Health Sciences In The Media

As cancer care costs continue to increase in the United States, a focus on chemotherapy stewardship may result in cost savings for health systems and patients. During a session of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association Practice Management 2020 Virtual Learning Event, presenter Ali McBride, clinical coordinator of hematology/oncology for the University of Arizona Cancer Center, said a 2011 projection by the National Cancer Institute estimated there would be 18.1 million cancer survivors in the United States in 2020, which represents a 30% increase in the number of cancer survivors since 2010.

By the end of the month, tens of thousands of rapid-response antigen tests will be delivered to athletic departments across the Pac-12. One school – the University of Arizona – began using the tests months ago. The university has run 25,000 Quidel tests on students, athletes, staff members and ICU patients since the spring. David Harris, who oversees the program, said the results have been impressive. "It only seems to get better the more you do it," he said.

University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins said the university expected to see an increase in COVID-19 cases, but it has become too much, necessitating a shelter-in-place recommendation similar to what the state faced in the spring.

A University of Arizona Health Sciences research team reviewed nearly 300 published studies on the hygienic benefits of hand-drying methods, comparing paper towels to electric hand dryers. "Neither one's better. The most important thing is that you just dry your hands," said Kelly Reynolds, director of the Environment, Exposure Science and Risk Assessment Center at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

Colleges across the U.S. are reporting outbreaks of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, leaving experts and residents concerned about the pandemic worsening in certain areas. Dr. Farshad Marvasti, director of public health and prevention curriculum at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, said that "as we get into flu season, where health care resources will be strained further and people with other acute exacerbations of chronic diseases like heart attacks or strokes or other emergencies will not be able to get the care we need," surges of transmissions on college campuses are "a telltale sign that could be the starting point of a second wave."

AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford have put their combined Phase 2 and 3 trial on standby after one United Kingdom participant reportedly developed severe neurological symptoms. The volunteer's condition and what brought it on remain unclear. University of Arizona immunologist Deepta Bhattacharya at the College of Medicine – Tucson, said such questions are the point of large human trials. "As we start to expand out the numbers into tens of thousands of people, will we start to see some rare events, and what is the risk-reward proposition once you start to see that data?"

New research is shining a light on an unusual treatment for migraine headaches: green light therapy. In a small study involving 29 migraine patients, University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers found that exposure to green light for one to two hours daily reduced headache pain by 60% and significantly reduced the frequency of migraines.

Amy Jang, a doctoral candidate at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, writes that amid the current pandemic, there is currently no official approved drug indicated to treat patients with coronavirus disease 2019. However, the FDA has temporarily approved certain antiviral medications and anti-inflammatory drugs to use for the emergency treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 to potentially reduce hospitalization rates for infected patients.

In general, deciding whether to take part in an activity is “not one size fits all,” said Dr. Shad Marvasti, director of public health at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix. He said anyone who could be considered a vulnerable individual, such as someone who has a chronic disease or compromised immune system, should consider how essential it is to take part in a potentially risky activity.

New research from the University of Arizona Health Sciences found that people who suffer from migraine may benefit from green light therapy, which was shown to reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches and improve patient quality of life.