Extended chemo extends life for children with rare cancer

(HealthDay)—Children suffering from rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer of the muscle tissue, may have better chances for a cure if they have extended chemotherapy, a new study finds. In a phase 3 clinical trial, adding six months of low-dose maintenance chemotherapy after initial treatment extended the five-year survival rate from 74 percent to 87 percent, researchers found. Children with rhabdomyosarcoma who’ve […]

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Extended INR test intervals safe for warfarin-treated patients

(HealthDay)—For stable warfarin-treated patients, extended international normalized ratio (INR) testing can be successfully and safely implemented, according to a study published online May 15 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. Geoffrey D. Barnes, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues identified patients as being eligible for extended INR testing based on prior INR value stability […]

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