ASCO 2015 Highlights

Boston, MA—Defining optimal therapeutic efficacy in the genomic era will require that clinical trial design in oncology move from a drug-centric approach to a patient-centric one. Retrofitting current knowledge into old paradigms will slow the progress in discovering effective targeted agents, said Razelle Kurzrock, MD, Director, Center for Personalized Therapy and Clinical Trials, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, at the Global Biomarkers Consortium Second Annual Conference.

Testing for KRAS mutations is recommended to guide treatment decisions in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) by pointing to the patients who would most likely benefit from anti–epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapies.

New York, NY—To paraphrase Winston Churchill, “we are at the end of the beginning” of the era of clinical genomics in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), said Richard M. Stone, MD, Clinical Director, Adult Leukemia Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Insti­tute, Boston, at the 2013 National Comprehensive Cancer Network congress on hematologic malignancies.

Hollywood, FL—“Patient assistance is not an option but a very important part of the fabric of our healthcare system,” said Patrick McKercher, RPh, PhD, President of the Patient Access Network Foundation, at the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

Hollywood, FL—Adherence to medications is critical for effective cancer treatment. Oncologists must understand the reasons for nonadherence and help patients to keep taking their medications, said Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and School of Nursing, Baltimore, at the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

>Hollywood, FL—Contracting in oncology has become a more complicated process, now that it involves many entities beyond physicians and payers. Dawn G. Holcombe, MBA, Vice President, Strategic Relationships, Florida Cancer Specialists, Sarasota, FL, described the scenario at the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

Hollywood, FL—“How do different stakeholders define value in oncology? This is a complex question, and definitely a mainstream, though at times controversial, issue,” according to Pamela Morris, Director, Syndicated Research, Zitter Health Insights. Ms Morris discussed the search for value in oncology care, informed by results from the Zitter Group’s research, at the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

Hollywood, FL—There are perplexing considerations for community oncology practices under sequestration, but adapting to future practice models poses even bigger questions, according to Leonard H. Natelson, Chief Executive Officer of Hematology/Oncology Associates of Rockland, NY.

Niagara Falls, Ontario—Research­ers have determined that 18F-fluoro­deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), a widely available and relatively inexpensive imaging modality, could be used to shape treatment plans for patients who have been diagnosed with high Gleason score prostate cancer.

A new study compared the ability of 3 modalities—the new Breast Cancer Index (BCI) molecular test, the 21-gene recurrence score known as Oncotype DX, and the immunohistochemical (IHC4) prognostic model—to predict early and late disease recurrence in patients with ER-positive, node-negative breast cancer (Sgroi DC, et al. Lancet Oncol. 2013;14:1067-1076).