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Metastatic Breast Cancer Highlights From ASCO 2025

Metastatic Breast Cancer Highlights From ASCO 2025

Medscape16 hours ago

An exceptional range of practice-changing advancements in metastatic breast cancer across all subtypes were presented at ASCO 2025 and are discussed by Dr Ann Partridge of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Beginning with HER2-positive disease, Dr Partridge reports on the DESTINY-Breast09 trial investigating whether trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) + pertuzumab (P) could improve upon results from the standard of care regimen, taxane + trastuzumab + P (THP), in the first-line setting. T-DXd + P increased progression-free survival (PFS), offering a future option for patients with very aggressive disease — although, Dr Partridge notes, several clinical questions remain.
She highlights three studies in HER2-negative disease, starting with the SERENA-6 trial in which some patients treated with endocrine therapy who had ESR1 mutation, detected by circulating tumor DNA analysis, were switched to camizestrant. The camizestrant arm demonstrated meaningful PFS improvement.
She also notes the first phase 3 trial of a proteolysis-targeting chimera, vepdegestrant, which demonstrated improved PFS in patients with ESR1 mutation.
Continuing in the HER2-negative setting, she reports the updated overall survival results for inavolisib that continue to demonstrate positive PFS results.
Switching gears to triple-negative disease, she discusses promising results from the ASCENT-04 trial, which tested the antibody-drug conjugate sacituzumab govitecan against chemotherapy.

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Ways to Find Help Affording a Continuous Glucose Monitor for Diabetes
Ways to Find Help Affording a Continuous Glucose Monitor for Diabetes

Health Line

time22 minutes ago

  • Health Line

Ways to Find Help Affording a Continuous Glucose Monitor for Diabetes

Diabetes devices using CGM technology can be costly, even for those with insurance. Consider these tips and ask your doctor, insurer, or device manufacturer about any access or affordability programs that might be available. As much excitement as there is about continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology becoming the new standard of diabetes care, the reality is that it's still too expensive for many people. Despite the proven benefits of CGM and the increasing accessibility for some with diabetes, it remains a luxury. This disparity is even more pronounced when considering factors like race, socioeconomics, and types of diabetes, all of which significantly affect access to and use of this important tool. What does a CGM cost? In recent years, some research has shown that CGM tech has become more cost-effective than it once was. However, it remains out of reach for many people with diabetes. A 2021 study confirmed that pricing is one of the biggest barriers to widespread CGM use. This trend is even more pronounced for those in lower-income households. Without the ability to afford or access CGM tech, people lose out on a tool proven to help improve blood sugars, lower A1C levels, and generally help reduce long-term complications tied to diabetes and related health issues. This fits into a larger pattern for people with diabetes, who face high costs and may not be able to afford the medications or supplies they need to best manage their health. Consider that a CGM requires a prescription, so you'll have to work with a healthcare professional to get one — and those healthcare visits cost money too. Once approved, you can buy the system and supplies for some CGMs directly from the manufacturer or a third-party medical equipment supplier like Edgepark. Some are also available in retail pharmacies like Costco, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. Average monthly cost of CGM When comparing out-of-pocket prices without insurance factored in, CGM system supplies can range from roughly $160 to $500 per month (based on Healthline research of manufacturer and pharmacy retail prices). Insurance and the costs for each CGM brand can vary widely. Of course, health insurance may ease the financial burden, but it's not easy to assess just how much because health plans and approved benefits vary greatly. High deductibles and coinsurance plans require people to put down large amounts of money before their coverage kicks in. So be sure to check with your insurance plan first to determine your coverage for obtaining a CGM system and the cost of getting the supplies you need over time. Tips to help get CGM access You might consider these other options to help with access or affordability for CGM technology: 1. Buy at the pharmacy Both Abbott Libre and Dexcom CGM supplies are available in pharmacies. This may help you avoid a higher deductible through traditional medical insurance coverage. However, some insurance plans don't allow pharmacy coverage with CGM. Convincing the plan to allow this may also require an appeal or a doctor-initiated push. Check with your insurance and doctor. 2. Seek out samples While it's less common, some doctors' offices and clinics can have extra supplies they keep on hand that they may be willing to share with you. This won't provide a reliable or steady flow of CGM supplies, but it might be something to consider for a start. 3. Try a loaner 'professional' CGM Rather than buying a personal CGM to use at home, some clinics offer a 'professional' CGM that you can wear for short periods to get a snapshot of your glucose data and diabetes management. These loaner units may be 'blinded,' so that only the doctor can initially see the data to review with you afterward. 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Quantum computing stock sent reeling by financing decision
Quantum computing stock sent reeling by financing decision

Yahoo

timean hour ago

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Quantum computing stock sent reeling by financing decision

