New York, NY—Diarrhea is a common side effect of standard chemotherapy, but the risk is less well characterized with molecularly targeted agents, which may add to the risk of diarrhea when combined with standard chemotherapy, according to Lowell Anthony, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Kentucky, and Chief of Medical Oncology, UK HealthCare, Lexington, who discussed this topic at the 2012 Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer International Symposium.
On July 6, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) proposed rules for fiscal year 2013. These rules include a number of proposed changes aimed at improving quality and promoting value in cancer care in the Medicare program. Although many of these changes are positive, a number of proposed cuts to payment rates, particularly to services performed by radiation oncologists, could have a devastating impact on oncology providers and patients.
New York, NY—Two major advances over the past decades have improved the management of febrile neutropenia (FN)—the MASCC (Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer) scoring system for predicting the risk of FN, and the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) for the prevention of FN. However, the need for improvement still exists, said Jean Klastersky, MD, Professor, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium, at the 2012 MASCC International Symposium. Among the remaining challenges is refining the optimal use of these agents.