What we know of their benefits, limitations, and toxicities. Mechanisms & therapeutic role (in metastatic bladder cancer) Enfortumab vedotin (EV) EV is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting nectin-4 (a cell-surface adhesion molecule expressed in urothelial carcinoma). The antibody binds nectin-4, is internalized, and releases a cytotoxic payload (monomethyl auristatin E, MMAE) inside the cancer cell,ContinueContinue reading “Comparison of enfortumab vedotin (EV, aka Padcev) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in metastatic urothelial/bladder cancer”
Author Archives: drrjv
Goliathās Curse
Luke Kempās Goliathās Curse is a brilliant, unnerving, and strangely hopeful journey through the rise and fall of civilizations. Like Sapiens meets Mad Max, it exposes a central truth: the bigger and more unequal societies become, the more fragile they are. Drawing on thousands of years of history and cutting-edge data, Kemp argues that the real cause of collapse isnātContinueContinue reading “Goliathās Curse”
The US ‘Healthcare’ System is a Mess
A recent and important PBGH white paper reveals the fundamentally chaotic and arbitrary nature of U.S. commercial healthcare pricing, demonstrating that provider rates have no correlation to quality and vary dramatically without logical justification š³ Key Findings The study analyzed data from five major employers (including Boeing, Qualcomm, and Denver’s city/county government) across multiple geographicContinueContinue reading “The US ‘Healthcare’ System is a Mess”
One Battle After Another
Iām calling it the best movie of the year (or the decade!) Canāt stop talking about āOne Battle After Anotherā? Neither can we āOne Battle After Anotherā brought in $48.5 million globally last weekend, making this wild, R-rated comedy-action-thrillerā¦the No. 1 movie in the worldā¦Critics have been no less effusive, calling it āan epic marvelContinueContinue reading “One Battle After Another”
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK IN PARIS
This Paris map from Kate Donnelly has her favorite restaurants, cafĆ©s, bars, the best bakeries, quick restaurant reviews, and best places to photograph all around the major tourist attractions as well as smaller more village-y parts of Paris that you might not have been to. Here are Kate’s favorite places in Paris My Favorite FrenchContinueContinue reading “WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK IN PARIS”
Longevity Update – Supplements
On my trip to Paris, I found myself in an extended conversation about longevity and health strategies with a lovely person I met on my first day! It reminded me how much interest (and confusion) exists around supplements to extend health span. Iāve been digging into the data for several years and offer this conciseContinueContinue reading “Longevity Update – Supplements”
āF**k You, Make Meā
John Oliver, Disney, and the Fight for Free Speech John Oliver just handed America its new national motto, and put Disneyās board, Trump and the maggots in their place. Last week on *Last Week Tonight*, Oliver torched ABCās brief decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel after Trump threw another tantrum over being mocked. CorporateContinueContinue reading “āF**k You, Make Meā”
Peter Thielās Apocalypse
Audio Version (please click for RSS) Overcast Link Faith, Fear, and the Future of Technology Yet another billionaireās attempt to warp, manipulate and re-interpret the Bible for his own world view? Peter Thiel, the billionaire investor behind some of Silicon Valleyās most powerful technology firms (and JD Vance!), is urging audiences to see the futureContinueContinue reading “Peter Thielās Apocalypse”
The “Perfect Storm” in Healthcare
A “Perfect Storm” in the American healthcare system is developing, driven by mounting structural failures and stupid political decisions. The core issues include severe physician shortages, government cutbacks on Medicare and preventative services, looming loss of ACA marketplace subsidies, and major reductions in public health and child nutrition programs, all combining to reduce access, qualityContinueContinue reading “The “Perfect Storm” in Healthcare”
If AI Can Diagnose, What Are Doctors For?
Dr. Dhruv Khullarās New Yorker article, āIf A.I. Can Diagnose Patients, What Are Doctors For?,ā explores how large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are transforming medical diagnostics, blending compelling anecdote with wide-ranging critique. The article opens with the story of Matthew Williams, whose mysterious gastrointestinal illness eluded eight clinicians but was quickly explained byContinueContinue reading “If AI Can Diagnose, What Are Doctors For?”
Dr Bob, Brain Mechanic 