Secukinumab in the treatment of psoriasis: patient selection and perspectives.

Secukinumab is a human monoclonal antibody targeting IL-17A that has been approved for three indications: moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. In Phase III clinical trials for each of these three indications, secukinumab has proven to be both highly efficacious and well-tolerated. However, several biologic medications are currently approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, and many demonstrate excellent efficacy and safety. Due to this wide selection, it is often unclear how to choose biologics for specific patients. Important considerations in biologic selection include clinical efficacy, safety, cost, convenience, onset of action, and management of comorbid disease. This article aims to outline the key considerations in patient selection for the treatment of plaque psoriasis with secukinumab

Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery I: Patient Selection, Evaluation, and Planning.

Widespread adoption of minimally invasive mitral valve repair and replacement may be fostered by practice consensus and standardization. This expert opinion, first of a 3-part series, outlines current best practices in patient evaluation and selection for minimally invasive mitral valve procedures, and discusses preoperative planning for cannulation and myocardial protection

Tofacitinib in the management of active psoriatic arthritis: patient selection and perspectives.

Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). It provides an alternative option for patients who have had an inadequate response and tolerance to other disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). It has demonstrated comparable efficacy to biologics, is effective in the management of treatment resistant disease, and is reported to improve enthesitis, dactylitis, and radiographic progression. Tofacitinib is also associated with an increased risk of serious infections, malignancy, and laboratory abnormalities. There is currently a large armamentarium of therapies for psoriatic arthritis, and choosing among treatments can be challenging. Due to this wide selection, a thorough assessment of psoriatic disease phenotype, patient preference, disease presentation, and comorbidities is critical. This review addresses key considerations in patient selection for the treatment of PsA with tofacitinib

Waiting lists and patient selection

We develop a model of waiting lists for public hospitals when physicians deliver both private and public treatment. Public treatment is free but rationed, i.e., only cases meeting some medical criteria area admitted for treatment. Private treatment has no waiting time but entails payment of a fee. Both physicians and patients take into account that each patient treated in the private practice schedule reduces the waiting list for public treatment. We show that physicians do not necessarily select the mildest cases from the waiting list. We provide sufficient conditions on the rationing policy under which cream skimming is always partial. We show that, to a large extent, one can bypass the analysis of doctors' behavior in the characterization of patient selection

Liver Transplantation in Adults

Human liver transplantation has been possible since 1967. We report our experience in 32 adult patients who received liver transplants at the University of Pittsburgh over a 16‐month period. Survival data, method utilized for patient selection, costs, and morbidity of the procedure are discussed. Copyright © 1982 American Association for the Study of Liver Disease

Dimethyl fumarate in the management of multiple sclerosis: Appropriate patient selection and special considerations

Delayed-release dimethyl fumarate (DMF), also known as gastroresistant DMF, is the most recently approved oral disease-modifying treatment (DMT) for relapsing multiple sclerosis. Two randomized clinical trials (Determination of the Efficacy and Safety of Oral Fumarate in Relapsing–Remitting MS [DEFINE] and Comparator and an Oral Fumarate in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis [CONFIRM]) demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing relapse rate and radiological signs of disease activity, as seen on magnetic resonance imaging. The DEFINE study also indicated a significant effect of DMF on disability worsening, while the low incidence of confirmed disability worsening in the CONFIRM trial rendered an insignificant reduction among the DMF-treated groups when compared to placebo. DMF also demonstrated a good safety profile and acceptable tolerability, since the most common side effects (gastrointestinal events and flushing reactions) are usually transient and mild to moderate in severity. Here, we discuss the place in therapy of DMF for individuals with relapsing multiple sclerosis, providing a tentative therapeutic algorithm to manage newly diagnosed patients and those who do not adequately respond to self-injectable DMTs. Literature data supporting the potential role of DMF as a first-line therapy are presented. The possibility of using DMF as switching treatment or even as an add-on strategy in patients with breakthrough disease despite self-injectable DMTs will also be discussed. Lastly, we argue about the role of DMF as an exit strategy from natalizumab-treated patients who are considered at risk for developing multifocal progressive leukoencephalopathy

The relation between cardiac 123I-mIBG scintigraphy and functional response 1 year after CRT implantation

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a disease-modifying therapy in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Current guidelines ascribe CRT eligibility on three parameters only: left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), QRS duration, and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class. However, one-third of CHF patients does not benefit from CRT. This study evaluated whether 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (123I-mIBG) assessed cardiac sympathetic activity could optimize CRT patient selection

The relation between prediction model performance measures and patient selection outcomes for proton therapy in head and neck cancer

Background: Normal-tissue complication probability (NTCP) models predict complication risk in patients receiving radiotherapy, considering radiation dose to healthy tissues, and are used to select patients for proton therapy, based on their expected reduction in risk after proton therapy versus photon radiotherapy (ΔNTCP). Recommended model evaluation measures include area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), overall calibration (CITL), and calibration slope (CS), whose precise relation to patient selection is still unclear. We investigated how each measure relates to patient selection outcomes. Methods: The model validation and consequent patient selection process was simulated within empirical head and neck cancer patient data. By manipulating performance measures independently via model perturbations, the relation between model performance and patient selection was studied. Results: Small reductions in AUC (-0.02) yielded mean changes in ΔNTCP between 0.9–3.2 %, and single-model patient selection differences between 2–19 %. Deviations (-0.2 or +0.2) in CITL or CS yielded mean changes in ΔNTCP between 0.3–1.4 %, and single-model patient selection differences between 1–10 %. Conclusions: Each measure independently impacts ΔNTCP and patient selection and should thus be assessed in a representative sufficiently large external sample. Our suggested practical model selection approach is considering the model with the highest AUC, and recalibrating it if needed

Cabazitaxel in the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: patient selection and special considerations.

Cabazitaxel is an effective chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) refractory to docetaxel. With the advent of new antiandrogen therapies, immune-based treatments, and radioactive-targeted therapy, there are now multiple effective and approved agents for this disease state. The optimal sequencing of these agents is unclear as there are no large-scale head-to-head comparisons. Clinicians must familiarize themselves with the most recent studies as well as drug toxicities to determine the best treatment option for their patients. In this review, we focus on the development of cabazitaxel for mCRPC, evaluate its efficacy, and highlight key strategies for toxicity management. Additionally, we summarize the studies that address cabazitaxel treatment sequencing and optimal dosing schedule

Canaloplasty in the Treatment of Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Review of Patient Selection and Outcomes.

Canaloplasty is a relatively new non-penetrating surgery for the reduction of intraocular pressure in patients affected by glaucoma. The technique uses a microcatheter to perform a 360 º cannulation of Schlemm's canal and leaves in place a tension suture providing an inward distension. It aims to restore the physiological outflow pathways of the aqueous humour and is independent of external wound healing. Several studies have shown that canaloplasty is effective in reducing intraocular pressure and has a low rate of complications, especially compared with trabeculectomy, the gold standard for glaucoma surgery. Currently, canaloplasty is indicated in patients with open-angle glaucoma, having a mild to moderate disease, and the combination with cataract phacoemulsification may provide further intraocular pressure reduction. This article reviews canaloplasty indications, results and complications and analyses its outcomes compared with traditional penetrating and non-penetrating techniques