Free Republic

Nearly three in 10 Medicare beneficiaries have at least one actinic keratosis diagnosis encounter over five years of follow-up, according to a research letter published online July 27 in JAMA Dermatology. Lucy J. Navsaria, M.B.B.Ch., from University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues used Medicare claims data (2009 to 2018) to identify beneficiaries without Medicare Advantage coverage (fee-for-service only) but with continuous Parts A, B, and D coverage. The authors sought to examine incidences and treatment patterns associated with actinic keratosis. The researchers found that 29.3 percent of beneficiaries had one or more actinic keratosis diagnosis...

German cancer experts are warning of a looming shortage of one of the most widely used drugs to treat the disease—because pharmaceutical companies say it is not financially worth their while to make it any more. Fluorouracil, also known as 5-FU, is a chemotherapy agent used to treat bowel and breast cancer. It is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for cancer patients worldwide. But many of Germany’s top providers have stopped making the drug because it is not as profitable as other, more expensive ones. Of the six main companies which supplied 5-FU to pharmacies across the country,...