Oncology

Despite an overall decline in cancer-specific mortality, death rates from certain cancer types are rising among Asian American and Pacific Islander populations.

Smoking | Image credit: ehabeljean - stock.adobe.com.jpg

October 31st 2024

Early Smoking Cessation Treatment After Cancer Diagnosis Improves Survival

Smoking after a cancer diagnosis increases risk of mortality and a second cancer, study finds.

Wanmei Ou, PhD, vice president of product, data analytics, and AI at Ontada

October 28th 2024

Transforming Oncology Care With AI-Driven Insights

Leveraging Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI, Ontada streamlines oncology data analysis, reducing processing times by 85% to support clinical decisions and improve patient care for over 3000 oncologists across 30 states, according to Wanmei Ou, PhD, vice president of product, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) at Ontada.

October 24th 2024

Sarcoma Care: Biomarker Advancements Shape the Future

Maggie L. Shaw

At the regional Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event in Boston, Vinayak Venkataraman, MD, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, was a panelist for the discussion, “Recent Advancements in Identifying Predictive Biomarkers for Sarcomas."

Gut health concept | Image credit: faithie - stock.adobe.com

October 23rd 2024

Ixcela, Roper St. Francis Healthcare Launch Innovative Cancer Support Program to Improve Treatment Outcomes

A pioneering program targeting gut microbiome health significantly reduces cancer treatment side effects, enhancing patient well-being and resilience.

Glenn Balasky, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center.

October 21st 2024

Bridging the Digital Divide of Rural Cancer Care With Telehealth

Cameron Santoro

Glenn Balasky, executive director of Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, emphasizes the need for government support to sustain telehealth and suggested a hybrid model combining centralized high-tech care with remote monitoring to address the challenges of providing innovative care in rural settings.

October 17th 2024

Elevating Sarcoma Outcomes Through Value-Based Care

Maggie L. Shaw

At our recent Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event in Boston, Hari Deshpande, MD, Yale Cancer Center, presented on predictive biomarkers in sarcomas.

Advancing health equity can be achieved through community engagement | image credit: Andrii - stock.adobe.com

October 16th 2024

Community Engagement, Culturally Tailored Care as a Gateway to Advancing Health Equity

Kyle Munz

Many talks at the Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) 41st National Oncology Conference advocated for the adoption of culturally relevant care, the leveraging of community partnerships, and community engagement to build better trust with patients and improve outcomes.

Screenshot of an interview with Terry Keys

October 16th 2024

Combatting Misconceptions of Clinical Trials to Improve Patient Participation

There are many misconceptions patients might have about clinical trials that prevent them from participating, and it’s important to understand what they are in order to overcome them, said Terry L. Keys, of University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center.

Screenshot of an interview with Naoto Ueno, MD, PhD

October 15th 2024

Creating Equitable Cancer Care for Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage

Alexandra Gerlach Laura Joszt, MA

Naoto T. Ueno, MD, PhD, FACP, of the University of Hawai’I Cancer Center outlines the underrepresentation in clinical trials, the lack of permanent medical oncologists, and issues of trust affecting care for the populations living in Hawaii.

October 14th 2024

Navigating the Complexities of Cancer Care: Cannabis and Cost Considerations

Doing Things Differently: Wilfong Moves to Thyme Care

October 12th 2024

Mary Caffrey

Lalan Wilfong, MD, a 20-year medical oncologist with Texas Oncology, is senior vice president, value-based care, Thyme Care.

October 11th 2024

Tangle of Tech: How Community Oncology Practices Can Successfully Navigate the Health Technology Landscape

Nini Wu, MD, MBA Anish Arora

October 11th 2024

Setting the Course for Comprehensive Care Navigation in Oncology

Vishnukamal Golla, MD, MPH Allan Zuckoff, PhD Lucy MacPhail, PhD John Tam, MD Chevon Rariy, MD

October 11th 2024

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Prior Authorizations for Patients With Cancer

Benjamin Ukert, PhD Stephanie Schauder, PhD Daniel Cullen, PhD David Debono, MD Michael Eleff, MD Michael J. Fisch, MD, MPH

The prior authorization process for patients with cancer demonstrates fewer days until submission and lower denial rates for Asian patients relative to White patients.

