August 25, 2019 - MedPage Today

Per the final two-part recommendation published at the USPSTF website and in JAMA, assessments for increased risk of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations should be conducted in women who have a personal or family history of certain types of cancers (breast, ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancers), or who have an ancestry associated with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. Women found to be at increased risk should receive genetic counseling and, if indicated after counseling, BRCA testing. The first part of the recommendation received a 'B' grade, meaning a "high certainty that the net benefit is moderate or there is moderate certainty that the net benefit is moderate to substantial."

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July 3, 2019, Healthcare Business  

Breast cancer is the second-most common cancer among women in the United States. Last year approximately 268,000 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in the U.S., and more than 40,000 women died of the disease. When breast cancer is found early, the five-year survival rate is 96%. If not identified until more advance stages (e.g., stage 4), the five-year survival rate drops to 16%. The key to survival is early detection.  

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July 3, 2019, MedPage Today 

Updates to recommendations for hepatitis A and meningococcal vaccines were approved, while recommendations for the influenza vaccine remained unchanged, after the CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting in Atlanta. Committee members also voted unanimously to leave the current recommendation for influenza vaccination as is. The annual influenza vaccine should continue to be offered to everyone 6 months or older who do not have contraindications. 

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July 2, 2019, MedPage Today 

The appearance of simple ovarian cysts was common in premenopausal and postmenopausal women undergoing pelvic ultrasonography but was not associated with an increased risk of malignant ovarian cancer, researchers found. 

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July 2, 2019, MedPage Today 

Breast density status should not be used as a stand-alone risk factor to refer women for supplemental imaging discussions, according to a new study. Instead, a combined approach using both breast density and Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) 5-year risk score would identify those women at the highest risk for advanced cancer, said Karla Kerlikowske, MD, of the Department of Veterans Affairs in San Francisco, and colleagues.

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July 1, 2019, Pharmacy Times 

Officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have approved bevacizumab-bvzr (Zirabev, Pfizer), a biosimilar to bevacizumab (Avastin), for the treatment of five types of cancer, according to a press release. Bevacizumab-bvzr is indicated for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer; unresectable, locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); recurrent glioblastoma; metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC); and persistent, recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. 

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July 1, 2019, Medscape 

Fewer than 40% of people in the United States have ever been tested for HIV, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published June 27 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

National HIV Testing Day, on June 27, acknowledges the vital role of testing in preventing, detecting, and treating HIV infection. Early diagnosis is critical to controlling transmission. Those who test negative but are at elevated risk can employ preexposure prophylaxis.

Since 2006, CDC has recommended universal screening for HIV infection at least once in a healthcare setting for people aged 13 to 64 years and at least annual rescreening of individuals at increased risk. 

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June 30, 2019, MedPage Today 

Use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in cases without male infertility held no advantages over conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to a pair of retrospective European studies. 

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June 28, 2019, Association for Professionals in Infection Control via Medical Xpress  

Hospitalwide introduction of new female external catheter technology halved the number of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) according to new research presented last week in Philadelphia at the 46th Annual Conference of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). 

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June 28, 2019, HealthDay News 

HPV vaccination programs significantly reduce human papillomavirus infections and precancerous cervical lesions, a new global review finds.

Vaccination protects against the HPV strains that cause the majority of cervical cancers.

Researchers analyzed 65 studies that included data collected over eight years from more than 60 million people in 14 high-income countries. 

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