CLINICAL NEWS
Cancer in Your Own Backyard
A recent meta-analysis reviewing lymphoma risk among people exposed to glyphosate-containing
herbicides (commonly marketed as Roundup) supported the weed-killer’s carcinogenic potential.
A 3D Remedy for SCD?
For young patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), taking
a virtual trip to a “relaxing underwater world” could
help lower pain levels and complement other therapies,
according to a small study published in Pediatric Blood &
Cancer.
Authors examined
epidemiologic studies
published between
2001 and 2018, finding
that people routinely
exposed to the herbicide
had a 41% higher risk
of developing non-
Hodgkin lymphoma,
compared with
nonexposed people.
In the study, patients who were hospitalized for vaso-
occlusive pain episodes ranked the intensity of their
pain on a scale of 1 to 10 before and after a short, immersive
virtual reality (VR) session.
After the VR session,
pain intensity dropped,
from a median of
7.3 points to 5.8 points.
While they found a “compelling link” between herbicide exposure and cancer, the authors noted that
more well-designed, robust studies about appropriate exposure levels are needed.
Source: Zhang Rana I, Shaffer RM, et al. Exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides and risk for non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a meta-
analysis and supporting evidence. Mutat Res/Rev Mutat Res. 2019 February 10. [Epub ahead of print]
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Paperwork Over Patients
Despite efforts by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reduce doctors’ regulatory burden,
many are still buried under paperwork, according to a report from the Medical Group Management
Association.
In a survey of 426
group practices,
86
%
said that the
overall regulatory
burden increased
over the last 12
months.
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When respondents were asked what aspects of the
health-care system increased their regulatory burden, the
most common answers were:
the Merit-based
Incentive Payment
System
88
%
prior
authorization
82 %
lack of electronic
health record
interoperability
80 %
Pain was also less extensive: The number of affected body
areas decreased from 3 to 2. (P values for all comparisons
were p≤0.01.)
There were no reported side effects, and all patients
requested another VR trip in the future, suggesting that
patients enjoyed this pain management option.
Source: Agrawal AK, Robertson S, Litwin L, et al. Virtual reality as
complementary pain therapy in hospitalized patients with sickle cell disease.
Ped Blood Cancer. 2019;66:e27525.
Source: Medical Group Management Association. “MGMA 2018 Regulatory Burden Survey.”
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