University Of Washington

SAN DIEGO — Patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who received the addition of daratumumab to lenalidomide and dexamethasone continued to demonstrate encouraging PFS rates at 3 years, according to updated results of the multicenter, randomized, open-label, active-controlled, phase 3 POLLUX study presented at ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition.

SAN DIEGO — Consolidative hematopoietic stem cell transplant after CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy prolonged leukemia-free survival for certain pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed or refractory CD19-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, according to results of the PLAT-02 trial presented at ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition.

ACP updated its policy recommendations for reducing gun-related injuries and deaths in the United States by building on, strengthening and expanding on current policies, according to a position paper published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polyether­therketone or CFR-PEEK implants have been used in orthopedic surgery, and spine surgery in particular, for almost 2 decades. However, the increased use of these carbon-reinforced implants has recently occurred in orthopedic traumatology, sports medicine and oncology.

The appropriate indications for arthroscopic ankle fusion are debated. Studies have demonstrated low rates of nonunion and complications with the arthroscopic technique that are comparable to traditional open ankle fusion. Despite this, open approaches are widely used.

An experimental therapy demonstrated promising efficacy when evaluated in a small cohort of patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, according to results of an open-label dose escalation study.

The appropriate indications for arthroscopic ankle fusion remain a topic of active debate. Several studies have demonstrated rates of nonunion and other complications with the arthroscopic technique that are low and comparable to traditional open approaches for ankle fusion. Despite this, open approaches continue to be widely used. This Orthopedics Today Round Table provides diverse opinions regarding the potential advantages and limits of arthroscopic fusion with regard to the amount of correction possible for patients with associated deformities.

The majority of patients receiving opioid analgesics used immediate-release formulations, regardless of the duration of use, according to findings recently published in JAMA Network Open.

Natalia Murinova

NEW ORLEANS — Though anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, agoraphobia, and generalized social anxiety disorder are the cause for many office visits, not all primary care physicians and internists recognize them, according to a presenter at the American College of Physicians Internal Medicine Meeting.