Physician's Weekly

With the start of the 2021 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Physician’s Weekly shares a preview of some of the interesting findings presented during the four-day conference. - Peter Hofland, Ph.D. spoke with Brian Rini MD, Chief of Clinical Trials at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Ingram Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center about Renal Cell Carcinoma about tivozanib (Fotivda®, AVEO Pharmaceuticals), a kinase inhibitor, for adult patients with relapsed or refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following two or more prior systemic therapies. [1]- Hofland, also spoke with John Hayslip, MD, Executive Medical Director of Clinical Development at AbbVie about the results of a study with venetoclax (Venclexta®; AbbVie) + azacitidine (Onureg®; Celgene Corporation, a Bristol Myers Squibb company) in chemo ineligible untreated patients with therapy-related myeloid neoplasms, antecedent MDS or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (ASCO Poster – abstract 7011; EHA Poster: abstract EP909) and measurable residual disease response in AML patients treated with venetoclax + azacitidine (ASCO Poster – abstract 7018; EHA Oral: abstract S137). [2][3]In this edition also:- Paul Schmidt spoke with Eugene Luskin, the Chief Executive Officer of Sync.MD (https://syncmd.com/), and David Lawrence, the Chief Executive Officer of TravelAccel (https://travelaccel.com/) about a mobile application that not only verifies COVID-19 related information but goes beyond just COVID-19 related vaccine and testing data. The HIPPA compliant application offered by Sync.MD and adapted for travelers by TracelAccel, offers a simple, easy to use, solution, meant to share accurate, equitable, secure, and complete, information on travelers’ health status.Finally, this edition of Physician's Weekly concludes with a review of 'Centers of the Cancer Universe: A Half-Century of Progress Against Cancer,' a new book written by Eric Rosenthal, the editor-at-large of Onco’Zine (www.oncozine.com), and Donald L. Trump, MD, FACP, FASCO, the former director of experimental therapeutics at Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the former deputy director for clinical investigations at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, and from 2007 to 2014 the president and Chief Executive Officer of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. In the book, Rosenthal and Trump are telling the history of The National Cancer Act of 1971. [4]In the book, Rosenthal and Trump follow the behind-the-scenes lobbying, resistance, and negotiating that preceded signing the National Cancer Act of 1971 into law, and how the cancer centers of today were realized and shaped how cancer research, clinical trials, and treatment would be conducted. They interview key opinion leaders and experts who, over the past 50 years - were eyewitnesses and participants in the War on cancer – experts who helped provide real hope for many patients and their families. [4]References[1] Verzoni E, Escudier B, Hutson TE, McDermott DF, Pal SK, Porta C, Rini BI, et al. TIVO-3: Durability of response and updated overall survival of tivozanib versus sorafenib in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Abstract 4546; Presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held June 4 – 8, 2021.[2] Pratz K, Jonas BA, Pullarkat V, Recher C, Schuh AC, Thirman MJ, Garcia JS, Dinardo CD, et al. Measurable residual disease response in acute myeloid leukemia treated with venetoclax and azacitidine. Abstract 7018; Presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held June 4 – 8, 2021.[3] Pullarkat V, Pratz K, Dohner H, Recher C, Thirman MJ, Dinardo CD, Fenaux P, Schuh AC, et al. Venetoclax and azacitidine combination in chemotherapy ineligible untreated patients with therapy-related myeloid neoplasms, antecedent myelodysplastic syndromes, or myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms. Abstract 7011; Presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held June 4 – 8, 2021.[4] Trump DL and Rosenthal ET. Centers of the Cancer Universe: A Half-Century of Progress Against Cancer Hardcover – Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (October 11, 2021) https://amzn.to/3uMV8Ri

Hardwiring humanity at every point of care is essential to ensure that patients remain at the center of everything healthcare professionals do. It is the collective responsibility of healthcare professionals to be trusted advisors, activating them to make appropriate care decisions and measuring that they feel supported through every step of their care journey.In this episode of Physician’s Weekly, Peter Hofland, Ph.D., talks with Summer Knight, MD, MBA, a Managing Director in the Life Science and Healthcare Consulting Practice at Deloitte about her bold new vision for healthcare that puts people first. [1]Reference[1] Knight S. Humanizing Healthcare; Hardwire Humanity into the Future of Health. McGraw-Hill Education; 1st edition (April 12, 2021); ISBN-13 : 978-1264267279 https://amzn.to/3vhXKru

