Curated News: Medical Meetings

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Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) occurs when the heart’s tricuspid valve leaks, allowing blood to flow back from the right ventricle to the right atrium. TR can be secondary to disorders of left-sided heart valves (mitral or aortic). At the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, investigators present the results of a long-term study of patients who underwent mitral valve (MV) repair. They found that although newly developed TR after MV repair was rare, the risk could increase in older patients with atrial fibrillation and impaired heart function.

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ISPOR announced confirmation of key scientific sessions for its 21st Annual International Meeting starting next week, May 21-25, 2016 in Washington, DC, USA. The meeting will feature three, timely Plenary Sessions centered on the theme, “Value, Affordability, and Patient Centeredness: Can We Have It All?”.

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Home-based pulmonary rehabilitation may be equally effective in improving fitness and quality of life as a traditional center-based program for COPD patients, according to new research presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.

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New research has found that a process initiated in white blood cells known as neutrophils may lead to worse outcomes for some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The discovery may help identify patients at higher risk for COPD progression, who might also show little benefit from standard treatments. The study was presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.

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The American Thoracic Society and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Sunovion) today announced the results of a survey of pulmonologists and pulmonology fellows to determine physicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management, with particular attention to the use of hand-held small volume nebulizers. A small volume nebulizer is a device powered by air that aerosolizes medications for delivery to patients.

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New research uncovering a link between Interstitial Lung Abnormalities (ILA) and an increased risk of in-hospital mortality was shared at the ATS 2016 International Conference.

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Nearly half (48%) of patients with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma in The Epidemiology and Natural History of Asthma: Outcomes and Treatment Regimens follow-up study (TENOR II) still had very poorly controlled (VPC) symptoms after more than a decade of treatment, according to a new study presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference. The risk of persistent VPC asthma was associated with specific demographic and clinical factors.

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Motivational interviewing, a goal-oriented, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change used in health coaching, is a feasible intervention that may reduce short-term readmissions for COPD patients. The study, which was presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference, is the first available randomized study to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention.

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Text messaging could hold the key to identifying postpartum women at-risk for developing potentially life-threatening complications resulting from preeclampsia, according to a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The results are presented on Monday, May 16 at the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology’s (ACOG) Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting in Washington, DC (poster #30-O).

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AATS Annual Meeting at a glance with important links and 11 associated news releases

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Researchers from the Perelman school of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania conducted the largest observational study of minimally invasive transfemoral—entry through the groin—TAVR to find whether the use of moderate sedation is associated with improved patient outcomes, specifically evaluating 30-day mortality and length of hospital stays, as compared to traditional general anesthesia.

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Early structural changes in the back of the eye — now visible with a newly developed eye scan — may indicate the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.

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Patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome who receive catheter ablation to cure their abnormal heart rhythms are just as likely as non-ablated patients to develop atrial fibrillation no matter what age they receive ablation, according to a new study.

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A medicated silicone ring that rests on the surface of the eye and slowly releases medication reduced eye pressure in glaucoma patients by about 20 percent over six months. These multi-center randomized clinical trial results are the first published research on this type of continuous glaucoma drug delivery technology, which could benefit the nearly 3 million people in the United States with glaucoma. Published in Ophthalmology, journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

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Study of more than 10,000 patients treated long term with the blood thinner, warfarin, reveals higher rates of dementia for patients with atrial fibrillation versus non-AF patients

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Building on existing evidence, vision researchers have found that limiting exposure to blue light after sunset increases the quality and length of sleep. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.

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Pterostilbene (PS), a component of blueberries, have been found to protect against dry eye disease according to a new study. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.

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A new study has shown that Ebola survivors may be at risk of severe vision loss or blindness weeks after being declared virus-free. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.

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Single cell transcriptome analysis in IDH1-mutant gliomas reveals three distinct subpopulations of tumor cells: two dominant populations of specialized glial-like cells and a third rarer stem/progenitor-like subpopulation capable of cellular proliferation.

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Researchers have safely transplanted stem cells derived from a patient’s skin to the back of the eye in an effort to restore vision. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.

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Scientists have successfully implanted a prosthesis that restores some central vision in patients with only limited peripheral vision remaining to them – the first time artificial and natural vision has ever been integrated in humans. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.

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According to new research, injection of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) offers similar protection as a low calorie diet against nerve degeneration in rats with glaucoma. The research is being presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) this week in Seattle, Wash.

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University of Washington researchers have developed SpiroCall, a new health sensing tool that can accurately measure lung function from anywhere in the world over a simple phone call. It is designed to work with any phone worldwide, not just smartphones.

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The connection between a family’s income and childhood health has been well-established, with lower income linked to poorer health and a greater likelihood of more chronic conditions. Now a new study by UCLA researchers shows that the size of the paycheck is not all that matters when it comes to children’s health risks. So does the amount that a family has tucked away in savings.

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Feeding premature babies mostly breast milk during the first month of life appears to spur more robust brain growth. Preemies whose daily diets were at least 50 percent breast milk had more brain tissue and cortical-surface area by their due dates than premature babies who consumed significantly less breast milk.

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RPB President Brian F. Hofland will present an overview of investigations conducted by leaders in the fields of retinal imaging, early disease detection, and photoreceptor regeneration and transplantation. The RPB featured scientists will be present for Q&A.

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The Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is the largest gathering of eye and vision researchers in the world, with over 11,000 attendees from more than 75 countries. Two free events will feature speakers highlighting recent successes — and emerging threats — facing ophthalmic clinicians and researchers around the world.

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This ARVO Meeting showcases cutting-edge eye and vision science and an early glimpse into the latest advances in potential treatments for eye disease and blindness — often years ahead of their introduction to the clinic.

