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Keytruda (pembrolizumab) may not be effective in Lynch syndrome patients — those with inherited mutations in certain DNA repair genes — who develop Cushing’s syndrome due to cortisol-secreting metastatic adrenal cancer, a case report suggests. The report, “Rapid disease progression in a patient with mismatch…

Patients with subclinical hypercortisolism, i.e., without symptoms of cortisol overproduction, and adrenal incidentalomas recover their hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function after surgery faster than those with Cushing’s syndrome (CS), according to a study. Moreover, the researchers found that an HPA function analysis conducted immediately after the surgical removal of adrenal…

Half a year has gone by since disgraced pharma executive Martin Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for securities and wire fraud while heading San Diego-based Retrophin. As founder and CEO of another company (then known as Turing Pharmaceuticals), in late 2015 Shkreli bought the rights…

A type of immune cell called a macrophage in the gonadal fat tissue may be key in glucocorticoid-induced insulin resistance in patients with Cushing’s syndrome, according to a mouse study. The study, “Glucocorticoid-induced insulin resistance is related to macrophage visceral adipose tissue infiltration,” appeared in the…

A patient was diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome caused by a very rare cancer known as small cell carcinoma of the uvula — the small tissue that hangs at the back of the throat — in a case study that scientists think might be unique. The study, “The…

Cushing’s syndrome patients with tumors on both adrenal glands — which sit on top of the kidneys — could undergo adrenal venous sampling, a procedure where blood samples are taken from both adrenal glands to determine which tumors to remove, researchers suggest. Their study, “Outcomes of Adrenal…

Bilateral adrenalectomy, in which the adrenal glands are removed, has a bigger negative impact on the quality of life of patients with Cushing’s disease than other treatment options, a recent study suggests. This may be due to the longer exposure to high levels of cortisol in these patients, which is…

Treatment with fluconazole after cabergoline eased symptoms and normalized cortisol levels in a patient with recurrent Cushing’s disease who failed to respond to ketoconazole, a case study reports. The case report, “Fluconazole as a Safe and Effective Alternative to Ketoconazole in Controlling Hypercortisolism of Recurrent Cushing’s Disease:…

More than 25 percent of women with Cushing’s disease experienced their first symptoms within one year of giving birth, a small study by the Pacific Neuroscience Institute found. The findings suggest a possible causal relationship between the biological stress of pregnancy and Cushing’s disease (CD), with more than a two-fold…

More than 700 medical experts, pharmaceutical executives, patient advocates, and others are expected to converge on Washington, D.C., next month for the 2018 NORD Rare Diseases & Orphan Products Breakthrough Summit. The Oct. 15-16 event, sponsored by the National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD), takes place at the…