Oncology

Since the introduction of the Oncology Care Model, oncologists have raised numerous questions as they weigh whether to apply for participation.

The study conducted by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and published in JAMA Oncology, found a siginificant increase in progression-free survival in men who initiated statin therapy along with androgen deprivation for their prostate cancer.

Costs have a huge impact on patients and financial toxicity, particularly in cancer care, is being given greater consideration now, according to Alex Bastian, MBA, senior vice president at GfK.

Although 30-day morbidity and mortality all declined incrementally for terminally ill cancer patients undergoing surgical intervention from 2006-2010, the number of surgeries remains high, according to a study from University of California, Davis Health System.

The pharmaceutical industry has learnt its lesson from the pushback that Gilead faced over the price of its hepatitis C drug, Sovaldi. The lack of a price discussion prior to the introduction of the regimen washed-out the excitement over a "cure" for the disease.

Earlier diagnosis, longer treatment duration, and increased effectiveness of cancer therapies all contributed to the constantly rising spending levels for these medicines.

Myriad continues its fight to retain customers in its core BRCA testing business, and doctors who have stayed loyal say one of Myriad's biggest advantages is its private database of test results.

Patient access, supply chain, adherence, and comorbidities are only a few of the challenges associated with oral anticancer agents, which are included distributed by specialty pharmacies.

Lung cancer patients who used statins in the year prior to a lung cancer diagnosis or after a lung cancer diagnosis had a reduction in the risk of death from the disease.

The debate over including patient reported outcomes on oncology drug labels continues. The FDA expects well-defined and validated measurement tools and the patient community wants patient experiences to find their way to the label.

Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts Holding Co, which has aggressively negotiated lower costs of new hepatitis C drugs, on Wednesday said a new "focus area" will be subduing costs of a growing wave of pricey biotech cancer drugs.

Amgen might be the latest entrant in the immunotherapy realm if the FDA heeds the advice of an independent advisory panel, recommending Amgen's anticancer viral therapy, T-Vec, for melanoma treatment.

A press release by Bristol-Myers Squibb announced their filing of a supplemental Biologics License Application for Opdivo (nivolumab) in the treatment of previously untreated individuals with advanced melanoma.

The consortium, called CANCER-ID, is a partnership between 33 organizations across 13 European nations focused on establishing the clinical utility of liquid biopsies in patients with NSCLC and HER2-resistant breast cancer.

Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, results showed that women who had previously breastfed their babies had a 30% overall decreased risk of their breast cancer recurring.

While lawmakers, payers, and patient advocates are raising a voice against the sky-rocketing costs of the newer breakthorugh agents in cancer, the drug developers can boast a strong start to the year with big sales figures.

Published early online in Cancer, the findings suggest that the expansion of coverage through the Affordable Care Act may disproportionally benefit certain patient populations.

The accelerated review, the results of which were made public 2 days prior to a vote by an FDA advisory panel on using T-Vec in melaonma, cited concerns over the design and results of a key study with the viral drug.

While brachytherapy improved progression-free survival in men with prostate cancer, compared with traditional readiotherapy, the study found that overall survival was not very different between the 2 groups.

A late afternoon session on the first day of the 2015 Community Oncology Conference was a panel discussion called, "The Pathway Conundrum: How Many Do We Need and How Restrictive?"

The survey, conducted at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and published in the Annals of Surgery, found that half of women with cancer in 1 breast are interested in removing their healthy breast to avoid a second cancer.

Historically, people talk about pathways as if they are an answer, but they are really just one component to cancer care delivery, said Laura Long, MD, MPH, president at TheLongView, PC.

A cancer diagnosis is a very emotional experience, and besides for lifestyle issues, medications are one of the best ways to fight the disease, according to Jan Berger, MD, MJ.

The panel discussion, "Tackling Advanced Care Planning in Payment Reform: People and Politics" at the 2015 Community Oncology Conference, included a provider who is an active proponent of advanced care planning (ACP), a program director at a nonprofit health insurance company, and a healthcare consultant who until recently worked for a big health plan.

CMS wasted nearly $251 million in taxpayer dollars on infusion drugs in just 18 months by using outdated drug pricing estimates, which drove up the cost of prescription injectable drugs for an aging baby boomer population.