ASCO 2015 Highlights

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare type of cancer that arises from the intrahepatic or extrahepatic biliary ductal epithelium, accounting for approximately 10% to 15% of all primary hepatic malignancies. CCA is classified as intrahepatic or extrahepatic CCA. In the United States, the incidence of CCA has been rising consistently since 1973.

Patients with “early-onset cancer”—that is, cancers that typically do not occur in younger adults (aged 18-39)—had a significantly higher rate of germline mutations than patients with the “young adult cancers” that are typically seen in this age-group (21% vs 13%, respectively; P = .002), according to results of a new study. The results were presented at the 2020 AACR virtual annual meeting and were highlighted at a meeting press cast.

Treatment with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda) significantly extended progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma compared with standard treatment with brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris), according to the results of the phase 3 KEYNOTE-204 clinical trial reported at the ASCO 2020 virtual annual meeting.

Many cancer vaccines have been studied, but thus far the search has been unsuccessful. Results from a new study suggest that the combination of a messenger (mRNA)-based personalized cancer vaccine (known as RO7198457) plus the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab (Tecentriq) shows promise for the treatment of advanced cancer. The results of the phase 1b clinical trial were presented at the 2020 AACR virtual annual meeting.

Value-based drug purchasing, better coordination of care delivery, and earlier institution of palliative care were among the measures to lower the cost of cancer care that were suggested during a panel discussion at the 2020 virtual National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Oncology Policy Summit. The discussion was moderated by Clifford Goodman, PhD, Senior Vice President, Comparative Effectiveness Research, the Lewin Group.

Value-based or alternative payment models have yet to deliver the cost-savings in oncology hoped for when these models were proposed, said experts at the September 2020 National Comprehensive Cancer Network Oncology Policy Summit during a panel discussion on best practices for value-based agreements.

Uncertainty reigns in Washington with the upcoming election only weeks away. What can cancer care stakeholders expect from legislators and policymakers over the next several weeks, during the lame duck session, and in 2021?

The top priority for employers regarding their employees’ cancer care coverage is ensuring access to state-of-the-art care. Learn how employers are trying to close the gap between “typical” and “optimal” care.

Telling the story of the Oncology Care Model and its performance over the past 5 years through some of the best-performing practices.

On October 8, 2020, the Berkeley Research Group published a report showing that contract pharmacy participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program grew by 4228% between 2010, when the Health Resources and Services Administration expanded the contract pharmacy program, and 2020. A week later, on October 16, 2020, a variety of stakeholders in the 340B program—covered entities, contract pharmacies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and outside tech consultants—participated in an intense discussion of contract pharmacy growth, newly imposed manufacturer audit requirements, and ways to return 340B to its original purpose of spreading scarce federal resources and serving vulnerable patients.