May 2018 Notable Media Mentions
We regularly share highlights from news coverage of our work, including the growing collection of results from our funded studies. Here are some recent examples:
CRC: No Increase in Survival with Stepped-Up Surveillance
MedPage Today, May 22, 2018
This article describes a PCORI-funded study that found that more-frequent screening after curative surgery for colorectal cancer was not associated with shorter time to detection of new tumors when compared with less-frequent testing. People who received more scans and tests also had no higher survival rates than people who received less-intensive screening, the team reported in JAMA. "In addition to added costs, unnecessary testing in cancer patients can lead to treatment toxicity, increased patient anxiety, and the potential for false positives, which can lead to patient harm," says principal investigator George J. Chang, MD, MS, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, in the article. "The data argue that in many cases, a less-intensive surveillance may be a better approach for patients."
Additional coverage of this project appeared in outlets such as Becker's GI and Endoscopy E-Weekly, Doctors Lounge, Physician’s Briefing, Drugs.com, and Physician’s Weekly.
Chicago Hospitals Form Partnership to Battle Asthma 'Hot Spots'
Chicago Sun-Times, May 9, 2018
An article in the Chicago Sun-Times highlighted a PCORI-funded study on managing asthma after emergency room visits through extra help from medical professionals.
This article describes a PCORI-funded project that found that families of children who visited the emergency room for asthma and who received extra help were better able to manage prescriptions and subsequent doctor visits than those who didn’t receive additional support.
“We work as a team, around the clock,” one caregiver involved in the program tells the newspaper. “Once we learned the triggers for each child’s asthma, we have been able to manage it more effectively. You have to be proactive.”
PCORI Awards Grants Totaling $94 Million for Research
Philanthropy News Digest, May 7, 2018
Five of PCORI’s newest projects, awarded at the April 30 Board meeting, receive attention in this article: a Dartmouth College study about medication-assisted treatment for pregnant women with opioid use disorder, a University of Kentucky study also comparing treatments for pregnant women who use opioids, a Washington University in St. Louis study on obesity treatment for children, an Oregon Health and Science University project comparing treatments for infections caused by mycobacterium avium, and a Cedars-Sinai study comparing depression treatments for people with advanced heart failure.
UK Expands Opioid Treatment for Pregnant Women to Rural Sites
88.9 WEKU, May 8, 2018
One of those new projects received lots of local media attention. A $5 million award will allow the University of Kentucky to test the efficacy of telemedicine as part of a multidisciplinary treatment program for pregnant women with opioid addiction. Additional coverage of this project appeared in outlets such as WKYT, WFPL, The Lane Report, Messenger-Inquirer, Kentucky Kernel, Lexington Herald Leader, Kentucky Today, and KyForward.com.
Treating Insomnia in Cancer Survivors: Acupuncture and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Found Effective in Randomized Controlled Trial
Sleep Review, May 17, 2018
An article in Sleep Review highlighted a PCORI-funded study that aims to improve symptoms of insomnia in cancer patients using nondrug therapies.
“Up to 60 percent of cancer survivors have some form of insomnia, but it is often underdiagnosed and undertreated,” says principal investigator Jun J. Mao, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
This article describes a PCORI-funded study Mao leads, which found that cancer patients who have insomnia may experience improvements in their quality of sleep and quality of life when they undergo nondrug therapies such as acupuncture and cognitive behavioral therapy. Mao presented the results at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
Stay tuned for more highlights of our work.