Author Interviews, Melanoma, NYU/NYMC / 13.09.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_36922" align="alignleft" width="108"]Jeffrey Weber, M.D., Ph.D Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center New York University Langone Medical Center New York, NY 10016 Dr. Weber[/caption] Jeffrey Weber, M.D., Ph.D Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center New York University Langone Medical Center New York, NY 10016  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: There is a major unmet need for well tolerated and effective adjuvant therapy for high risk melanoma, that is, melanoma that has been removed but the patients have a 50%+ risk of relapse over 5 years, and a 50%+ risk of death over 10 years from melanoma. Since nivolumab is an active and well tolerated drug in metastatic disease, it seemed reasonable to test it after surgery to prevent recurrence. Since ipilimumab is approved for resected stage III melanoma in the US as adjuvant therapy, that was the control arm for comparison, and that is an active control, which prolongs relapse free and overall survival comared to placebo.
ADHD, Author Interviews, Autism, JAMA, NYU/NYMC / 12.09.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_36853" align="alignleft" width="144"]Dr. Adriana Di Martino, MD Associate Professor, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry NYU Langone Health Dr. Di Martino[/caption] Dr. Adriana Di Martino, MD Associate Professor, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry NYU Langone Health MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: While there has been an increased awareness of the co-occurrence of symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children with a primary diagnosis of ASD, only recently has there been an appreciation that a substantial proportion of children with ADHD may also have ASD traits. These symptom domains overlap pose a challenge for accurate recognition and targeted treatments, yet their underlying mechanisms have been unknown. With more traditional diagnostic group comparisons we detected a significant influence of ASD on white matter organization, but our analyses of the severity of symptoms across individuals revealed an association between autistic traits and white matter organization, regardless of the individual's diagnosis. These findings were mostly centered around the corpus callosum, a structure that enables communication between the left and right cerebral hemispheres.
Author Interviews, Education, NYU/NYMC, Sexual Health / 05.07.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_35734" align="alignleft" width="160"]Richard E. Greene, MD, FACP Medical Director, Bellevue Adult Primary Care Center Assistant Professor, NYU School of Medicine Associate Program Director, Primary Care Residency Program Director, Gender and Health Education, Office of Diversity Affairs, NYU School of Medicine, OUTList Medical Director, CHIBPS, The Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies VP of Membership and Development, GLMA-Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality  Dr. Greene[/caption] Richard E. Greene, MD, FACP Medical Director, Bellevue Adult Primary Care Center Assistant Professor, NYU School of Medicine Associate Program Director, Primary Care Residency Program Director, Gender and Health Education, Office of Diversity Affairs, NYU School of Medicine, OUTList Medical Director, CHIBPS, The Center for Health, Identity, Behavior and Prevention Studies VP of Membership and Development, GLMA-Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Transgender individuals face complex health disparities and have historically been mistreated and even denied care in medical settings. As a provider in New York City, I saw how this affected my trans patients, resulting in mistrust of the health care system, resulting in negative health outcomes. This sparked my interest in improving medical education to serve the needs of trans patients. It’s important to teach medical students and residents that they are not just treating a set of symptoms, they are working with a individuals with complex lived experiences who deserve compassionate care. I found with traditional didactic methods, like lectures, learners smiled and nodded in agreement, but when faced with a patient who was transgender, they would stammer and feel uncomfortable with aspects of the cases that were specific to transgender patients, from pronouns to hormones. Residents should be prepared to treat transgender patients not only with dignity, but also in medically appropriate ways. Without exposure to the transgender community, it’s difficult for providers to decipher their trans patients’ health care needs and contextualize them within a care plan. In order to provide a low stakes environment for residents to practice these skills, we developed an OSCE focused on a transgender woman with health care needs specific to her transition. The goal of the case was to discuss the patient’s medical concerns while also taking into consideration her goals around her hormone therapy and surgical interests.
