ASCO 2015 Highlights

Researchers have identified new molecular markers—microribonucleic acids (RNAs)—that, combined with their target genes, are believed to be able to identify which breast cancer will metastasize to the brain.

The cost of cancer care has become a frequent topic of conversation in oncology conferences and publications, as well as among other stakeholders, including patients and payers. In a recent editorial published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, David G. Pfister, MD, Chief, Head and Neck Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, joined the discussion, acknowledging previous discussions related to the cost of cancer drugs and the notion that the status quo in drug pricing allows for arbitrary setting of a price for a drug that is not necessarily based on a demonstration of true value.

In a recent guest blog on the Harvard Business Review website, Toby Cosgrove, MD, President and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, suggested that value-based care represents a life-saving “breakthrough,” not unlike penicillin or decoding the human genome, by focusing on lowering costs and improving quality of care and outcomes as its main goals.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to pertuzumab (Perjeta; Genentech) as part of a treatment regimen for the neoadjuvant setting (ie, before surgery) for patients with HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer. This is the first time that the FDA approved a drug for the neoadjuvant treatment of patients with breast cancer.

On September 10, 2013, the Institute of Medicine (IOM), part of the National Academy of Sciences, published a 315-page report, titled “Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care: Charting a New Course for a System in Crisis”.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands—For the first time, a therapy for non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has achieved responses in smokers better than in nonsmokers. The antibody MPDL3280A also achieved good responses in squamous and adenoma histologic types of NSCLC.

Hollywood, FL—Oncology growth for the next couple of years will be driven by several strong trends, according to Doug Long, Vice President of Industry Relations, IMS Health, who described these trends at the 3rd Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

An evolving crisis in cancer care will reach a critical mass over the next 15 to 20 years without a transition to a more patient-centered, evidence-based delivery system, warn the authors of a report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

Prehabilitation (or "prehab") has a long history as an important part of the rehabilitation care continuum.

The complexity of healthcare exchanges has heads spinning. Attendees at the Third Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care came away with a better understanding of the exchanges after a presentation by Matthew C. Palmgren, PharmD, President, Int’Ovation, Signal Mountain, TN.