Oncology

Funding is the biggest challenge scientists and clinical investigators face when trying to find successful therapies to treat advanced bladder cancer, explained Donna Hansel, MD, PhD, of University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the healthcare and mainstream press.

Practices increasingly need to use technology to deliver care in an increasingly value-based world, said Charles Saunders, MD, CEO of Integra Connect.

Tisagenlecleucel, sold as Kymriah, has gained its second indication following the FDA's approval of the chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma, the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy tisagenlecleucel has been approved for a second type of blood cancer; the National Institutes of Health has started recruiting individuals for a database that will include data on more than 1 million people; Kansas’ request to impose a 3-year lifetime limit on Medicaid benefits is testing just how open the Trump administration is to allowing states flexibility.

The FDA and the FTC issued 13 warning letters Tuesday to manufacturers, distributors, and retailers for selling e-liquids used in e-cigarettes, or vaping devices, with labeling or advertising that bears stark resemblances to kid-friendly food products, such as juice boxes, candy, or cookies.

Communication is critical in providing integrated, comprehensive care, said Mark Soberman, MD, MBA, FACS, former president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC).

CMS has released the first round of reconciliation data from the Oncology Care Model (OCM) bundled payment program. Interestingly, some of the practices that did well were surprised to learn they they’d achieved savings, and some participants were pleased to find out that their level of performance met expectations.

The FDA has granted priority review to Merck’s supplemental Biologics License Application for pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in combination with pemetrexed (Alimta) and platinum chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The FDA is set to make a decision by September 23.

We’ve done a lot of work on quality improvement, such as enhancing recovery, reducing intestinal injury during and after surgery, and reducing infections after surgery, explained William Cliby, MD, consultant, division of gynecologic surgery, department of obstetrics & gynecology, Mayo Clinic.

Researchers have identified a new gene that may predispose individuals to develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In addition, variants in the gene can influence patient response to treatment.

Former Ambassador Nancy Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen, talks about the stigma that used to surround breast cancer and how she brought awareness to the disease.

Men are 3 times less likely to receive cancer genetic testing, owing largely to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer testing.

Mark Soberman, MD, MBA, FACS, explains why he chose to focus on creating the next generation multidisciplinary team in cancer care during his 1-year tenure as president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC).

I think the hardest thing about advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer is that the outcomes are still fairly poor, explained Victoria Bae-Jump, MD, PhD, associate professor, gynecologic oncology, University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Researchers from Mexico recommend conducting a pulmonary function test in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy to assess their susceptibility to developing radiation pneumonitis.

We have a number of biomarkers that we have shown are associated with a better response to certain new therapies, said Oliver Dorigo, MD, PhD, associate professor, obstetrics and gynecology, Stanford University Medical Center.

The current issue of Evidence-Based Oncology™, a publication of The American Journal of Managed Care®, examines how new reimbursement models are making cancer care more patient-centered, but making those models sustainable is challenging.

Dr Alvarnas is editor-in-chief and director of Value-Based Analytics at City of Hope, Duarte, California.

The partnership will aid patients in an era of high-deductible health plans, which call on patients to make more of their own healthcare decisions.

A new blood test could negate the need for bone biopsies to diagnose a variety of cancers, including multiple myeloma. The test uses a small, low-cost plastic chip that delivers the same diagnostic information of a biopsy through a simple blood draw.

ASCO reviews clinical pathways; Flatiron Health acquired

Ray Page, DO, PhD, president and director of research at The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and chair-elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) Clinical Practice Committee discusses the first results of the Oncology Care Model (OCM) and ASCO’s top legislative priorities.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

With chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy being so new, there is going to be a learning curve as providers become more educated about the treatments, the manufacturing process, and the toxicities, Houston Holmes, MD, MBA, FACP, a medical oncologist with Texas Oncology, explained at the Community Oncology Alliance’s (COA) 2018 Community Oncology Conference.

Reimbursement models, novel gene therapy–based treatments, and price transparency: these were some of the topics covered by presenters and panelists at the annual meeting of the Community Oncology Alliance.

Martha Gaines, MD, JD, LLM, founder and director of The Center for Patient Partnerships, clinical professor of law, University of Wisconsin Law School, explains how she turned her experience as a cancer survivor into a model for consumer-centered patient advocacy.

This week, the top managed care stories included a new bill in Congress to tackle the opioid epidemic; an analysis that warns against including drug costs in bundled payment models; the FDA commissioner shares ideas to improve innovation and access to next-generation sequencing.

Having numerous therapies to treat prostate cancer can actually be a bad thing—it makes it difficult to design clinical trials for new therapies coming into the space, explained Joe O'Sullivan, MD, FRCR, clinical professor, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast.

A group of Democrats unveil a bill to set up a new public health insurance option; a look at the health challenges that persist in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria; married people are more likely to get diagnosed early and be treated in a timely fashion for melanoma.