Quantum computing stock sent reeling by financing decision originally appeared on TheStreet. What is the speed of light? You might be familiar with the answer of 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum. But is that a scientific fact? It depends on how you think about it (Yes, I am bringing the skepticism to the next level today). We often mistake things that are beliefs as facts -- even scientists do it, sometimes unintentionally, sometimes because it is convenient -- and sometimes, unfortunately, because there is a monetary incentive. The reality is that the speed of light has never been measured in one direction, it is always measured by reflecting the light of a mirror. As a result, there is no proof that light travels at the same speed in both directions, it is only a convention. But what is a convention other than convenient belief?You can prove anything with mathematics. If you add unverifiable assumptions to the mix and claim that they just can't be proven "with current technology", you can create beautiful mathematical proofs for your nonsense. A great example is String theory in physics. According to the paper on String theory by Brian R. Green, there are about five consistent string theories, and they all require 10 space-time dimensions. As if that weren't enough, there is even a spin-off (M-theory) and because it is "so much better" it needs 11 space-time dimensions. Another curiously magical scientific theory is quantum mechanics. Quantum proponents have been promising us incredible computers since the 80s, and the industry has had a resurgence lately. At the center of it all is the company with the incredibly "original" name of Quantum Computing. Quantum Computing () announced on June 17, that it completed the sale of its first commercial entangled photon source to a research institution in South Korea. The institution plans to use this equipment for its work on quantum networking and secure communications. On May 15th, Quantum Computing reported its results for Q1 of fiscal are the highlights: Net revenues of $39,000 (33% gross margin) compared to $27,000 (41% gross margin) year-over-year. Net income of $17.0 million, or $0.13 per basic share for Q1 2025, compared to a net loss of $6.4 million or $(0.08) per basic share in Q1 2024. Cash and cash equivalents on March 31, 2025, increased by $87.5 million to $166.4 million from year-end 2024. During the first quarter, the company raised total net proceeds of $93.6 million through a private placement offering of common stock. The company completed construction of its Quantum Photonic Chip Foundry in Tempe, Arizona, during the first quarter. According to the company, the foundry was built to meet the growing demand for thin film lithium niobate photonic chips. More Tech Stocks: Amazon tries to make AI great again (or maybe for the first time) Veteran portfolio manager raises eyebrows with latest Meta Platforms move Google plans major AI shift after Meta's surprising $14 billion move The company announced on June 23rd, that it has entered into securities purchase agreements with institutional investors for the purchase and sale of about 14 million shares of common stock in a private placement at a purchase price of $14.25 per gross proceeds from the transaction are $200 million, before deducting offering expenses. The company's total cash position should exceed $350 million following closing. Because private placements increase the number of shares outstanding, they can dilute, or reduce the percentage of ownership, of existing shareholders. The stock took a tumble on the announcement, and at last check, QUBT shares were trading 14% lower near $16. During the Q1 2025 earnings call Dr. Yuping Huang, interim CEO and chairman of Quantum Computing, noted that the company is at the stage, in which it is working on the discovery of its customers, explaining its offerings, and letting its customers validate its products. The company's intention to use the net proceeds from the offering is to speed up commercialization efforts, among other computing stock sent reeling by financing decision first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 23, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Longevity expert Dr Mark Hyman's daily routine: the key to long living? A simple routine
Longevity expert Dr Mark Hyman's daily routine: the key to long living? A simple routine

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Longevity expert Dr Mark Hyman's daily routine: the key to long living? A simple routine

I wake up and usually journal for a while, taking some meditative time. Then I'll work out in the gym — weight training and cardio — and then have a protein shake. I put a bunch of stuff in there including creatine, which is shown to be really helpful not only with muscle building but also cognitive health. Other nutritional supplements I think are important are omega 3, vitamin D, curcumin and oral nicotinamide mononucleotide. Then I have a sauna and a cold plunge most days. I have a wellness studio in my garage, with a hyperbaric chamber, a Pulsed Electromagnetic Fieldmat, laser robotherapy and a HYPOXI machine, so I play around with those. There are lots of interesting developments in longevity. There has been a lot of research around Klotho, which is emerging as a potential therapeutic gene therapy, stem cells, plasmapheresis and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. You can reverse your biological age just through the basics, however. I reversed mine by four years in two years. The last time I checked my biological age was 39, through a methylation test. Right now, most people could probably live to 100 if they applied all the science. Most of the medicines today focus on symptom-based treatment. If you have a disease, they give you a drug and you have surgery. Functional medicine, by contrast, is a framework of scientific wellness. In order to have a healthy lifespan, a number of things are necessary: it's what you eat, it's exercise, it's getting adequate sleep, it's managing stress — and then there's a whole set of other additional therapies that can help activate the body's own healing system. There are built-in longevity switches, I call them, in the body. There are many ways to activate them that most people don't understand. You go to your regular doctor and ask them to help you get healthier and they reply: come back when you have a disease. That's really unfortunate because what we're now learning is that the human body has this immense capacity for healing and repair. We live in a coddled environment. Temperatures are always 16 degrees, we always have an abundance of food, we don't have to move our bodies and we don't have any stresses — historically humans had to deal with all kinds of physiological stresses, hot and cold and hunger. If you fast for a few days you activate a longevity switch. It's called autophagy — it's a bit like a self-cleaning oven. You have these Pac-man like lysosomes that chew up all the old proteins and recycle them. I do not eat a very inflammatory diet. Three things I always pick up at the grocery store are olive oil, small fish like sardines, herring and mackerel, and cruciferous vegetables. I've found a diet of nuts and seeds and vegetables and fruit and protein and olive oil really helps with the microbiome and resets your insulin signalling. Elevated insulin levels drive most ageing; they cause cancer, heart disease, dementia, diabetes, infertility and mental health issues. When you cut out all the crap and ultra-processed food, you increase longevity. I definitely don't drink. I might have a tequila once a month, but there's no safe amount of alcohol. Sleep is critical. It's repair time. I try to get eight hours of sleep and go to bed and wake up at the same time, but it's not easy. I have a lot of relationships, a lot of community. Your close friends — not social media — are a key part of longevity. Dr Mark Hyman leads the RoseBar Longevity Clinic at Six Senses Ibiza. A one-night stay starts at £552 based on two sharing, breakfast included,

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