Factors associated with the number and size of renal angiomyolipomas in sporadic angiomyolipoma (sAML): a study of adult patients with sAML managed in a Dutch tertiary referral center.

Purpose: To describe the patient characteristics, treatments, disease monitoring, and kidney function of patients with sporadic angiomyolipoma (sAML), stratified by the number and size of renal angiomyolipomas (AMLs).

Methods: Single-center retrospective analysis of patients with sAML treated from 1990 to 2015 in a dedicated clinic for inheritable tumor syndromes in a tertiary referral center from the Netherlands. Patients' first AML assessment at the clinic was defined as the index date.

Patient Harm in Cataract Surgery: A Series of Adverse Events in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts state agencies received reports of 37 adverse events (AEs) involving cataract surgery from 2011 to 2015. Fifteen were anesthesia related, including 5 wrong eye blocks, 3 cases of hemodynamic instability, 2 retrobulbar hematoma/hemorrhages, and 5 globe perforations resulting in permanent loss of vision. While Massachusetts' reported AEs likely underrepresent the true number of AEs that occur during cataract surgery, they do offer useful signal data to indicate the types of patient harm occurring during these procedures.

Continuous prophylaxis with recombinant factor IX Fc fusion protein and conventional recombinant factor IX products: comparisons of efficacy and weekly factor consumption.

Background: Continuous prophylaxis for patients with hemophilia B requires frequent injections that are burdensome and that may lead to suboptimal adherence and outcomes. Hence, therapies requiring less-frequent injections are needed. In the absence of head-to-head comparisons, this study compared the first extended-half-life-recombinant factor IX (rFIX) product-recombinant factor IX Fc fusion protein (rFIXFc)-with conventional rFIX products based on annualized bleed rates (ABRs) and factor consumption reported in studies of continuous prophylaxis.

Can social media data lead to earlier detection of drug-related adverse events?

Purpose: To compare the patient characteristics and the inter-temporal reporting patterns of adverse events (AEs) for atorvastatin (Lipitor ) and sibutramine (Meridia ) in social media (AskaPatient.com) versus the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

Methods: We identified clinically important AEs associated with atorvastatin (muscle pain) and sibutramine (cardiovascular AEs), compared their patterns in social media postings versus FAERS and used Granger causality tests to assess whether social media postings were useful in forecasting FAERS reports.

Kidney involvement in tuberous sclerosis complex: the impact on healthcare resource use and costs.

Objective: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is associated with non-malignant kidney lesions-angiomyolipomata-that may be associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study investigated the relationship between renal angiomyolipomata and CKD in TSC, including the impact on healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and costs.

Methods: This was a retrospective, longitudinal cohort study based on medical record data spanning January 1990-April 2012 for 369 TSC patients treated at a specialty center in the Netherlands.

The epidemiology of herpes zoster and its complications in Medicare cancer patients.

Background: Literature on the epidemiology of herpes zoster (HZ) in cancer patients is sparse and does not include the elderly. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of HZ and related complications in elderly cancer patients and assess risk factors associated with HZ.

Methods: Patients ≥65 years diagnosed with cancer in 1991-2007 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registry-Medicare linked database in this retrospective, longitudinal, open cohort study.

Costs Associated with Intravenous Cancer Therapy Administration in Patients with Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma in a US Population.

Background. The most common chemotherapies in metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (mSTS) require intravenous (IV) administration. This often requires patients to make multiple outpatient visits per chemotherapy cycle, possibly impeding patients' daily activities and increasing caregiver burden and medical costs.