Articles
Despite the frequent need for language assistance services (LAS) at community pharmacies and the widespread availability of such services, LAS are underused by community pharmacists, results of a recent survey show.
The launch of the National Alert Network for Serious Medication Errors (NAN) was announced at the opening session of the 44th American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition. ASHP is partnering with the Institute for Safe Medication Practices to develop the alert system in an effort to prevent dangerous and repeated medication errors.
Given elderly patients’ frequent intolerance of the multidrug regimen needed to treat Mycobacterium aviumcomplex (MAC) infections, some patients with solid tumors may do better and survive for prolonged periods with observation compared with pharmacotherapy. Watchful clinical and radiographic monitoring may alert physicians if the infection progresses to a point of requiring treatment.
Given the increasing number of older patients with both cancer and cardiovascular disease and the potential cardiotoxic effects of many cancer therapies, creation of a new specialty called cardio-oncology or onco-cardiology has been suggested (Albini A, et al. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2010;102:14-25). New strategies for protecting against cardiotoxicity in patients treated with anthracyclines were reported at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2009.
West Michigan Cancer Center (WMCC) has increased the quality of patient care while updating its business model for today's economic times. In recognition of this achievement, WMCC received a 2009 Cancer Center Innovator Award. The award was presented by Foley & Lardner at the third annual Cancer Center Business Summit in Dallas, Texas.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease affec ting approximately 13,000 people in the United States each year.1 For younger adults (<60 years) standard induction treatment includes 7 days of cytarabine and 3 days of an anthracycline. Adults 60 years and older may also be treated with this regimen or a less intensive approach using outpatient chemotherapy or supportive care. The intensive chemotherapy regimens have been in use since the 1970s, with little improvement in complete re sponse (CR) rate or overall survival (OS).
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the United States.1 It is estimated that in 2009, 219,440 men and women were diagnosed with lung cancer and 159,390 men and women died from the disease.2 From 1975 to 2001, non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) 5-year survival rates have increased from 11.9% to 15.6%. These statistics are independent of sex, race, age, and stage at diagnosis, and make acutely evident that there have been few advances in the treatment of NSCLC.
One of the most debilitating toxicities related to chemotherapy is peripheral neuropathy.
In 2000, before imatinib was marketed, it was estimated that there would be 4400 new diagnoses of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and 2300 patients would die as a result of the disease in the United States.1 In 2009, the number of estimated new cases of CML increased to 5050, but the number of patients who were expected to succumb to the cancer decreased to 470 patients.2 The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of imatinib in 2001 was seen as a giant leap toward improving and prolonging the lives of patients diagnosed with CML.