Health Sciences In The Media

Arizona was in the bottom tier in three of six categories in a new American Lung Association report, which put the state dead-last for the number of patients who receive treatment after getting a diagnosis of lung cancer. Dr. Dan Derksen, associate vice president for Health Equity, Outreach & Interprofessional Activities at the University of Arizona Health Sciences, said that improvements in lung cancer have made the disease less of a “death sentence,” but the key remains screening for the disease to reduce mortality.

Another at-home COVID-19 test has received FDA authorization, joining hundreds of other at-home tests that have circulated since the pandemic began. Public health experts warn some of them may not be legitimate. Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of Public Health and Prevention at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix, is encouraged by the new test. He says accessibility to tests that can deliver rapid results will help people stop the spread of COVID-19. But he is encouraging consumers to do their homework before using any at-home test, even if it's been approved by the FDA.

A clinical trial at the University of Arizona Health Sciences designed to study the safety and effectiveness of a personalized cancer vaccine in combination with the immunotherapy drug Pembrolizumab will expand its cohort after promising preliminary data was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer.

University of Arizona College of Nursing student Jaime Criswell, DNP, is the recipient of the Uniform Advantage-GNSA Scholarship Fund, which supports students who are seeking a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing and are members of the Graduate Nursing Student Academy.

In a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Governor Doug Ducey announced COVID-19 testing sites would be added to three Arizona airports. "If it's a PCR test, it's more reliable," said Dr. Shad Marvasti, with the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix. "But a negative test result by itself again it’s just one snapshot in time."

Ali McBride from the University of Arizona Cancer Center and colleagues discuss a number of topics pertaining to immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), including the diagnosis, clinical manifestations, traditional treatment options, and the advances we’ve seen in the past few years.

How long might immunity to the coronavirus last? Years, maybe even decades, according to a new study – the most hopeful answer yet to a question that has shadowed plans for widespread vaccination. These studies "are all by and large painting the same picture, which is that once you get past those first few critical weeks, the rest of the response looks pretty conventional," said Deepta Bhattacharya, an immunologist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson who was not involved in the studies.

Once a person develops immunity against COVID-19, it could last for years, a new study suggests. At the very least, exposure appears to at least set up the body for immunity “memory,’’ meaning its protective system should kick in and significantly fight off a second attack. “I don’t think it’s an unreasonable prediction to think that these immune memory components would last for years, said Immunologist Dr. Deepta Bhattacharya from the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson who was not involved in the study.

Researchers found no significant difference for all-cause mortality or cardiopulmonary hospitalization among patients who received the high-dose influenza vaccine compared with those who received the lower dose. Dr. Martha Gulati, Division Chief of Cardiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, provides perspective on the study.

Arizona was in the bottom tier in three of six categories in a new American Lung Association report, which put the state dead-last for the number of patients who receive treatment after getting a diagnosis of lung cancer. Dr. Dan Derksen, associate vice president for Health Equity, Outreach & Interprofessional Activities at the University of Arizona Health Sciences, said racial and ethnic data jumped out to him because of Arizona's relatively large Hispanic and Native American populations. "Those populations are disproportionately affected for a number of reasons," he said, including the cost of health insurance, as well as cost of and access to preventive health services.