ASCO 2015 Highlights

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.

Nonadherence to medication has been associated with financial burden; however, little is known about the association between the discussion of cancer treatments between patients and oncologists regarding out-of-pocket cost and medication adherence.

Cutaneous melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer that develops in the melanocytes of the skin, is becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States.

Approximately 15% to 20% of patients with breast cancer have HER2-positive disease. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released new clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of women with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer, focusing on systemic therapies.

Orlando, FL—Delaying a prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-triggered prostate biopsy to allow for additional PSA assessments might have avoided more than 70% of subsequent biopsies, according to a study of negative biopsies for >28,000 men reported at the 2014 American Urological Association annual meeting.

Tampa, FL—Intravenous (IV) cancer therapies are more costly, by approximately 10%, when patients receive them in a hospital outpatient setting rather than in a community-based physician office, according to a study presented at the 2014 Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy meeting.

Tampa, FL—Combining dabrafenib (Tafinlar) with trametinib (Mekinist) as upfront treatment for patients diagnosed with BRAF V600 mutation–positive metastatic melanoma should lead to improved survival, but it increases the direct costs of treatment compared with other first-line therapies.

Tampa, FL—Genetic testing and targeted medicines, the key players in personalized medicine, are seen as the waves of the future for managing patients with cancer, but getting there remains a challenge when it comes to insurance coverage for these expensive tests and therapies.

Charles Kennedy, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Aetna’s Accountable Care Solutions, is responsible for leading Aetna’s accountable care partnerships with healthcare providers. Dr Kennedy also serves as the health insurance industry representative on the Health IT Policy Committee, a federal advisory committee that makes recommendations to the National Coordinator for Health IT on a policy framework for the development and adoption of a nationwide health information infrastructure.

San Diego, CA—Tobacco researchers and regulators lauded progress in tobacco control, but they emphasized that the health burden of tobacco use continues, reflecting the expanding list of diseases caused or exacerbated by tobacco.