Sharon Worcester

Sharon Worcester is an award-winning medical journalist for MDedge News. She has been with the company since 1996, first as the Southeast Bureau Chief (1996-2009) when the company was known as International Medical News Group, then as a freelance writer (2010-2015) before returning as a reporter in 2015. She previously worked as a daily newspaper reporter covering health and local government. Sharon currently reports primarily on oncology and hematology. She has a BA from Eckerd College and an MA in Mass Communication/Print Journalism from the University of Florida. Connect with her via LinkedIn and follow her on twitter @SW_MedReporter.

News

Blocking two targets boosted fetal hemoglobin expression

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: January 14, 2016

New findings related to fetal globin expression could open the door to novel therapies for adults with sickle cell disease and thalassemia.

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Mavoglurant disappoints in fragile X trials

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: January 13, 2016

The selective metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) antagonist mavoglurant failed to improve behavioral symptoms in patients with fragile X syndr...

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USPSTF supports mammography start at age 50

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: January 11, 2016

Women aged 50-74 years should undergo biennial screening mammography, and the decision to screen before age 50 should be individualized, according to ...

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USPSTF Supports Mammography Start at Age 50

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: January 11, 2016

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Novel polio vaccine strains promise improved post-eradication safety

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: January 7, 2016

Newly developed polio vaccine strains could replace currently used risky inactivated vaccines, thereby allowing for safer vaccine production in a post...

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High-dose vitamin D increases fall risk in study of 200 patients

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: January 4, 2016

Older adults treated with high-dose vitamin D as part of a double-blind, randomized clinical trial achieved target 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels at 6 and...

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Core needle biopsy proves sensitive for first-line thyroid nodule diagnosis

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: December 11, 2015

The nondiagnostic result rate was significantly lower with core needle biopsy than with fine-needle aspiration as a first-line biopsy method for newly...

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Review group disputes FDA’s power morcellator warning

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: December 9, 2015

A November 2014 Food and Drug Administration warning against the use of laparoscopic power morcellators was based on a “misleading analysis,” accordin...

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Experts call for international cooperation on human gene editing

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: December 3, 2015

As the International Summit on Human Gene Editing comes to a close, organizers call for cooperation to establish norms for acceptable and ethical u...

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Roux-en-Y improves NASH in obese patients

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: December 2, 2015

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in obese patients, a Markov model suggests.

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On-demand PrEP protects high-risk men against HIV

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: December 1, 2015

A landmark study in France has demonstrated that preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) antiretroviral therapy offers protection against HIV-1 infection among...

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Short-course DAA regimens for HCV provide limited cure rates

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: November 23, 2015

Four weeks of three- or four-agent direct-acting antiviral therapy was well tolerated, but less than a third of non-cirrhotic patients with hepatitis ...

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ARC-520 shows promise in chronic hepatitis B

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: November 23, 2015

ARC-520, the first RNA interference–based drug to reach patients, produced deep and durable knockdown of viral antigens and DNA in chronic hepatitis B...

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AASLD: Pilot study shows value of response-guided therapy for HCV GT1b

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: November 18, 2015

Response-guided therapy using all-oral triple direct-acting antiviral therapy appears useful for shortening the duration of treatment in noncirrhotic ...

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Transplant waiting-list registrations dropped after direct acting–antiviral approval

Author:: Sharon Worcester

Publish date: November 18, 2015

The number of new waiting-list registrations for liver transplantation among patients with hepatitis C virus declined significantly after the introduc...