PCOC: Patient-Centered Oncology Care

Mayo Clinic's Scott Soefje, PharmD, MBA, explains how logistics, contracts, and cost shape access to new cancer drugs and high-cost drug reviews.

Payers cover novel cancer drugs but not the staffing, training, and monitoring to deliver them, leaving practices to absorb costs.

Caregiver shortages limit access to transplant, CAR T, and bispecific therapies, and no system offers replacement support, says Duke's Thomas LeBlanc, MD, MA.

The IRA's Medicare out-of-pocket cap is easing costs for patients with cancer, but community oncology leaders warn price cuts are straining practices.

Even top academic centers struggle to keep pace with precision medicine, says William K. Oh, MD, who is prioritizing clinician education at Yale.

AI could ease oncology's drug development "traffic jam," while biomarker subsetting drives more personalized cancer care, David Spigel, MD, says.

Community oncologists cited prior authorization as a care barrier, even as AI adoption doubled in 2026, according to the Oncology Care Index.

Community oncology faces high costs and staffing hurdles for trials; Lucio N. Gordan, MD, urges pragmatic designs matching real-world patients.

Payers say NCCN guideline concordance sets a baseline for cancer coverage, but cost and formulary variation may still limit access.

Liquid biopsy and at-home phlebotomy are closing precision medicine access gaps nationwide, though tissue remains the gold standard.

Accelerated approvals, surrogate end points, and high drug costs are reshaping cancer center formulary decisions, explained panelists at PCOC.

Physicians to Discuss 2026 Oncology Care Index at Patient-Centered Oncology Care®, Premier Annual AJMC® Event Starting Today in Nashville | 60% of Community Physicians Say Clinical Trial Options Are Limited; 93% Say Pragmatic Designs Would Help

Stephen "Fred" Divers, MD, previews PCOC 2026, including his session on the Oncology Care Index and the gap in AI adoption in oncology.

J&J's Oncology Care Index finds a systems problem, not a confidence gap, in community oncology, Mahadi Baig, MD, says.

Oncology experts at PCOC 2025 discuss breakthrough therapies, AI-driven care, and evolving care delivery models shaping the future of oncology.

Patients beginning their cancer journeys should advocate for themselves and use support groups to help navigate survivorship challenges.

Payer contracts should incentivize the delivery of comprehensive, total-person cancer care, says Brian Mulherin, MD.

Many cancer survivors face ongoing physical and mental health challenges, which peer support and online resources can help address, says Brian Koffman, MDCM, DCFP, FCFP, DABFP, MSEd.

Despite systemic challenges, oncology practices use value-based care, community partnerships, and clinical trials to improve patient access and outcomes, says Brian Mulherin, MD.

Vivek Subbiah, MD, says artificial intelligence (AI) should assist clinicians in precision oncology, not replace human decision-making.

Artificial intelligence, automation, and expanded pharmacist roles help reduce administrative burdens, improve workflow, and support providers in delivering cancer care, according to Scott Soefje, PharmD, MBA, BCOP.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expanding clinical trial access and enabling drug repurposing, according to Vivek Subbiah, MD.

Scott Soefje, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, discusses how remote patient monitoring and caregiver support enable safe outpatient delivery of bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates.

Stronger partnerships between primary care and oncology improve patient outcomes by ensuring coordinated care and addressing financial and systemic barriers, says Mark Fendrick, MD.

Reducing data silos and boosting transparency in oncology requires payer-provider trust and co-governance, according to Vishnukamal Golla, MD, MPH.

Five experts share their key takeaways from Patient-Centered Oncology Care® (PCOC) 2025, highlighting AI integration and collaboration to improve care.

Although overall costs have not declined with the Oncology Care Model (OCM), supportive care costs have decreased through greater use of cost-effective therapies.

Vivek Subbiah, MD, considers artificial intelligence (AI) and comprehensive somatic and germline testing essential for guiding precision oncology and improving patient care.

Oncology pharmacists now work alongside providers to improve efficiency, patient education, and treatment outcomes, according to Scott Soefje, PharmD, MBA, BCOP.

Oncology care requires teamwork, support services, and careful planning to ensure effective, affordable, and patient-focused treatment, according to Brian Mulherin, MD.