Oncology

All this week, the healthcare industry, especially analysts and investors, focused their attention on presentations by CEOs and CFOs at the 34th annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference.

A proposal to reduce Medicare Part B payment rates for hospitals participating in the 340B Drug Pricing Program has been approved 14-3 by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.

The National Immunotherapy Coalition has coalesced leaders from large pharma, biotech, academic cancer centers, community oncologists, and a health plan, with the hope of accelerating the development path of next generation immunotherapy in oncology.

The American Journal of Managed Care asked Matthew Banegas, PhD, MPH, Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, to comment on his new study published in Health Affairs.

ASCO's Task Force on Clinical Pathways demands greater transparency with pathway development, increased flexibility, and evidence of improved outcomes subsequent to pathway implementation.

Rates of uninsured dropped faster than almost anywhere in the nation, but Kynect is part of "Obamacare," and the new Republican Governor Matt Bevin has vowed that it must go. Advocates have a lot of questions about how hard-to-target populations will be reached and whether grant funds will have to be repaid.

At the J P Morgan Healthcare Conference, Express Scripts' president Tim Wentworth shared the solutions being developed by the pharmacy benefit manager to improve patient access while reducing cost to payers.

Grail, which has raised over $100 million from Illumina and the venture capital firm Arch Venture Partners, has also secured investments from Bill Gates, and Jeffrey P. Bezos.

New guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network regarding cardiac toxicity for patients with cancer or cancer survivors should have cancer institutions talking about how to implement cardiac follow-up for patients, said Crystal S. Denlinger, of FOx Chase Cancer Center.

Following a personal tragedy, vice president Joe Biden has sworn to dedicate his last year in office to help boost cancer research.

What we're reading, January 11, 2016: drug shortages in the emergency departments have quadrupled since 2008; the government has done little to verify people enrolling after Obamacare deadline under special enrollment categories; and Pfizer increased the prices of 100 drugs.

The latest developments across the healthcare landscape and key upcoming conferences to attend.

The increase in medical expenditures and the move to new care models in oncology will necessitate a change in culture for practice staff, said Charles Bane, MD, Dayton Physicians Network in Ohio.

A recent safety trial has found a promising new therapy for type 1 diabetes that uses patients’ own regulatory T-cells instead of the usual immunosuppressive drugs to protect beta cells.

Top managed care stories include Sanofi ending its deal to market Afrezza, Aetna cut ties with America's Health Insurance Plans, and a new study found bankruptcy looms large for cancer survivors.

It's time to finally put an end to “what the market will bear” as a method of pricing prescription drugs.

Solid-organ transplants increase the risk of death due to cancer compared with the general population, a study published in JAMA Oncology has found.

The guidelines show the influence of lobbyists, raising questions about how they will be created in future cycles. They will next be updated in 2020.

A study by researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center is evaluating an imaging method that can help protect normal, healthy lung tissue during radiotherapy treatment in lung cancer patients.

A 23% drop in cancer deaths in the United States between 1991 and 2012-which translates into 1.7 million lives saved-was the result of successful cancer prevention, screening, and treatments, says a new report published by the American Cancer Society.

A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine underscores the need for early cardiovascular screening in adult survivors of cancer.

A new study conducted by researchers at Kaiser Permanente has found that a considerable number of working-age adults who survive cancer and its toxic treatments, end up with substantial medical debts or declare bankruptcy.

Drugs targeting genetic mutations that drive tumor growth have revolutionized treatment for some serious forms of cancer, but the tumors usually become resistant to the drugs’ therapeutic effects and resume growth.

Public health officials are worried about the increased popularity of e-cigarettes because they could be a gateway to the use of combustible tobacco products.

Patients with cancer who have paid sick leave are almost twice as likely to retain their jobs.

In their Viewpoint in JAMA Oncology, Sanket S. Dhruva, MD, and Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH, have raised objections to CMS’ turnaround on coverage decision for the antibody blinatumomab.

Results from the ACRIN 6666 trial have found that breast cancer detection rate using ultrasonography is comparable with mammography.

An imaging agent that can eliminate the unknown and help instill confidence in a surgeon’s ability to successfully remove all cancerous tissue is being evaluated by surgical oncologists at Duke University.

How well postmenopausal patients tolerate tamoxifen and anastrozole for one type of breast cancer varies with age.

Women over 65 years of age with early-stage, fast-spreading breast cancer had better chances of surviving if they endured treatment therapy, according to a new study.