Author Interviews, Endocrinology, Genetic Research, NYU/NYMC / 19.06.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_35437" align="alignleft" width="150"]Constantine A. Stratakis, MD, DMSci Section on Endocrinology and Genetics Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institutes of Health, Bethesda Dr. Stratakis[/caption] Constantine A. Stratakis, MD, DMSci Section on Endocrinology and Genetics Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institutes of Health, Bethesda  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: The pituitary and adrenal glands operate on a kind of feedback loop.  In response to stress, the pituitary release ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic hormone), which signals the adrenal glands to release cortisol.  Rising cortisol levels then act on the pituitary, to shut down ACTH production. In a previous study, Jacque Drouin of the Institute for Clinical Research in Montreal and colleagues had determined that the CABLES1 protein was a key player in this feedback mechanism, switching off pituitary cell division in cultures exposed to cortisol. Since this feedback mechanism appears to be impaired in many corticotropinomas, we investigated the presence of Cables1 gene mutations and copy number variations in a large group of patients with Cushing’s disease.
ASCO, Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, Merck, NYU/NYMC / 10.06.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_35191" align="alignleft" width="148"]Sylvia Adams, MD Associate Professor of Medicine Breast Cancer and Cancer Immunotherapy Programs NYU Langone Medical Center Cancer Institute/Clinical Cancer Center New York, NY 10016 Dr. Adams[/caption] Sylvia Adams, MD Associate Professor of Medicine Breast Cancer and Cancer Immunotherapy Programs NYU Langone Medical Center Cancer Institute/Clinical Cancer Center New York, NY 10016   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for the Keynote-086 trial ? What are the main findings? Response: This study is the largest immunotherapy study to date presented in metastatic triple negative breast cancer. This phase 2 trial studied the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab (P) as single agent in a very aggressive disease and had two cohorts, a cohort of previously untreated patients (Cohort B) and a cohort with patients who had received prior chemotherapy lines in the metastatic setting (Cohort A). The study showed that single agent pembrolizumab can elicit durable responses in a subset of patients. This was found regardless of tumoral PD-L1 expression but appeared to be much more frequent in women without prior chemotherapy treatments in the metastatic setting. Survival is especially promising for patients responding to therapy.
ASCO, Author Interviews, Cancer Research, NYU/NYMC / 05.06.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_35019" align="alignleft" width="200"]Prof Francisco J Esteva MD PhD</strong> Director of the breast medical oncology program at Perlmutter Cancer Center. NYU Langone Medical Center Prof. Esteva[/caption] Prof Francisco J Esteva MD PhD Director of the breast medical oncology program at Perlmutter Cancer Center. NYU Langone Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2). Trastuzumab therapy has been shown to improve survival in patients with early-stage and metastatic her-2 positive breast cancer. In this study, we compared the safety and efficacy of the trastuzumab originator (Herceptin) to a trastuzumab biosimilar (CT-P6) in patients with stage I-III HER-2 positive breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The study was a randomized phase III trial. We found the pathological complete response rates were similar in both groups. Both antibodies were safe. Pharmacokinetic studies showed similar plasma concentrations for the trastuzumab originator and the proposed biosimilar.
Author Interviews, Geriatrics, JAMA, NYU/NYMC, Primary Care / 22.05.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Benjamin Han, MD, MPH Assistant professor Departments of Medicine-Division of Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care, and Population Health NYU Langone Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: There are an increasing number of older adults being prescribed statins for primary prevention, but the evidence for the benefit for older adults is unclear. Our study finds that in the ALLHAT-LLT clinical trial, there were no benefits in either all-cause mortality or cardiovascular outcomes for older adults who did not have any evidence of cardiovascular disease at baseline.
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, NYU/NYMC, Smoking / 17.05.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34281" align="alignleft" width="120"]Moon-shong Tang, Ph</strong>D Professor of Environmental Medicine, Pathology and Medicine New York University School of Medicine Tuxedo Park, New York 10987 Dr. Moon-shong Tang[/caption] Moon-shong Tang, PhD Professor of Environmental Medicine, Pathology and Medicine New York University Langone School of Medicine Tuxedo Park, New York 10987 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: E-cigarettes (E-cigs) are designed to deliver the stimulant nicotine through aerosols, commonly referred as vapors. Nicotine is dissolved in organic solvents such as glycerin and propylene glycol. The nicotine is then aerosolized by controlled electric heating. E-cigs do not use tobacco leaves and E-cig smoke does not involve the burning process. Hence, E-cig smoke (ECS) contains only nicotine and the gas phase of the solvent. Because ECS contains neither carcinogens nor allergens or odors from the tobacco burning process, E-cigs have been promoted as an invention that can deliver a TS ‘high’ without TS negative effects. The population of E-cig users is rapidly rising, particularly in young adults. It has been estimated that 16% of high school students are E-cig smokers. Therefore, the health effects of E-cig smoke, particularly its carcinogenicity, deserve careful scrutiny.
