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Thomas R. Collins

Tom Collins is a freelance writer in South Florida, who has written about medical topics from nasty infections to ethical dilemmas, runaway tumors to tornado-chasing doctors. He travels the globe gathering conference health news and lives in West Palm Beach.

Articles by Thomas R. Collins

Patients Fight Against Dark Days & Find Ways to Cope

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PHILADELPHIA—Amy Gietzen started feeling the pain when she was 19. Her forearms, elbows, wrists and fingers were constantly swollen and sensitive. Six months later, she saw a doctor and was diagnosed with systemic diffuse scleroderma—a particularly hard-to-manage rheumatic disease with wide-ranging effects. Ms. Gietzen, who spoke at ACR Convergence 2022 and is a public speaker,…

Themes of Drama, Heroism & New Challenges Threaded President’s & Keynote Addresses at ACR Convergence 2022

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PHILADELPHIA—Abraham Verghese, MD, best-selling author and infectious disease specialist, told a packed hall at the opening ceremony of ACR Convergence that he didn’t need to look far to find heroes not much different from the protagonists he has written about in his novels, which blend medical mystery with the passions and tragedies of human existence….

Study: COVID-19 Vaccinations Are Safe for Patients with Lupus

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COVID-19 vaccinations are safe for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with manageable side effects and a low incidence of flare, according to a recently published study in The Lancet.1 The use of mRNA vaccines, such as those from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which have been viewed as riskier than traditional vaccines because of a concern…

The Great Debate: Belimumab vs. Voclosporin in Lupus Nephritis

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ACR Convergence 2021—The Great Debate at the meeting sparked a thoughtful discussion on the future of lupus nephritis treatment strategies, with experts saying clinicians should be open to new ways of approaching patient care. In the past year, approvals of the monoclonal antibody belimumab and the calcineurin inhibitor voclosporin for use in lupus nephritis (when…

FDA Discussed 2021 Drug Warnings & Approvals at ACR Annual Meeting

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ACR Convergence 2021—The recent Boxed Warning requirement applied to three Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, cautioning doctors and patients about several major risks in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, came only after rigorous data collection and careful consideration of the risks and the benefits, U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) officials said in November at ACR Convergence…

Policy Change Made Reality in 2021

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After a year marked with rheumatology gains in evaluation and management valuation, as well as quality reporting, ongoing ACR efforts target impending Medicare reimbursement cuts and other practice challenges.