Articles

Hollywood, FL—Regardless of one’s personal opinion of the role of government in healthcare, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be implemented, which means government will be playing a more significant role, as 2 speakers pointed out at the Third Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

>Hollywood, FL—A collaboration between the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the National Business Group on Health can help employers navigate the confusing landscape of employee benefits.

The US Food and Drug Administra­tion (FDA) approved a new indication for paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension, albumin-bound (Abraxane; Celgene) for the treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has resulted in few cases of durable remissions. Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), an essential component of B-cell receptor signaling, mediates interactions with the tumor microenvironment and promotes the survival and proliferation of CLL cells.

>The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) revised its policy on financial conflicts of interest (FCOIs) in 2005, establishing for the first time certain types of financial relationships for clinical trial principal investigators.

Widespread adoption of prostate- specific antigen (PSA) screening has been associated with a 44% reduction in prostate cancer mortality. Although early detection of prostate cancer with PSA testing may lead to reduced mortality, it also leads to significant overdetection of cancer.

Chicago, IL—Routine surveillance imaging is of little value in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or classical Hodgkin lymphoma who are in remission, researchers from 2 institutions reported.

>Chicago, IL—Hospitalizations and readmissions add substantial costs to healthcare. The annual cost of 30-day hospital readmissions in the United States is estimated to be $16 billion.

Chicago, IL—The number of oral oncolytic drugs has increased dramatically, but despite increased convenience, there is growing concern regarding adherence, said Winson Y. Cheung, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia Division of Medical Oncology, Vancouver, at a session on adherence at ASCO 2013.

Removing copays may help boost mammography screening rates for all age-groups above age 40 years. One insurer found a significant increase in screening rates with the removal of a copay, said Jeffrey M. Peppercorn, MD, MPH, Medical Oncologist at Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC.