What We're Reading: Flu Shot During Pregnancy; Liquid Biopsy for NSCLC; Physician-Generated Revenue

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Researchers have confirmed that there is no link between flu shots and miscarriages; a liquid biopsy is as effective as tissue-based testing for identifying treatment for lung cancer; and physicians generate an average of $2 million a year for hospitals.

No Link Between Flu Shot, Miscarriage

Researchers who previously raised questions about the safety of getting a flu shot during pregnancy have announced data from their most recent study showing that there is no link between the vaccine and miscarriage. According to STAT News, the current study was bigger than the first and looked specifically at this link. The study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

Liquid Biopsy for Lung Cancer Treatment

The liquid biopsy test Guardant360 is as effective as standard-of-care tissue genotyping tests for detecting biomarkers and thus guiding treatment for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, according to a press release from the American Association for Cancer Research. The test, which also has quicker turn-around time than the standard of care, can identify 1 prognostic and 7 predictive biomarkers in the blood.

Physicians Bring in $2 Million a Year for Hospitals

A survey from Merritt Hawkins revealed that physicians are major drivers of revenue for hospitals, generating an average of $2,378,727 per year in net revenue for their affiliated hospital. Cardiovascular surgeons landed the top spot on the list, generating an average of nearly $3.7 million a year, followed by invasive cardiologists at $3.5 million, neurosurgeons at $3.4 million, and orthopedic surgeons at $3.3 million.