ASCO 2015 Highlights

Models of Care Delivery Abstracts from the 4th Annual AVBCC Conference.

Innovation in Practice Management Abstract from the 4th Annual AVBCC Conference.

Improving Patient Access, Initiation, and Adherence Abstract from the 4th Annual AVBCC Conference.

Benefit Design and Coverage Trends Abstract from the 4th Annual AVBCC Conference

Advocacy and Community Involvement Abstract from the 4th Annual AVBCC Conference

Hollywood, FL—The updated National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for the management of melanoma now include the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib (Tafinlar) as a Category 1 recommendation for the primary treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma and BRAF mutation, as well as the use of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitor trametinib (Mekinist) for the treatment of patients with melanoma and BRAF mutation. These 2 drugs, which received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval last year, are now added to the NCCN targeted therapies for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic melanoma.

Hollywood, FL—The updated guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) for the management of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) includes new strategies in the management of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and new guidelines for T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders.

Washington, DC—A new framework for transforming cancer care by harnessing the meaningful use criteria of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) was proposed by a team of researchers at the 2013 American Medical Informatics Association meeting.

Washington, DC—Patients with cancer are often prescribed medications for the treatment of comorbid conditions, and some of those medications may have harmful drug interactions with the therapies used to treat their cancer. Computerized alert systems are now being used to inform providers or support personnel on such contraindications.

San Francisco, CA—In routine patient care, adding bevacizumab (Avastin) to standard FOLFIRI (leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil, and irinotecan) improves progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), according to data presented at the 2014 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium.