Oncology

The study observed significant shifts in the treatment of advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), accompanied by only modest gains in survival and total Medicare spending.

Delayed adjuvant chemotherapy, started up to 4 months following resection of non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) could still be beneficial to patients, according to a new study published in JAMA Oncology.

As Cancer & Hematology Centers of Western Michigan starts to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM), it has dedicated its resources to understanding the model and analyzing data, said Stuart Genschaw, executive director of the Cancer & Hematology Centers of Western Michigan. Throughout this process, however, the practice’s main focus is always on “providing great care” to its patients.

CDC has opened up a portal for public comments on its National Tobacco Prevention and Control Public Education Campaign to gather input on the effectiveness of its existing efforts on data collection.

This week in managed care, readers chose the top healthcare news story of 2016, 4 physician groups appealed to Congress to have a replacement for Obamacare ready if it is repealed, and the American College of Physicians released a new guideline on oral medications for type 2 diabetes.

While rapid innovations in the field of oncology have improved treatments, the magnitude and dimension of clinical benefits vary widely.

What we’re reading, January 5, 2017: Vice President Joe Biden will create a nonprofit organization to focus on cancer research and drug prices; school telemedicine could help kids stay in the classroom and out of the doctor’s office; bundled payments for joint replacements saved $5577 in spending per episode.

David L. Porter, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, explains why treating tumors with a combination of CAR-T cells and other immune-stimulating agents is a logical next step for investigators.

Researchers in Australia conducted a systematic analysis of several randomized control trials that evaluated weight loss as an intervention for breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer.

A new single-patient case study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has raised the possibility of using CAR-T cells in the treatment of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain tumor.

Many patients have learned about the advances in immunotherapy treatments for cancer, but the media may not be portraying all the complexities and potential harms of these agents, according to Debra L. Madden, cancer research advocate and patient representative. Madden mentioned that biomarker research could help determine which patients are most likely to benefit from immuno-oncology.

The first patient has been treated with ruxolitinib (Jakafi), by Incyte Corporation, for steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease, as part of the REACH-1 phase 2 trial. The trial is evaluating ruxolitinib in combination with corticosteroids.

Oncologists must recognize the importance of the patient voice when making treatment decisions so that the treatment plan can be adapted to each patient’s goals and desires, said Carrie Stricker, PhD, RN, AOCN, chief clinical officer and co-founder of Carevive.

The TAPUR clinical trial is rapidly expanding to new sites, but the researchers have not yet collected enough data to analyze and publish the results, according to Pam Mangat, MS, associate director TAPUR study at the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

According to a new study published in PLOS Medicine, genetic analysis of the uterine lavage fluid from pre- and post-menopausal women can provide early evidence of endometrial cancer.

A glimpse at the top 5 articles from The American Journal of Managed Care's® conference coverage that caught reader attention in 2016.

Twenty-three of 48 states in the United States saw a drop in melanoma—associated death in 2013 compared with 2003, while 21 states witnessed a rise in the death rate.

Cancer care and its associated costs can combine with everyday bills to create a significant financial burden, especially for young adults with cancer, said Samantha Watson, founder and CEO of The Samfund.

A new clinical study to reduce the unwanted side effects of radiation in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)—positive oropharynx cancers has found that reducing the dose of radiation can maintain the cure rates but avoid some of the late treatment-associated toxicities.

As 2016 draws to a close, here’s a look at the top 5 news articles that captured reader interest on AJMC.com.

Oncology care is often spread out across multiple facilities and providers, so health IT innovators use software to integrate data from these many locations and deliver it to the point of care, according to Jonathan Hirsch, founder and president of Syapse.

FDA’s regulatory science activities are working to advance the field of precision oncology, in part by using predictive analyses to identify patients that may be good candidates for certain therapies, according to Sean Khozin, MD, MPH, senior medical officer at the FDA.

The Lancet study shows addition of bortezomib significantly improves survival in treatment-naïve patients with multiple myeloma.

Using angiogenesis inhibitors in patients with glioblastoma that is highly vascularized could yield much improved outcomes, the analysis found.

This week, the top managed care stories included CMS announcing more mandatory bundled payment models and a new track in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, the FDA approving a new use for Dexcom's continuous glucose monitor, and a greater emphasis on lifestyle management in the American Diabetes Association's care standards.