EMJ- European Medical Journal

6 days ago | emjreviews.com | Katrina Thornber

A RECENT study has revealed significant discrepancies between clinician- and patient-reported symptom severity in individuals with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (la/mUC) treated with pembrolizumab. Pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, is a standard second-line therapy for this cancer type, but its side effects, often immune-related, can escalate quickly and impact patient wellbeing.

6 days ago | emjreviews.com | Katrina Thornber

A NEW Phase III trial has strengthened the evidence supporting cytisinicline as an effective and well-tolerated medication for smoking cessation, offering renewed hope for clinicians seeking pharmacological tools to combat nicotine addiction. Conducted between January 2022–March 2023 across 20 USA sites, the ORCA-3 trial randomised 792 adult daily smokers (≥10 cigarettes/day) into three groups.

6 days ago | emjreviews.com | Katrina Thornber

A SOFT robotic infant known as BabyBot has been developed to accurately mimic feeding behaviours and oral motor development in human infants from birth to six months old, offering a new, non-invasive platform for research and innovation in paediatric care134. The challenge of studying infant feeding arises from the ethical and practical limitations of direct testing on babies, particularly when invasive procedures are required.

6 days ago | emjreviews.com | Katrina Thornber

HEREDITARY angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disorder characterised by recurrent episodes of swelling in the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and upper airway. This potentially life-threatening condition is most commonly caused by a deficiency or dysfunction of the C1 inhibitor (C1INH) due to SERPING1 gene mutations. These disruptions lead to overproduction of bradykinin, which in turn causes increased vascular permeability and tissue swelling.

1 week ago | emjreviews.com | Katie Wright

DISCONTINUING low-dose aspirin  (ASA) perioperatively in chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) patients undergoing burr hole surgery does not significantly reduce recurrence rates, according to the SECA randomised clinical trial, challenging previous assumptions about bleeding risks. Chronic subdural hematoma, a condition prevalent in older adults, often requires surgical evacuation, but managing perioperative antiplatelet therapy remains contentious.