Author Interviews, NYU/NYMC, Schizophrenia / 08.05.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_34462" align="alignleft" width="200"]Donald C. Goff, MD Marvin Stern Professor Vice Chair for Research Department of Psychiatry NYU Langone Medical Center Dr. Goff[/caption] Donald C. Goff, MD Marvin Stern Professor Vice Chair for Research Department of Psychiatry NYU Langone Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Since their introduction in the 1950’s antipsychotic drugs have been an integral part of the treatment of schizophrenia. However, over the past decade concerns have been raised about whether these drugs might negatively affect the long-term course of the illness—either by causing supersensitivity of dopamine receptors, which might make patients more prone to psychosis and relapse, or by direct toxic effects on the brain. To address these concerns, we convened a panel of international experts to review the evidence supporting these concerns, including findings from clinical studies, brain imaging studies, post-mortem examination of the brains of people treated with these drugs, and studies in which these drugs were administered to animals.
Aging, Author Interviews, Breast Cancer, JAMA, Mammograms, NYU/NYMC / 21.04.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Cindy S. Lee, MD Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco Now with Department of Radiology NYU Langone Medical Center, Garden City, New York MedicalResearch.com: What led you and colleagues to conduct this study? Response: I am a breast imager. I see patients who come in for their screening mammograms and I get asked, a lot, if patients aged 75 years and older should continue screening, because of their age. There is not enough evidence out there to determine how breast cancer screening benefits women older than 75. In fact, all previously randomized trials of screening mammography excluded people older than 75 years. Unfortunately, age is the biggest risk factor for breast cancer, so as patients get older, they have higher risks of developing breast cancer. It is therefore important to know how well screening mammography works in these patients.
Author Interviews, NYU/NYMC, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Radiology / 10.04.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ayesha Rahman, MD Chief Orthopaedic Surgery Resident NYU Langone Medical Center. MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Children are more vulnerable and susceptible to lifetime adverse events from radiation exposure, caused by imaging . We reviewed literature and found certain pediatric orthopaedic patients are at greater risk for radiation exposure, namely those who have surgery for hip dysplasia, scoliosis, and leg length discrepancy, as they are among those most likely to undergo CT imaging. After reviewing all types of imaging studies performed in orthopedics and how much radiation is involved in each test, we developed several recommendations that pediatric orthopaedic surgeons should follow. Among those recommendations are: utilize low-dose CT protocols or technology that uses less imaging (like EOS), limit CT scans of the spine and pelvis, know that female patients are more susceptible to adverse risk and plan accordingly, and follow the the “as low as reasonably achievable,”principle to limit exposure to parts of the body that are necessary for diagnosis.
Author Interviews, Clots - Coagulation, Electronic Records, JAMA, NYU/NYMC, Surgical Research / 23.03.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Zachary Borabm, Research fellow Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery NYU Langone Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Recent studies have shown that health care providers perform poorly in risk stratifying their patients for venous thromboembolism (VTE) which leads to inadequate VTE prophylaxis delivery, especially in surgical patients. Computerized Clinical Decision Support Systems (CCDSSs) are programs integrated into an electronic health record that have the power to aid health care providers. Using a meta-analysis study technique we were able to pool data from 11 studies, including 156,366 patients that either had CCDSSs intervention or routine care without CCDSSs. Our main outcome measures were the rate of prophylaxis for VTE and the rate of actual VTE events. We found that CCDSSs increased the rate of VTE prophylaxis (odds ratio 2.35, p<0.001) and decreased the risk of VTE events (risk ratio 0.78, p<0.001).
