ASCO: American Society of Clinical Oncology

The move to have patients shoulder greater share of their cost of care is particularly challenging in cancer care, according to Jennifer Malin, MD, medical director for oncology at Anthem.

On the first day at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, physicians introduced some of the newer agents currently available to treat lymphoma and described their experience with these agents during the session, "Incorporating Novel Agents into Lymphoma Therapy: Value in Everyday Practice."

Some experts argue that overdiagnosis (OD) and overtreatment (OT) of cancer is common and increasingly costly. Others argue that current cure rates are high because of the screening processes currently in place. Both viewpoints were debated during the session "Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment in Cancer: Point/Counterpoint."

The health services research poster session held in the afternoon on the penultimate day of the 50th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) presented different perspectives on issues that determine patient care decisions. This is an important discussion, especially in light of the recent report by The Wall Street Journal on WellPoint's effort to promote oncologist adherence to standardized treatment guidelines.

The discussion on value in cancer care was rekindled today at the 50th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, but this time on a global scale. The session, "ASCO/European CanCer Organisation (ECCO) Joint Session: Value and Cancer Care," saw participation from physicians and economists from around the world, with individual perspectives on defining value and the programs being developed to address the issue.

Velcade (bortezomib), developed by Millenium Pharmaceuticals, is a proteasome inhibitor that is currently approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma and relapsed mantle cell lymphoma. Several abstracts were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology this year for its use in other indications.

The second day at the 50th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology ended with a session entitled "Health Care in America in 2014: Current and Future Implications of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (PPACA). The presenters provided an overview of the recent and anticipated changes related to the PPACA as well as its timeline.

"The Value of Cancer Care and the Professional and Ethical Obligations of the Practicing Oncologist: A Debate" delved into the ethical issues raised by the economic reality of the rising costs of cancer care for the practicing oncologist.

ABT-199, the result of a collaboration between AbbVie and Genentech, is a selective, potent, orally available BCL-2 inhibitor. The drug is being developed in collaboration by the two companies for acute myelogenous leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

While the incidence of cancer continues to grow, novel and targeted therapies being developed have seen much improved survival for even the deadliest of cancers. New innovations in cancer diagnosis and treatment are associated with high cost. Cancer therapy constitutes nearly 11% of the total healthcare budget, and it is rapidly growing.

On the second day of the 50th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), a session titled, "Targeting EGFR: the next 10 years" provided a progress report on the successful targeting of the protein in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Daniel George, MD, Director, Prostate Clinic, Genitourinary Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, specifically discusses the immunotherapy agent, sipuleucel-T (Provenge) used in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Michael Kolodziej, MD, National Medical Director for Oncology Strategies, Aetna, says that the rapid emergence of precision medicine was one of the more interesting topics discussed at the ASCO 2013 Annual Meeting.

Ongoing shortages of common oncology chemotherapies have compelled physicians to substitute more expensive drugs, delay or suspend clinical trials, or even skip doses of chemotherapy, according to survey results gathered by a team from the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael Kolodziej, MD, National Medical Director for Oncology Strategies, Aetna, discusses the financial challenges associated with the combination of newer novel agents in breast cancer treatment.

Over the 20 years I've been treating breast cancer, I think this is the one area where we've really lagged behind in terms of making progress, said Andrew Seidman, MD, attending Physician, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.

Ovarian cancer survivors could have an option for treatment after chemotherapy, based on the outcome of a phase III study of an approved oral therapy for kidney cancer and soft tissue sarcoma.

Two-thirds of the metastatic myeloma patients in a phase II study were still alive a year after receiving a new combination therapy, compared to slightly more than half of patients receiving a standard monotherapy for the cancer, according to results presented today at the 49th Annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

Michael Kolodziej, MD, National Medical Director for Oncology Strategies, Aetna, says that in regard to payers impacting the use of immunotherapies, most payers have decided they will respect the judgment of the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

In this video, Daniel George, MD, Director, Prostate Clinic, Genitourinary Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, shares his thoughts on the most exciting data to be presented on immunotherapies at the ASCO Annual Meeting 2013.

An ongoing phase I study of patients who have experienced relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma has found that this population was largely able to tolerate a new oral 20S proteasome inhibitor after receiving other prior treatments.

This finding makes it clear that patients should be advised that they need to achieve a certain fitness level, and not just be told that they need to exercise. Unlike patient-reported exercise behavior, Lakoski said, fitness can be objectively and accurately measured in a clinical setting.

Half the patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who were treated with idelalisib in a phase I study experienced rapid and prolonged tumor shrinkage, a promising finding given the limited treatment choices for this group.

Results detailed today offer hope that a new form of immunotherapy will propel the bodies of some cancer patients to fight tumors, not be overrun by them, according to a study outlined at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) in Chicago.

Patients in a phase III trial lived longer and experienced fewer treatment-related deaths from locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after receiving the standard dose of radiotherapy, compared to those receiving a high dose, according to a study presented today at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO).

Imaging spotted relapses for just a tiny fraction of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) before symptoms appeared, according to a new multi-institutional study, prompting recommendations that the radiation exposure of follow-up scans may not be worthwhile for all patients.