Oncology

What we're reading, December 14, 2015: public health initiatives are underfunded despite being a big return on investment; the FDA repeatedly approved the cancer drug Afinitor without proof it extended life; and a nurse may have exposed patients in a maternity wing to tuberculosis.

Stacey W. McCullough, PharmD, senior vice president of pharmacy at Tennessee Oncology, discussed strategies for managing high-cost treatments, the impact of me-too drugs, and how clinical pathways can help physicians make treatment decisions at the point of care.

This week in managed care, an analysis found the penalty for being uninsured will exceed the cost of insurance for most Americans in 2016, thousands met for the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield's OMNIA plan gets good news and bad news in New Jersey.

Within 3 months of being granted priority review, alectinib (Alecensa) has been approved for patients with advanced ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease has progressed or who cannot tolerate crizotinib

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship has submitted comments to CMS, providing feedback on the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Alternative Payment Models proposed by CMS as it transitions toward value-based reimbursement.

When considering how to rectify the rising prices of drugs, there are a number of interventions at multiple levels that can work to decrease costs to patients and the price of the drug, explained Yousuf Zafar, MD, MHS, associate professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at Duke Cancer Institute.

Solutions proposed by patient advocates and physicians to control costs provide approaches to valuing new drug/treatments compared with 1 or several prevailing standards of care. Increasingly, however, the debate over cost is transitioning to a debate over value.

Management of high and rising costs in oncology requires a multifaceted approach using both innovative strategies and pragmatic tools. In this article, we discuss several factors that influence the costs of oncology care.

A unique collaboration between 21st Century Oncology and Lee Memorial Hospital showed marked improvements in efficiencies, care, and patient experience.

An automated cancer screening outreach tool implemented in a mature health information technology environment can achieve cost savings through reduced clinician time devoted to screening efforts.

What we're reading, December 10, 2015: the Affordable Care Act has signed up 1 million new enrollees; Medicare patients spend more on oral cancer drugs than food each year; and the CDC found life expectancy remains at 79 years for the third year in a row.

Research conducted at the Yale Cancer Center has found that a procedure known as cavity shave margins could avoid unnecessary follow-up surgeries and save time and costs.

A cancer survivor shares her experience and frustrations with cancer care costs and looks to changes within the healthcare system to improve the value of care in the future.

Research presented during a health outcomes session at the recently concluded annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology evaluated the influence of patients’ insurance status on clinical outcomes of CML.

The DigniCap Cooling System reduces the frequency and severity of alopecia during chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

The workgroup that generated the guideline included experts in primary care, gynecology, surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and nursing, along with a cancer survivor who provided a patient perspective.

Primary clinical reviewers from the FDA and 2 clinician experts provided their unique perspectives on the safety, efficacy, and potential for clinical integration of 3 recently approved agents for multiple myeloma: daratumumab (Darzalex), ixazomib (Ninlaro), and elotuzumab (Empliciti).

The challenge with data in oncology is making sense of it and connecting it in a way that clinicians can make insights that inform the care they provide patients in real time, said Robert J. Green, MD, vice president of clinical strategy and senior medical director at Flatiron Health.

Results from a subgroup analysis of the phase 3 ENDEAVOR study and a phase 2 study in diffuse large B cell lymphoma patients were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology.

Members from the American Society of Hematology (ASH)'s Choosing Wisely Task Force presented 5 recommendations on Monday, December 7, 2015, at the 57th annual meeting of ASH, in Orlando, Florida.

On the second day of the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, physicians got together to discuss the real-world needs of alternate payment models in hematology.

During a health outcomes session on the second day of the American Society of Hematology meeting, data presented from a study conducted at the University of Nebraska Medical Center suggested that the site of care bears a significant influence on the outcomes of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Two posters presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology discussed patient-reported outcomes measures and quality-of-life indicators as supportive tools for treatment in individuals being treated for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Presenters at an education session, titled Patient-Reported Outcomes in Hematology, addressed the importance of embracing the patient perspective in healthcare delivery, on the second day of the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, being held December 5-8, in Orlando, Florida.

At the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, providers brooded over implications of quality measures and how they will influence clinical practice in the coming years.