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Top Medical News
In metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) patients, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte (PLR) ratios predict outcomes with platinum-based chemotherapy, according to a recent study.
Adjusting treatment strategy based on results of a PET* scan performed after two cycles of escalated BEACOPP** potentially reduces exposure to toxicity and has comparable outcomes to a standard treatment regimen in patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, according to the final analysis of the phase III AHL 2011 LYSA*** trial presented at EHA 2018.
Reproductive factors such as pregnancy, parity, menstruation and breastfeeding appear to be significantly associated with the risk of developing thyroid cancer, a study has found.
Treatment with oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist eltrombopag leads to similar platelet counts in patients with chronic immune thrombocytopaenia (cITP) and persistent (per)ITP, according to the results of phase III (EXTEND) and IV studies presented at the 23rd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA 2018) held in Stockholm, Sweden.
Patients receiving rivaroxaban have lower, but statistically nonsignificant, incidence of post-thrombotic syndrome compared with those receiving warfarin, according to a recent study.
A treatment regimen combining daratumumab plus bortezomib, melphalan and prednisone markedly extends progression-free survival in patients with multiple myeloma, inducing deep responses and demonstrating acceptable tolerability regardless of baseline renal function, according to the results of the phase III ALCYONE study.
Lofexidine is a safer and nonaddictive alternative to diazepam as a pharmacological approach to opioid withdrawal symptom, which results in better treatment retention, reports a recent Singapore trial.
Special Reports
There is an increasing number of studies that shed light on the importance of our gut microbiota. Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health benefits on the host when administered in adequate amounts. With new data emerging about their proposed benefits in maintaining intestinal health, probiotics continue to gain popularity amongst consumers.
The medical field has advanced in leaps and bounds. Along with it comes changes in the way we deal with patients or diseases. However, the fundamentals of medicine, namely patient-centred care can sometimes be sidelined in this age and among the aspects that suffer along with it are the high value of a patient’s own blood and the autonomy over his or her own body.
At the recent ‘Reinforced for the Glycaemic Challenge’ symposium held at Shangri-la Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Associate Professor Dr Alexander Tan, Professor Dr Chee Kok Han and Dr Chan Siew Pheng shared their insights into the importance of achieving glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), while simultaneously providing them with cardiovascular protection.
At the recent American Society of Haematology Annual Meeting 2017, Professor François-Xavier Mahon reviewed recent studies related to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) cessation in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) who have achieved sustained deep molecular response (DMR).
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurological disorders – affecting over 2.3 million people globally – and it is the leading cause of nontraumatic disability in young adults. However,the availability of supportive resources and services for people with MS is scarce in many regions of the world. In Malaysia, the prevalence of MS is estimated at 2-3/100,000; the current Malaysian clinical practice guidelines on the management of MS recommend disease modifying agents, such as interferon-β and teriflunomide, as first-line therapeutic agents. In this article, Dr Singer - in partnership with Sanofi and the Malaysian Society of Neurosciences - shares his insights into managing MS dynamically, highlighting the importance of early intervention in improving patient outcomes.
Globally, one in four people will be affected by psychiatric or neurological disorders during their lifetime.1 With an estimated affected population of 450 million people, mental disorders are among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide.1 At the recent Lundbeck Neuroscience Symposium held at Hilton Kota Kinabalu from 3–5 November 2017, three renowned key opinion leaders from the field of psychiatry shared their insights into the optimal management of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
At a recent Menarini-sponsored symposium held during the 47th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Malaysian Orthopaedic Association at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Dr Magdi Hanna spoke on the importance of effective postoperative pain management, highlighting the role of multimodal combination therapy in improving treatment outcomes.
Conference Reports
A higher proportion of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) experienced improvements in joint and skin symptoms with baricitinib 4 mg once daily vs placebo in a phase II randomized, double-blind, global study.
The selective T cell costimulation modulator abatacept drives a rapid improvement in proteinuria, which leads to earlier, sustained complete response compared with placebo in patients with active class III or IV lupus nephritis, although the rate of complete response is similar between groups, suggests a study presented at the EULAR 2018 Congress.
Infusion with chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy tisagenlecleucel is well tolerated, with no increased toxicities, among patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) who relapse after first allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT), according to a study presented at the 23rd Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA 2018) held in Stockholm, Sweden. Moreover, patients have achieved minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative and durable remissions.
Once-week carfilzomib may represent a more convenient treatment option for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM), according to data from the phase III ARROW trial.
The EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) dacomitinib showed superior overall survival (OS) vs gefitinib in patients with treatment-naïve EGFR-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the final analysis of the ARCHER 1050 study.
Use of bosutinib in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) still proves to be more effective than imatinib, with a higher major molecular response rate, according to the 24-month follow-up data from the phase III BFORE* trial.
Adding glasdegib to low-dose cytarabine (LDAC) improves overall survival in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), even among those who did not reach complete remission (CR), according a poster presented at the recent 23rd Congress of the European Haematology Association (EHA 2018).
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