Oncology

Among adults with newly diagnosed cancer, rates of low-value cancer services persisted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in areas ranging from peridiagnosis imaging to end-of-life care.

A lawsuit that followed a health system revoking community oncologists' hospital privileges was the jumping off point for a discussion of how to manage this key relationship.

Mila Felder, MD, FACEP, emergency physician and vice president for Well-Being for All Teammates, Advocate Health, discusses the impact of peer support groups within a health care organization and its patients.

With the 2024 Community Oncology Conference, from the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), set to kick off this week in Orlando, Florida, The American Journal of Managed Care® spoke with Emily Touloukian, DO, COA board member and 1 of 6 cochairs for this year’s meeting, on highlights from the packed agenda and the power of advocacy.

Will Shapiro, vice president of data science at Flatiron Health, discusses opportunities to implement artificial intelligence in cancer care.

Explainability, consent, and responsibility are noted as challenges that may hinder implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer care, according to a new study.

Posters presented at the American Academy of Dermatology 2024 Annual Meeting identified significant health disparities among patients living in rural areas and those with skin of color (SOC).

The FDA has approved tislelizumab-jsgr (Tevimbra) for single-agent use in adult patients with unresectable or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma following prior systemic chemotherapy that did not include a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor.

Stress has potential links to worse outcomes in cancer, such as decreased quality of life and greater risks of disease progression and metastasis. There is a complex mix of emotions patients with cancer experience.

Modeling estimates indicate that annual breast cancer screening starting at age 40 years provides the greatest benefit to women and reduces risk per examination.

The session at ACCC's 50th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit featured discussions on patient navigation, addressing patients' sexual health, needs of LGBTQ+ patients, and more.

Mila Felder, MD, FACEP, emergency physician and vice president for Well-Being for All Teammates, Advocate Health, talks about tailoring the Stanford Model of Professional Fulfillment to support the postpandemic oncology workforce.

Among a cohort of insured patients with cancer, the median total monthly cost of oral lenvatinib was $17,253, and 75% of patients paid $100 or less out of pocket per month for the drug.

ONCare Alliance will be led by 2 of the leading women in community oncology, cochairs Barbara McAneny, MD, of the New Mexico Cancer Center, and Sibel Blau, MD, of Northwest Medical Specialties, PLLC, of Puyallup, Washington.

Quality Improvement (QI) projects require a series of distinct steps and timely data collection that will allow clinics to see if changes are yielding results, a consultant told attendees at a preconference workshop at ACCC.

Patients with cancer express shock and anxiety over the recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court regarding frozen embryos; doctors are beginning to charge fees for administrative tasks; some universities are implementing accelerated nursing programs to help with the shortage.

A nationwide analysis reveals a significant drop in cancer diagnoses, highlighting an urgent need for a catch-up in screening efforts.

Kiana Mehring, MBA, director of strategic partnerships, managed care at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, shares her thoughts on future directions in value-based oncology care and research.

Researchers have identified a surge in breast cancer rates among young women and racial disparities across age groups.

Chandler Cortina, MD, MS, FSSO, FACS, is assistant professor of surgery and breast surgical oncologist at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. His current research focuses on breast cancer risk not only in general but also among transgender and gender-diverse populations.

Miriam J. Atkins, MD, FACP, president of the Community Oncology Alliance, discusses the impact of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) on health care costs and offers potential ways to remedy certain CMS decisions that negatively affect oncologists and their patients.

The increased risk is likely due to the underlying cancer disease and adjuvant treatments, researchers find.

A tumor-agnostic approval would be a significant development in the advance of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which are designed to deliver a potent, cancer-fighting payload into a tumor while sparing nearby tissues.

UnitedHealthcare's oncology payment mode initially involved a pay-for-performance program based on pathways adherence, and will be transitioning in 2024 to a broader system with graded quartiles to incentivize greater participation and pathway adherence.

The Thyme Care virtual navigation program demonstrated a $594 reduction in total costs per member per month for navigated cancer patients compared with a control group, emphasizing the scalability of the independent virtual navigation model across various contracts, with opportunities to adapt to different populations and needs in the evolving landscape of value-based care arrangements.

Treatment with both PD-1 and TIGIT immunotherapy alongside chemotherapy demonstrated improved progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Especially during shortages, Kirollos S. Hanna, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, FACCC, director of pharmacy services at Minnesota Oncology, says practices should carve out areas where going to a different therapeutic approach isn't considered off-pathway.

Biosimilars offer substantial promise for a new era of accessibility and affordability for patients and the broader health care industry, but better understanding of these products from payers and providers is necessary for biosimilars to reach their full potential in the US.