Kim Ohaegbulam

United States Oregon Health & Science University

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Commented on Oncology
This single-arm prospective study evaluated the safety and efficacy of temporarily holding maintenance endocrine therapy for mostly stage I-II breast cancer in order to attempt pregnancy for women 42 and younger (n=516). Remarkably 74% became pregnant and 64% experienced a live birth. The rate of breast cancer recurrence at 3 years was 9% among both subjects as well as a matched external control group. Find the article here (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2212856).

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Commented on Oncology
Omitting elective volume radiation altogether in an unselected group of patients may be a step too far, resulting in unacceptably high recurrence rate despite the use of neoadjuvant SBRT in combination with immunotherapy followed by resection and elective nodal dissection. Find the article here (https://www.redjournal.org/article/S0360-3016(23)00432-7/fulltext).

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Commented on Advances in Cancer Research
This analysis of the economic landscape of oncology clinics reports 10% have become affiliated with private equity firms over the past two decades. Find the article here (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2804123).

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Commented on Advances in Cancer Research
In this long-term follow-up cohort study of lung cancer survivors, compared with never smokers, former and current smokers had 26% and 68% higher mortality, respectively, and log2-transformed year since smoking cessation before diagnosis was associated with significantly lower mortality among ever smokers. These findings suggest that quitting smoking early is associated with lower mortality following a lung cancer diagnosis, and the association of smoking history with overall survival may vary depending on clinical stage at diagnosis, potentially because of the differing treatment regimens and efficacy associated with smoking exposure following diagnosis. Find the article here (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2804556).

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Commented on Oncology
This paper highlights that Staph Aureus colonization is more common in patients who develop radiation dermatitis, and bacterial decolonization before and during radiation results in a lower rate of brisk erythema and moist desquamation. Find the article here (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/article-abstract/2804692).

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Commented on Advances in Cancer Research
Learn about the new director of the NCI and her incredible journey. (https://www.science.org/content/article/monica-bertagnolli-bidens-pick-lead-nih)

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Commented on NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
Beautiful audio interview of several renown infectious disease doctors discussing preparation of the next pandemic. (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2305010?query=featured_home).

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Commented on NATURE
Remarkable initiative proposed by a network of European health organizations and parliamentarians calling for the European Commission to explicitly recognize racism as a key factor that can negatively affect people’s health, and to prioritize the issue for research funding. Find the article here (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01448-5).

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Commented on Advances in Cancer Research
This thought-provoking Swedish registry study demonstrated significantly higher odds of early colon cancer (prior to age 50) if born via cesarean section, possibly due to the lack of transfer of the maternal vaginal microbiome to neonatal gut bacterial colony load. Very cool study! See it here (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2804228).

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Commented on Advances in Cancer Research
Have you ever wondered if brain-only progression is less important than extracranial progression when assessing overall disease trajectory and remaining life expectancy? After all, in 2023 radiosurgery to isolated intracranial disease often means no need for a change in systemic therapy with very little change in a patient’s overall quality of life. This multi-institutinal retrospective study actually found that both intracranial PFS and extracranial PFS were highly correlated with OS. Half had intracranial progression that preceded 49% of deaths while 58% had extracranial progression preceding 63% of deaths. Find the article here (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2804209).

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Commented on Nutrition
You may not be an endocrinologist, but that’s not going to keep patients from asking for the thoughts on the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide (aka Ozempic) so here’s a handy review of mechanisms of action as well as approved indications. This is a HOT TOPIC! Find the article here (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2804462).

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Commented on Oncology
A specific region at the base of the heart appears particularly sensitive to radiation and may provide an achievable avoidance region to diminish radiation cardiotoxicity for patients requiring thoracic radiation therapy. Find the analysis here (https://www.jto.org/article/S1556-0864(23)00094-1/fulltext).

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Commented on Oncology
This economic review highlights once again that, despite the majority of all patients treated for cancer receiving radiation therapy, Medicare expenditures across all radiation modalities is remarkably less than 2% of that spent on oncologic drugs, reminding Radiation Oncologists to advocate for fair reimbursement for ever-evolving technology and the skill it requires. Find the article here (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/economics-healthcare-why-proton-therapy-research-funding-ron-digiaimo).

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Commented on Oncology
Presently, data regarding clinical benefits of local therapy on overall and other survival outcomes is still sparse for oligometastatic NSCLC. However, with the rapidly evolving data being generated supporting local therapy in oligometastatic NSCLC, this guideline attempted to frame recommendations as a function of the quality of data available to make these decisions in a multidisciplinary approach incorporating patient goals and tolerances. Find the guidelines here (https://www.practicalradonc.org/article/S1879-8500(23)00111-X/fulltext).

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Commented on Oncology
Patients being treated for with adjuvant radiation therapy fear the risks of lymphedema. This article demonstrates that with longer clinical follow up found no association between dose to the ALTJ and lymphedema risk. Given the proximity of the ALTJ to standard RNI target volumes, the authors felt that target volume coverage should not be compromised just to reduce dose to the ALTJ region. Find the article here (https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0360301623003620).