This month is National Stroke Awareness Month, a time to increase awareness of the impact of stroke and spasticity, Spasticity is a common sequela of upper motor neuron conditions that affects about 25-43% of stroke patients in the first year after a stroke. It causes certain muscles in the arms and legs to involuntarily contract or tense up. If left untreated, spasticity can progress, worsen over time and reduce the health-related quality of life (hrQoL), impair function, and heighten economic burden. Identification and treatment of problematic spasticity is key in order to decrease impairments including contracture formation, pain, skin breakdown, and functional decline, and to limit disability.[1][2]Approximately 1.8 million Americans live with this condition that can make simple movements and tasks, including buttoning a shirt to brushing teeth or even walking without help, difficult or nearly impossible. Peter Hofland, Ph.D., spoke with Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, MD.about spasticity.[3]Gutierrez is Professor and Chair of Rehabilitation Medicine at the McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, in San Antonio, and serves as the medical director of the Brain Injury and Stroke Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann. Reference[1] Esquenazi, A.The human and economic burden of post-stroke spasticity and muscle overactivity. J Clin Outcomes Manage. 2011; 18: 607–614.Google Scholar[2] Wissel, J, Verrier, M, Simpson, DM, et al.Post-stroke Spasticity: Predictors of early development and considerations for therapeutic intervention. PMR. 2015 Jan;7(1):60–67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed[3] For more information about spasticity or to find a doctor who is experienced in treating patients with spasticity, go to HTTP://www.DontTakeSpasticity.com

Revolutions in healthcare are more than ever based on large amounts of data and information – on technology and skill. But how do data and information ensure that patients remain at the center of care, where they feel supported with every step of their healthcare journey? In this episode of Physician’s Weekly, Peter Hofland, Ph.D., talks with Summer Knight, MD, MBA, a Managing Director in the Life Science and Healthcare Consulting Practice at Deloitte about her bold new vision for healthcare that puts people first. [1]Also in this episode of Physician's Weekly:- Paul Schmidt asked Abdullah Albeyatti, MBBS BSc MRCS (ENT) MRCGP, a doctor working in the United Kingdom’s National Health Services (NHS) who is the Chair of the Royal College of GPs in Yorkshire, England, and the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of MyClinic, about telemedicine and how this has impacted the medical practice in the United Kingdom and around the world. They also talk about what physicians in the United States may learn from Dr. Albeyatti's experience. - Rachel Giles MD spoke with Benjamin S. Kornitzer, MD, Chief Medical and Quality Officer at Agilon Health, and Linda Odenigbo, MD, about the "Roll Up Our Sleeves" campaign, a combined effort of primary care physicians representing more than 50 independent physician practices across the country. And finally, in 2020 both medical professionals and patients not only faced a COVID-19 pandemic but also an infodemic of misinformation and disinformation. What are the consequences of believing this misinformation and how are misconceptions about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19, associated with a lower likelihood of engaging in preventive behavior and a lower willingness to be vaccinated? In a Perspective published in the May 12, 2021 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) David Scales, M.D., Ph.D., Jack Gorman, M.D., and Kathleen H. Jamieson, Ph.D., write about an approach to counteract deceptions and misconceptions – an approach that parallels epidemiologic models. [2]Reference[1] Knight S. Humanizing Healthcare; Hardwire Humanity into the Future of Health. McGraw-Hill Education; 1st edition (April 12, 2021); ISBN-13 : 978-1264267279 https://amzn.to/3vhXKru[2] Scales D, Gorman J, Jamieson KH. The Covid-19 Infodemic - Applying the Epidemiologic Model to Counter Misinformation. N Engl J Med. 2021 May 12. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2103798. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33979506.

This month is National Stroke Awareness Month, a time to increase awareness of the impact of stroke and spasticity, a condition that affects about 25-43% of stroke patients in the first year after a stroke. It causes certain muscles in the arms and legs to involuntarily contract or tense up. If left untreated, spasticity can progress and worsen over time. Approximately 1.8 million Americans live with this condition that can make simple movements and tasks, including buttoning a shirt to brushing teeth or even walking without help, difficult or nearly impossible. Peter Hofland, Ph.D., spoke with Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, MD., Professor and Chair of Rehabilitation Medicine at University of Texas Health San Antonio, in San Antonio, about spasticity.[1]Also in this episode of Physician’s Weekly: Paul Schmidt talks with Danny Avula, MD, the Director of the Richmond City and Henrico County Health Departments in Virginia and a public health physician board-certified in pediatrics and preventive medicine, about the importance of the approval of the COVID-19-vaccine in a pediatric setting.And later in the program: The CheckMate-9ER phase III clinical trial revealed significantly improved patient-reported quality-of-life outcomes with first-line nivolumab (Opdivo®; Bristol-Myers Squibb) plus cabozantinib (Cabometyx®; Exelixis) compared to sunitinib (Sutent®; Pfizer) for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. Rachel Giles, MD, spoke with Professor David Cella, Ph.D., of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University about the outcomes.[2][3]Clinical TrialsA Study of Nivolumab Combined With Cabozantinib Compared to Sunitinib in Previously Untreated Advanced or Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (CheckMate 9ER) - NCT03141177Reference / Information[1] For more information about spasticity or to find a doctor who is experienced in treating patients with spasticity, go to HTTP://www.DontTakeSpasticity.com[2] Hofland P. ESMO 2020: CheckMate 9ER Provides New First-Line Treatment Option for Patients Advanced RCC. Onco'Zine; September 19, 2020 https://tinyurl.com/yz6pww9d[3] Choueiri TK, Powles T, Burotto M, et al. 696O_PR - Nivolumab + cabozantinib vs sunitinib in first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma: First results from the randomized phase III CheckMate 9ER trial. Ann Oncol . 2020;31(suppl_4): S1142-S1215