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, NYU/NYMC, Surgical Research / 19.03.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33090" align="alignleft" width="200"]Adam Skolnick, MD Cardiologist Associate professor of medicine NYU Langone Medical Center Dr. Adam Skolnick[/caption] Adam Skolnick, MD Cardiologist Associate professor of medicine NYU Langone Medical Center   MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: I am privileged to serve on the ACC Program Planning Committee and helped to design this important session that seeks to determine the line between when a cardiovascular procedure is high risk and when it is futile.    I am co-chairing the session with the incoming chair of the section on Geriatric Cardiology for the ACC, Dr. Karen Alexander from Duke. We are practicing medicine at one of the most extraordinary times when there are so many devices and procedures to prolong and improve quality of life.    It is critical to assess a patient's goals of care for a given intervention.   In some patients, particularly those who are multiple degenerative chronic conditions, are frail and/or have cognitive impairment it is difficult to know when a given procedure multiple medical conditions will achieve a patient's goals.   When is a procedure high risk, and when is it simply futile?    This is the fine line upon which many cardiologists often find themselves. The speakers present case examples of high risk patients considering TAVI, high risk PCI or CABG and mechanical support devices and with interaction from the audience work through when each procedure is high risk and when it is unlikely to achieve a patient's goals of care.   We also have a dedicated talk on high risk procedures in patients with cognitive impairment, such as advanced dementia.
Author Interviews, NYU/NYMC, Smoking, Surgical Research, Tobacco Research / 17.03.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Amy Wasterlain, MD Fourth-year orthopaedic surgery resident NYU Langone Medical Center who led the study with Dr. Richard Iorio  MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response:  We looked at smoking habits and outcomes for 539 smokers undergoing primary total hip or knee arthroplasty, 73 of whom participated in a pre-operative smoking cessation program. Patients who participated in program were 4.3 times more likely to quit than smokers who tried to quit on their own. Program participants also reduced their tobacco intake dramatically (10.6 fewer cigarettes/day) compared to smokers who didn’t participate (2.3 fewer cigarettes/day), even if they weren’t able to quit completely. Patients who completed the program before undergoing total knee arthroplasty had about 24% fewer adverse events (readmission, venous thromboembolism, stroke, urinary tract infection, pneumonia, and surgical site infection) than smokers who didn’t participate in the program.
Author Interviews, NYU/NYMC, Orthopedics / 16.03.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_33024" align="alignleft" width="200"]Dr Aaron J. Buckland Spinal and scoliosis surgeon and assistant professor Orthopedic surgery NYU Langone Medical Center Dr. Aaron Buckland[/caption] Dr Aaron J. Buckland Spinal and scoliosis surgeon and Assistant professor Orthopedic surgery NYU Langone Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: For decades, surgeons performing hip replacements have placed the acetabular component adjacent to the pelvis in a “safe zone” which has been shown to reduce dislocation risk. However, beginning in residency, I would notice that several of my patients with spinal deformities or lumbar fusions, would experience dislocations despite the safe zone placement of these implants. Our initial research demonstrated that there was an increased dislocation risk in patients with lumbar fusions, particularly if they underwent spinal realignment. We investigated this phenomenon further by retrospectively reviewing 107 patients who met the criteria for sagittal spinal deformity, including 139 hip replacements collectively.
ASCO, Author Interviews, Boehringer Ingelheim, Journal Clinical Oncology, NYU/NYMC, Prostate Cancer, Testosterone / 16.03.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_15257" align="alignleft" width="199"]Dr. Stacy Loeb, MD, MScDepartment of Urology, Population Health, and Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer CenterNew York University, New York Dr. Stacy Loeb[/caption] Dr. Stacy Loeb MD Msc Assistant Professor of Urology and Population Health New York University Langone Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The association between exposure to testosterone replacement therapy and prostate cancer risk is controversial.  The purpose of our study was to examine this issue using national registries from Sweden, with complete records on prescription medications and prostate cancer diagnoses.  Overall, we found no association between testosterone use and overall prostate cancer risk. There was an early increase in favorable cancers which is likely due to a detection bias, but long-term users actually had a significantly reduced risk of aggressive disease.
