Clinical

A panel of healthcare experts invited by The American Journal of Managed Care participated in the Oncology Stakeholders Summit, Spring 2015 Peer Exchange, to discuss 340B and other issues in oncology care.

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that older women with breast cancer have a poor response to chemotherapy, while older patients with advanced colon cancer (both men and women) did well.

After months of waiting, reimbursement for the Prolaris test will begin effective October 15, 2015.

Precision medicine will perhaps establish some of the most important biomedical innovations of our generation. However, for that future to become a reality, we have to create an access and reimbursement environment that is conducive to precision care.

Evidence-Based Oncology spoke with Mark Capone about the challenges and opportunities in molecular diagnostics, and what's ahead at Myriad Genetics.

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.

There is a quiet revolution happening among health plans. Mothers and fathers who work for health insurance companies-and who had the support of a doula at the time of childbirth-are beginning to inquire about expanding benefits to include coverage for this evidence-based service.

According to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, outpatient process measures need a fair balance between measures for underuse and overuse of clinical services.

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.

Researchers in Boston have started collecting blood samples from newborn infants with the intent to sequence their entire genome

The network, PEDSnet, combines big data from electronic health records with family engagement

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.

An emergency department screening and testing program based on birth cohort screening and injectable drug use found a high prevalence of the hepatitis C virus antibody among the cohorts tested, and identified several barriers to clinical implementation of the process.

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.

Research conducted at the Duke University School of Medicine indicates triple therapy may increase risk of bleeding in geriatric patients with myocardial infarction who have a stent.

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.