Payer’s Perspective

The 2016 American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting provided insight into new treatment options and mechanism of action choices for hematologic cancers. Health plans need to continue to expand their knowledge and expertise in all cancer types to maintain the ability to manage and apply coverage criteria appropriately as FDA approvals continue to increase in oncology.

Many significant and interesting topics highlighted at ASCO 2016 are discussed in this publication, covering clinical, safety, and economic issues related to cancer therapies.

Society meetings, such as the recent American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, generate a lot of clinical-related excitement regarding new treatment options, protocols, and pathways for hematologic cancers.

According to the 2013 Annual Report on Progress Against Cancer published in 2014 by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), cancer death rates have declined by 21% among men and by 12% among women since the 1990s, and more than 13 million cancer survivors are alive in the United States today.