Oncology

This week, the top news in managed care included CDC guidance on safe activities for fully vaccinated individuals; American Rescue Plan signed into law; new lung cancer screening criteria expand eligibility.

Updated lung cancer screening recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force include 2 changes that will nearly double the number of people eligible for screening.

A panel at the Association of Community Cancer Centers discusses lessons from the year of COVID-19.

A presentation at the ACCC 47th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit gave virtual attendees an overview of research on PROs and how RSM can be incorporated into an oncology practice.

FDA's action marks an abrupt change of course from the Priority Review granted September 2020.

Kavita Patel, MD, MS, FACP, a fellow at the Brookings Institution Center for Health Policy, touched on key topics in health care at the ACCC 47th Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit.

Loading chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells with the oncolytic virus pelareorep improved their efficacy in solid tumor mouse models in a preclinical study presented at the CAR-TCR Summit Europe 2021.

Pivotal cancer clinical trial data may lack generalizability in older adults with Medicare, a study published online today in JAMA Network Open found.

The PD-1 inhibitor cemiplimab-rwlc, sold as Libtayo, was FDA approved as a monotherapy for patients with first-line advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with PD-L1 expression of at least 50%.

Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, the former CMS administrator who is president emeritus and senior fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, discusses cost variation in cancer care found through the digital classification system the COTA Nodal Address.

An ideal alternative payment model would reward radiation oncologists for participation in a value-based payment arrangement that grants them the freedom to make care delivery decisions based on patient needs and in accordance with clinical guidelines, says ASTRO's Anne Hubbard, MBA.

The cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor trilaciclib (Cosela) is the first in its class to receive FDA approval as a protective agent against bone marrow loss from treatment for small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

With the onset of the pandemic, the increased use of telemedicine has been the biggest change to how cancer care is being delivered; however, whether telemedicine is here to stay depends on the regulators and payers, said Amy Ellis, chief quality officer at Northwest Medical Specialties.

In this issue of Evidence-Based Oncology™ we see a foreshadowing of what the future of cancer care innovation could look like and how we may learn to move forward, safely, at an ever-accelerating pace.

A new study assessed the genomic alterations identified by ctDNA analysis compared with tissue-based comprehensive genomic profiling in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) tools can benefit patients by keeping them on treatment longer, and the pandemic has likely accelerated how many practices move to using ePROs, said Amy Ellis, chief quality officer at Northwest Medical Specialties.

Setting up a new tool to capture electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) requires a lot of prep work to ensure patients are comfortable and ready to use the tool, said Amy Ellis, chief quality officer at Northwest Medical Specialties.

Adapting to telehealth was not difficult, but practice transformation around telehealth has been more difficult, and there remains the future uncertainty around continued reimbursement, said Sibel Blau, MD, of Northwest Medical Specialties and Quality Cancer Care Alliance.

Telehealth is helpful, but it is not enough to make up for the delay in cancer diagnoses occurring as a result of the pandemic, said Sibel Blau, MD, of Northwest Medical Specialties and Quality Cancer Care Alliance.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) asks HHS Secretary Alex Azar to expedite the rollout of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines; CDC data show accelerated cardiac aging among cancer survivors; a study examines new targets for reducing adolescent access to opioids.

Feedback from the field is incredibly important when participating in new payment models like the Oncology Care Model, said Basit Chaudhry, MD, PhD, founder of Tuple Health.

Our 5 most-read oncology stories and most-watched videos this year highlighted cancer care policy, diversity, and the growing practice of remote cancer care.

Practices deciding whether to join Oncology Care First or another oncology alternative payment model (APM) will need a clear understanding of how big of a transformation they’ll need to make to their practice, said Mike Fazio.

Recent major investments signal growth in an emerging therapeutic sector.

The Community Oncology Alliance's request includes declarations from community oncology practices detailing the anticipated ramifications should the Most Favored Nation rule become operative.