Flatiron's EHR Platform for OCM Participants Promises to Foster Value-Based Care
July 28th 2016To help clinics meet the objectives and reporting requirements of the Oncology Care Model (OCM), Flatiron Health has developed OncoEMR, a cloud-based electronic health record (EHR) coupled with an analytics tool.
Patient Access to Reference Pricing Prompts Choice of Lower-Cost Testing Laboratories, Cost Savings
July 27th 2016A study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that patients who have access to both the prices charged by a testing laboratory as well as reference pricing, they choose lower-cost laboratories, resulting in overall cost savings.
Breakthrough for Daratumumab for Use as Second Line With Standard of Care in Multiple Myeloma
July 26th 2016The monoclonal antibody daratumumab (Darzalex) has been granted breakthrough designation, the second for this drug, for use in combination with either lenalidomide and dexamethasone or bortezomib and dexamethasone, for patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least 1 prior therapy.
California Experiment Will Let Pathologists Report Cancer Diagnoses in Real Time
July 25th 2016A collaborative pilot that includes the California Department of Public Health, is studying whether near—real-time reporting of cancer diagnoses by pathologists will permit providers to make more informed and timely treatment decisions.
First Cancer Trial Using CRISPR-Edited Cells to Begin Soon in China
July 22nd 2016According to a news report in Nature, scientists at Sichuan University’s West China Hospital are on track to initiate a clinical trial that will administer CRISPR-Cas9—edited immune cells in patients diagnosed with lung cancer.
St. Jude Study Stresses Importance of Survivor- and Parent-Reported Behavioral Symptoms
July 20th 2016While most adolescent survivors of childhood cancer have a good grip on their emotional well being, some frequently present with a combination of behavioral, emotional, and social symptoms, a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has concluded
The Value of a 21-Gene Test in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
July 20th 2016During a health policy session at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Steven J. Katz, MD, MPH, discussed the Oncotype DX Breast Cancer Assay, and it's impact on recommendations for chemotherapy in early-stage breast cancer.
Cancer Drug Prices Follow a Sharp Upward Trajectory Post Launch
July 20th 2016A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology by a group from Israel that evaluated the price trend of 30 anticancer agents following their launch, found that prices may increase by as much as 44% even after adjusting for inflation.
Evidence Lacking on Relation Between IVF and Long-Term Risk of Breast Cancer
July 19th 2016A long-term follow up study among Dutch women who underwent in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment in the Netherlands has failed to find an association between the treatment and an increased risk of breast cancer.
Mismatch Repair Deficiency an Ideal Marker to Initiate Precision Care in CRC
July 19th 2016Research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has tried to fill the knowledge gaps that exist in the treatment of colorectal cancers that harbor mutations in genes involved in DNA mismatch repair.
Understanding and Mitigating the Financial Burden of Cancer Patients
July 18th 2016Drug prices have developed into the fastest growing segment of healthcare costs and are a significant burden on the patient's wallet, in addition to the cost of healthcare services. An Education Session at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology discussed potential solutions to ease this problem.
Lessons to Learn From the NICE Cancer Care Model
July 15th 2016On the first day of the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, healthcare experts from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, compared and contrasted the care models that are widely adopted in each nation.
NEJM Study First to Identify Mutations Responsible for Relapse in PD-1 Inhibitor—Treated Melanoma
July 14th 2016Loss-of-function mutations in Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) or Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), deletion of the wild-type allele of JAK1 or JAK2, and truncation in the antigen-presenting protein beta-2-microglobulin gene were found responsible for lack of response to interferon gamma.
EndoPredict Better Than Oncotype DX in Predicting DR in Breast Cancer
July 13th 2016A study has found that an 8-gene signature score, combined with nodal status and tumor size, obtained from the EndoPredict breast cancer test might be more accurate at predicting the recurrence of breast cancer, compared with the recurrence score of Oncotype DX.
Promising Results With Combination Immunotherapy in Solid Tumors and Leukemia
July 13th 2016As immunotherapy-particularly the checkpoint inhibitors-continues to show promise in solid as well as liquid tumors, clinicians have been evaluating these agents in combination to improve efficacy and outcomes.