Cancer Drug Co-Development Roundtable at Ohio State University May 4th 2011
May 6th 2011On Wednesday May 4th, the Cancer Drug Development Roundtable took place at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. The roundtable consisted of high-level stakeholders and the topic was the co-development of two or more experimental drugs for cancer treatment.
New Hutchinson Center Study Helps Lift the Fog on Chemobrain
May 6th 2011Because there has been little empirical evidence to back up patients’ stories, chemobrain has been met with skepticism by the medical community and has been a painful puzzle for many patients who couldn’t quite put a name to what they were feeling. This cognitive impairment-characterized by loss of memory and stumbling on words, among other symptoms-has come to be known as “chemobrain” or “chemofog.”
Medicare Thought Leader Provides Opinion on Medicare Savings Program
May 4th 2011Gail R. Wilensky, PhD, has written an editorial on the Medicare reform that was published on April 27. 2011 in the online version of the NEJM. Professor Wilensky is an ecomomist, senior fellow at Project HOPE, and serves on Congressional committees to advise Congress on payment and other Medicare-related issues.
Insights into Cell Migration during Brain Development May Provide Clues into Cancer Cell Migration
April 25th 2011A basic science lab studying cell mobility pathways in mammalian development at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has elucidated a mechanism by which cells migrate within the developing mammalian brain that adds to the current knowledge on the way other cell types travel within the body: The research may be relevant to understanding how cancer cells metastasize.
Are you treating breast cancer patients with Avastin? If so, how?
April 20th 2011Many doctors are currently struggling with how to use Avastin to treat their breast cancer patients after the recent FDA ruling. If you are currently using Avastin to treat breast cancer patients, please share your thoughts on treatment options and combinations here.
The Real CER: Lost in Translation
April 15th 2011“Comparative effectiveness research, ” or CER, has become a loaded term in our ongoing wrangling over healthcare policy. Often, however, what even knowledgeable people understand by CER is significantly at odds with what actual policy makers have in mind.
Coverage from the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2011
April 13th 2011CancerNetwork and the journal ONCOLOGY present exclusive hematology coverage from the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Follow the stories below and check back for more write-ups of the most important information to come out of this year's event.
More Stringent Monitoring of Prostate Cancer and New Treatments in Updated NCCN Guidelines
April 12th 2011The question of whether men with low-risk prostate cancer should have their cancers vigilantly monitored is an ongoing issue for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Panel on prostate cancer.
Head of Medicare and Medicaid Describes Newly Proposed Plan to Lower Costs and Improve Care
April 5th 2011Donald M. Berwick, the Director of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the Health and Human Services Department as of March 2010, has written a perspective on the accountable care organizations (ACOs) of the Medicare Shares Savings Program.
Palliative Care Doctors Find Meaning in Death; Oncologists Find Distress
March 31st 2011An ethnographic study of palliative care specialists reveals that many of them find dealing with dying patients a gratifying experience. The scant evidence about oncologists on this subject paints a much different picture.
The Role of Patients, Clinicians, and Payers in Comparative Effectiveness Research
March 30th 2011Speaking at the ACCC last Friday, Sean Tunis, founder and director of the Center for Medical Technology Policy, gave a basic primer on what he sees as the primary goal of comparative effectiveness research.
Analysis of Clinical Trials Show No Added Risk of VTE Among Patients On Chemo + Bevacizumab
March 30th 2011The Journal of Clinical Oncology published a paper ahead of print on March 21, 2011 that shows no increased risk of venous thromboembolisms (VTEs) when bevacizumab was added to chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone.
NCCN Issues 1st Clinical Guidelines for Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder
March 29th 2011The National Comprehensive Cancer Network presented the first treatment algorithm for post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) at the 16th annual NCCN's Conference on Clinical Practice Guidelines and Quality.
Oncology Care in 2021: The FDA, Medicare, and Healthcare Reform
March 29th 2011At the Association for Community Cancer Centers annual national meeting in Washington, DC this past March, the session on “Oncology Care in 2021” featured three panelists with significant experience in shaping healthcare policy.
Ipilimumab Boosts Melanoma Survival, Gets Thumbs Up From FDA
March 26th 2011The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 25 approved ipilimumab (Yervoy, Bristol-Myers Squibb) as immunotherapy for patients with late-stage melanoma, based studies showing it improved survival outcomes in these difficult-to-treat patients.