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The topic of sexual dysfunction may be a difficult one to discuss between healthcare providers and cancer patients. The nursing and social work teams at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey explored this issue in order to improve the conversation and ensure quality oncology care. Nurses also examined how to ensure the safety of alternate route chemotherapy administration. The work is being presented at the Oncology Nursing Society’s Annual Congress meeting this week in San Antonio.

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Watercress extract taken multiple times a day significantly inhibits the activation of a tobacco-derived carcinogen in cigarette smokers, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), partner with UPMC CancerCenter, demonstrated in a phase II clinical trial presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

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Ludwig Cancer Research scientist Luis Diaz will be giving a plenary lecture today at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in New Orleans. His talk, titled “Liquid biopsies and the early diagnosis of cancer,” will survey the scientific history and current state of efforts to develop minimally invasive diagnostic tests for the early detection of cancer. An oncologist who has long been at the forefront of this field, Diaz will focus on the technologies and strategies employed to capture and profile DNA shed by tumors.

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New research from Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) shows that promising cancer drugs used in combination can have significant therapeutic impact on a particularly aggressive subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DH-DLBCL) in preclinical studies. The researchers will present their findings at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2016, to be held April 16-20 in New Orleans.

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Researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), in collaboration with investigators from the cooperative group SWOG, have found that use of multivitamins prior to diagnosis may reduce the risk of neuropathy in breast cancer patients treated with the class of drugs known as taxanes. The team will present their findings at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2016, to be held April 16-20 in New Orleans.

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Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) research on the most potent form of vitamin D, commonly called calcitriol, offers new insights into approaches that may enhance the antitumor activity of this much-studied human hormone. The researchers will share their findings in an oral presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2016, to be held April 16-20 in New Orleans.

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In a clinical trial of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, half of 25 patients with a rare type of virus-linked skin cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma experienced substantial tumor shrinkage lasting nearly three times as long, on average, than with conventional chemotherapy.

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Delaying radiation therapy too long after surgery significantly increases the risk of recurrent tumors in women treated for very early, or what is referred to as “stage 0,” breast cancer, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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Precision medicine’s public face is that of disease — and better treatments for that disease through targeted therapies. But precision medicine has an unsung partner that could affect the lives of many more people: Precision prevention — a reflection of the growing realization that preventing cancer and other diseases may not be one-size-fits-all.

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A team of researchers led by Ludwig Cancer Research scientist Stephen Hodi reported today the results of the longest follow-up survival study conducted to date on patients with advanced melanoma who were treated with the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab. Hodi and his colleagues announced at a press event during the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in New Orleans that 34 percent of the patients treated with this immunotherapy alone in a previous Phase 1 trial were still alive five years later.

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Encouraging clinical trial data from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) will be featured in this year’s American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting press program and presented as part of the Precision Medicine Early Clinical Trial Plenary Session.

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The Women’s Health Initiative, a nationwide, federally funded research program coordinated by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, has received the 10th annual Team Science Award from the American Association for Cancer Research. Fred Hutch biostatisticians Drs. Ross Prentice and Garnet Anderson, leaders of the WHI Clinical Coordinating Center, were on hand to accept the award April 17 during the American Association for Cancer Research 2016 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, on behalf of the WHI program.

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Dr. Sunil Hingorani, a member of the Clinical Research and Public Health Sciences divisions at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, will present recent groundbreaking developments in treating pancreas cancer with engineered T-cells at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2016 in New Orleans on April 16.

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Below are brief summaries highlighting several presentations by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientists at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2016 in New Orleans from April 16-20. Each contains a link to the related embargoed Fred Hutch news release. For researcher bios, photos and more, please visit www.fredhutch.org/media.

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An experimental antibody treatment decreased by half the number of cancer stem cells that drive the growth of tumors in nearly all patients with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow and bone tissue, according to results of a preliminary clinical trial led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center scientists.

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In a small, phase I clinical trial, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers say they show for the first time that the experimental drug guadecitabine (SGI-110) is safe in combination with the chemotherapy drug irinotecan and may overcome resistance to irinotecan in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

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Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and other institutions have uncovered a site of genetic variation that identified which patients with Parkinson’s disease are more likely to have tremors versus difficulty with balance and walking. The Penn team also found that patients with this genetic variation had a slower rate of Parkinson’s disease progression, and lower amounts of alpha-synuclein in the brain. Alpha-synuclein is a protein that experts know plays a role in the development of Parkinson's disease.

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Research from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey examining gynecologic cancers that poorly respond to therapy shows genomic profiling can help identify alternate and targeted treatments.

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Andrew Elkwood, MD, FACS and Matthew R. Kaufman, MD, FACS, leading plastic and reconstructive surgeons at The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction at The Plastic Surgery Center, will present new findings based on their work in advanced reconstructive techniques for people with spinal cord injuries and pain disorders at two upcoming scientific meetings.

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Mapping blood flow in the brain of athletes using an advanced form of ultrasound may make it easier to more accurately recognize concussions, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 68th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, April 15 to 21, 2016.

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J. David Prologo, MD, delivered new findings from an Emory Interventional Radiology and Image Guided Medicine study at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting. The study examines the use of cryoablation, or extreme cold, to reduce phantom limb pain (PLP) – a condition that causes individuals to perceive chronic pain in amputated limbs. Emory’s study shows interventional radiologists who applied cold blasts to patients suffering from PLP significantly reduced their level of pain.

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Ludwig Cancer Research released today the full scope of advances presented by Ludwig researchers at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La., April 16–20. Research conducted by more than 70 Ludwig scientists will be presented in symposiums, plenaries and poster sessions, and Ludwig researchers will participate in several workshops and meet-the-expert sessions over the course of the Meeting.