Study Finds HCV Infection Increases 10-Year Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
December 14th 2018A combined analysis of data gathered from the Canadian Health Measures Survey and the US–National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found a 2.5% to 3.5% increase in the 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with a hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
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McAneny Discusses OCM, Community Practices, and Building the Right Rewards
December 10th 2018The American Journal of Managed Care® sat down with Barbara McAneny, MD, president of the American Medical Association (AMA), to discuss how the AMA is working to "help create the healthcare system of the future."
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A median 19-month follow-up of the JULIET trial—a single-arm, open-label, multicenter, global, pivotal phase 2 trial of the chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy tisagenlecleucel directed against CD19-expressing B cells—has found a 40% complete response and a manageable safety profile in adult patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
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HBV Reactivation a Serious Adverse Effect of DAAs in the Treatment of HCV
December 6th 2018A kidney transplant patient treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for a chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection showed reactivation of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which proved fatal. The authors of the report recommend a call to action for including HBV testing as part of the patient’s work-up in transplant recipients who are on immunosuppressants, especially in the context of abnormal liver tests.
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iLLUMINATE: Superior PFS With Ibrutinib–Obinutuzumab Even in High-Risk, Untreated CLL/SLL
December 3rd 2018Ibrutinib combined with obinutuzumab had better progression-free survival (PFS) at 30 months than the standard chemoimmunotherapy regimen, chlorambucil plus obinutuzumab, regardless of high-risk genomic features in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL) who had never been treated.
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ASH-EHA Joint Symposium Dives Deep Into the Leukemia–Down Syndrome Connection
December 3rd 2018While several associations between constitutional syndromes, such as Down syndrome, and predisposition to cancers have been recognized, recommendations for surveillance or clear association between the 2 are lacking.
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Ibrutinib Alone Better Than Chemoimmunotherapy as Frontline in Older Patients With CLL
December 3rd 2018According to the results of Alliance A041202, an international multicenter phase 3 trial, ibrutinib produces superior progression-free survival (PFS) compared with standard chemoimmunotherapy in older patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and adding rituximab does not improve the ibrutinib response.
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Length of Hospital Stay Key Driver of Costs Associated With CRS Following CAR T Treatment
December 2nd 2018Health resource utilization data gathered from the TRANSCEND-NHL trial have found that longer stays in the intensive care unit have a significant impact on the cost of care due to cytokine release syndrome (CRS) following treatment with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells.
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Studies at ASH Evaluate Episodic ED Utilization, Adherence, QOL in Sickle Cell Disease
December 2nd 2018Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) typically face episodic emergency department (ED) and inpatient encounters, and innovative interventions are necessary to improve adherence to hydroxyurea treatment among youth suffering from SCD. These were the findings of 2 studies presented during an outcomes research session at the 60th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition.
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Real-World Evidence With Axicabtagene Ciloleucel CAR T Treatment Similar to ZUMA-1 Trial Findings
December 2nd 2018A multicenter retrospective study that evaluated the efficacy and safety of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell treatment, axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel; Yescarta), in a real-world setting found a similar response as well as toxicity compared with the ZUMA-1 clinical trial.
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Canadian Health Agencies Release Physical Activity Guidance During Pregnancy
December 1st 2018The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology have released consensus guidelines that will provide guidance for pregnant women as well as their clinical care providers on prenatal physical activity.
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To better understand the characteristics of patients with chronic kidney disease who require hemodialysis or renal transplant, researchers in Brazil evaluated the prevalence of resistance-associated substitutions to direct-acting antivirals in this population who also carry the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
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Inflammatory Disease Activity, Corticosteroid Use Increase Risk of Preterm Delivery
November 24th 2018Rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis increase the risk of preterm delivery (PTD) in pregnant women. Additionally, treatment with corticosteroid can lead to a 2- to 5-fold increased risk of PTD in both groups, independent of disease activity.
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Universal HCV Screening Economical Over Risk-Based Screening in Pregnant Women
November 22nd 2018According to a new study presented at The Liver Meeting, combining universal screening for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) with reflex RNA PCR in pregnant women is more cost-effective than risk-based screening.
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ANCHOR Study Finds High Adherence Rate in Patients With Hepatitis C Who Inject Opioids
November 14th 2018Research presented at The Liver Meeting, held by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, found high rates of adherence, treatment completion, and sustained virologic response among patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) who inject drugs. These findings led authors to recommend inclusion of this subset of patients in HCV treatment programs.
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ACR Study: Childhood Abuse Increases the Risk of Lupus in Women
November 12th 2018Systemic lupus erythematosus, characterized by systemic inflammation in multiple organs, has a higher probability of being diagnosed in women who experienced emotional or physical abuse when growing up, according to a study presented at the 2018 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/The Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals Annual Meeting.
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Saving Costs While Maintaining Quality of Care—The Value of Biosimilars in Oncology
November 8th 2018According to a review published in Cancer Management and Research, biosimilar products present a viable cost-saving tool for providers participating in value-based care programs such as the Medicare Shared Savings Program or the Oncology Care Model.
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Are TNF Inhibitors Safe in Pregnancy?
November 2nd 2018A review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences highlights existing knowledge gaps in understanding the safety and impact of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α inhibitors in pregnant women suffering from inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis and rhaumatoid arthritis.
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Learnings From Priority Health's Oncology Payment Reform Model
November 1st 2018To speak about the success and continued development of Priority Health's payment reform model in cancer care, John Fox, MD, medical director at Priority Health, joined Dennis Zoet, chief business development officer at Cancer and Hematology Centers of Western Michigan, on a panel at the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit.
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Long-Term Research Shows Positive Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients With Lupus
November 1st 2018New research presented at the 2018 American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals Annual Meeting, in Chicago, Illinois, reported on progress over the past 20 years in the care of pregnant women with systemic lupus erythepatosus (SLE) that has led to a decline in maternal mortality and intrauterine fetal death among patients with SLE.
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Experts Discuss Regulatory, Cultural Roadblocks to Progress With Value-Based Agreements
October 31st 2018At the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit, healthcare policy experts from a government relations firm and from the pharmaceutical industry provided an update on the progress with value-based agreements and also discussed the challenges posed by the existing infrastructure and operational framework.
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COA's OCM 2.0: Moving Toward a Universal Payment Model
October 30th 2018The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) has been working with its member practices and some payer partners who have successfully implemented innovative care delivery and payment models to develop a 2.0 version of CMS’ Oncology Care Model (OCM). A progress report was presented at COA’s Payer Exchange Summit held October 29-30 in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia.
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Community Practices Continue to Struggle With ED Use, Risk Stratification in OCM
October 30th 2018While practice transformation is vital, community-based clinics continue to struggle with emergency department (ED) use, hospitalization, and risk stratification as they identify ways to reduce unnecessary expenditures within their Oncology Care Model (OCM) practice.
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Research at NANETS Cites Value of Genetic Testing in Neuroendocrine Tumors
October 7th 2018Two posters presented at the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS) annual meeting, October 4-6 in Seattle, Washington, lend support to the idea of targeted treatment for neuroendocrine tumors.
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