Oncology

A new study on the effects of cancer patients' financial burdens suggests that pharmacists can play a role in easing or preventing some of their stress.

Researchers have uncovered how melanoma becomes resistant to a promising new drug combo therapy utilizing BRAF+MEK inhibitors in patients after an initial period of tumor shrinkage.

The research, published in JAMA Surgery, analyzed data collected from NCI's SEER database, between 1988 till 2010, on stage 4 CRC patients who had surgery or not for primary tumor resection. Survival data on these patients was then analyzed and associated with their surgical status.

The authors of the research say that this information could be especially valuable for the Spanish population: "Even though these variants are rare or not frequent in the population, their frequency is greater in Spain than in other countries."

Overall, metabolic syndrome was associated with a 39 percent to 103 percent increased risk of endometrial cancer in women 65 and older, according to the study.

With the dawn of the modern era of new chemotherapeutic and biologic agents available for managing their disease, patients with metastatic colorectal cancer are undergoing less surgery for the removal of their primary tumors.

In an Ope-Ed in The New York Times , Peter Bach, MD, from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, questions the rising drug prices and contemplates solutions.

Members of the ASCO Government Relations Committee are busy meeting Members of Congress as well as State Affiliates to address a number of healthcare issue early in the year.

Involving the pharmacy benefits manager earlier in the decision-making process could lead to cost savings on cancer treatments, Express Scripts Chief Executive Officer George Paz said at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, California.

In addition to recommendations on alternate techniques, the revised guideline, being jointly developed by CAP, IASLC, and AMP, will also include testing for emerging biomarkers in lung cancer.

After their decision to include Abbvie's triple combination for hepatitis C on their formulary, over Gilead's more expensive regimens, Express Scripts indicated at the J. P. Morgan Healthcare Conference that they'll continue the stance of choosing treatments that are equally effective but save costs, especially in cancer.