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Pregnancy Could Worsen Melanoma Outcomes, Study Confirms
While the effect of pregnancy on melanoma has been debated for several years, a study at the Cleveland Clinic has provided evidence that women who were pregnant or recently pregnant at the time of melanoma diagnosis were 5.1 times more likely to die of the disease than those who were not.
Pregnancy increases the risk of poor outcomes in melanoma, according to a review of melanoma cases at the Cleveland Clinic. The effect of pregnancy on melanoma has been debated for more than a decade. Some studies have found evidence of worse outcomes, but others have not. That prompted Dr Natasha Mesinkovska, a dermatologist at the clinic, and her colleagues to review their own melanoma outcomes over the past 20 years. They compared 49 women who were pregnant or within a year of pregnancy at diagnosis, with 418 women of childbearing age who were not pregnant. All the patients had at least 2 years follow-up.
Mortality (20% vs. 10.3%; P = .06); recurrence (12.5% vs. 1.4%; P < .001); metastasis (25% vs. 12.7%; P = .03); and the use of radiation and chemotherapy were all more common in the pregnancy group. On logistic regression, women who were pregnant or recently pregnant at the time of melanoma diagnosis were 5.1 times more likely to die of the disease than those who weren’t (P = .03), Dr Mesinkovska reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Complete article on Oncology Practice: http://bit.ly/1DdB5ct
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.
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Uniting to Support Patients With Cancer Beyond Treatment
November 17th 2024Kasey Bond, MPH, of Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health, speaks to why it’s vital to keep patients at the center of all strategic partnerships between academic institutions and community-based oncology practices.
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Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Bridging Cancer Care Gaps and Overcoming Medical Mistrust
November 13th 2024In this clip from our interview with Oscar B. Lahoud, MD, cochair of our Institute for Value-Based Medicine® evening hosted with NYU Langone Health, he addressed medical mistrust in underrepresented communities.
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How English- and Spanish-Preferring Patients With Cancer Decide on Emergency Care
November 13th 2024Care delivery innovations to help patients with cancer avoid emergency department visits are underused. The authors interviewed English- and Spanish-preferring patients at 2 diverse health systems to understand why.
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