Oncology

Changes in the healthcare marketplace are steadily pushing changes for physicians and specialty practices of all kinds. Blaming the 340B drug discount program is both misleading and unproductive.

The new test, developed by Dako, will provide information on the survival benefit of patients with non-squamous NSCLC treated with nivolumab.

Top managed care stories this week include how much waiting to see the doctor costs patients, Express Scripts announced it will cover both PCSK9 inhibitors, and HHS proposed simplifying rules for providers using electronic health record.

A new study published in JAMA Oncology has identified disparate survival outcomes across sites of care.

The PD-1 inhibitor antibody was approved by the FDA for use in patients who have progressed on platinum-based treatment.

With the final guidance expected in November, UK will follow Europe in the use of pembrolizumab in treating advanced melanoma patients refractory to previous treatment as well as those who have not been previously treated.

With new treatments helping patients with cancer to live longer, healthcare providers now have new issues of long-term survivorship to consider, said Joseph Alvarnas, MD, the editor-in-chief of Evidence-Based Oncology.

Through a multi-site, multidisciplinary approach, AYA@USC addresses the unique needs of young adult cancer patients, improving outcomes and bridging the care gap in this population.

Adolescent and young adults (AYA) constitute a distinct population amongst patients with cancer. Historically, AYA patients with ALL treated along pediatric-inspired protocols had better outcomes compared to those treated on standard "adult type" regimens.

My role as a patient was simple-accept the suffering I had to endure. But it becomes hard to find the line between when to suffer and when to question.

Steven Rosenberg, MD, chief of surgery at NCI's Center for Cancer Research, has been awarded the 2015 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal, or Sammie for his contributions to the field of immune-based cancer treatments.

A retrospective follow-up in women who had received grafts of cryopreserved ovarian tissue discovered a 30% success rate in bearing a child.

Millions of Americans with serious illness, such as cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, and dementia, continue to have inadequate access to palliative care, according to the 2015 State-by-State Report Card from the Center to Advance Palliative Care.

Tumors caught early have a lower probability of advancing to the lymph nodes and improve patient outcomes, the BMJ study found.

The PD-L1 inhibitor was granted orphan drug status just last month.

Price transparency continues to plague healthcare, as this new report from Castlight Health suggests.

Despite safeguards, opponents of the California law say it will invite abuse of the poor who suffer chronic conditions and face steep medical costs.

As HIV-infected adults live longer, they are increasingly susceptible to specific cancer types. This calls for targeted cancer prevention efforts in this population.

End-of-life care for adolescents and young adults requires an approach that addresses the unique developmental and spiritual issues seen in that population.

A discussion on the challenges of implementing standards for addressing fertility risks associated with cancer and its treatment and describes an interactive training for healthcare providers to help them overcome challenges to implementation.

Suggestions on how to approach a childhood cancer survivor in your practice, several useful resources, and information on what referrals and tests may be indicated.

A multistakeholder approach to patient assistance programs was the topic of discussion at ACCC's first annual ICLIO meeting in Philadelphia.

The evidence of weight-loss improving overall well-being and predisposition to chronic as well as acute conditions is mounting. We now need coverage policies that can help patients take advantage of weight loss procedures.

The use of genetic testing has led to a radical change within certain specialties and hospital departments. And although doctors are being asked to do more, they do it gladly because the work leads to better treatment decisions for patients, said Mark G. Kris, MD, William and Joy Ruane chair in thoracic oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Reimbursement remains a primary concern with the new immuno-oncology agents. Who pays and how do you ensure payment was fervently discussed by oncologists at the recent ICLIO meeting hosted by the Association of Community Cancer Centers.