shared, Creating “Blind Spots”
Breast Cancer Treatments: An Overview
Researchers are constantly working to find new and better ways to diagnose and treat breast cancer. Here, from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), is an overview of what the existing treatments are. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research… Continue reading Breast Cancer Treatments: An Overview
If Your Pet Is Diagnosed with Cancer: What You Need to Know
Any pet owner who has been told their animal has cancer knows the two emotions: anxiety for the beloved pet’s life, and hope for an effective treatment. “Many people consider their dogs and cats members of the family,” says Food and Drug Administration veterinarian Lisa Troutman. “Just as FDA reviews drugs for humans for safety… Continue reading If Your Pet Is Diagnosed with Cancer: What You Need to Know
Be a Partner in Clinical Research
Are you aware that you can participate in clinical research? Whether you’re healthy or sick, young or old, male or female, you’re probably eligible to participate in some type of clinical study. Maybe you or a loved one has an illness, and you’d like to help scientists find a treatment or cure. If you’re healthy,… Continue reading Be a Partner in Clinical Research
Cancer-Causing Mutation Found in 1982 Now Target of Clinical Trials
In 1982, the gene TRK was shown to cause a small percentage of colon cancers. In 2013 and 2014, next-generation sequencing of tumor samples found fusions of the TRK family of genes in at least 11 tumor types, including lung, breast, melanoma and more. Now an article published in December 2014 in the journal Cancer… Continue reading Cancer-Causing Mutation Found in 1982 Now Target of Clinical Trials
A Drug that May Stop Osteoporosis
A previously overlooked group of cells may be crucial to the process of bone loss in post-menopausal women, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins. The investigators said that the discovery makes the cells, known as preosteoclasts, a likelier subject for further research. It also sheds lights on the success of an osteoporosis drug that’s in… Continue reading A Drug that May Stop Osteoporosis