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oncology

Drug companies often do one-on-one outreach to doctors. A new study finds these meetings with drug reps lead to more prescriptions for cancer patients, but not longer survival. Chris Hondros/Getty Images hide caption

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Oncologists' meetings with drug reps don't help cancer patients live longer

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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused routine and life-saving procedures for patients with cancer to be sidelined and delayed. Postponed chemotherapy is sometimes part of the hold-up, with clinics able to handle fewer patients safely each day. Harry Sieplinga/Getty Images hide caption

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Harry Sieplinga/Getty Images

For Cancer Patients, Anguish Grows Over Deferred Surgery As Risk Rises

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The preliminary results described Wednesday come from two patients with multiple myeloma and one with sarcoma. This was just a first safety test, the scientists say, and was not designed to measure whether such a treatment would work. Jure Gasparic/EyeEm/Getty Images hide caption

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Jure Gasparic/EyeEm/Getty Images

CRISPR Approach To Fighting Cancer Called 'Promising' In 1st Safety Test

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President Trump announces a plan to overhaul how Medicare pays for certain drugs during a Thursday speech at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Dr. Vinay Prasad is 35 and an assistant professor of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, where he researches health policy, the high cost of drugs and evidence-based medicine. He has more than 21,000 followers on Twitter. Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption

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Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Tweeting Oncologist Draws Ire And Admiration For Calling Out Hype

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A genetic test could spare many women with a common form of breast cancer from receiving chemotherapy. SPL/Science Source hide caption

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SPL/Science Source

Doctors Scrutinize Overtreatment, As Cancer Death Rates Decline

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Herceptin has proved to be effective in prolonging the lives of the 12 percent of women with breast cancer whose malignancy hasn't spread to other organs, and whose cancer is HER2-positive. But side effects can be a problem. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images hide caption

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Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images