ASCO 2015 Highlights

Although financial concerns are increasingly influencing choices in cancer therapy, barriers to cost discussions between physicians and patients often limit the scope of such discussions.

Researchers from the University of California and the University of California San Diego (UCSD) have begun working on a prototype “cyberinfrastructure” that would allow cancer researchers to collect and interpret data from multiple sources to compare the effectiveness of preventive measures, drugs, treatments, and interventions during the course of clinical trials.

A new study suggests that removing financial incentives for screening for cervical cancer, diabetic retinopathy, and hypertension and diabetes control reduces performance, including screening rates. The study was published online in May in the British Medical Journal (2010;340:c1898).

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which is Congress’ latest attempt to reform our healthcare system, creates 3 new entities that will test new payment methodologies or compare current treatments in an attempt to determine better value for our healthcare dollar.

Geneva—Giving lung cancer patients radiotherapy more frequently and over a shorter period of time provides an overall survival benefit, according to the results of a meta-analysis presented at the 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference.