This educational activity will utilize a case-based approach to summarize our current understanding of RCC tumor biology and discuss the most recent data supporting treatment recommendations in the first-line setting based on patient characteristics, risk stratification, and management of adverse events commonly associated with targeted therapies. Additionally, second-line options based on previous treatment will be addressed.

This case-based program will evaluate current and emerging methods to optimize CRC screening and the management of patients with metastatic disease. Additionally, the evolving role of targeted therapies and the use of biomarkers in the management of metastatic CRC will be discussed.

This case-based program will examine a number of important topics relevant to the contemporary management of advanced NSCLC. A major area of focus will be the role of histology and molecular markers in the clinical decision-making process. Individual patient factors that impact treatment decisions will also be addressed.

Health care providers involved in the management of patients with cancer are confronted with the challenges of staying abreast of emerging data on targeted therapies and applying evidenced-based approaches to improve patient outcomes. Addressing these challenges, this educational activity will discuss key concepts regarding the use of targeted therapies in patients with advanced RCC, CML, and in the management of bone metastasis and treatment-induced bone loss in patients with breast cancer.

The defining features of primary care - continuity, comprehensiveness and coordination - match the needs of chronically ill patients. With fewer specialists, new knowledge about the timeliness of diagnosis, and growing awareness of extra-articular manifestations, PCPs must take on the lion’s share of RA care. In fact, it is essential that you understand the barriers to positive results, best practices in RA management, and current guidelines.

This educational initiative will promote increased attention to the often unrecognized and undertreated issue of chronic pain, and provide training on assessment techniques and available treatment options. Approaches to monitoring and managing patients with regard to treatment response, adverse effects, potential for abuse, and optimizing outcomes will also be addressed. In addition, the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to treating chronic pain will be reviewed.

ConferenceDIRECT™ Multiple Sclerosis 2010 is a conference highlight e-Newsletter offering late-breaking research from posters, symposia, plenary sessions, and keynote addresses relevant to the diagnosis, management, and treatment of patients with MS from key conferences. Each ConferenceDIRECT e-Newsletter is presented in six (6) concise fifteen minute segments designed for just-in-time, 24/7 accessibility and convenience.

This webcast-on-demand will assess important topics in VTE management, including methods to assess risk for deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), duration of VTE prophylaxis, and important issues relevant to the contemporary treatment of VTE.

Management of patients with congenital hemophilia A relies on the replacement of the specific coagulation factor to treat and prevent bleeding episodes. The development of inhibitors against factor VIII is a severe complication of replacement therapy. Inhibitors increase morbidity by decreasing response to standard therapy, making bleeding episodes more difficult to control. In patients with high-titer inhibitors, hemostasis is traditionally achieved by the administration of bypassing agents. The goal of immune tolerance induction is to eradicate the inhibitor so that patients can be treated again with factor replacement therapy. This educational activity will review risk factors for developing inhibitors, discuss treatment strategies for the management of acute bleeding episodes and the prevention of bleeding episodes, and summarize current approaches for immune tolerance induction.

This program will utilize a case-based approach to illustrate various scenarios of how immunosuppression may be used to minimize chronic allograft pathology and optimize recipient survival. Additionally, kidney transplant recipients' responses to survey questions will be highlighted in an effort to heighten clinicians' awareness of patients' concerns and knowledge regarding their care. The ultimate goal of this educational initiative is the clinical application of program content to provide individualized care to kidney transplant recipients.

This case-based activity will describe the pathologic mechanisms that underlie CKD-MBD. Evidence-based strategies to manage mineral and bone abnormalities in CKD will be reviewed in the context of current KDIGO recommendations. Importantly, the program will explore methods to manage CKD-MBD in the current health care environment and discuss reimbursement issues that might potentially impact care for these patients.

This 2-hour Webcast features case-based presentations and discussion by a multidisciplinary panel of key leaders in the diagnosis and treatment of MS. The program has been developed to provide a clinically relevant overview of current best practices and future opportunities for MS patient management. There is no fee for this educational activity.

This interactive, case-based, online activity is designed to meet the educational needs of nurses involved in the treatment of patients with congenital hemophilia and inhibitors.

A unique component of the program will allow you to gain a better understanding of patients’ and caregivers’ perspectives by comparing your responses to the same survey questions that were posed to a representative sample of hemophilia patients with inhibitors and their caregivers. This innovative activity is designed to highlight areas of common understanding or opportunities for improved patient-provider communication.

This webcast-on-demand will assess important topics in VTE management, including methods to assess risk for deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), duration of VTE prophylaxis, and important issues relevant to the contemporary treatment of VTE.

Each year, over 50,000 Americans learn that they have kidney cancer. Often a silent cancer, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer. Approximately 20% to 30% of patients present with metastatic RCC (mRCC), and 20% to 40% will develop mRCC after nephrectomy. Prognosis for patients with mRCC is poor, but expanding knowledge of the pathophysiology of the disease has contributed to the development of targeted therapies that have been shown to prolong survival, providing hope for many patients with RCC. With the plethora of new data on targeted therapies for RCC, clinicians are confronted with the challenge of applying emerging knowledge to clinical practice while adhering to treatment guidelines. Clinicians also face the challenges of managing treatment-related adverse events and determining if and when dose adjustments may be warranted. A review of clinical trial data, prognostic markers, common adverse events, treatment guidelines, and dosing strategies will be beneficial to clinicians who treat patients with RCC and ultimately improve patient care.

This learning activity will provide clinicians with the latest data concerning thalidomide, lenalidomide, and bortezomib, including how these novel agents can be employed in the management of comorbidities and treatment-related toxicities. Both current and emerging treatments for the management of MM will be explored. Additionally, this program provides evidence-based recommendations for the incorporation of novel agents and tailored therapy into frontline treatment regimens and salvage therapy.

Expert faculty will review the latest clinical advances in the treatment of cancer, query participants on optimal treatment strategies, and discuss methods for integrating findings into clinical practice. Programs Include: Interactive slide presentations with downloadable slides.

Topics include:

• Hormonally Sensitive, Early-stage Breast Cancer: Current Considerations and New Directions
• Tubulin Inhibition in Breast Cancer: A therapeutic Target Critical to Improving Outcomes
• Current Practices & Emerging Therapeutics in the Management of Metastatic Prostate Cancer
• Advances in Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma – Evolving Role of mTOR Inhibitors
• Expert Perspective - Optimizing Endocrine Therapy for Early Breast Cancer
• Advances in Targeted Therapies for Breast Cancer: A Report from SABCS 2009

This interactive, case-based, online activity is designed to meet the educational needs of medical and surgical transplant physicians, nurses, pharmacists, coordinators, case managers, and social workers who manage patients with solid organ transplants.

A unique component of the program will allow you to gain a better understanding of patients’ and caregivers’ perspectives by comparing your responses to the same survey questions that were posed to a representative sample of transplant recipients and/or their caregivers. This innovative activity is designed to highlight areas of common understanding or opportunities for improved patient-provider communication.

In this program, we will discuss a number of issues that are important to primary care clinicians who manage patients at risk for, or who have recently become infected with HIV. The program will review epidemiologic and statistical prevalence data on HIV in the United States, the rationale for current efforts to expand screening, and methods to improve the primary care provider’s ability to diagnose this disease early in its course. We will also discuss the available types of HIV tests, some of the barriers to optimizing HIV testing, and strategies to overcome these barriers. In addition, we will review the latest evidence-based recommendations for managing HIV in treatment-naive patients. Finally, we will discuss how primary care providers can confidently integrate HIV management into their clinical practice.

The Print-to-Practice program is intended to focus on recently published, peer-reviewed literature, which will be summarized and critically evaluated by experts in the management of HIV infection. In particular, this program will focus on current guidelines concerning HIV testing and the important need for early diagnosis of this disease. Additionally, barriers to testing and treatment in the field, as well as evidence-based recommendations for HIV management will be assessed in the context of the, contemporary primary care practice. A discussion on what health care providers who manage HIV can reasonably accomplish during a typical office visit will also be included.

This interactive, case-based, online activity is designed to meet the educational needs of hospitalists, orthopedic surgeons, hematologists, intensivists, internists, family physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals who treat patients with or at risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). A unique component of the program will allow you to gain a better understanding of patients’ perspectives by comparing your responses to the same survey questions that were posed to a representative sample of patients who experienced a VTE or who are at risk to suffer a venous thromboembolic event. This innovative activity is designed to highlight areas of common understanding or opportunities for improved patient-provider communication.

This educational activity will review the pathophysiology and criteria for the diagnosis of gout. Current therapeutic options for treatment and prevention of acute attacks, and long-term management of hyperuricemia will be discussed.

This webcast will discuss recent changes in the epidemiology of IFIs and available methods for their identification in patients with AML. Current and emerging approaches to the treatment of IFIs will be explored. Additionally, the webcast will include a debate by program faculty on important issues associated with AML-related IFIs.

The ultimate goal of this educational program is the clinical application of program content to improve outcomes for patients being treated for AML.

The introduction of targeted therapy over the past decade has transformed the outlook for patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Imatinib as front-line therapy in patients with chronic phase CML has shown excellent results at 7 years in the IRIS trial. However, patients need to be closely monitored for molecular and cytogenetic responses at specific time points. Assessment of response milestones is important for identifying patients who fit the criteria for suboptimal response or failure to imatinib. For these patients, dose optimization or switching to a newer tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) should be considered. Patients who are intolerant to imatinib despite adequate management of adverse events may also benefit from the newer TKIs. This educational activity will utilize a case-based approach to address scenarios that are commonly encountered by clinicians who treat patients with CML, from initiating treatment, to monitoring response, to switching therapy when necessary.

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This educational program will provide an understanding of the underlying compensatory mechanisms involved in CKD –associated hyperphosphatemia in conjunction with learning more about how and when to safely and effectively control phosphorus levels. Additionally, this activity will highlight disparities in perception between the patient and the health care team regarding medication and chronic kidney disease that present as areas of opportunity for ongoing communication and education.

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Current guidelines from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) acknowledge allergy and IgE-mediated processes as major contributors to persistent asthma. These guidelines—the Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR-3)—outline specific recommendations for evaluating the potential role of allergy and IgE in patients with asthma. Nevertheless, many office-based pulmonologists underestimate the clinical relevance of these processes to asthma and do not routinely test or screen their asthma patients for allergies. This educational activity is designed to increase awareness among pulmonologists and their ancillary healthcare staff of the role of IgE-driven processes in asthma and instruct on ways to integrate pertinent EPR-3 guidelines into clinical practice, including implementing allergy testing and allergen avoidance measures for all patients with persistent asthma.

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