Oncology

A novel drug that targets MDMX and MDM2, which inhibit a protein that suppresses tumors when they are overexpressed, has tripled the median survival rate in an animal model of human acute myeloid leukemia, according to new research.

Early feeding, euvalemia, and multimodal pain management can be used to to accelerate surgical recovery and improve outcomes in gynecologic oncology, explained Sean C. Dowdy, MD, chair, division of gynecologic surgery, department of obstetrics and gynecology, Mayo Clinic.

Coverage from the Association of Community Cancer Centers’ 44th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit, March 14-16, 2018, in Washington, DC.

Thomas LeBlanc, MD, of the Duke Cancer Institute, addresses the importance of adding a palliative care specialist to the cancer care team.

The increased risk of cancer in patients with HIV has been well defined, and some studies have suggested that patients with HIV have not only a higher risk of lung cancer, but also an increased risk of mortality from their cancer than patients without HIV.

An analysis of a hypothetical bundled payment that included drug costs would unfairly penalize practices based on patient mix and could destabilize the cancer care delivery environment, according to research published in the Journal of Oncology Practice.

Coverage from the American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, held February 8-10, 2018, in San Francisco, California

The high cost of new, innovative cancer treatments coming to market makes these therapies inaccessible to a lot of patients, said Michele McCourt, senior director of the CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation.

This study compares the well-being of long-term cancer survivors with that of US residents of similar age and demographic characteristics, patients recently diagnosed with cancer, and individuals with chronic illness.

The identification of 40 genes involved with the development of multiple myeloma could lead to the development of more personalized treatments.

William Cliby, MD, consultant, division of gynecologic surgery, department of obstetrics & gynecology, Mayo Clinic, discusses patient factors that predispose them to adverse complications during surgery for ovarian cancer and using those predictors to improve care.

One possible way to reduce overall cost, improve patient experience, and improve outcomes in cancer care is to shift the focus of healthcare delivery away from volume and toward value. Patient-centered cancer care holds the promise of addressing these issues.

Oncology nurse navigators provide the “constant” in what seem to be undulating waves of changes to workflows, the adoption of new technology, the near-weekly onslaught of new drugs, and the need to ensure every nuance of documentation is entered in discrete fields in electronic health records so the practice meets reporting requirements.

It is important to establish broadly agreed-on and accepted frameworks for thinking about the value of high-cost cancer therapies, so that we as a society can weigh the choices in front of us.

Risk has very different meanings depending on whether one views it from a clinical or financial perspective.

Thomas Graf, MD, chief medical officer and vice president, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, discusses evolving care bundle payments to better accommodate cancer patients.

If we don't close the gap in gender differences in HPV vaccination, we will likely see an increase in HPV-related cancers, explained Anna Beavis, MD, MPH, a gynecologic oncologist fellow at Johns Hopkins University.

How are large employers adapting to, and benefiting from, the value-based care practices that are a payer demand and a provider imperative? This was the focus of a panel moderated by Bo Gamble, director of Strategic Practice Initiatives, Community Oncology Alliance (COA), during the 2018 Community Oncology Conference hosted by COA, April 12-13 in National Harbor, Maryland.

While increased risk of neurocognitive issues, such as long-term problems with attention, is common in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the risk may actually begin before treatment, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology.

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.

Providing financial navigators in cancer centers and hospitals can have demonstrable benefits for both patients and hospitals, explained Todd Yezefski, MD, senior fellow in the Clinical Research Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Washington.

Researchers have identified genetic subtypes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that revise the molecular classification of the disease and could provide insight into why some patients respond to treatment and others don’t.

A panel of providers discussed key advocacy issues that affect patients and practices and could improve access to care and costs during the 2018 Community Oncology Conference, hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance, April 12-13 in National Harbor, Maryland.

The Trump administration's proposal to extend the duration of short-term health plans would have a particularly significant impact on patients with cancer and cancer survivors, according to a webcast hosted by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship on Thursday.

Our division at Stanford is very interested in investigating innovative therapies and has a particular focus on immunotherapies, explained Oliver Dorigo, MD, PhD, associate professor, obstetrics and gynecology, Stanford University Medical Center.

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, provides a look at legislation to improve patient access to treatments and address drug pricing in cancer care.

There is currently a lack of transparency with pharmacy benefit managers around drug prices and where the rebates for drugs are going, but Congress is pushing for greater transparency that will benefit patients, said Ted Okon, executive director of the Community Oncology Alliance.

How are community practices coping with administering chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T treatments? At the 2018 Community Oncology Conference hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance, Houston Holmes, MD, MBA, FACP, Texas Oncology, shared his experience with administering CAR T-cells in a community cancer center–based setting.

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

This week, the top managed care stories included President Donald Trump signing an executive order requiring the poor to get jobs or lose food and healthcare benefits; a CMS report found ethnic, racial, and gender disparities in Medicare Advantage plans; CDC highlighted the impact of HIV on America's youth.