Author Interviews, Cognitive Issues, Multiple Sclerosis, NYU/NYMC / 01.03.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_32556" align="alignleft" width="149"]Leigh E. Charvet, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Neurology Department of Neurology New York University Langone Medical Center New York, NY Dr. Charvet[/caption] Leigh E. Charvet, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Neurology Department of Neurology New York University Langone Medical Center New York, NY MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for transcranial direct current stimulation? What are the main findings of this study in multiple sclerosis patients? Response: The application of tDCS is a relatively recent therapeutic development that utilizes low amplitude direct currents to induce changes in cortical excitability. When paired with a rehabilitation activity, it may improve learning rates and outcomes. Multiple repeated sessions are needed for both tDCS and cognitive training sessions to see a benefit. Because it is not feasible to have participants come to clinic daily for treatments, we developed a method to deliver tDCS paired with cognitive training (using computer-based training games) to patients at home. Our protocol uses a telemedicine platform with videoconferencing to assist study participants with all the procedures and to ensure safety and consistency across treatment sessions. When testing our methods, we enrolled 25 participants with multiple sclerosis (MS) completed 10 sessions of tDCS (2.0 mA x 20 minutes, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left anodal) using the remotely-supervised telerehabilitation protocol. This group was compared to n=20 MS participants who completed 10 sessions of cognitive training only (also through remote supervision). We administered cognitive testing measures at baseline and study end. We found that both the tDCS and cognitive training only group had similar and slight improvements on composites of standard neuropsychological measures and basic attention. However, the tDCS group had a significantly greater gain on computer-based measures of complex attention and on a measure of intra-individual variability in response times.
Author Interviews, Hip Fractures, NYU/NYMC, Orthopedics / 09.02.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_31877" align="alignleft" width="96"]Afshin E. Razi MD</strong> Clinical Assistant Professor NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases Department of Orthopaedic Surgery New York, N.Y. 1001 Dr. Afshin Razi[/caption] Afshin E. Razi MD Clinical Assistant Professor NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases Department of Orthopaedic Surgery New York, N.Y. 10016 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We did an extensive literature search and through our two previous seminars on this topic we were able to gather information to aid our colleagues on best ways of differentiating causes of hip and back pain. As an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in spine surgery I encounter many patients who present with concomitant back and hip pain. Many of these patients are also referred to me by surgeons who solely take care of hip problems such as total hip replacement or sport medicine specialist who treat younger patients with hip pain. It can be very difficult to properly diagnose the main issue and as such some patients go on to have unnecessary treatments, including surgery, because of their persistent symptoms. It was our goal to try to educate physicians, including orthopaedic surgeons, on the common differential diagnoses, appropriate clinical history and physical examination, diagnostic tools and their evaluations appropriately, as well as treatment options and priorities of which one to be treated first. More recently, it has been noted that some patients who have undergone total hip replacement with significant curvature of the spine had postoperative dislocation of the hip after reconstruction of the spinal malalignment. This article also talks about this newly seen problem.
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, Leukemia, NYU/NYMC / 11.12.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jason Saliba PhD Perlmutter Cancer Center New York University Langone Medical Center New York, NY MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The outcome for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has improved dramatically over the last four decades, but the prognosis for those who relapse remains dismal, especially for those who relapse while on therapy. In fact, relapsed disease remains a leading cause of cancer related mortality in children. To date, various studies have discovered a number of somatic alterations that contribute to driving relapse and have provided profound insight into the selective forces that lead to clonal outgrowth of drug resistant populations. However, the timing of the initial emergence of the driving mutations along with the speed of clonal outgrowth is unknown. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was run on available diagnosis, germline (remission), and relapse samples collected from thirteen pediatric ALL patients treated according to Nordic NOPHO ALL protocols. Analyses were then performed to find somatic missense mutations enriched in the relapse samples versus their patient matched diagnosis and/or germline samples. Candidate relapse driving missense mutations were identified as present at high levels (>20%) in the relapse sample, but were undetectable in germline or low to absent in the diagnosis sample. Eight of the thirteen patients contained mutations in genes previously reported to be enriched at relapse. Interestingly, a majority of the patients contained novel candidate relapse specific genes involved in a wide array of cellular processes such as cell adhesion/migration, RNA polymerase II/transcription, circadian rhythm, the unfolded protein response, RNA transport, epigenetic regulation, DNA methylation, and kinases.
