Oncology

The editors introduce this special issue, which contributes to an ongoing dialogue in cancer care that explores the tension between new therapeutics and the ever-increasing need to limit resources.

This study characterized patterns and costs of medical care by disease phase in patients with newly diagnosed mCRC using a large US national commercially insured claims database.

Adherence to colon cancer post-treatment surveillance was low, although proportions of patients complying with office visits and colonoscopy were reasonably high.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology Quality Oncology Practice Initiative has grown to include 973 practices as of 2010. Practices demonstrated rates of end-of-life care and other measures of quality.

Ten percent of patients abandon newly initiated oral oncolytics at the pharmacy. Patients facing higher cost sharing or increased concurrent prescription activity have a higher abandonment rate.

Retrospective evaluations of electronic health records and claims databases to assess clinical outcomes and costs associated with evidence-based pathways in colon cancer.

A study of major US private payers showed an important role and considerable shortcomings of external health technology assessment in coverage decisions on personalized medicine.

The likelihood of chemotherapy being cost-effective for patients with metastatic prostate cancer differs across racial subgroups. This uncertainty presents challenges for managed-care decision makers.

Economic evaluations of adjuvant trastuzumab were reviewed. Three primary shortcomings were identified including incorporation of local data and estimation and representation (visual) of decision uncertainty.

We measured the financial consequences of new CRC treatment regimens. New regimens have increased cost directly through price and indirectly through nonstandard and second-line regimen use.

Healthcare coverage is simply unaffordable for too many people. It will only become affordable with radical changes in payment incentives and elimination of care that doesn%u2019t really matter.

An oral chemotherapy cycle management program offers clinical support, reduces medication wastage, and provides management of adverse effects to realize cost savings for payers and patients.

With an increasing demand for cancer care driven by the demographics of the aging population far outpacing the supply of oncologists, and the ongoing transformation of the reimbursement system, the challenges facing oncology are formidable.

Despite almost universal testing for human-epidermal-growth-factor-receptor-2 (HER2), many women with a HER2-positive cancer may not receive trastuzumab. Fewer women received the newer gene-expression-profile (GEP) test.

Evaluating current models and diagnosing successful strategies for payers and physicians.

WellPoint, UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) and Genentech collaborated to develop Journey Forward, a first-of-its-kind program for coordinating post-treatment care.

This study presents Humana's experience with a multigene breast cancer assay and provides an analysis of the clinical utility and economics of this technology.

The pay-for-performance program for breast cancer care had a positive impact on breast cancer outcome in Taiwan. Enrollees received better quality care and had better outcome.

Pre-conference program provided recommendations for oncology pharmacy management strategies.

This qualitative study assesses patient, PCP, and oncologist views on primary care roles in shared cancer care, as well as patterns of communication between physicians.

This article highlights the work of the National Oncology Working Group (NOW) Initiative.