More than 95,000 Americans develop colon cancer, making it the third most common cancer in the U.S., excluding skin cancers.
VA Develops, Validates Thromboembolism Risk Tool in Multiple Myeloma
While guidelines for multiple myeloma advise pharmacologic prophylaxis to prevent development of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in high-risk patients, current risk assessment tools differ in the factors considered indicative of high risk and in the patients determined to need preventive anticoagulation.
Vaccine Shows Early Promise in Metastatic Melanoma
Researchers reported positive results today for phase IIb testing of a vaccine for high-risk melanoma patients.
Therapy Combinations Were Safe, Active in Genitourinary Cancer Trials
Federal researchers reported updated results of trials of cabozantinib plus nivolumab with and without ipilimumab in patients with refractory metastatic urothelial carcinoma on Saturday at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
Cabozantinib Improves Survival in Liver Cancer Regardless of Age
HOUSTON — For veterans with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), research presented today at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago offers encouraging the news. The study determined that a new tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)...
Pulmonary Events Affect 30% of Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients Post-Chemo
Bleomycin, the first line standard of care for Hodgkin lymphoma causes pulmonary events in some patients, but physicians have been uncertain how many patients are affected and how long they remain at risk.
VA Team Develops Reliable Measure of Cancer Drug Efficacy
Assessing tumor growth and regression to determine a treatment’s efficacy over time can be challenging on an individual basis.
Risk Predictor Guides Breast Cancer Treatment at MHS Facility
Physicians and patients want to do everything possible to minimize the risk of breast cancer recurrence without incurring unnecessary toxicity from chemotherapy.
Common Vitamin Deficiency Increases Mortality Risk 80% in Cancer Patients
Vitamin D deficiency doesn’t just increase the risk of osteoporosis and other bone disorders, it dramatically increases the risk of death in older cancer patients with solid tumors, according to researchers at the Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System in Temple, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Test Accurately Predicts Overall Survival in Prostate Cancer
For the physicians treating men with non-metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer, knowing the risk of progression or death provides valuable information to guide the timing and selection of treatment.
Despite Overall Longevity Trends, Mortality Increases for Schizophrenia Patients
Since the 1970s, mortality rates have declined, extending average lifespan by almost a decade.
Nightmare Disorder Increases Mental Health Risks in Servicemembers
Lack of sleep has long been a feature of military service.
No Link Found Between H. Pylori Infection, Unexplained Anemia
Despite limited evidence to support the practice, testing for Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection is recommended for work-up of unexplained iron deficiency anemia (IDA).
Fibromyalgia Presents Differently in Male, Female Veterans
Research on fibromyalgia, a poorly understood, chronically disabling pain syndrome, generally has focused on its clinical presentation and treatment.
VA Takes the Lead to Prevent Spread of Multi Drug-Resistant Organisms
The VA is leveraging its position as the country’s largest integrated healthcare system to slow the development and spread of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO).
Military Services Develop Remote Monitoring to Improve Battlefield Medicine
What if battlefield medics could monitor multiple injured servicemembers in the field thought a new electronic monitoring tool?
DoD Study Finds That Type 2 Diabetes Increases Breast Cancer Mortality
Having Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM-2) increases mortality risk in breast cancer patients, regardless of whether diabetes was diagnosed before or after breast cancer, according to a recent study.
VA-Led Study: Absenteeism Drops With Mandatory HCP Influenza Vaccines
New research is raising questions about whether the VA is doing enough to promote influenza vaccination of healthcare personnel.
VHA’s Type 1 Diabetes Telehealth Care Saves Time, Money
About 5% of the United States population has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and the great majority are diagnosed before age 25. Since a diabetes diagnosis prevents enlistment in the military, relatively few veterans have the condition compared to type 2 diabetes, which affects about a fourth of VHA patients.
In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Has Higher Survival Rates at VA Hospitals
Veterans who suffer cardiac arrest during a VA hospital stay are more likely to survive the experience than patients who have such events cardiac arrests in other U.S. hospitals. And, a year later, they are also more likely to still be alive.
Telenephrology Brings Better Care to VA CKD Patients in Remote Areas
For patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), living more than 30 miles from their nephrologist is associated with many unfavorable outcomes.
Women’s Health Initiative at VA Increases Use of Point of Care Testing
NEW YORK — From 2000 to 2014, the number of women veterans receiving care through the VA doubled. Today, approximately 750,000 women are enrolled in the VHA healthcare system and about half a million use it each year.
First-Ever Study Focuses on How Well VHA Cares for TIA Patients
INDIANAPOLIS — While many healthcare systems measure the quality of their stroke care, looking at performance early in the vascular disease process can help avoid acute events altogether.
Acupuncture Generally Effective for Chronic Pain in Military
FORT BRAGG, NC — While acupuncture is characterized as an alternative or complementary medicine with a low complication rate and minimal side effects, questions remain on whether acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic pain. A study published in the...
Chiropractic Helpful for Female Veterans with Back Pain
BUFFALO, NY — Does chiropractic management create clinically significant improvement in low back pain for female U.S. veterans? That was the question investigated by a study published recently in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapy.1 For the...
VA Patients Lack Testing to Optimize CLL Treatment
SALT LAKE CITY — The presence of deletion 17p (del17), determined by chromosome analysis and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), is a strong negative prognostic marker in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to a report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.1
Cognitive Dysfunction Affects Blood Cancer Survival
BOSTON — With an aging population, cognitive impairment is increasingly common. The question raised by a new study was what effect that has on survival for older patients with hematologic cancers.
Veterans’ Chronic Pain: Opioids No More Effective Than Other Medications
MINNEAPOLIS — The VA has struggled to reduce the use of opioids in chronic pain patients over the long term, primarily because of concerns about risk of addiction and other adverse effects. A new veterans study provides another good reason: The therapy really...
Mental Health Diagnoses Increase Coronary Artery Disease Risks in Women Veterans
BOSTON — Depression and anxiety can be debilitating on their own. For women veterans, the conditions raise an additional concern: They significantly increase the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD)—the leading cause of death in the United States.
For Memory Issues, It’s Not So Much the Concussion as the Blast
BOSTON—Many more servicemembers might have been injured by blasts in Iraq and Afghanistan than previously reported.
