Oncology

In his editorial piece, Joseph Alvarnas, MD, narrates the importance of precision medicine in oncology care.

Research published in the Journal of Oncology Practice found that factors unrelated to the individual patient accounted for the majority of variation in the cost of radiation therapy for breast, prostate, and lung cancer patients.

A novel risk-stratification index can help avoid unnecessary colonoscopies in individuals at low-risk for developing colorectal cancer.

A collaborative research study has discovered the effective use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the noninvasive diagnosis and molecular characterization of brain tumors in children.

An immunotherapy developed by Amgen and approved by the FDA for the treatment of acute lymhoblastic leukemia in December 2014 has now received coverage assurance from Medicare, following an initial rejection.

With unprecedented activity in the area of precision medicine, with the successful development of several targeted therapies, the FDA has been in the forefront of efforts to ensure timely access to, and the safe and effective use of, these therapies.

For many US community cancer centers, keeping the doors open has often meant making the difficult decision to consolidate with hospitals and large hospital systems. Site neutrality is a critical step in the journey toward better healthcare for all Americans and a healthy future for Medicare.

As personalized medicine rapidly becomes an effective tool for combating cancer, payers are exploring new, value-based payment paradigms. These trends will soon intersect, and depending on how they are structured, the new payment models could accelerate or stifle personalized medicine's progress.

Results from the CHAARTED trial have found that 6 cycles of chemotherapy combined with ADT early in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer significantly improved overall survival than with ADT alone.

A retrospective study in The Lancet Oncology has identified a strong correlation between reduced risk of endometrial cancer and oral contraceptive agents.

As clinical targets in more common malignancies emerge, testing and treatment options will increase. Balancing these choices with the high costs of new technology will be the challenge to ensure value in oncology care.

While scientists agree that NGS is the way of the future, payers are as yet apprehensive on the value afforded by the tests to clinical decisions.

In oncology, the shift from a "companion diagnostic" to a "companion therapeutic" paradigm is in high gear. While the noise and confusion is leading many payers to avoid coverage, they can benefit by proactively taking steps to integrate precision oncology to better manage quality, access, and cost of cancer care.

A research team at the Barts Cancer Institute in London has identified a 3-protein molecular signature in pancreatic cancer patients.

The discovery could lead to targeted therapy in triple negative breast cancer patients.

The introduction of biosimilars into the US market will not have a large impact on treatment costs until the volume of biosimiliars for different therapies increases, predicted Jennifer Malin, MD, medical director for oncology at Anthem.

A study published in JAMA Oncology presents a new tool that can predict disease recurrence in oropharyngeal cancer patients.

Urologists at Cancer Research UK have identified 5 distinct genomic signatures in prostate cancer that can have important implications on treatment decisions.

New research studies show that anti-inflammatory agents can improve survival as well as quality of life in cancer patients.

Physicians at the Brigham and Women's Hospital have published results from a proof-of-concept study that used mass spectrometry in almost real-time to detect and delineate pituitary tumors from normal tissue.

Two inexpensive generic drugs have been shown to reduce breast cancer deaths in postmenopausal women, according to studies published in The Lancet.

The California Department of Public Health has announced participation in a pilot project with St. Joseph Health to better understand cancer trends in California.

Before "value" became a cancer care buzzword, The American Journal of Managed Care was the first to create a conference where stakeholders discussed how to deliver the best care possible-and figure out how to pay for it. The fourth installment of Patient-Centered Oncology Care on November 19-20, 2015, in Baltimore, Maryland, will address the regulation of molecular diagnostics and ongoing efforts at payment reform.

This week Bristol-Myers Squibb's phase 3 nivolumab study ended early because renal cell carcinoma patients were experiencing significantly better overall survival, the American Society of Clinical Oncology called for the inclusion of more geriatric patients in trials, and Medicaid expansion states are finding more people enrolling than they planned.

End-stage cancer patients who were in general the healthiest and most active displayed worse quality of life signs in their last week of life when they were given palliative chemotherapy and there were no benefits to overall survival.