- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
Impact of Personalized Medicine on Specific Tumor Types
The impact of personalized medicine has varied based on tumor types and some of the original developments, specifically in genomics and the identification of biomarkers, had a huge impact on breast cancer treatment, Edmund Pezalla, MD, MPH, thinks.
Pezalla believes that personalized medicine has significantly affected outcomes in breast cancer. “With the discovery of HER2, and the identification of HER2-expressing tumors that responded to specific medications has been a big breakthrough and there have been huge improvements in breast cancer because of that and the discovery of other markers,” he said.
In his opinion, we are still in the learning phase for other tumor types, although lung cancer has seen some breakthroughs. A small number of patients who express the right biomarkers for some of the newer oncology drugs on the market are seeing success. “Not cures necessarily, but success in improving [patient] outcomes, their length of life, and their overall survival, because they have been identified as a candidate for that particular drug.”
The impact of personalized medicine, though, has been felt beyond oncology such as in cystic fibrosis, where certain genetic subtypes are treatable so a patient can lead a normal life and maybe even a normal life span, Pezalla said.
Study Finds Obesity May Worsen Multiple Sclerosis: Genetic Analysis Points to Causal Link
November 21st 2024A new study aimed at exploring the relationship between obesity and multiple sclerosis severity using genetic data finds that higher BMI and other obesity measures were associated with increased disability progression in patients with MS.
Read More
Higher Life’s Essential 8 Scores Associated With Reduced COPD Risk
November 21st 2024Higher Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) scores, especially those reflecting lower nicotine exposure and better sleep health, are inversely associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk, emphasizing the importance of cardiovascular health (CVH) in disease prevention.
Read More
Exploring Racial, Ethnic Disparities in Cancer Care Prior Authorization Decisions
October 24th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the author of a study published in the October 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® that explored prior authorization decisions in cancer care by race and ethnicity for commercially insured patients.
Listen
Study Highlights Key RA-ILD Risk Factors, Urges Early Screening
November 20th 2024This recent study highlights key risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis–associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), emphasizing the importance of early screening to improve diagnosis and patient outcomes.
Read More
New Study Finds Risk Groups, Outpatient Care Barriers in Chronic Liver Disease
November 20th 2024Patients with chronic liver disease who were unable to establish care were 85% more likely to require recurrent hospitalizations. This group included a disproportionate number of women and individuals with physical limitations affecting their health.
Read More
