Clinical

A study in JAMA Oncology has found that chemotherapy for patients with end-stage cancer was associated with worse quality of life near death while they still retained their ability to perform many life functions.

While the study found differences in hazard ratio for age-specific survival, improved care and better treatment options might have resulted in increased survival, the authors deduce.

ASCO's Breast Cancer Guideline Advisory Group and Clinical Practice Guideline Committee have published an updated guideline in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on using breast cancer biomarkers to guide clinical decisions when treating advanced metastatic breast cancer.

The findings have policy importance in the developing world, where low birth weight is often followed by rapid transition to Western lifestyles.

By 2050 more than 28 million additional baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's disease and the cost of caring for them will account for nearly one-fourth of Medicare spending by 2040, according to research presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.

Zarxio (filgrastim-sndz), manufactured by Sandoz as a biosimilar to Amgen's Neupogen, has finally received marketing approval from a federal appeals court.

Merck (MSD) has announced that its PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was approved by the European Commission for the treatment of advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma in adults.

A new program from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review will produce public reports that include a full analysis of the comparative effectiveness, the cost-effectiveness, and the potential budget impact of new drugs.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, examined antibiotic prescribing pratices within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Using a state-transition probability analysis, this study assessed the long-term outcomes and economic implications of combinatorial pharmacogenomic testing for managing patients with major depressive disorder who were nonresponsive to treatments.

Researchers at UCLA have discovered that inhibiting SGLT2 in pancreatic and prostate adenocarcinomas can reduce cancer cell survival.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology has issued a position statement in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, calling for federal agencies and the cancer research community to broaden clinical trials to include older adults.

The Exchange Pulse Report published by Express Scripts predicts that compared with 2014, the year 2015 will see a greater number of younger enrollees signing up on healthcare exchanges, which could potentially drive down drug costs for specialty medications.

Nivolumab proved superior to everolimus in improving overall survival in previously treated patients.

A gene known to cause cancer may also play a role in determining obesity, according to researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center.

The demand for oral parity for oncology medications is back up for vote in the Senate in North Carolina.

Viruses, not bacteria, are the most commonly detected pathogen in US adults hospitalized with pneumonia; however, neither viruses nor bacteria were detected in the majority of these patients despite current diagnostic tests.

A study published in JAMA Oncology questions aggressive local treatment strategies in men with low-risk prostate cancer.

At the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, physicians introduced some new lymphoma treatments as they described their personal experience with using them during the session, "Incorporating Novel Agents Into Lymphoma Therapy: Value in Everyday Practice."

Immuno-oncology continues to deliver results in oncology, as seen from results presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab significantly improved survival in melanoma, while elotozumab showed encouraging results in relapsed refractory multiple myeloma.

A late-breaking abstract session early at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology presented datd for nivolumab in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, non-squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer, and for tumors harboring mismatch repair deficiency.

A report released by the National Academy of Medicine aims to ensure that evidence-based psychosocial interventions are routinely used in clinical practice and included in the clinical training of mental health professionals.

During the session "Health Services Research and Quality of Care" at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, oncologists discussed factors that influence clinical trial participation and the cost of cancer care.

Scientists at the University of Leeds have developed a device that avoids the constant finger pricks in hyperglycemic patients.

A very popular session on the "value" of cancer care during the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) brought together a patient representative, an oncologist, an ASCO representative, and a payer.

The retrospective study, conducted in centers across Germany, found that when colorectal cancer was detected during a screening colonoscopy, patients lived nearly 2 years longer than if it was detected during a diagnostic colonoscopy.

The FDA warning last week on the cardiovascular effects of non-aspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has prompted healthcare experts to advise caution when using these drugs on a regular basis.

The Patients' Access to Treatments Act of 2015 was introduced earlier this year to rein in the high cost-sharing requirements for specialty drugs.

A poster presented at the 2015 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology shared encouraging phase 3 survival data from the RECOURSE trial, after evaluating specific geographic subgroups.

During the Oncology Stakeholder's Summit 2015 hosted by AJMC, healthcare experts discuss the value of introducing palliative and end-of-life care discussions early in oncology care.