Oncology

Roche has announced that phase 3 results from the OAK study evaluating atezolizumab (Tecentriq) indicate improved overall survival compared with docetaxel in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non—small cell lung cancer.

A new report by the law firm Frier Levitt, commissioned by the Community Oncology Alliance, has found that restrictive tactics by pharmacy benefit managers, particularly in the specialty pharmacy arena, could restrict patient access to much needed medications.

At what point does the cost of cancer therapy affect the results? The current issue of Evidence-Based Oncology, a publication of The American Journal of Managed Care, takes on one of today’s biggest treatment challenges: the eye-popping prices of today’s new therapies can erect barriers to care before it begins.

Scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital are evaluating the depth of a trained radiologist’s eye to detect abnormalities on a mammogram, in an attempt to improve screening and earlier detection of disease.

A study found that the longer a woman is overweight or obese, the higher the risk of developing several forms of cancer, plus the degree of being overweight plays a role in the risk of developing cancer.

Researchers at Cancer Research UK have developed a strategy to make pancreatic cancer more responsive to chemotherapy and radiation.

In the August issue of Evidence-Based Oncology, The Samfund's Samantha Watson, MBA, and Michelle Landwehr, MPH, outline how young adult cancer survivors are disproportionately affected by treatment costs. This infographic breaks down the vicious cycle these patients get stuck in.

A vaccine, under development in Cuba for more than 2 decades, has shown potential to improve survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Researchers found a dose-response relationship for several cancers involved in eating, meaning the higher the weight, the greater risk of cancer.

The FDA has several projects under its wings that can improve the regulatory aspect of drug development and healthcare overall.

Based on the results of the MINDACT trial, investigators have concluded that chemotherapy is unnecessary in women with early-stage breast cancer who have a high clinical and low genomic risk of disease recurrence.

Research at Massachusetts General Hospital has provided vital leads that can explain drug resistance observed in breast cancer.

Researchers from Italy and France have coauthored an article in the New England Journal of Medicine that blames novel diagnostic technologies, increased access to healthcare services, and increased medical surveillance for the thyroid cancer epidemic around the world

A new study by researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research has substantiated that hormone replacement using estrogen and progesterone increases the risk of breast cancer, especially with longer use.

A new report by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute recommends a bundled payment model for breast cancer screening, with the objective of improved patient care and a more efficient use of healthcare resources.

Factors such as insurance status and being married are significant determinants of survival compared with race/ethnicity, in patients with multiple myeloma who are less than 65 years of age.

This week, the top stories in managed care included Aetna's announcement that it was pulling back its participation on the Affordable Care Act exchanges, the annual meeting of the American Association of Diabetes Educators outlined how existing sites can help roll out the Diabetes Prevention Program nationwide, and hospital leaders gave their opinions on CMS' hospital readmission program.

This issue of Evidence-Based Oncology is dedicated to understanding the implications, scope, and opportunities within the realm of cost sharing in oncology.

Financial burden is a potential nonclinical adverse event in cancer patients. As patients, especially those in the lower income ranges and the middle class, struggle to meet their medical bills, the likelihood of them skipping doses or doctor’s visits is quite high.

Young adult (YA) cancer survivors are hit the hardest in the wallet by their treatment. The average net worth of YAs who have received grants from The Samfund is a staggering —$35,000, while their counterparts in the general population is $68,000

Precision oncology, or the clinically and financially efficient use of genomically matched treatments and clinical trials, is evolving as a potentially important starting point for cancer care within successful alternative payment models.

When it comes to health coverage, most Americans face an unnerving reality-they have no idea what is covered under their health insurance policy until after they are affected by illness or disease.

A study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that patients who have access to the prices charged by a testing laboratory, as well as reference pricing, choose lower-cost laboratories, a move that results in overall cost savings.

A collaborative pilot that involves the California Department of Public Health, St. Joseph Health in Orange County, and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland is studying whether near—real-time reporting of cancer diagnoses by pathologists, using standardized electronic forms, will permit providers to make more informed and timely treatment decisions.

The monoclonal antibody daratumumab (Darzalex) has been granted Breakthrough designation, the second for this drug, for use in combination with either lenalidomide (Revlimid) and dexamethasone or bortezomib (Velcade) and dexamethasone for patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least 1 prior therapy.

Adrenal gland tumors that are defined as being nonfunctional may not really be so, and the hormones that these tumors secrete could increase an individual’s risk of cardiometabolic irregularities, according to a new study.

Results from the CheckMate 066 study found that the checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab, which has proven highly efficient in the treatment of melanoma, also performs well in improving the patient’s long-term quality of survival benefit in patients with advanced melanoma.

Loss-of-function mutations in Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) or Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), deletion of the wild-type allele of JAK1 or JAK2, and truncation in the antigen-presenting protein beta-2-microglobulin (B2M) gene have been found responsible for lack of response to interferon gamma in patients with melanoma.

Maximizing the utility of technology platforms and making them meaningful to ensure quality cancer care was the underlying theme of Emerging Issues and Opportunities in Health Information Technology, a National Comprehensive Cancer Network Policy Summit, held June 27, 2016, in Washington, DC.

Gregory C. Simon, executive director, White House Cancer Task Force, spoke at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Policy Summit in Washington, DC. “Just like the original moonshot, the Cancer Moonshot is about using technology and the resulting information,” he said.