Oncology

Manmeet Ahluwalia, MD, MBA, chief, Solid Tumor Medical Oncology; deputy director; and chief scientific officer at Miami Cancer Institute, addressed disparities in genomic testing among minority patients with cancer, as well as equitable care strategies at his organization’s Center for Equity in Cancer Care & Research.

A session at the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) 2023 Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit highlighted ongoing issues in oncology policy and payment, from the Cures 2.0 Act to 340B drug reimbursement.

Jeff Hunnicutt, CEO of Highlands Oncology Group, explains the 2 risk options provided under the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) and why the mandatory downside risk might give pause to practices that saw some success in the Oncology Care Model.

As scientists are identifying molecular alterations in patients with later-stage cancers that may be targets in earlier-stage disease, next-generation sequencing is being utilized more in the first-line setting, noted Sigrun Hallmeyer, MD, medical oncologist with Advocate Health.

Kevin Davies, PhD, executive editor, The CRISPR Journal and GEN Biotechnology, discusses how CRISPR has evolved from the initial discovery of the double helix to now, with the technology holding great promise for both genetic diseases and cancers.

A session at the ACCC 2023 Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit addressed the promise and potential drawbacks of multicancer early detection (MCED) testing for patients in the primary care setting.

In the first keynote session at the ACCC 2023 Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit, the history of CRISPR genome editing and its potential in cancer and other settings took center stage.

Andre Harvin, PharmD, MS, MBA, Cone Health Cancer Center, discusses the vital role of pharmacists in oncology: how they use data to streamline patient visits, work to facilitate patient access to biosimilars, and advocate for their patients.

Samyukta Mullangi, MD, MBA, oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and incoming medical director at Thyme Care, spoke on financial toxicity, heterogeneity of cancer, and other complex factors in oncology care systems that may perpetuate disparities in health care outcomes and delivery among patients.

Olalekan Ajayi, PharmD, MBA, chief operating officer of Highlands Oncology Group, PA, and 2023-2024 president-elect of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), discusses why he is excited for this year’s meeting, including its many workshops and day 1 keynote on CRISPR.

Stephen M. Schleicher, MD, MBA, chief medical officer at Tennessee Oncology, discusses the present state of value-based oncology care and what the future may bring when the Enhancing Oncology Model kicks off on July 1.

David A. Eagle, MD, New York Cancer & Blood Specialists, discusses the present state of treatment for cancer, which often sees patient financial concerns outweighed by the cost of treatment.

Utilizing real-world evidence that applies to the specific care needs of certain patient populations can promote timely decision-making among payers and providers on the use of effective cancer therapies available on the market, said panelists at the 2022 Patient-Centered Oncology Care® (PCOC) meeting.

Coverage from the January 18, 2023, Institute for Value-Based Medicine session with Regional Cancer Care Associates held in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Richard L. Martin III, MD, MPH, medical director for Health Equity and Community Engagement, Tennessee Oncology; president, Tennessee Oncology Practice Society.

At Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates, the No One Left Alone (NOLA) initiative is working to break down cancer health disparities among its patients by addressing the social determinants of health that may be preventing equitable access to care.

A novel algorithm based on patient-reported outcome questionnaires stratified patients by disease complexity and effectively identified those at a higher risk of having an acute care visit.

Whitney Jones, MD, chief medical advisor at GRAIL Inc, discusses the PATHFINDER study of multi-cancer early detection testing.

The findings emphasize a need for policies that may offset the impact of direct and indirect costs for patients with breast cancer.