One in five Americans is expected to develop skin cancer by the age of 70. With over 5 million cases diagnosed in the United States each year, skin cancer is America’s most common cancer. Fortunately, skin cancer is also one of the most preventable forms of cancer. Early detection is vital for the successful treatment of skin cancers. When detected early, it is possible to treat skin cancer when it’s easiest to cure before it becomes dangerous, disfiguring, or deadly. So… what if you can diagnose skin cancer with a cell phone? Paul Schmidt asked Vlado Bosanac, Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Human Imaging about using cell phones in diagnosing skin cancer.Also in this episode of Physician’s Weekly: - Peter Hofland, Ph.D. speaks with Gill Padula, MD, Chief Medical Officer at University Hospitals St. John Medical Center, near Cleveland and a Clinical Collaborator for NuView Lifesciences, a company preparing to expand its portfolio for Theranostics applications using the NV-VPAC1™ peptide analog by pairing a diagnostic imaging positron emitter, Copper- 64 (Cu-64), with a beta-emitter, Copper-67 (Cu-67), about the Theranostics approach and how it allows physicians to diagnose and localize cancer, and subsequently visualize where the therapy is delivered, and enhance monitoring response to therapy.- Rachel Giles, MD, asked Ricardo Rojo Cella, MD, Executive Director at Pfizer about the results of a Phase 3 study investigating abrocitinib, an investigational oral JAK1 inhibitor, in patients 12 and older with moderate to severe atopic dermatitisAnd finally, this edition of Physician’s Weekly concludes with a report about a study led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis which has found a link between consuming sugary drinks and an increased risk of colorectal cancer among women under 50. The findings suggest that heavy consumption of sugary drinks between the ages of 13 and 18 and adulthood can increase the risk of disease. In the study, which was published online on May 6, 2021, in the journal Gut, the authors provide more support for public health efforts that encourage people to reduce the amount of sugar they consume. Reference[1] Hur J, Otegbeye E, Joh HK, Nimptsch K, Ng K, Ogino S, Meyerhardt JA, Chan AT, Willett WC, Wu K, Giovannucci E, Cao Y. Sugar-sweetened beverage intake in adulthood and adolescence and risk of early-onset colorectal cancer among women. Gut. 2021 May 6:gutjnl-2020-323450. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-323450. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33958435.[2] Garcia D. Study Finds Link Between Consuming Sugary Drinks and an Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer. Onco’Zine, May 6, 2021 https://tinyurl.com/gutsugarcrc

The discovery of the double helix, the twisted-ladder structure of deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA by James D. Watson, Ph.D., and Francis Crick, OM, FRS, was one of the great accomplishments in history, a milestone in science that gave rise to modern molecular biology, leading to the Human Genome Project, the international research effort to determine the DNA sequence of the entire human genome.This year, on Sunday, April 25, 2021, during National DNA Day, we celebrated the successful completion of The Human Genome Project in 2003. The goal of this annual celebration is to learn about the latest advances in genomic research and explore how those advances impact science and medicine and, in turn, our lives.In this edition of Physician’s Weekly Peter Hofland, Ph.D. talks with Physician’s Weekly correspondent Shelly Reynolds about the developments revolutionizing science and medicine and how genomics is altering the treatment of disease, and how personalized medicine became a reality as a result of our understanding of DNA and the genome.Also, in this episode of Physician’s Weekly:Paul Smidt talks with Tony Polverino, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Early Development and Chief Scientific Officer of Zymeworks about zanidatamab, a novel, investigational biparatopic antibody that simultaneously binds 2 distinct sites on HER2, the trastuzumab-targeted (ECD4) and pertuzumab-targeted (ECD2) domains for the treatment of refractory HER2-amplified biliary tract cancer as well as several Phase 2 trials in HER2-expressing gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) and breast cancer. The clinical candidate is currently enrolling in a pivotal trial. Initial preclinical results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) earlier this year. [1][2]And later in the program, Rachel Giles, MD talks with Domenica Rubino, MD, from the Washington Center for Weight Management, Arlington, Virginia about the result of the STEP program (Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with obesity) which aims to investigate the effect of semaglutide (Novo Nordisk) versus placebo on weight loss, safety, and tolerability in adults with obesity. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][1] Meric-Bernstam F, Hamilton EP, Beeram M, et al. Zanidatamab (ZW25) in HER2-expressing gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA): results from a phase I study. J Clin Oncol. 2021; 39(suppl 3):164. doi:10.1200/JCO.2021.39.3_suppl.164[2] Trial of ZW25 (Zanidatamab) in Patients With Advanced HER2-expressing Cancers - NCT02892123[3] Research Study Investigating How Well Semaglutide Works in People Suffering From Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1) - NCT03548935, [4] Research Study Investigating How Well Semaglutide Works in People With Type 2 Diabetes Suffering From Overweight or Obesity (STEP 2) - NCT03552757, [5] Research Study to Look at How Well Semaglutide is at Lowering Weight When Taken Together With an Intensive Lifestyle Program (STEP 3) - NCT03611582 [6] Research Study Investigating How Well Semaglutide Works in People Suffering From Overweight or Obesity (STEP 4) - NCT03548987[7] Two-year Research Study Investigating How Well Semaglutide Works in People Suffering From Overweight or Obesity (STEP 5) - NCT03693430[8] Rubino D, Abrahamsson N, Davies M, Hesse D, Greenway FL, Jensen C, Lingvay I, Mosenzon O, Rosenstock J, Rubio MA, Rudofsky G, Tadayon S, Wadden TA, Dicker D; STEP 4 Investigators. Effect of Continued Weekly Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo on Weight Loss Maintenance in Adults With Overweight or Obesity: The STEP 4 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2021 Apr 13;325(14):1414-1425. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.3224. PMID: 33755728; PMCID: PMC7988425.[9] Kushner RF, Calanna S, Davies M, Dicker D, Garvey WT, Goldman B, Lingvay I, Thomsen M, Wadden TA, Wharton S, Wilding JPH, Rubino D. Semaglutide 2.4 mg for the Treatment of Obesity: Key Elements of the STEP Trials 1 to 5. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2020 Jun;28(6):1050-1061. doi: 10.1002/oby.22794. PMID: 32441473; PMCID: PMC731865

