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Biomedical subjects

B Saffran

Publications and source records attributed to B Saffran.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Evaluation of conflict of interest in economic analyses of new drugs used in oncology.

CONTEXT: Recent studies have found that when investigators have financial relationships with pharmaceutical or product manufacturers, they are less likely to criticize the safety or efficacy of these agents. The effects of health economics research on pharmaceutical company revenue make drug investigations potentially vulnerable to this bias. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is an association between pharmaceutical industry sponsorship and economic assessment of oncology drugs. DESIGN: MEDLINE and HealthSTAR databases (1988-1998) were searched for original English-language research articles of cost or cost-effectiveness analyses of 6 oncology drugs in 3 new drug categories (hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors, serotonin antagonist antiemetics, and taxanes), yielding 44 eligible articles. Two investigators independently abstracted each article based on specific criteria. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Relationships between funding source and (1) qualitative cost assessment (favorable, neutral, or unfavorable) and (2) qualitative conclusions that overstated quantitative results. RESULTS: Pharmaceutical company-sponsored studies were less likely than nonprofit-sponsored studies to report unfavorable qualitative conclusions (1/20 [5%] vs 9/24 [38%]; P = .04), whereas overstatements of quantitative results were not significantly different in pharmaceutical company-sponsored (6/20 [30%]) vs nonprofit-sponsored (3/24 [13%]) studies (P = .26). CONCLUSIONS: Although we did not identify bias in individual studies, these findings indicate that pharmaceutical company sponsorship of economic analyses is associated with reduced likelihood of reporting unfavorable results.

Biomedical Research↗
PubMed1996

Temporal correlation analysis of penumbral dynamics in focal cerebral ischemia.

A novel temporal correlation technique was used to map the first-pass transit of iodinated contrast agents through the brain. Transit profiles after bolus injections were measured with dynamic computed tomography (CT) scanning (1 image/s over 50 s). A rabbit model of focal cerebral ischemia (n = 6) was used, and dynamic CT scans were performed at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min postocclusion. Within the ischemic core, no bolus transit was detectable, demonstrating that complete ischemia was present after arterial occlusion. In the periphery of the ischemic distribution, transit dynamics showed smaller peaks, broadened profiles, and overall delay in bolus transit. A cross-correlation method was used to generate maps of delays in ischemic transit profiles compared with normal transit profiles from the contralateral hemisphere. These maps showed that penumbral regions surrounding the ischemic core had significantly delayed bolus transit profiles. Enlargement of the ischemic core over time (from 30 to 120 min postocclusion) was primarily accomplished by the progressive deterioration of the penumbral regions. These results suggest that (a) temporal correlation methods can define regions of abnormal perfusion in focal cerebral ischemia, (b) peripheral regions of focal cerebral ischemia are characterized by delays in bolus transit profiles, and (c) these regions of bolus transit delay deteriorate over time and thus represent a hemodynamic penumbra.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis: overview and case report.

Phaeohyphomycosis describes a heterogenous group of mycotic infections caused by pigmented fungi. Previously uncommon to the United States, the number of case reports in the American literature has steadily increased over the past two decades. This has been attributed to the ever increasing number of immunocompromised individuals as well as an influx of immigrants from areas where these opportunistic fungi are more commonly found. The authors present a generalized overview of phaeohyphomycosis as well as a more specific breakdown and case study involving subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A unique presentation of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the foot.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the foot is a relatively uncommon pedal neoplasm. The authors discuss the etiology, incidence, histology, morphology, metastatic rate, and treatment of this entity. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas rarely present as destructive lesions of bone; when they do, they usually involve the axial skeleton or proximal long bones. Additionally, the authors present a clinical case reporting findings of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after surgical correction of a hammertoe deformity and subungual exostosis. The pathologic microscopic evaluation of the resected bone assisted in diagnosis of this condition.

Female↗