The FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) has voted to support the use of polatuzumab vedotin-piiq (Polivy) in combination with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (Pola+R-CHP) for the first-line treatment of patients with previously untreated large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). The committee voted 11-2 in favour of the drug following the confirmatory POLARIX trial, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study, which enrolled 879 patients with LBCL, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBC), not otherwise specified (NOS). Although concerns were raised about modest benefits in progression-free survival (PFS) and similar overall survival (OS) between Pola+R-CHP and the standard treatment R-CHOP, ODAC member Neil Vasan, MD, PhD, said that the benefits outweighed the risks and Pola+R-CHP should be an option for first-time treatment of DLBCL with curative intent, as it could spare patients from more toxic and complicated salvage therapies.

At the 2023 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Annual Conference, a panel of experts discussed solutions to address staff shortages and retain workers in cancer care. The suggestions ranged from offering work-from-home opportunities to gifting small gestures like cookies and wine, with the aim of improving employee retention. The value of flexible working options and compensation were recurring themes, along with the importance of employee recognition programs and discussing career advancement opportunities. Exacerbated by the pandemic, burnout, and early retirements, the shortage of nurses and doctors in cancer centers has become more pressing as Americans grow older and require more oncology services. The panelists emphasized that having visible management, offering flexible working options, and providing employee recognition programs are important steps to retain staff in cancer care. They also discussed the significance of discussing career advancement opportunities and avoiding the use of temporary travel staff to retain employees.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines are continuously updated to reflect the latest advances in cancer treatment. New agents and combinations are introduced all the time, and NCCN guidelines are refreshed regularly to include new technologies, drugs, and approaches. The guidelines are developed and maintained by panels of experts who review the latest science, including new publications, FDA approvals, and information presented at scientific meetings. The goal is to include new information that has been sufficiently validated to provide clinical utility and benefit to patients. In-person interactions at the NCCN conference are essential to the exchange of ideas and the creation of relationships that lead to shared learning and collaboration. The NCCN plans to continue evolving and adapting to the changing landscape of cancer care by keeping up with the latest data and by focusing on inclusiveness, equity, and access. The organization aims to expand access to traditionally marginalized and underserved populations and to reach out to communities through their trusted sources. The NCCN is committed to learning from patients and communities to ensure that everyone benefits from advances in cancer treatment.

No medical professional is required to enjoy a good tickle to the funny bone. Although a pharmacist may tell you that laughing is not the best medicine, these old-fashioned jokes about doctors will undoubtedly make both patients and professionals laugh (or, yes, groan).

More sedentary time was associated with a higher risk of dry eye disease (DED), particularly for people whose physical activity (PA) levels were below WHO limits. Screen use, however, could account for the observed link and should be emphasized as a potential main confounder since there was no significant association when computer-intensive sitting time was eliminated.

Despite the fact that OCT angiography (OCTA) does not technically qualify as multimodal imaging per se, it does offer several modes of visualization from a single scan, including an angiogram, a structural picture, and en face imaging with boundary specific segmentation. The use of OCTA can assist doctors in communicating to patients with geographic atrophy who are susceptible to exudation the necessity for routine follow-up. Clinicians can rule out artifacts by analyzing the flow overlay on the OCTA cross-section. If the flow isn’t where it should be for the illness, it’s probably an artifact.