Current medical research and opinion
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Observational Study
Healthcare costs for allergic rhinitis patients on allergy immunotherapy: a retrospective observational study.
Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) for allergic rhinitis (AR) has been shown to control symptoms for up to several years following treatment discontinuation, but the effect of SCIT on healthcare costs for commercially insured patients is unknown. The objective of this study was to compare healthcare costs and resource utilization for patients with AR who received SCIT compared with those who discontinued SCIT shortly after initiation. ⋯ Continued SCIT use is associated with decreased emergency room visits and inpatient stays, decreased oral corticosteroid use, and lower respiratory-related costs, compared with early discontinuation.
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Population-based data on the development of subsequent thoracic cancers following the initial diagnosis of lung cancer are scarce. We evaluated this clinical scenario in lung cancer patients registered within the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. ⋯ There is an excess risk for the development of esophageal cancer and second primary lung cancer following an initial lung cancer diagnosis. This risk is present irrespective of gender or receipt of radiotherapy.