The use of 3D printing has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years, finding its way into schools, libraries and even private homes.
Hairy Cell Leukemia Case Suggests Link to Camp Lejeune Contamination
A new report revealed a possible link of industrial solvents or benzene to hematopoietic cancers, specifically hairy cell leukemia.
Statins Reduce Some Lymphomas in Veterans With HIV
Statins appear to have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects and appear to reduce cancer risk. A new study sought to determine if that also is the case with HIV patients, who experience chronic inflammation and immune activation.
AML Prognosis Improved With Promising Therapy Combinations
HOUSTON—The prognosis for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has remained dismal, even after treatment with a hypomethylating agent. Standard curative treatment for AML, which is primarily a disease of older adults with a median age of 68 years at...
Prostate-Specific Antigen Doubling Time Helps Determine Prognosis at VHA
What is the association between prostate-specific antigen doubling time (PSADT) with metastasis-free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) in VHA patients with nonmetastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC)?
VHA PSA Screening Rates Dropped for Some Groups
How did the 2012 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against the prostate specific antigen screening for prostate cancer affect practice at the VHA?
IG: Mismanagement Contributed to Veteran Death at Augusta, GA, VAMC
AUGUSTA—A patient at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, GA, was held in restraints for nearly three days, contributing to the blood clots in his legs that resulted in his death, a VA inspector general report found last month. The report outlines...
Post-Surgical Pain, Opioids Decreased in Veterans Who Received Acupuncture
DETROIT—Using acupuncture in veterans facing surgery resulted in less post-surgical pain and the use of fewer opioids to manage it, according to new research. The randomized, controlled study was presented at the Anesthesiology 2020 annual meeting and found that VA...
New Definitions for Flu-Related Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis
Patients admitted to intensive care units with influenza increasingly are being diagnosed with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.
COVID-19 Inpatients More Likely Younger, Male Vs. Flu
While comorbid conditions appeared to be common among individuals hospitalized with COVID-19, estimates of prevalence vary and not enough is known about the prior medication use of patients.
Influenza Strains Don’t Differ Much in Severity
The influenza A/H1N1 pandemic of 2009 to 2010 raised the question of whether some flu strains are inherently more likely to cause severe illness than others.
More Benefits for Metformin Are Emerging Beyond Blood Glucose Control
Metformin is like a fine red wine: Its appeal continues to grow over time. More than 70 years after its first clinical use in diabetes, the staple of blood glucose control continues to surprise researchers with unexpected benefits in treating COVID-19, cancer and dementia.
VA Expands Tools to Help Veterans and Clinicians Manage Hypoglycemia Risk
For years, diabetes management was primarily concerned with keeping blood sugar from going too high. Now, and especially at the VA, keeping blood glucose from going too low is just as important.
DoD, VA Explore Link Between COVID-19 Pandemic, Suicide in U.S.
COVID-19, which as of last month had killed 225,000 people in the United States, “has exacerbated mental and behavioral health conditions as a result of stress from prolonged lockdown orders, lost employment and social isolation,” Trump said
BH3 Mimetics Combos Targeting MCL1, BCL2 Might Help Treat Melanoma
AURORA, CO – Patients with melanoma who are refractory to or ineligible for immune checkpoint blockade have an urgent need for effective treatments. A report in the journal Cancers (Basel) noted that includes patients who lack BRAF-V600E/K mutations and is often the...
Prognosis Beginning to Improve for T-cell Lymphoma Patients
LONG BEACH, CA – Among hematological malignancies, T-cell lymphomas have an extremely poor prognosis. A new review suggested that might be changing with unusual paths to cure. An article in the Lancet Haematology pointed out that, over the last three decades, little...
Discovery Explains Neurotoxicity With Certain CAR T Cell Immunotherapy
PHILADELPHIA — A new discovery might help explain the cause of neurotoxicity in patients undergoing CD19 directed CAR T cell immunotherapy. A report in the journal Cell discussed how new research uncovered the previously unknown presence of CD19 — a B cell molecule...
IT Modernization Might Not Fix VA’s Medical Supply Chain Problems
A recent Government Accountability Office report calls into question VA’s belief that upcoming IT modernization projects will fix long-standing problems in its medical supply chain.
Who Is More Likely to Have Phantom Limb Pain?
Phantom limb pain persists for veterans who undergo major upper limb amputation, according to a new study.
Opioid Prescribing Common to Military Spouses
While use and misuse of opioids by active-duty servicemembers has been examined in several studies, much less is known about use of painkillers by their spouses.
Spinal Cord Stimulator Reduces Veterans’ Opioid Usage
Spinal cord stimulator (SCS) implantation has shown some effectiveness for chronic pain, including painful musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Servicemembers Usually Diagnosed With Lung Cancer Earlier Than Civilians
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, killing more than 150,000 people each year. Lung cancer also poses a particularly high risk to servicemembers and veterans.
Epilepsy Diagnosis Not Always Accurate in Veterans
For years, the VA has tried to come up with ways to differentiate veterans who have epileptic seizures (ES) as opposed to psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), which are especially common in those who fought in recent wars.
Neurological Condition Sometimes Underlies LUTS Diagnosis
Clinicians should be aware that underlying—and undiagnosed—neurological conditions could be involved in lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).
Advice on MS Treatment During COVID-19 Pandemic
Selecting appropriate treatments for multiple sclerosis is complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study.
DoD Leads the Charge Against COVID-19 Through Operation Warp Speed
The DoD is on the attack against a wily and deadly enemy that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, devastated populations in cities, and destroyed significant segments of the economy.
VA Makes It Easier for Veterans to Get Continuous Glucose Monitors
The VA’s new prescribing guidance for continuous glucose monitors significantly expands the number of veterans with diabetes who are eligible for the devices.
Low Glutamate Diet Appears to Reduce GWI Symptoms in Veterans
The old adage, “you are what you eat” might have special relevance for veterans suffering from Gulf War Illness, a neurological disorder in veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War from 1990 to 1991.
Older Veterans Are Able to Get VA Coverage for High-Dose Vaccines This Year
Public health officials across the country have warned that the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and influenza could endanger a record number of Americans and overwhelm healthcare facilities this fall and winter.
Black, Hispanic Veterans Twice as Likely to Test Positive for COVID-19
Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic veterans were twice as likely as non-Hispanic white veterans to test positive for COVID-19 at the VA, even after accounting for other demographics, geographic location and underlying health conditions.
