ASCO 2015 Highlights

The FDA has reversed its long-standing policy regarding breast cancer trials that could greatly reduce the time and cost of new drug development for early-stage breast cancer.

The recent trend in drug development of shifting away from one-size-fits-all cancer medications to targeted therapies, which is the key to personalized medicine, points to the value of and monetary benefits of developing drugs that target the molecular levels of cancer cells.

The FDA has added new safety information to the label and medication guide for lenalidomide (Revlimid; Celgene), noting that lenalidomide maintenance treatment in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma is associated with an increased risk for developing new primary malignancies.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pertuzumab (Perjeta; Genentech) for intravenous use in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Baltimore, MD—Changes are constant in cancer care—new technologies, new targets, and new treatments. But the associated spiraling costs are also constant.

Value-Based Cancer Care is focused on examining value within the context of healthcare stakeholder relations. Dr Pecora and his team at Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA) have changed the relationship between the practicing oncologist and the payer, which will have substantial effects on value.

Chicago, IL—“Precision medicine” is the new catch phrase in oncology, and examples of it were evident across the vast halls of McCormick Place at the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting.

Houston, TX—At the Second Annual Association for Value-Based Cancer Care Conference on March 29-31, 2012, a panel of payers and providers considered the role of pathways in oncology practice and the potential implications for end-of-life concerns.

Patients with the relatively rare brain tumor anaplastic oligodendroglioma who were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy after standard radiation therapy had improved survival compared with radiation alone, especially if they had codeletion of chromosomes 1p/19q, according to long-term follow-up of the EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer) 2651 study reported at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

What is the most important challenge faced by a person who is diagnosed with cancer today? Opinions will differ, but most patients want to be assured that they will work with a group of multispecialty physicians who will provide recommendations for care that provide the best possible outcomes, that all options for effective treatment will be available to them, that care will be provided in a safe and comfortable hospital or other facility, and that the healthcare staff will care about their problems and concerns with managing treatment, professional issues, and family issues.