Oncology

A new analysis published by the RAND Corporation suggests strategies that the pharmaceutical industry could offer payers as they try to cover the front-loaded cost of newer breakthrough drugs.

The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that while the complete absence of meat in the diet had the most impact on reducing the risk of colorectal cancer, those who added seafood to the vegetarian diet-pescovegetarians-faired better than the nonvegetarians.

The study, published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, found that patients treated with definitive concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy for stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer have longer overall survival when treated by highly experienced facilities, either academic or community cancer centers.

The 23-gene diagnostic panel called myPath Melanoma could be used in addition to microscopy to distinguish the benign form of the disease from malignant disease.

The awards will be presented at ASCO's annual meeting to be held in Chicago in May this year.

The recommendation has not come easy for Roche. Back in October 2014, NICE had rejected Gazyravo based on inconsistencies in the filing, which were then addressed by the drug manufacturer. Subsequently, NICE struck a deal with Roche to provide the drug to NHS at a reduced price.

While the PBM Express Scripts declared plans to bring cancer drug plans down, the drug manufacturers and investors aren't too worried about the high cost of some of the specialty drugs, according to this article in Bloomberg.

Within 5 years of a breast cancer diagnosis, patients are at an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer, according to a new study, which was presented at the Endocrine Society's 97th annual meeting.

Commissioned by The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the results of the study help make the case for placing limits on out-of-pocket costs for patients that would relieve their financial burden without a significant impact to insurers.

A study, published in the journal Cancer, found that women with a family history of both breast and prostate cancer among first-degree relatives have an almost 2-fold increase in risk of developing breast cancer themselves.

One of the criticisms, which came from ASCO, points to the absence of consideration for patient heterogeneity that can result in physicians being penalized for providing patient-centered treatment.

While sunitinib failed as adjuvant treatment in advanced kidney cancer, this phase 2 study presented at the ongoing annual meeting of The Endocrine Society found that in patients with advanced thyroid cancer, sunitinib treatment resulted in median progression free survival of about 8 months. The authors think their results create sufficient evidence to initiate a phase 3 trial of the drug in thyroid cancer patients.

New oncology payment models, 340B pricing and disproportionate share hospitals, and the significant difference in reimbursement rates for cancer care services are just some of the challenges faced by community oncology clinics. How do patients make informed decisions on where to go for care?

The study, conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that the benefits of these personalized cancer products are reported much more frequently than are the limitations.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that the 5-year survival with ipilimumab (18.2%) was double that with placebo (8.8%) and roughly double the historical survival rate of patients with stage IV melanoma (approximately 10%).

A guideline has been issued that outlines the use of 3-D computed tomography-based radiation therapy planning and volumetric image guidance to more effectively treat pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma and to reduce the radiation dose to normal tissue, thus decreasing the risk of late side effects.

Harold Varmus, MD, who has led the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health for nearly 5 years, announced today that he will step down from his post, effective March 31, 2015.