A lack of mask mandates at cancer centers has left cancer patients feeling unsafe, according to reports from clinicians.
Patients reportedly feel unprotected from COVID-19 when the public and health care providers fail to wear masks. Patients have described feeling isolated from the world as an increasingly mask-free society tells them to “just stay home” to avoid SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients have even reported being harassed by anti-maskers while seeking care and going about their daily lives.
Multiple studies have suggested that wearing face masks can effectively reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends masking as part of a multipronged approach to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Read more here.
Biosimilars have comparable efficacy to reference biologics for the treatment of several cancer types, a meta-analysis found.
For this study, researchers identified 31 trials published through April 2021 that compared the efficacy of a cancer biologic with that of a biosimilar.
The trials encompassed 3 biologics—bevacizumab, trastuzumab, and rituximab—and 28 unique biosimilars, 10 of which have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Read more here.
Study: Will we be able to detect lung cancer earlier at the cellular level?
A recent study published in Nature Communications focuses on a new method for detecting lung cancer at the cellular level, which could lead to earlier and more effective treatments.
Researchers say they examined a method to detect cancer at a more microscopic level than a typical biopsy and tissue analysis, specifically in lung cancer nodules. Their research used mice models, human tissue samples, and cell cultures. Read more here.