October 10th 2024

Defining Value in Oncology Pharmacy: Insights on Care and Costs

Maggie L. Shaw

The theme of our inaugural regional Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event in Boston was, “Elevating Value in Cancer Care,” and one of the 4 panel discussions focused on the important contributions of pharmacists and the practice of pharmacy to the oncology space.

Hands holding green lymphoma ribbon | Image credit: sulit.photos - stock.adobe.com

October 9th 2024

Childhood Lymphoma: Raising Awareness for Early Detection and Better Outcomes

It is important to educate and bring awareness to childhood lymphoma, its symptoms, treatment options, and the need for support.

Cancer screening | Image credit: kenchiro168 - stock.adobe.com

October 3rd 2024

Fear of Recurrence Is Common Among Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer

Adults who survived childhood cancer experience elevated fear that their primary cancer will recur or that a subsequent malignant neoplasm will develop, according to a new study.

September 29th 2024

Managing AEs of Cannabis Use in Patients With Cancer

There are some short-lived, common adverse events for patients using cannabis, but also some more dangerous, less common ones in chronic users, explained Marie Parish, PharmD, BCOP, of Mayo Clinic.

September 27th 2024

Expanding Access to Innovative Cancer Treatments

Linda Bosserman, MD, PhD, FASCO, FACP, of City of Hope, discusses the implementation of cutting-edge cancer treatments, emphasizing the need for effective information sharing and collaboration to improve cancer care access for diverse populations.

September 26th 2024

Increasing Access to Supportive Oncology Care Can Drive Health Equity

Andrew Leitner, MD, of City of Hope, discusses the challenges of integrating supportive care into cancer treatment and proposes solutions to improve access for patients from underserved communities.

September 25th 2024

Closing Gaps in Value-Based Cancer Care

Linda Bosserman, MD, PhD, FASCO, FACP, of City of Hope, emphasizes the need for a sustainable health care system that balances cost with care so patients can achieve the best survival and quality of life after a cancer diagnosis.

September 24th 2024

New FTC Lawsuit Against PBMs Has Broad Implications for Pharmaceuticals, Ted Okon Says

Julia Bonavitacola Skylar Jeremias

Ted Okon, MBA, executive director of the Community Oncology Alliance, spoke with The American Journal of Managed Care® about how the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) lawsuit against pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) could affect the future of pharmaceuticals and oncology.

September 24th 2024

Spotlighting the Critical Role of Supportive Care in Cancer Treatment

Andrew Leitner, MD, City of Hope, highlights the essential role of supportive care in improving the quality of life of patients with cancer undergoing treatment.

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September 23rd 2024

Higher Risk of Heart Events in Older Cancer Survivors Linked to Chemotherapy

New research highlights increased stroke, heart attack, and heart failure risks in cancer survivors, especially those treated with chemotherapy.

September 22nd 2024

AI in Cancer Care Can Be Powerful, but There Will Be Learning Curves, Says Glenn Balasky

Alexandra Gerlach Laura Joszt, MA

Demonstration projects to show accurate use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer care are important to prevent a loss of credibility in the technology, explained Glenn Balasky, executive director, Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers.

September 22nd 2024

Precision, Personalization, and Equity: Key Trends Shaping the Future of Cancer Care

Joseph Alvarnas, MD, of City of Hope, discusses how he envisions the future of cancer care over the next decade.

September 20th 2024

IVBM Chair Summarizes Key Takeaways on Value-Based Oncology Care

Joseph Alvarnas, MD, of City of Hope, recaps yesterday's Institute for Value-Based Medicine® (IVBM) event on value-based oncology care, emphasizing patient-centered approaches and how attendees can apply these insights in their daily practice.

September 20th 2024

Systemic Treatments for Advanced Prostate Cancer: Relationship Between Health Insurance Plan and Treatment Costs

Deborah R. Kaye, MD, MS Hui-Jie Lee, PhD Alexander Gordee, MA Daniel J. George, MD Charles D. Scales Jr, MD, MSHS Peter A. Ubel, MD M. Kate Bundorf, PhD, MBA, MPH

The authors examine how insurer and patient out-of-pocket payments for advanced prostate cancer differ by drug and health plan type and describe the relationship between these payments and utilization.

September 15th 2024

Incorporating Discussions of Cannabis Use Into Oncology Care Visits