Oncology

Patients with hematologic malignancy who are undergoing chemotherapy or a conditioning regimen for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) are at high risk of infection because of the severity and duration of neutropenia. Fever with neutropenia is a common presentation that suggests an infection leading to empiric antibacterial therapy. To prevent infection and thus the neutropenic fever, antibacterial prophylaxis, especially with fluoroquinolones, emerged as a common practice based on results of 2 randomized controlled trials published in 2005 that showed reduced incidence of fever and bacteremia despite lack of a mortality benefit.

Research documentation is a critical aspect of running a clinical trial. Key patient information such as informed consent, adverse events (AEs), concomitant medications, and medical and surgical histories are collected and used to determine patient safety and efficacy as the trial proceeds. Ultimately, the sponsor may make decisions—ranging from modifying the dose of the investigational drug to closing the study due to AEs—based on the data collected.

Through partnerships, CancerIQ tries to reduce barriers for patients to use genetic services to detect cancer early, said Feyi Olopade Ayodele, MBA, chief executive officer at CancerIQ.

Rick McDonough, MD, president of the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology, explains why right now is a great time to get into the oncology field.

Michael Kolodziej, MD, vice president and chief innovation officer at ADVI Health, discusses the importance of oncology practices participating in alternative payment models (APMs).

To begin a session on the reimbursement of genetic testing during the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Kissimmee, Florida, incoming president Luis E. Raez, MD, put things in perspective: “I’ve been practicing for more than 30 years, and it used to be that when you would explain a treatment plan to a patient, they would ask if they’re going to respond to it and you would have to say ‘I don’t know.’ Now, with genetic testing, hopefully you can say ‘yes.’”

Making lifesaving but costly cancer therapies available to patients requires collaboration across the healthcare system, agreed a panel of stakeholders at the Business of Oncology Summit hosted by the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology.

Thomas Marsland, MD, talks about financial toxicity and the effect it has on patients.

Luis E. Raez, MD, incoming president of the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology, provides an overview of his goals for his upcoming term.

In a panel discussion during the Business of Oncology Summit hosted by the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology, survivors and caregivers described how their cancer journeys were affected by financial toxicity.

In a disucssion about closing the rural cancer care gap, 3 themes emerged: local efforts, clinical trial access, and telehealth.

Community oncology practices need to come together as much as possible in order to respond to changes in the market, have a common voice, and to share best practices and learn from each other, said Barry Russo, chief executive officer of The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

Targeted interventions by patient characteristics to improve fecal immunochemical test completion could reduce disparities in colorectal cancer screening and improve overall compliance with screening recommendations.

Genetic alternations in colorectal cancer (CRC) are linked to different survival and treatment outcomes, according to a study that used next-generation sequencing (NGS) of tumor DNA. The study was published in Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The first day of the 2019 Community Oncology Conference, the major annual meeting of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), featured an update on its effort to find alternatives to CMS' Oncology Care Model.

The Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation today opened a new patient assistance program for people living with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, a rare type of blood cancer that originates in the lymphatic system and is characterized by an excess of abnormal white blood cells and proteins called immunoglobulins.

Today we’re speaking with Dr Elizabeth Mynatt, the executive director of the Institute for People and Technology and a professor in the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr Mynatt and her team developed an app called MyPath that uses artificial intelligence to help guide a patient’s cancer journey.

As novel therapies drive up the cost of drugs, it is becoming increasingly difficult for community oncologists to keep costs below value-based care program targets, according to a new survey from Integra Connect.

The revolution in cancer care isn’t just about the wave of life-saving therapies, or the role of genetics in pinpointing exactly who should get which drug and when. As Ray D. Page, DO, PhD, FACOI, tells it, change also means getting back to the basics, so that the relationship between doctor and patient drives care—not insurance companies or Medicare or rules from the FDA.

Tom Gallo, the former president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), and Ali McBride, PharmD, the current president of ACCC, discuss how their members feel about the state of cancer delivery, recent trends, addressing burnout, and sustainability of cancer care delivery.

A lack of diversity in cell lines used for laboratory studies means underrepresented populations and minorities might not benefit from precision medicines as quickly as people from European ancestry.

Ali McBride, PharmD, MS, BCOP, was named 2019-2020 president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) during its 45th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit on March 22, 2019, in Washington, DC. McBride is the clinical coordinator of hematology/oncology at The University of Arizona Cancer Center.

The move to value-based care has increased the use of palliative care, and new research has found that conversations about end-of-life care should be happening earlier, said Toby C. Campbell, MD, MSCI, of the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center.

There are a lot of different ways for identifying patients that might have barriers to care or might be considered as high-risk, says Abra Kelson, MSW, LSWA-IC, medical social work supervisor, Northwest Medical Specialties.

Although there is still a need for more education around the use of biosimilars in cancer, it seems oncologists have become more knowledgeable in the past few years, said Gary H. Lyman, MD, MPH, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.