Oncology

During the Health Services Research and Quality of Care session on the second day of the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, being held at the McCormick Convention Center, Chicago, oncologists discussed barriers to patient participation in cancer clinical trials, and discussed attributes of the high cost of care.

The introduction of the immune regulatory checkpoint inhibitors and their impressive results is what John C. Morris, MD, professor of hematology and oncology at the University of Cincinnati, finds most exciting in the area of lung cancer immunotherapy.

This week CMS unveiled its proposed rule to overhaul Medicaid managed care and folded to Florida Governor Rick Scott, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology kicks off its annual meeting in Chicago.

New study results being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago found that the PD-1 and PD-L1 biomarkers can be used to determine response and resistance, explained Daniel P. Petrylak, MD.

The move to have patients shoulder greater share of their cost of care is particularly challenging in cancer care, according to Jennifer Malin, MD, medical director for oncology at Anthem.

On the first day at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, physicians introduced some of the newer agents currently available to treat lymphoma and described their experience with these agents during the session, "Incorporating Novel Agents into Lymphoma Therapy: Value in Everyday Practice."

More than half of women diagnosed with breast cancer undergo breast-conserving surgery with a partial mastectomy. A new study from the Yale Cancer Center found that removing more tissue during this procedure could spare thousands of these patients from a second surgery.

An international study has estimated that in 2013, there were 14.9 million newly diagnosed cases of cancer and 8.2 million deaths around the world.

Most of the research in cancer economics has been on total cost and cost effectiveness, which is why Veena Shankaran MD, MS, assistant professor in the division of medical oncology at the University of Washington, wanted to have a panel discussion on financial toxicity at the ISPOR 20th Annual Meeting.

Cancer patients under the age of 65 are much more likely to try alternative and complimentary medicine to ease their symptoms and the side effects of their cancer treatments.

A study published in the New England Journals of Medicine evaluated the ability of financial incentives in promoting smoking cessation.

With more than 35,000 people expected to attend the 2015 ASCO Annual Meeting, there are many highly anticipated aspects of the conference; however, Peter P. Yu, MD, FACP, FASCO, president of ASCO and director of Cancer Research at Palo Alto Medical Foundation, highlighted how the society has been going in a different direction with its keynote speaker.

Medical monitoring and counseling can help us track and contain many harmful effects of cancer drug-induced cardiotoxicity. Patient engagement from the very beginning, along with medically advanced testing methods, can help us surmount cardiotoxicity and better ensure that patients receive only the benefits of essential cancer treatment.

Improved survivorship rates among cancer patients has brought a growing awareness of a serious latent impact of chemotherapy and radiation: cardiotoxicity. Despite extensive research on the subject, our understanding of the tools for identifying and preventing these complications is limited.

To promote collaboration and efficiency, the MD Anderson Cancer Center developed an interdisciplinary team—based Heart Success Program to coordinate the management of concurrent cardiomyopathy and HF while the patient is receiving cancer treatment.

Steve Miller, MD, chief medical officer of Express Scripts, explained indication-specific pricing as an alternate pricing model for high cost specialty medications like oncology drugs.