Oncology

A study published in the Journal of Surgical Research has found that surgeons are focusing on life-enhancing procedures for late-stage cancer patients. In their follow-up on 22,000 late-stage cancer patients in the United States between 2006 and 2010, while the use of surgeries declined only slightly, doctors became more likely to restrict surgery to healthier patients.

The diagnostic test, developed by Biodesix, Inc, will help guide treatment decisions in patients with advanced lung cancer.

The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that in addition to protecting against 80% of cervical cancers, the new Gardasil-9 has the potential to protect against nearly 19,000 other cancers diagnosed in the United States.

Based on their analysis of a mail-in questionnaire, researchers in Canada found that parents who had their daughters vaccinated differed from those who did not do so in perceived susceptibility to the disease, benefits and barriers of the vaccine, and cues to action.

In collaborations with 14 cancer centers throughout the country, IBM will apply Watson Genomic Analytics, a cloud-based service, to implement evidence-based treatment decisions in oncology.

A one-minute look at managed care news during the week of May 4, 2015, including global cancer drug spend, movements in telehealth, and changing behavior to reverse poor health.

Overall, regular breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening was below target in 2013, according to a new report from the CDC. In fact, researchers found overall screening in these 3 areas showed no improvements from 2010 to 2013.

There are 3 general issues that cancer survivors face, and each of them are very different challenges, according to Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, from the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

The addition by the World Health Organization follows requests by consumer groups for the agency to widen its list to include some of the latest treatments carrying high price tags.

The Roswell Park pathology team reviewed 500 breast core biopsy cases provided by referring institutions in a single calendar year and found that 8% of the cases had a major discordance and 13% had a minor discordance, especially with respect to interpreting biomarkers that determine prognosis and therapeutic options.

Amarin's action has initiated a debate on whether the FDA's authority over ensuring the safety and efficacy is being side-stepped.

The appeals court decision has ensured that Novartis cannot bring its biosimilar Zarxio (filgrastim), which provides immune support to cancer patients, to the market at least till June 3.

Since the introduction of the Oncology Care Model, oncologists have raised numerous questions as they weigh whether to apply for participation.

The study conducted by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and published in JAMA Oncology, found a siginificant increase in progression-free survival in men who initiated statin therapy along with androgen deprivation for their prostate cancer.

Costs have a huge impact on patients and financial toxicity, particularly in cancer care, is being given greater consideration now, according to Alex Bastian, MBA, senior vice president at GfK.

Although 30-day morbidity and mortality all declined incrementally for terminally ill cancer patients undergoing surgical intervention from 2006-2010, the number of surgeries remains high, according to a study from University of California, Davis Health System.

The pharmaceutical industry has learnt its lesson from the pushback that Gilead faced over the price of its hepatitis C drug, Sovaldi. The lack of a price discussion prior to the introduction of the regimen washed-out the excitement over a "cure" for the disease.

Earlier diagnosis, longer treatment duration, and increased effectiveness of cancer therapies all contributed to the constantly rising spending levels for these medicines.

Myriad continues its fight to retain customers in its core BRCA testing business, and doctors who have stayed loyal say one of Myriad's biggest advantages is its private database of test results.

Patient access, supply chain, adherence, and comorbidities are only a few of the challenges associated with oral anticancer agents, which are included distributed by specialty pharmacies.

Lung cancer patients who used statins in the year prior to a lung cancer diagnosis or after a lung cancer diagnosis had a reduction in the risk of death from the disease.

The debate over including patient reported outcomes on oncology drug labels continues. The FDA expects well-defined and validated measurement tools and the patient community wants patient experiences to find their way to the label.

Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts Holding Co, which has aggressively negotiated lower costs of new hepatitis C drugs, on Wednesday said a new "focus area" will be subduing costs of a growing wave of pricey biotech cancer drugs.