Author Interviews, Colon Cancer, Gout, NYU/NYMC, Rheumatology / 20.11.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_29599" align="alignleft" width="150"]Michael Pillinger, MD Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology NYU School of Medicine Dr. Michael Pillinger[/caption] Michael Pillinger, MD Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology NYU School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: We are interested in the co-morbidities of gout and the fact that gout is accompanied by multiple cardiovascular, renal and other events. The implications of gout for cancer are less clear, but the basic biology suggests that either: 1) the acute and chronic inflammation of gout could contribute to a pro-cancer environment; 2) the anti-oxidant effects of urate could have anti-cancer properties; 3) the ability of uric acid to serve as a "danger signal" released from dying cells (potentially including cancer cells" could promote anti-cancer immunity. The clinical literature is murky at best.
Author Interviews, Cancer Research, ESMO, Immunotherapy, NYU/NYMC / 16.10.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_28911" align="alignleft" width="200"]Arjun Balar, M.D. Assistant Professor of Medicine Director - Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center New York, NY 10016 Dr. Arjun Balar[/caption] Arjun Balar, M.D. Assistant Professor of Medicine Director - Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center New York, NY 10016 MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Standard treatment for advanced urothelial cancer includes cisplatin-based chemotherapy which has been shown to improve survival. But more than half of patients are not expected tolerate it well and alternative treatment is inferior to cisplatin. The average survival for these patients is in the range of 9-10 months with carboplatin-based treatment, which is the most commonly used alternative to cisplatin. Pembrolizumab is a PD-1 blocking antibody that reactivates the body’s cancer-fighting T-cells (part of the immune system) to fight urothelial cancer. The trial overall enrolled 374 patients who had not yet received any treatment for advanced urothelial cancer, but were considered ineligible for cisplatin chemotherapy.
Author Interviews, Cost of Health Care, Dermatology, JAMA, NYU/NYMC / 12.10.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_28564" align="alignleft" width="90"]Hao Feng, M.D., M.H.S. Resident, Department of Dermatology NYU Langone Medical Center Dr. Hao Feng[/caption] Hao Feng, M.D., M.H.S. Resident, Department of Dermatology NYU Langone Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Recently, there has been an increased scrutiny on industry-physician interactions and emphasis on disclosures of interactions. While we know about the types of interaction between dermatologists and industry, we wanted to understand that relationship more in depth by probing the Open Payment database.
Addiction, Author Interviews, NYU/NYMC, Pediatrics, Tobacco, Tobacco Research / 08.10.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_28638" align="alignleft" width="150"]Professor Michael Weitzman MD New York University's College of Global Public Health and The Departments of Pediatrics and Population Health New York University School of Medicine NYU Langone Medical Center Dr. Michael Weitzman[/caption] Professor Michael Weitzman MD New York University's College of Global Public Health and The Departments of Pediatrics and Population Health New York University School of Medicine NYU Langone Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: There is a marked and rapidly increasing epidemic of hookah (waterpipe) use in the US. Hookah use appears to be as, or even more, dangerous than cigarette use. There are data suggesting that one hookah session is comparable to smoking 5 packs of cigarettes in terms of exposure to toxins. The CDC and WHO both have issued warnings that hookah pipe use may eradicate much or all of the progress of the past 50 years of tobacco control efforts.
Author Interviews, Electronic Records, JAMA, NYU/NYMC, Technology / 07.10.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_28567" align="alignleft" width="144"]Saul Blecker, MD, MHS Department of Population Health New York University Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016 Dr. Saul Blecker,[/caption] Saul Blecker, MD, MHS Department of Population Health New York University Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016 Saul.Blecker@nyumc.org MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: The identification of conditions or diseases in the electronic health record (EHR) is critical in clinical practice, for quality improvement, and for clinical interventions. Today, a disease such as heart failure is typically identified in real-time using a “problem list”, i.e., a list of conditions for each patient that is maintained by his or her providers, or using simple rules drawn from structured data. In this study, we examined the comparative benefit of using more sophisticated approaches for identifying hospitalized patients with heart failure.
