Oncology

Metastatic melanoma patients treated with pembrolizumab responded better if their T cells had a higher level of Bim expression.

The report, commissioned by the Community Oncology Alliance, finds that Medicare Part B cancer drug spending rose 123% in 340B hospitals from 2010 to 2013, but only 31% in non-340B hospitals; it fell 5% in community practices in the same period.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology has urged Congress to recognize the impact of barriers to interoperability of electronic health records on patient outcomes.

The American Journal of Managed Care spoke with Bruce J. Gould, MD, medical director of Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers on the impact of the 340B drug pricing program on private oncology practices.

The study, published in the journal Cancer, found that non-biological factors are as important as biological variables in shaping outcomes in young patients with leukemia.

The ability to charge increasingly higher prices for drugs that already have competition on the market is stifling innovation and wasting resources and human subjects, according to Peter Bach, MD, MAPP, director of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's Center for Health Policy and Outcomes.

Supporters say the bill would bring choice and dignity to those suffering, while opponents say the poor will be pressured by family members and heirs to take their lives because healthcare is too expensive.

Healthcare policy experts gathered in Washington, DC, to discuss access, cost, and the definition of value in oncology care.

Healthcare practitioners are well aware that the rising cost of medical advances may affect their ability to deliver great care to all their patients, but there are ways they can address the issue, said Joseph Alvarnas, MD, the editor-in-chief of Evidence-Based Oncology.

An abstract presented at the 16th World Conference on Lung Cancer presented results from a study that monitored irAEs resulting from treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Presented at the ongoing World Conference on Lung Cancer, the trial has identified 7 actionable genomic alterations in lung cancer patients under 40 years of age.

Kim Thiboldeaux, chief executive officer of the Cancer Support Community, discusses the importance of providing strong community support, the misconceptions of clinical trials, and creating a tailored care plan.

At the end of CMS' comment period, the American Society of Clinical Oncology submitted its comments and recommendations for the proposed changes.

The California Public Employees' Retirement System saved $7 million on screening colonoscopies during a 2-year period following implementation of reference pricing.

The drug, approved in Japan last year, had been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA.

With a new dosing schedule, low toxicity and a PD-L1 expression-driven response was observed.

With the comment period ending today, the proposed CMS cuts to radiation oncology reimbursement rates might have a substantial impact on community treatment centers.

Data in study show removal of tobacco from stores led to surge in purchase of nicotine patches.

Cancer drug cost troubles in the UK prompt NHS to slash its list of approved-for-use oncology products.

For individuals who have not made the sort of risk-averse decisions in their lives that lead to better jobs and wealth accumulation, making treatment decisions after a cancer diagnosis can be very difficult, said Amy Davidoff, PhD, MS, senior research scientist in public health at the Yale School of Public Health

Urologists analyzing data from prostate cancer patients suggest wait and watch in well-informed low-risk prostate cancer patients.

A survey of groups using and developing clinical pathways revealed 7 distinct themes that highlight how these pathways are created and used, and the challenges and barriers to creating new pathways, explained Robert Dubois, MD, PhD, chief science officer and executive vice president of the National Pharmaceutical Council.

Study provides proof that a child's genetic makeup can provide actionable information to alter cancer treatment regimens.

Novartis has announced that Zarxio will be available at 15% of the cost of its reference product Neupogen.

Men are opting for preventive breast surgery when diagnosed with unilateral invasive disease, a study published in JAMA Surgery has found.

Personalized telephone counseling and tailored educational materials can improve colonoscopy rates among at-risk family members of patients with colorectal cancer.

Rolapitant was approved to prevent delayed phase chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in adult patients.

The Cancer Prevention and Ethics Committees of the American Society of Clinical Oncology have made several recommendations that address genetic and genomic testing policies for cancer risk assessment.

Sometimes patients are so concerned with being good patients that they simply agree to what the clinician has said without fully understanding, and it's important to ask questions and ensure their voices are heard, said Mary Lou Smith, MBA, co-founder of the Research Advocacy Network.