Latest Conference Articles

Hatim Husain, MD, discusses how National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) treatment guidelines adjust to meet the treatment needs of patients with lung cancer.

The ALLIANCE trial is investigating the responses of treatment-naïve persons living with comorbid HIV (PLWH)/hepatitis B virus to a triplet regimen of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide vs dolutegravir plus emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.

Hatim Husain, MD, associate professor in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego, discuses must-haves for successful biomarker testing in lung cancer—in particular, non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)—and how the field is adapting to the targeted treatment needs of its patients.

Katherine R. Tuttle, MD, FASN, FACP, FNKF, a nephrologist from the University of Washington and Providence Health Care, discussed new consensus guidelines that call for the early use of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and finerenone in the care of patients with both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes.

Value management, theranostics, clinical trial access, and a mobile pharmacy are major innovations being integrated into independent community oncology practices, as highlighted at the Quality Cancer Care Alliance Summer 2022 National Leadership Summit.

Anchalee Avihingsanon, MD, PhD, HIV-NAT, Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre, Bangkok, Thailand, is principal investigator of the ALLIANCE trial.

New heart failure guidelines redefine stages of the disease to emphasize prevention, said Biykem Bozkurt, MD, PhD, but more must be done by payers to identify those at high risk.

Coverage from the 2022 Congress of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) in Louisville, Kentucky, featuring 3 experts on aspects of hypertension treatment: Keith C. Ferdinand, MD, of Tulane University School of Medicine; Kim Allan Williams, MD, of the University of Louisville; and George C. Bakris, MD, of the University of Chicago Medicine.

Anchalee Avihingsanon, MD, PhD, HIV-NAT, Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre, Bangkok, Thailand, is principal investigator of the ALLIANCE trial from Gilead.

During the 2022 Congress of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC), held in Louisville, Kentucky, Erin D. Michos, MD, MHS, of Johns Hopkins, and Pam R. Taub, MD, of UC San Diego Health, discussed how treatment of diabetes requires going beyond glucose-lowering therapies and including newer medications that offer cardiovascular benefits.

Martha Gulati, MD, MS, kicked off the symposium “Saving the Hearts of Women Through Prevention” ahead of the 2022 Congress of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology, which took place Friday through Sunday in Louisville, Kentucky.

Social determinants of health are major drivers of the inequities seen in health outcomes, and racism is clearly a social determinant tied to life expectancy, said Karol Watson, MD, PhD, in talk Sunday at the 2022 Congress of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology, held in Louisville, Kentucky.

Ty J. Gluckman, MD, FACC, FAHA, who is medical director of the Center for Cardiovascular Analytics, Research, and Data Science at Providence St. Joseph Health in Portland, Oregon, addressed the 2022 Congress of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.

Duke University’s Pamela S. Douglas, MD, spoke to cardiology professionals who gathered for the start of the 2022 Congress of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC), in Louisville, Kentucky.

The ALLIANCE trial is the first randomized blinded trial to investigate tenofovir alafenamide vs tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in treatment-naive individuals who have comorbid HIV/hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

City of Hope has announced that a patient living with HIV, who received a stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor to treat acute myelogenous leukemia, has been in remission from both diseases since 2019.

Understanding that patients who are HER2-low are different from patients who are HER2-positive and -negative means having the right way to evaluate and identify these patients, explained Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president of Texas Oncology.

While prior authorizations are put in place to ensure appropriate use of expensive therapies, they create a substantial burden for clinicians and patients, said Sabin Dang, MD, ophthalmologist with The Retina Institute.

Posters presented at the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) 40th Annual Scientific Meeting evaluated the association between long-term visual acuity outcomes and use of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy, as well as patient and caregiver experience with ant-VEGF.

While anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy is the first-line treatment for diabetic macular edema (DME), a majority of patients discontinue therapy after 6 months and there is no consensus on the ideal dosing paradigm.

Although technology is allowing for earlier detection of eye conditions, lack of reimbursement and insurance coverage remain major barriers to widespread use, explained speakers at the American Society of Retina Specialists 40th Annual Scientific Meeting.

At the beginning of the pandemic, remote retinal imaging declined sharply due to a recommendation to stop nonessential eye care services in the first months of 2020, said Parisa Emami-Naeni, MD, MPH, assistant professor of ophthalmology at University of California, Davis, and vitreoretinal surgeon and uveitis specialist at UC Davis Eye Center.

Every year, the American Society of Retina Specialists releases the results of its latest Preferences and Trends Survey at the annual meeting. This year, the survey highlighted some surprising differences between US and international retina specialists, including off-label medication use and what drives drug choices for patients, said Paul Hahn, MD, vitreoretinal surgeon at NJRetina.

The retina space is evolving due to new technology that is changing the way specialists deliver care, whether that means offering the ability to do new procedures in the office or providing more virtual or hybrid care.

During a session at the American Society of Retina Specialists 40th Annual Scientific Meeting, speakers highlighted research into the opportunity cost of vitreoretinal surgery and the impact the pandemic had on retinal procedures and reimbursement in early 2020.

The American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) will hold its 40th Annual Scientific Meeting in New York, New York, July 13-16, 2022.

Connecting with colleagues in person allows for meaningful conversations about the future of the retina care field and patients, said Steven Yeh, MD, professor and the Stanley Truhlsen Jr. Chair in Ophthalmology at the Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center.

At AHIP 2022, Vanessa Bobb, MD, PhD, FAPA, vice president of Behavioral Health & Medical Integration at CDPHP, moderated a session on real-world study findings showcasing cost and quality benefits of value-based contracting in behavioral health. Bobb discusses findings of the study and how value-based programs can be better leveraged in mental health and substance abuse care.

Integrating primary care with behavioral health services, improving provider training on mental health, and policy changes were all noted as strategies to combat the rising mental health and substance abuse epidemic during a keynote session at AHIP 2022.

Zahra Mahmoudjafari, PharmD, BCOP, clinical pharmacy manager at the University of Kansas Health System, explains some of the strategies that payers can use to improve cost management and increase patient access related to chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapies.