Articles

Houston, TX—At the Second Annual Association for Value-Based Cancer Care Conference on March 29-31, 2012, a panel of payers and providers considered the role of pathways in oncology practice and the potential implications for end-of-life concerns.

Patients with the relatively rare brain tumor anaplastic oligodendroglioma who were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy after standard radiation therapy had improved survival compared with radiation alone, especially if they had codeletion of chromosomes 1p/19q, according to long-term follow-up of the EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer) 2651 study reported at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

What is the most important challenge faced by a person who is diagnosed with cancer today? Opinions will differ, but most patients want to be assured that they will work with a group of multispecialty physicians who will provide recommendations for care that provide the best possible outcomes, that all options for effective treatment will be available to them, that care will be provided in a safe and comfortable hospital or other facility, and that the healthcare staff will care about their problems and concerns with managing treatment, professional issues, and family issues.

Chicago, IL—For the individual at average risk for disease, whole-genome sequencing (WGS)—mapping the sequence of one’s full set of genetic material—is not a crystal ball to reliably predict future health, according to a study presented at the 2012 American Association for Cancer Research meeting.

Chicago, IL—Metformin cannot seem to stay out of the news. This antidiabetes drug that is derived from the French lilac is now also thought to possibly protect against liver cancer, lower the risk for oral cancer, improve prognosis of pancreatic cancer in diabetic patients, and increase response to melanoma tumors with BRAF mutations when used in combination with a common cancer drug, according to several studies presented at the 2012 American Association for Cancer Research meeting.

Chicago, IL—Targeting prostate cancer with extreme accuracy, using tissue oxygen content to predict its recurrence, and using breast cancer drugs on brain tumors were a few highlights of a news conference on advances in personalized medicine at the 2012 American Association for Cancer Research meeting.

Baltimore, MD—According to Ernest Anderson, Jr, MS, RPh, System Vice President of Pharmacy, Steward Health Care System, Boston, MA, “If you’re not familiar with the drug shortage issue, you must be living under a rock.”

Baltimore, MD—Results from the latest survey of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) membership suggest that although cancer centers have stepped up their efforts to introduce cost-reduction and revenue-enhancing initiatives, the rising tide of underinsured or uninsured patients with cancer is straining even the most optimistic of business plans.

An independent health information technology company, eviti, Inc, provides a suite of web-based decision-support services that connects and delivers value to all parties in the care process—patients receive quality care, physicians are assured payment, insurers pay for quality care only, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) or specialty pharmacy improve adherence.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) introduced 3 new panels to its Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology™ at its 2012 annual conference.