ASCO 2015 Highlights

When oral navitoclax (ABT-263) was evaluated in an open-label, phase 2 study in adult patients with recurrent and progressive small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) who had received at least 1 prior therapy, this Bcl-2 inhibitor showed only limited activity (Rudin CM, et al. Clin Cancer Res. 2012;18;1-7).

Baltimore, MD—Radiation technologies rank as some of the most interesting new developments. However, the advantages of these new technologies in terms of patient outcomes are sometimes elusive, and the costs of acquiring radiologic facilities—and the revenue generated by them—are increasingly coming into question.

At the 2012 Association of Community Cancer Centers meeting, several presenters offered practical tips to help in the new climate of healthcare reform.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act has set aside $19 billion in incentives to encourage healthcare providers to adopt and meaningfully use electronic medical record (EMR) technology in an effort to provide more patient-centered care.

The Oncology Management Program at CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) continues to evolve, producing nearly 10% in cost-savings over prepathways practice, and ensuring that patients get more appropriate care, said Winston Wong, PharmD, Associate Vice President of Pharmacy Management at CareFirst BCBS, who described the program at the Second Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

Houston, TX—“Personalized medicine can improve healthcare delivery, improve healthcare outcomes, and help manage healthcare costs and spending,” said Jeffrey Scott, MD, Senior Vice President, General Manager for P4 Healthcare/Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions, at the Second Annual Con ference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care.

Houston, TX—The use of the Level I Pathways Program at McKesson Specialty Health/US Oncology Network over the past 5 years has reduced treatment variability and resulting costs, according to Roy A. Beveridge, MD, chief medical officer, McKesson Specialty Health/US Oncology Network.

n an interview with the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC), Jennifer Malin, MD, PhD, Medical Director of Oncology at WellPoint, emphasized that patients should remain the central focus in novel or innovative reimbursement models.

Hollywood, FL—Is corporate America doing enough to promote optimal cancer care? The provision of insurance coverage alone is no longer sufficient for America’s workers.

Chicago, IL—At the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, attendees flocked to sessions on the treatment of melanoma to hear about the next generation of agents that are building on the success achieved with the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib (Zelboraf), and the immunotherapy drug ipilimumab (Yervoy), which have added new treatment options where, not long ago, none existed.