Comment: This is a study I go back to again and again as it’s well designed and demonstrates how important quality sleep is not just for quality of life, but for a significant improvement in overall survival.We have many tools to help with sleep, including reminding people of the importance of it. This study highlights […]
Comment: This meta-analysis offers another powerful, data-driven affirmation of what the most up-to-date research has been telling us: consuming soy isoflavones is safe, and may even be protective, for women concerned about breast cancer. The narrative around soy has been dominated by mechanistic concerns and rodent studies instead of a focus on human data. Current […]
Comment: Another study (see here) showing that PPIs lead to worse outcomes, this time reducing both progression-free and overall survival. We have better tools, but if a medication is necessary, other options such as H2 blockers are a better choice. Summary: Clinical Bottom Line This meta-analysis of individual patient data suggests that the use of […]
Comment: This study offers yet more reassuring data to challenge the long-held mythology surrounding lymphedema precautions. For years, the conventional wisdom has dictated a strict avoidance of blood pressure cuffs, blood draws, and injections in the at-risk arm. However, this rigorous prospective analysis confirms what many clinicians have suspected: routine, necessary medical procedures are not […]
Comment:⚠️ This systematic review and meta-analysis consolidates the global data, providing moderate certainty evidence that the receptor status of a breast cancer is far from static. The findings confirm that the tumor we treat at the metastatic stage is often biologically different from the primary tumor excised years earlier. The high conversion rates are not […]
Comment:🩺 This study of 390 paired primary and metastatic breast cancers provides some of the most compelling institutional data to date, confirming the biological profile of a breast cancer can and often does change dramatically upon metastasis. The sheer magnitude of the discordance rates—especially the 40.3% change for Progesterone Receptor (PR) and the 18.3% change […]
Comment: For years, the key question surrounding soy intake and breast cancer has been about safety: Does soy increase risk, especially in low-consuming Western populations? Numerous studies have shown safety, however most studies have been in an Asian population. This large, prospective study drawn from the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) provides a clear and reassuring answer for […]
Comment: This study provides compelling, high-quality data (although observational) that directly addresses the question of soy safety in a western population. For decades, the bulk of the robust epidemiological evidence linking high isoflavone intake to improved survival was rooted in Asian populations—populations with a lifetime of high whole-soy food consumption. Since women in Western populations […]
Comment: Although this study came out almost 10 years ago, I still regularly have to reassure patients that it’s fine to take a blood pressure or do a blood draw or the side of their surgery. For decades, the caution against ipsilateral blood draws, BP checks, injections, and flying was “logical”—it made sense that trauma […]
Audio Overview: Relative vs. Absolute Risk Reduction: Understanding the True Benefit of a Medical Study When reviewing a new medical study—whether it involves a conventional drug, a supplement, or a lifestyle change—you will often see two different numbers used to describe the treatment’s effectiveness: the Relative Risk Reduction and the Absolute Risk Reduction. These two […]
