NEWS 15
ausdoc. com. au 11 APRIL 2025
NEWS 15
Five tests fuelling overdiagnosis
Carmel Sparke THE full-body MRI scan, the gene |
chosen for targeting healthy people and for having a high potential for |
for healthy women, the authors say. Multi-cancer early detection blood |
are far from complete, and there is no good evidence available that the |
lack evidence of benefit for asymptomatic healthy men and are likely |
cancer test and the gut microbiome |
overdiagnosis or misuse. |
tests are said to screen for more than |
benefits will outweigh the harms of |
to cause overuse of supplements, |
stool test have all been plugged on |
The full-body MRI scan, made |
50 cancers before symptoms arise |
unnecessary cancer diagnoses, the |
the authors say. |
|
wellness influencers’ Instagram and TikTok accounts as‘ life-saving’.
But the medical information contained in the posts is“ overwhelmingly” misleading, with almost nine out of 10 posts only
|
famous by Kim Kardashian, claims to test for up to 500 conditions, but there is no evidence that any of its reputed benefits outweigh the inevitable harms for healthy people, the authors say. |
The posts are‘ overwhelmingly’ misleading. |
authors say.
The gut microbiome test assesses the composition of the microbiome by testing a sample of stool, promising‘ wellness’ through early detection of many conditions. This test
|
In addition, long-term safety of testosterone therapy, in relation to adverse cardiovascular events and early death, has not yet been established.
Overall, nearly nine out of 10 of the
|
mentioning benefits, say a team of |
The anti-mullerian hormone test— |
|
has no good evidence of benefit, |
1000 posts they examined mentioned |
University of Sydney researchers. |
also called the‘ egg timer’ test— aims |
and are designed to detect circulat- |
alongside concerns that test results |
benefits( 87 %), with 5 % minimising or |
Their JAMA Network Open study examined five popular tests, |
to assess ovarian reserve. It is falsely promoted and sold as a fertility test |
ing tumour-related mutated gene fragments in the blood. Clinical trials |
could lead to medical overuse. Low testosterone blood tests |
diminishing any harms mentioned. JAMA Netw Open 2025; 26 Feb. |
TGA warns of antibiotic events
Rachel Fieldhouse THE TGA is putting stricter warnings on fluoroquinolones over rare but“ potentially irreversible” reactions, including toxic psychosis, seizures and tendon ruptures.
All oral and injectable fluoroquinolones, including ciprofloxacin, will get boxed warnings about potential CNS, psychiatric and musculoskeletal effects, the TGA announced last month.
The reactions“ can occur in patients of any age without pre-existing risk factors and have been reported simultaneously in the same patient”, the watchdog said.
The warnings do not apply to fluoroquinolone eye or ear drops.
The TGA said it had received 128 reports of serious musculoskeletal adverse reactions as of December 2024, most commonly tendonitis, arthralgia and myalgia, plus 59 psychiatric event reports. Another 152 CNS event reports included weakness, peripheral neuropathy, headaches and paraesthesia.
The TGA also pointed to a 2023 UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency review that had resulted in updated warnings on fluoroquinolones, saying doctors should only prescribe them if other common antibiotics were inappropriate.
“ While the frequency of … side effects cannot be estimated precisely using available data, the updated reporting incidence indicates a minimum frequency of between one and 10 per 10,000 patients,” the agency said.
EU restrictions introduced in 2018, including banning fluoroquinolone scripts for mild or non-bacterial infections, had not reduced prescribing, necessitating tougher warnings, it added.
The TGA advised doctors to warn patients about potential side effects and to stop treatment quickly if patients had adverse reactions.
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* Repatha ® is indicated for the prevention of CV events( MI, stroke and coronary revascularisation) in adults with established CVD in combination with an optimally dosed statin and / or other lipid-lowering therapies, as an adjunct to diet and exercise. 1‘ Power’: 15 % relative risk reduction with Repatha ® vs placebo in the composite of the primary endpoint beyond optimised statin ± ezetimibe( HR: 0.85; 95 % CI: 0.79 – 0.92, p < 0.001). 2
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Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; CV, cardiovascular; CVD, cardiovascular disease; HR, hazard ratio; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; MI, myocardial infarction; PBS, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
References: 1. Repatha ®( evolocumab) Approved Product Information. 2. Sabatine MS, et al. N Engl J Med. 2017; 376( 18): 1713 – 1722. 3. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Evolocumab. Available at: https:// www. pbs. gov. au / medicine / item / 10958R [ Accessed June 2024 ].
Amgen Australia Pty Ltd. ABN 31 051 057 428, Sydney NSW 2000. © 2024 Amgen Inc. All rights reserved. AUS-145-0624-80014. AMG4138. Date of preparation: July 2024.
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AMG4138 _ Repatha _ Streamlined Authority _ AusDoc _ A4 _ 210x273mmH _ AUG _ R1 _ FA. indd 1 10 / 7 / 2024 11:38 AM