Migraines are one of the world’s most common health conditions. It is also the most common neurological disease. Roughly 39 million people in the United States and 1 billion people worldwide suffer from migraines. This makes migraines the third most common debilitating disorder, often resulting in multiple severe headaches a month. In this episode of Physician's Weekly, Peter Hofland, Ph.D., talks with Shelly Reynolds, one of Physician’s Weekly’s correspondents, about the results of a study published in the April 21, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), which links migraines to an increased risk of high blood pressure after menopause. [1]Hofland and Reynolds also talk about the results of a study published in the April 21, 2021 edition of JAMA Dermatology, which suggests that the dangers posed by and air pollution – and in particular wildfire smoke - may also extend to the skin.[2]Also in this edition:- Paul Smidt talks with Namoi Lopez, Director of Healthcare Policy for the Goldwater Institute about the impact of a pause in the use of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine rerecommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).- Rachel Giles, MD spoke with Patrick Forde, M.B.B.Ch, Director, Thoracic Oncology Clinical Research Program and Associate professor at Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, about the results of the Checkmate 816 trial presented during Week 1 of the virtual Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), held April 10-15, 2021. [3]- Finally, a new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has found that listening to music can help older adults sleep better. Researchers from the National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Taiwan combined the results of past studies to understand the effect that listening to music can have on the quality of older adults' sleep.[4]Clinical trialsA Neoadjuvant Study of Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab or Nivolumab Plus Chemotherapy Versus Chemotherapy Alone in Early Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) (CheckMate 816) - NCT02998528Highlights of prescribing informationNivolumab (Opdivo®; Bristol-Myers Squibb) Reference[1] MacDonald CJ, El Fatouhi D, Madika AL, Fagherazzi G, Kurth T, Severi G, Boutron-Ruault MC. Association of Migraine With Incident Hypertension After Menopause: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. Neurology. 2021 Apr 21:10.1212/WNL.0000000000011986. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000011986. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33883242.[2] Fadadu RP, Grimes B, Jewell NP, Vargo J, Young AT, Abuabara K, Balmes JR, Wei ML. Association of Wildfire Air Pollution and Health Care Use for Atopic Dermatitis and Itch. JAMA Dermatol. 2021 Apr 21. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2021.0179. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33881450.[3] Forde PM, Spicer J, Lu S, et al. Nivolumab (NIVO) + platinum-doublet chemotherapy (chemo) vs chemo as neoadjuvant treatment (tx) for resectable (IB-IIIA) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the phase 3 CheckMate 816 trial. Presented at: AACR Annual Meeting; April 10-15, 2021; Virtual. Abstract CT003.[4] Chen CT, Tung HH, Fang CJ, Wang JL, Ko NY, Chang YJ, Chen YC. Effect of music therapy on improving sleep quality in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021 Apr 20. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17149. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33880759.

