Oncology

Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, of Express Scripts kicked off the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2017 Nexus, held October 16-19 in Dallas, Texas, with a presentation on the pipeline of specialty pharmaceuticals in development.

The immunotherapy drug, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, is recommended for use within the Cancer Drug Fund.

The authors used Medicare claims data to examine trends in hospital–physician integration in high-volume specialties, including medical oncology.

The study found that young patients with leukemia who have been vaccinated against the influenza virus are as susceptible to develop flu as their unvaccinated peers.

With the clinical and financial implications of high-cost medications, and their impact on health system revenue, it is of utmost importance for all key stakeholders to be engaged in the complex revenue cycle.

The study showed that using tumor mutation burden (TMB) can be beneficial for predicting patient response to the combination of 2 immuno-oncology therapies.

Before treating certain patients, Daniel J. DeAngelo, MD, JD, of Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will council them on the risk of developing neutropenia, which can result in hospitalization or even an intensive care stay.

AJMC®TV interviews let you catch up on what’s new and important about changes in healthcare, with insights from key decision makers-from the clinician, to the health plan leader, to the regulator. When every minute in your day matters, AJMC®TV interviews keep you informed. Access the video clips at ajmc.com/interviews.

An update on the latest developments in the world of oncology care: product approvals, clinical developments, health policy changes, and more.

While many lung and bladder cancer patients respond well to immunotherapy, they eventually succumb to the disease because the immune system can not detect the cancer cells. Two clinical trials will combine immunotherapy with epigenetic agents in order to allow the immune system to recognize and destroy the cancer cells.

The advent of oral oncolytics has changed the pharmacy's role in patient care beyond compounding infusions. Pharmacy staff now routinely engage patients, assessing adherence and tolerance to therapy as well as helping them navigate prescription benefits.

Patients with stage III colon cancer with deficient DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes who are treated with FOLFOX have a more favorable prognosis than those with proficient MMRs.

The American Journal of Managed Care® spoke with Jane L. Frederick, MD, FACOG, a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist, about the changing landscape of cancer treatment, partnering with oncologists, and helping patients gain financial assistance for their fertility preservation and treatment.

Study focused on liver cancer cases, over time, in different locations and the main causes.

A new study highlights how the beliefs of surgeons and radiation oncologists influences radiotherapy use in early-stage breast cancer among older women.

Technological advances will lead to improvements in clinical trials and greater participation in trials by patients, explained Michael Kolodziej, MD, national medical director of managed care strategy at Flatiron Health.

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.

The US Preventive Services Task Force already has recommendations for screening and intervention for obesity, but they often are not followed.

This week, the top managed care stories included speculation regarding who would replace Tom Price, MD, as HHS secretary; a report on breast cancer mortality trends and racial disparities from 1989 to 2015; and the FDA announced new strategies to improve patient access to less expensive drugs.

A new study in the journal BMJ concludes that most oncology drugs approved by the European Medicines Agency between 2009 and 2013 failed to display a benefit on survival or quality of life, even at 3.3 years following market entry.

As the health system evolves it will become increasingly important that practices understand business, explained Tesh Khullar, senior vice president of provider solutions at Flatiron Health.

A research study conducted in a mouse mammary cancer model has found that optimal timing, based on sequencing of immunotherapy agents, is important for treatment efficacy.

A new survey conducted by The Health Management Academy has identified a rapid investment by leading healthcare systems in precision medicine programs, with significant expectations of the impact of real-world outcomes on physician decision making.

There are 2 categories of challenges facing oncology practices as they transition to value-based payment models, said Aaron Lyss, director of value-based care for Tennessee Oncology.

While death rates from breast cancer declined 39% from 1989 to 2015, there are clear racial differences with black women having higher breast cancer death rates than white women, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society.

Clinical trials researching cancer therapies should be more inclusive of a broader range of patients, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and Friends of Cancer Research.

October is breast cancer awareness month, and as September ended, a new treatment received the FDA’s approval for advanced breast cancer and another was granted priority review for the adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer.

Drug pricing is one area where there may be potential future policy changes that impact community oncologists, said Dan Todd, JD, principal at Todd Strategy.

Outreach interventions, including mail outreach invitations, may be effective in increasing the proportion of completed colorectal cancer screening, according to research.