Interviews

Meaningful transformation in health care requires ongoing, collaborative efforts, explained Eboni Price-Haywood, MD, MPH, MMM, Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine; and Toni Flowers, PhD, DHL, MBA, LCMC Health.

Novel therapies for multiple myeloma (MM), including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell and bispecific antibodies, extend lives but raise concerns about treatment costs and adherence, and they haven't replaced stem cell transplantation, Harsh Parmar, MD, of Hackensack University Medical Center, explains.

"Value" in oncology should measure far more than clinical outcomes, stated Andrew Chapman, DO, as he argued how rethinking "value" could not only enhance patient care but also drive down costs.

Although immunotherapies and biomarker-driven interventions have transformed lung cancer outcomes, Martin Edelman, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center, highlighted the present challenge hindering clinicians' abilities to anticipate patients' treatment responses.

Pierluigi Porcu, MD, speaks to the considerations clinicians need to account for to balance cost, patient experience, and outcomes for those with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Missy Hopson, PhD, Ochsner Health, discussed in detail the challenges of strengthening the patient-centered workforce, the power of community reputation for encouraging health care careers, and the influence of empowered workforces on patient outcomes.

Elizabeth Grush, MBA, speaks to the support, benefits, and holistic considerations that patient-centered care can provide for the betterment of patient experiences and outcomes.

Cathy Eng, MD, FACP, FASCO, participated on the panel discussion, “Health Equity in Cancer Care Delivery,” during the January Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event, “Elevating Value in Cancer Care: Nashville.”

Kenny Cole, MD, of Ochsner Health, spoke to the value integrated teams bring to health care and the obstacles that hinder health systems' ability to move toward integrated care approaches.

Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD, addresses the importance of meeting patients where they are to expand clinical trial participation and remove barriers to trial access.

Tiffany Meng, PharmD, an oncology pharmacist, UCSF Health, discusses how pharmacists help mitigate financial toxicity for patients with breast cancer.

Tiffany Meng, PharmD, an oncology pharmacist, UCSF Health, shares how pharmacists can collaborate with physicians to find the most effective and affordable therapies for patients.

Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD, addresses the importance of inclusive clinical trial participation and meeting patients where they are.

Lidia Schapira, MD, FASCO, professor of medicine at Stanford Medicine, medical oncologist, and director for the Stanford Cancer Institute and the Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center, shares ways in which clinicians can help enhance patient engagement and shared decision-making.

Tiffany Meng, PharmD, oncology pharmacist, UCSF Health, discusses ways that pharmacists can help guide patients to financial assistance programs to help facilitate better access to breast cancer therapies.

Lidia Schapira, MD, FASCO, professor of medicine at Stanford Medicine, medical oncologist, and director for the Stanford Cancer Institute and the Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) when it comes to accessing innovative breast cancer treatments.

Jade E. Jones, MD, of Emory Winship Cancer Institute, shares how considering patients' travel needs, social services, and insurance concerns can help improve access to care.

Susan Escudier, MD, FACP, discusses the impact of insurance coverage gaps, transportation barriers, and financial hardships on cancer care access and emphasizes the need for payers to better support patients at high risk.

In the wake of novel bispecific and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies for various cancers, geography still plays a big role in patients' abilities to receive such treatments.

In part 3 of this conversation, Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD, executive director of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance, discusses why basic scientific research remains essential and how patient experiences contribute.

Clayton Irvine, PharmD, MBA, MS, senior manager of oncology care at Mayo Clinic, emphasizes the need for health care providers to balance quality patient care with rising costs by openly discussing financial implications with patients and educating themselves on cost-effective treatments.

February 4 is World Cancer Day, and in these interviews with our Strategic Alliance Partner, NYU Langone Health, we learn about the importance of forming strong relationships with the communities you are located in and with whom you work to optimize cancer-related outcomes.

Travis Brewer, vice president of payer and public health strategy/relations at Texas Oncology, shared that value-based oncology care can achieve both cost efficiency and high-quality outcomes through integrated multidisciplinary teams, flexible payment models, and targeted treatment approaches.

The design of the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) was a perfect fit for Minnesota Oncology.

Chelsee Jensen, PharmD, BCPS, senior pharmacy specialist at Mayo Clinic, suggests that medical providers can reduce patient and system costs by optimizing the use of generics and biosimilars, which offer lower costs without compromising safety and efficacy.

Kirollos Hanna, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, FACCC, director of pharmacy at Minnesota Oncology, discusses how the prospect of patient longevity, amidst advancing therapeutics, factors into oncology care.

Edgardo S. Santos, MD, FACP, FASCO, a hematologist and medical oncologist, discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing lung cancer care by analyzing imaging data to detect malignancies and interstitial lung disease, while stressing the importance of regulation to ensure its safe and ethical use.

Dawn Klemow, MD, assistant clinical professor, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, previews some of the most recent advances in breast cancer treatment.

In part 2 of our interview with Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD, she speaks to the importance of ensuring health care accessibility and of knowing that the health care system is not a one-size-fits-all arrangement.

Tiago Biachi, MD, PhD, highlighted the transformative role of personalized medicine in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer treatment through advances in next-generation sequencing and circulating tumor DNA, while emphasizing the importance of lifestyle factors in prevention and recurrence.