Oncology

Money Well Spent?

SABCS Conference Coverage

This article was sponsored by Eisai Inc. The 2012 Eisai Oncology Digest was commissioned and funded by Eisai Inc.

Multiple Myeloma: Pre-Transplant Induction, Consolidation, and Maintenance Therapy

Availability of Newer Agents May Lower Healthcare Costs

Interview With Allen S. Lichter, MD, Chief Executive Officer, American Society of Clinical Oncology

UPMC Oncologists: Pioneers in the Clinical Pathways Movement

Use of bioimpedance spectroscopy to aid in post“breast cancer assessments for lymphedema can be cost saving for healthcare organizations in the United States.

Many primary care physicians - and even some oncologists - are unaware of common long-term side effects of four widely used breast and colorectal cancer drugs, a national survey by the National Cancer Institute reveals.

A statewide collaboration between payers and providers to create a cancer clinical care pathways program is successful.

It is not just 1 physician who cares for a patient enrolled onto a clinical trial but rather a complex system of several physician teams, sometimes with very different opinions, who must work together for therapy to be successful and for the patient to have faith in his treating team.

The oncology patient“centered medical home is a physician-driven, patient-focused value proposition that can make a difference for patients, oncologists, and the cost of healthcare.

Dr. Singh discusses CVS Caremark's strategies for managing oncology spending.

Higher use of performance-based payment mechanisms and capitated arrangements is associated with a decrease in the amount of time physicians spend with patients with cancer.

Out-of-pocket payments differ widely among oral oncolytic options. As cost for therapy becomes a greater part of treatment decisions, an understanding of patient out-of-pocket cost will be critical in informing choices.

In a safety-net hospital, patients with Medicaid have rates of advanced-stage cancer similar to those patients with other types of insurance; however, patients with no insurance have significantly higher rates of advanced disease.

To improve formulary design processes and support payers in providing more effective healthcare, policy makers should consider involving commercial payers in the development of comparative effectiveness research and creation of research and treatment guidelines.

Comparative effectiveness research and pragmatic clinical trials are valued methods to address the limitations of traditional randomized trials, answer questions of cost-effectiveness or noninferiority, and inform data-driven dialogue and decision making by stakeholders.

As physicians enter a new world of therapies for molecularly defined lung cancer, it will be critical for hospitals, drug companies, and insurance companies to work out the interplay of molecular testing and coverage for expensive therapies that are effective but only in smaller, defined groups of patients.

Journal of Oncology Practice (JOP) and The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) join efforts to highlight work focusing on issues affecting payers and providers.

As calls for improving the quality and cost efficiency of oncology increase, future empirical work is needed to examine the responsiveness of oncologists' treatment decision making to incentives among patients of all ages and insurance types.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy for low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer has potential cost savings and may improve access to radiation, increase convenience, and boost quality of life.

Payment reform may be used to better align appropriate financial incentives with better quality of care.