Author Interviews, NYU/NYMC, Transplantation / 20.09.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_28136" align="alignleft" width="96"]Ariane K. Lewis, MD Division of Neurocritical Care Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery NYU Langone Medical Cente Dr. Ariane Lewis[/caption] Ariane K. Lewis, MD Division of Neurocritical Care Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery NYU Langone Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Death by neurologic criteria (DNC, also known as brain death) is widely accepted by physicians, lawyers, and ethicists as being equivalent to cardiopulmonary death. Declaration of DNC is based on strict criteria written by the American Academy of Neurology in 1995 that require: • Identification of a definitive etiology for catastrophic brain injury; • Confirmation that prerequisite conditions are met (normal blood pressure and temperature, exclusion of complicating factors such as medications or laboratory abnormalities that could impact the exam); and • Demonstration that a patient is comatose, lacks brainstem reflexes, and is incapable of breathing spontaneously. If a portion of the examination cannot be performed, an ancillary test such as an electroencephalogram or angiogram is used to confirm lack of brain activity or blood flow to the brain. If a patient is pronounced dead by neurologic criteria, organ support is discontinued unless organ donation is planned. An independent representative from an organ donation team approaches families to discuss donation, and if families agree to donation, organs are given to patients on the 120,000 person waitlist in the United States based upon need.
Author Interviews, NYU/NYMC, Smoking, Tobacco / 05.08.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_26755" align="alignleft" width="150"]Judith T. Zelikoff, PhD, Professor Department of Environmental Medicine NYU Langone Medical Center. Dr. Judith Zelikoff[/caption] Judith T. Zelikoff, PhD, Professor Department of Environmental Medicine NYU Langone Medical Center. MedicalResearch.com: Would you tell us a little about yourself? Response: I am a tenured full professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the NYU School of Medicine with >25 years of experience studying the toxicology of inhaled single contaminants and complex mixtures including metals, nanoparticles, gaseous and particulate (PM) air pollutants, e-cigarettes and combustible products from cigarettes, biomass burning, and diesel exhaust. Over the last decade, studies in my laboratory has focused on the effects of maternal inhalation of environmental toxicants, including fine-sized ambient particulate matter during pregnancy (and/or during neonatal development) on fetal cardiovascular structure, obstetric consequences, and later life disorders including obesity, immune dysfunction, and decreased sociability and reproductive success in adult male and female offspring. Other early life studies associated with inhaled nicotine/tobacco products have demonstrated that maternal and neonatal exposure of mice to aerosols from e-cigarettes (with and without nicotine) alters neurodevelopment and produces hyperactivity in adult male offspring. Our studies with smokeless tobacco products demonstrate dyslipidemia and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in prenatally exposed adult offspring. One of my major scientific accomplishments are my early life inhalation exposure studies demonstrating, for the first time in some cases, that prenatal/neonatal exposure to environmental agents can produce effects persistent into adulthood that can increase susceptibility to a variety of disorders, including cardiovascular disease. In addition, I serve as the Community Outreach and Engagement Core (COEC)Director for our NYU NIEHS Core Center. In this regard, our COEC team partners with environmentally-impacted communities in the NY/NJ area to assess community concerns associated with environmental pollution and provide educational information that can help build community infrastructure. I am also extremely active as a leader in the Society of Toxicology having served as Secretary of the Society for 3 years and President of the Metals and Immunotoxicology SOT Specialty Sections where i received an Immunotoxicology Lifetime Achievement Award. I currently serve as Chairperson of the SOT Committee for Diversity Initiatives and President of the Ethical, Legal and Social Specialty Section. I am currently a full member of a National Institute of Health Study and have also served on several other Federal/State Advisory Panels including the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council, EPA, NASA, NTP, and NJ Department of Environmental Protection. In addition to serving as an Associate Editor and Editorial Board member for numerous toxicology/environmental health journals, I currently serve as vice-President for the NYU School of Medicine Faculty Council.
Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Hospital Readmissions, JACC, NYU/NYMC, Race/Ethnic Diversity / 12.07.2016

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Matthew Durstenfeld MD Department of Medicine Saul Blecker, MD, MHS Department of Population Health and Department of Medicine New York University School of Medicine NYU Langone Medical Center New York, New York MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Racial and ethnic disparities continue to be a problem in cardiovascular disease outcomes. In heart failure, minority patients have more readmissions despite lower mortality after hospitalization for heart failure. Some authors have attributed these racial differences to differences in access to care, although this has never been proven. Our study examined patients hospitalized within the municipal hospital system in New York City to see whether racial and ethnic disparities in readmissions and mortality were present among a diverse population with similar access to care. We found that black and Asian patients had lower one-year mortality than white patients; concurrently black and Hispanic patients had higher rates of readmission. These disparities persisted even after accounting for demographic and clinical differences among racial and ethnic groups.
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