This week at least 124 million people or 37% of the population of the United States have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. And, according to the latest available data, nearly 75 million Americans have been fully vaccinated. However, about 5,800 of 75 million fully vaccinated Americans were, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 and tested positive for the virus, in what's known as a "breakthrough infection”. And, according to the CDC, 400 of these 5,800 patients. or 7%, required hospitalization. Does that mean that the development of the vaccines and the subsequent regulatory approval was rushed?Paul Schmidt asked Paul A. Offit, MD, the Director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Schmidt and Offit talk about vaccines and the decades-long research and development history which resulted in the vaccines that are now available to help us fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Also in this edition of Phytscican's Weekly:• In fact, Peter Hofland, Ph.D., asked Antoni Ribas*, MD, Ph.D., professor of medicine, surgery, and molecular and medical pharmacology at the University of California in Los Angeles and the 2020 – 2021 president of the American Association for Cancer Research or AACR and Emily Blauel, MD, an attending physician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia about results from clinical studies presented during the virtual annual meeting of the AACR. They first talk about the results of a phase III clinical trial with a bispecific fusion protein in the treatment of metastatic uveal melanoma. The study was conducted by Jessica Hassel, MD, associate professor of Dermato-Oncology at the University Hospital Heidelberg in Heidelberg, Germany. [1] The second study is a study in Neuroblastoma, pediatric cancer in which 1-2 percent of all cases have a positive family history of the disease. The study results were presented Blauel. [2] • Rachel Giles talks with Minas T. Chrysopoulo, MD, FACS about the importance of empathy in the clinic. Why is empathy important in the delivery of care? How does it help healthcare providers connect with patients? Is there a correlation between the patient-provider relationship and positive treatment outcomes? Note*Antoni Ribas, MD., Ph.D., professor of medicine, surgery, and molecular and medical pharmacology at the University of California in Los Angeles and the director of the Tumor Immunology Program at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and is director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at UCLA.Reference[1] Hassel JC Phase 3 randomized trial comparing tebentafusp with investigator’s choice in first-line metastatic uveal melanoma | Plenary session presentation (CT002), Presented at: AACR Annual Meeting 2021; April 9-14; Virtual. Abstract: #5342[2] Blauel E, Vaksman Z, Lee A, et al. Heritability of cancer predisposition gene mutations in 556 neuroblastoma patients with paired parental DNA whole-genome sequences. Presented at: AACR Annual Meeting 2021; April 9-14; Virtual. Abstract : #3030.

Although physicians may be familiar with osteoporosis, a systemic skeletal disease that leads to increased bone fragility, there may not always see the significance of the disease. Unfortunately, the disease remains an underdiagnosed and undertreated disease. And there often is a disconnect between the patient who has a fracture and someone recognizing that there may well be an underlying disease or problem - namely osteoporosis - that has led to the increased risk for fracture and a fracture occurring. In this episode of Physician's Weekly, Peter Hofland, Ph.D. talks with Andrea Singer, MD, FACP, CCD, is the Chief Medical officer of the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) about osteoporosis and the results of a recently published report that provides national and state-level insights into the economic and health impact of osteoporotic fractures on Medicare Fee for Service beneficiaries and the Medicare program. [1] In addition to her responsibilities at the National Osteoporosis Foundation, Dr. Singer is associate professor and chief, Division of Women's Primary Care and director of bone densitometry, in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington DC.Also in this episode of Physician's Weekly, Rachel Giles, MD spoke with Professor (Hannie) J.M.J. Kremer, Ph.D., Faculty of Medical Sciences Principal Investigator - Donders Center of Medical Neurosciences Principal Investigator - Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior and Chair Moleculaire Otogenetica at the Radboud University Medical Centre, Department of Human Genetics in The Netherlands about the results of a study published earlier this year discussing a potential treatment option for a rare disease called late-onset, dominantly inherited hearing impairment and vestibular dysfunction. [2]And, finally, Bryant Reyes spoke with Dr. Medlaw about the liability of physicians when dealing with people who have one or more pre-existing conditions.Reference[1] The Milliman Research Report: Medicare Cost of Osteoporotic Fractures 2021 Updated ReportThe Full report and state reports can be found at www.nof.org the report can also be found at https://www.bonehealthpolicyinstitute.org/state-reports-2021[2] Verstreken M, Declau F, Wuyts FL, D'Haese P, Van Camp G, Fransen E, Van den Hauwe L, Buyle S, Smets RE, Feenstra L, Van der Stappen A, Van de Heyning PH. Hereditary otovestibular dysfunction and Ménière's disease in a large Belgian family is caused by a missense mutation in the COCH gene. Otol Neurotol. 2001 Nov;22(6):874-81. doi: 10.1097/00129492-200111000-00028. PMID: 11698812.

