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Oncology practices are challenged by day-to-day operational functions, which are often related to payment, reimbursement, and competition, according to the new survey titled “The State of Oncology Practice in America” from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) on the oncology practice landscape in the United States. Read More ›
FDA Commissioner Outlines New Plan to Increase Biosimilars by “Balancing Innovation and Competition”
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, has been outspoken about the critical need to reign in drug prices. Biosimilars are crucial for improving patient access to biologic drugs at an affordable cost. Biologics are now key in the treatment of cancer and autoimmune conditions. But cost remains an obstacle to access to drug therapy. Read More ›
Utilization management strategies allow payers to manage the cost of healthcare benefits, but according to Ray D. Page, DO, PhD, FACOI, President, the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Weatherford, TX, this practice often leads to burdensome requirements on oncologists and an increased administrative workload. Read More ›
Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have been seeking greater influence in the oncology market for several years. They are contracted by health plans and employers to manage the drugs covered under pharmacy benefits, which may include newly approved drugs added to the plan; provision of operational controls, such as step edits; prior authorizations; formulary restrictions; and the review of medical necessity for oral medications. Read More ›
Patients with cancer are increasingly using cannabinoids (the chemical component of cannabis) to treat many symptoms, and a minority of them even take cannabis as a treatment for the cancer itself. Recent surveys have revealed that up to 25% of patients with cancer take some form of cannabis, but oncologists and other medical providers are often unaware that their patients are using medical (or recreational) cannabis. Read More ›
Oncologists are operating in a whole new world as healthcare transitions to value-based care. To thrive in this emerging environment, providers must understand the many details involved in how value-based models work. Read More ›
By Wayne Kuznar
Tumors with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) are predictive of Lynch syndrome. The recent approval of the first immunotherapies for use in patients with MSI-H or with mismatch repair-deficiency (dMMR) in solid tumors is now leading to routine testing for MSI-H or dMMR in patients with advanced solid tumors. Read More ›
Cancer-related fatigue and insomnia frequently co-occur among patients with cancer, and emerging data have demonstrated that caregivers of patients with cancer also have a high symptom burden, with elevated rates of depression, sleep disturbance, and fatigue Read More ›
Learning how to activate and harness the immune system—the body’s built-in defense against disease—has brought the field of oncology to the cusp of a cure for at least some, if not many, types of cancer, according to an international authority in immuno-oncology. Read More ›