In December 2020, less than 65% of Americans were willing to accept a COVID-19 vaccine. More than 35% of Americans said that they would not accept the vaccine. And they were not alone: A global survey commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that citizens in 8 of 19 countries surveyed, including Canada, Singapore, Nigeria, and France, showed similar results when asked if they would accept a COVID-19 vaccine.In 2019 the World Health Organization listed vaccination hesitancy as one of the top 10 threats, to global public health. And while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate communities worldwide – and while vaccines are available, there is still a large group of people that refuses to accept it.But there is also good news. In March 2021 an update to the WHO's survey showed that the percentage of Americans willing to get the Covid-19 vaccine increased from 65% in December to 71% in early March.In this episode, Paul Schmidt talks with Steve Pearlman, Ph.D., about the factors that play a role in vaccine hesitancy. Schmidt and Pearlman talk about what the medical community can do to help address it. [1]Peter Hofland, Ph.D., spoke with Scott A. Sigman, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, about the results of a small-scale randomized clinical study comparing standard medical care vs. standard medical care in combination with photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. [2]Later in the program, Rachel Giles, MD talks with Valena Wright, MD, a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at Beth Israel Lahey Health and Hospital in Boston, MA, about obstetrical and gynecological health, women's cancer prevention, and why the HPV vaccine is one of the best tools against cancer. Wright was the previous president of the New England Association of Gynecologic Oncology (2010-2011).[3][4]Reference[1] Pearlman SJ , Carillo D. America’s Critical Thinking Crisis: The Failure and Promise of Education.[https://amzn.to/31Flvwt ][2] Vetrici MA, Mokmeli S, Bohm AR, Monici M, Sigman SA. Evaluation of Adjunctive Photobiomodulation (PBMT) for COVID-19 Pneumonia via Clinical Status and Pulmonary Severity Indices in a Preliminary Trial. J Inflamm Res. 2021 Mar 19;14:965-979. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S301625. PMID: 33776469; PMCID: PMC7989376.[3] Arakawa A, Ichikawa H, Kubo T, Motoi N, Kumamoto T, Nakajima M, Yonemori K, Noguchi E, Sunami K, Shiraishi K, Kakishima H, Yoshida H, Hishiki T, Kawakubo N, Kuroda T, Kiyokawa T, Yamada K, Yanaihara N, Takahashi K, Okamoto A, Hirabayashi S, Hasegawa D, Manabe A, Ono K, Matsuoka M, Arai Y, Togashi Y, Shibata T, Nishikawa H, Aoki K, Yamamoto N, Kohno T, Ogawa C. Vaginal Transmission of Cancer from Mothers with Cervical Cancer to Infants. N Engl J Med. 2021 Jan 7;384(1):42-50. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2030391. PMID: 33406329.[4] Wright V. It's Time You Knew: The Power of Your Choices to Prevent Women's Cancer [https://amzn.to/2PlLaYx ]

In mid-March 2021 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that nearly 536,000 Americans had died as a result of COVID-19. This statistic was followed by another one, … one that confirmed that since the COVID-19 vaccine distribution began in the United States on December 14, 2020, more than 130 million doses have been administered. However, the grim reality is that nearly 1 in 3 Americans say that they lost a relative or close friend to the coronavirus. The data highlights the division between heartache and hope – hope that we are slowly recovering and may get back to normal, and, on the other side the heartache of loss and grief.In a year that noting was ‘normal,’ how do people cope with the loss of a loved one… Paul Smidt spoke with Matt Bitsko, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist, about the psychological effect of COVID-19 on adults and children.Also, in this episode of Physician’s Weekly, the case of a Long Island doctor, accused of writing prescriptions for 'massive quantities of opioids.' He was indicted on murder charges in the first case of its kind in New York State in early March 2021. Bryant Reyes spoke with Dr. Medlaw, one of our Physician’s Weekly’s contributors, about the case.And finally, Rachel Giles, MD talks with Christie A. Befort, Ph.D., Professor, Associate Director, Cancer Prevention and Control, KU Cancer Center; Co-leader, Cancer Control and Population Health Program, KU Cancer Center at the Department of Population Health in Kansas City, Kansas, about the higher prevalence of obesity and poor access to weight loss programs for rural populations and how effective models for treating obesity in rural clinical practice are needed.

Seven thousand rare diseases, affecting 1 in 10 -Americans. With 93% of these diseases without an FDA-approved treatment. And With 50% of all rare disease patients are children. In this episode of Physician's Weekly, Peter Hofland, Ph.D. talks with Marissa Penrod, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Team Joseph, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding research for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and Steve Smith, who serves on the advisory committee of RareDisease Legislative Advocates, a program of the EveryLife Foundation and is the father of a son with a rare disease.Also in this episode:- Rachel Giles, MD. talks with Tom Powels, MBBS, MRCP, MD, Professor of Genitourinary Oncology,Director, Barts Cancer Centre, and Lead for Solid Tumour Research about how to design good clinical trials;- Paul Schmidt talks with Adam J. Ratner, MD, MPH, Associate Professor at the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Microbiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases about pediatric vaccines and COVID-19.

Nearly 150,000 people are diagnosed each year with colorectal cancer. This month is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness month – and people all over the country are talking about colorectal cancer. This month, on March 11, we're reminded of the fact that it is a year ago that the coronavirus ‘crisis’ officially became a ‘pandemic, – drastically changing our lives - from wearing masks to limiting visits with friends and family and working or learning from home. And while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance on getting tested and today a number of vaccines are available to help protect us… there are still many questions about the impact of COVID-19 on different populations, including children.In this episode of Physician’s Weekly:- Paul Schmidt talks with Perri Klass, MD, Professor of Journalism and Pediatrics, at New York University, about the need for pediatric vaccines to protect children - and all of us - against the coronavirus;- Peter Hofland, Ph.D. talks with two gastroenterologists, Naresh T. Gunaratnam, M.D. of Huron Gastroenterology in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Lisa Mathew, MD of South Denver Gastroenterology in Lone Tree, Colorado about colorectal cancer and what can be done to prevent the disease;- Rachel Giles, MD talks with Daniel A. Doherty, MD, Ph.D. from the University of Washington/Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, in Seattle, Washington, about the impact of COVID-19 on Children with special needs.

In this edition of Physician’s Weekly, Paul Schmidt spoke with Ateev Mehrotra, MD, MPH, an associate professor of health care policy and medicine at Harvard Medical School and a hospitalist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center about how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed attention on the debate over physician licensure and telemedicine. [1] And Bryant Ryes spoke with Dr. Medlaw about liabilities related to the use of telemedicine in the clinicAlso in this edition of Physician’s Weekly-A recent study published online in the journal Tobacco Control from Researchers from the Department of Health Management and Policy of the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, Michigan, confirms that menthol cigarettes were responsible for 10 million smokers extra smokers, 378,000 premature deaths, and a cumulative total of 3 million years of life lost in the United States between 1980 and 2018.[2]-Rachel Giles, MD, spoke with Marc P. Bonaca, MD, MPH, about gender issues related to cardiovascular disease in women. [3] They also spoke about Peripheral Artery Disease and the results of the Voyager PAD study (NCT02504216). Bonaca is the Director of Vascular Research and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the inaugural holder of the William R. Hiatt Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Research. Clinical TrialsEfficacy and Safety of Rivaroxaban in Reducing the Risk of Major Thrombotic Vascular Events in Subjects With Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease Undergoing Peripheral Revascularization Procedures of the Lower Extremities (VOYAGER PAD) - NCT02504216Rivaroxaban (XARELTO®; Janssen Pharmaceuticals/licensed from Bayer HealthCare) [https://www.xareltohcp.com/ ][US Prescribing Information: https://tinyurl.com/59cj8te8 ]Clopidogrel bisulfate (PLAVIX®; Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership) [US Prescribing Information: https://tinyurl.com/2evsbvep ]Reference[1] Mehrotra A, Nimgaonkar A, Richman B. Telemedicine and Medical Licensure - Potential Paths for Reform. N Engl J Med. 2021 Feb 25;384(8):687-690. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2031608. Epub 2021 Feb 20. PMID: 33626604.[2] Le TT, Mendez D. An estimation of the harm of menthol cigarettes in the United States from 1980 to 2018. Tob Control. 2021 Feb 25:tobaccocontrol-2020-056256. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-056256. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33632809.[3] Bonaca MP, Bauersachs RM, Anand SS, Debus ES, Nehler MR, Patel MR, Fanelli F, Capell WH, Diao L, Jaeger N, Hess CN, Pap AF, Kittelson JM, Gudz I, Mátyás L, Krievins DK, Diaz R, Brodmann M, Muehlhofer E, Haskell LP, Berkowitz SD, Hiatt WR. Rivaroxaban in Peripheral Artery Disease after Revascularization. N Engl J Med. 2020 May 21;382(21):1994-2004. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2000052. Epub 2020 Mar 28. PMID: 32222135.

500.000 people. The number of people who have died from COVID-19 in the United States has passed a number that once seemed unthinkable: Half a million people in this country have died from COVID 19. Losing half a million lives to a pandemic was unimaginable when the first few people died of COVID-19 in February 2020. Now, a year later, it's easy to forget how suddenly the pandemic upended our lives, and how it impacted all of us, including the medical community. And while the pandemic isn't over yet, and the death toll keeps on climbing, we may slowly allow ourselves to look back on 2020 and ask the difficult questions: -What will it take to finally halt the spread of the SAR-CoV-2 virus, the virus that causes Covid-19 here, and around the world? -Will we still be wearing masks in 2022 – or can we expect that Covid-19 will be mostly gone by the late spring, allowing Americans to resume a relatively normal life? With all the impact the pandemic has had, upending our lives and the impact on the medical community, one thing comes to mind: It’s the gratitude for our physicians and Healthcare workers, the nurses, the staff in the ICU, and the essential workers: A “Thank You” for all you do and continue to do under such difficult and dangerous conditions, clocking in every day and for being there for the most vulnerable! Also in this In this episode of Physician’s Weekly: - Bryant Reyes talks with Joel Gelfand, Professor of Dermatology and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, and Co-Chair of the National Psoriasis Foundation COVID-19 Task Force;- Paul Schmidt talks with Donna Cryer, the president, and chief executive officer of the Global Liver Institute, about NASH – or Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease;- And Rachel Giles talks with Kevin McCarthy from the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Vaccine Research about finding from a recent study published in the February 3, 2021 edition of Science Magazine [1] Reference[1] McCarthy KR, Rennick LJ, Nambulli S, Robinson-McCarthy LR, Bain WG, Haidar G, Duprex WP. Recurrent deletions in the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein drive antibody escape. Science. 2021 Feb 3:eabf6950. doi: 10.1126/science.abf6950. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33536258.

Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. It is also one of the deadliest cancers. Despite advances made in treatment, there is no known cure for the disease yet, hence, prevention is a key factor in reducing mortality. And many liver cancers can be prevented by reducing exposure to known risk factors for this disease. Worldwide, the most significant risk factor for liver cancer is chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). In this episode of Physician’s Weekly Peter Hofland, Ph.D. talks with Andrea Wilson Woods, the President and Founder of Blue Feary, a patient advocacy organization, about liver cancer and about “Love Your Liver!" a 28-day public awareness campaign which the organization is conducting this month.Also, in this edition of Physician’s Weekly:- Paul Schmidt spoke with Siva Narayanan, the Chief Executive Officer Avant Health about a recent survey among consumers here in the United States about who would "probably not" or "definitely not" accept the coronavirus vaccine, and- Rachel Giles, MD, spoke with Graham McMahon, MD, MMSc, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) about trends in medical education and how physicians can stay up to date with the latest clinical developments. McMahon leads efforts to leverage the power of accredited CME to address national and international healthcare challenges.

75% of physicians will face a medical malpractice lawsuit anytime during their career.And that is, as various studies have shown, for physicians engaged in low-risk medical specialties.Unfortunately, when it comes to getting sued for medical malpractice, it is more a case of “when” than “if.”While studies from various universities in the United States have shown that primary care physicians involved in relatively low-risk medical specialties face a lifetime risk of a malpractice lawsuit of 75%, these studies also indicate that 99% of physicians involved in high-risk medical specialties are more likely to be sued earlier in their career.But how can physicians avoid a medical malpractice lawsuit and what can we learn from past court rulings. This week our Bryant Reyes talks to Physician’s Weekly contributor Dr. Medlaw about one noteworthy case from Minnesota called Warren vs Dinter. Also in this edition of Physician’s Weekly…Our Rachel Giles, MD talks with Hans Clevers, MD, Ph.D., a Principal Investigator at the Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research and the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology in The Netherlands about the discovery of a technique to grow an organoid or mini-organ that can be used as a model to understand disease progression and predict drug responses.

Cardiovascular diseases, which include heart attacks and strokes, claim the life of a woman about every 80 seconds. According to a recent report published by the American Heart Association, heart disease remains the leading killer of women in the U.S., killing one in three women every year. What the report also shows, is that heart attacks are on the rise in younger women and new data suggests that younger generations of women, especially Gen Z and Millennials, along with Black and Hispanic women, are less likely to be aware of their greatest health risks, including knowing the warning signs of heart attacks and strokes. Heart disease and stroke do not just affect men. And while many women here in the United States worry about developing breast cancer, more women die from cardiovascular disease than breast cancer, accidents, and diabetes combined. Women can experience heart disease differently than men. And the symptoms, progress, and outcome of cardiovascular disease may not be the same. And, as a result, women are more likely to be underdiagnosed and undertreated than men.According to the most recent statistics, 44.7% of women age 20 and older had some form of cardiovascular disease. And while women generally experience a heart attack at an older age than men, they are more likely than men to die as a result of it --- often within just a few weeks after a heart attack.Despite the misconception, cardiovascular disease is largely preventable.And while death rates due to heart disease have, for the last 40 years, been steadily declining, this trend appears to be stalling. The latest data suggests that deaths in some populations, including adults ages 35 to 64, are on the rise. And This is an alarming trend. It’s a trend that points to the need to focus attention and action on improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans.Doctors and other healthcare providers play an important role in helping patients to manage the risk of heart disease. They are important in helping their patients avoid unhealthy behaviors that may put them at risk of a heart attack or stroke.So what should doctors and other healthcare providers do? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is important to focus on just a small set of priorities to help Keep People Healthy. For example:•Help patients to reduce their average daily sodium intake by 20%•Help them to stop using tobacco and •Help them increasing physical activity when this is possible and safe.•Help them know their numbers” … their blood pressure, their cholesterol and their blood sugar levels –And while some risk factors such as gender, age, and family history, cannot be changed, there are many risk factors that can be modified through healthy lifestyle habits. This will not only reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but it may also reduce the risk of some cancers and diabetes.Assessment and prevention strategies should start early life. And while there is no set age for this assessment to start, keep in mind that women are at high risk for cardiovascular diseases. And again, know that the majority of cardiovascular disease can be prevented. As a doctor or a member of a care team, you play an important role in assessing, counseling, and treating women at risk, by helping them to reduce their risk, you’ll also help them decrease their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, including a heart attack or stroke.

With 2020 over, we may finally start to look back and try to find out what we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, how we’ve responded to it so far, why health experts are worried about the SAR-CoV-2 virus variants, and the effects of the mutations that these variants carry.