Representative Chris Collins recently proposed a bill that could provide the Health Resources and Serves Administration with additional resources to regulate the 340B Drug Discount Program. The 340 Drug Discount Accountability Act was introduced in the House of Representatives on June 27. If passed, the act would require that all participating hospitals document their total 340B drug purchases and pay a user fee of 0.1% to the HRSA.
Jyoti D. Patel, MD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions she makes when treating patients with non–small cell lung cancer. Patel, professor of medicine and director of thoracic oncology at the University of Chicago Medicine in Illinois, discussed her treatment considerations for patients with NSCLC based on case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives presentation.
Bert H. O’Neil, MD, recently shared his considerations for treatment when treating patients with gastrointestinal cancers. O’Neil reviewed how he would treat patients with colon cancer and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma based on case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology</em> live case-based peer perspectives presentation.<br />
John Marshall, MD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions he makes when treating patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Marshal, chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology, director of the Otto J. Ruesch Center for the Cure of GI Cancer, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, in Washington, DC, explained his treatment decisions based on a case scenario during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives presentation.
The Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research released the first Community Care Cancer in Washington State: Quality and Cost Report to provide transparency for patients and health providers, establishing a more value-based care model.
Community-based cancer care continues to regress, with an 11.3% increase in the number of community cancer clinic closings since 2016, according to the 2018 Community Oncology Alliance Practice Impact Report, which was released during the 2018 Community Oncology Conference.
While 70.6% of oncologists do not feel sufficiently informed to make clinical recommendations regarding medical marijuana, most do conduct discussions in the clinic and close to half recommend it to their patients, according to findings from a national-level survey recently published in the <em>Journal of Clinical Oncology</em>.
During a presentation at the 2018 Community Oncology Conference, hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance, Bob Twillman, PhD, emphasized a lack of understanding within the medical community on pain management. He referenced a survey conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges, which found that a significantly small percentage of medical schools included a separate course in pain management in their curriculum.
Rafael Fonseca, MD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions he makes when treating patients with multiple myeloma. Fonseca, professor of medicine, chair, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, explained how he would treat these patients based on case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives presentation.
The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) has filed a lawsuit to stop the long-running sequester cut that affects Medicare payment for Part B drugs.<sup>1</sup> The cut was renewed this year through the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.
Richard Kim, MD, recently discussed the treatment considerations and decisions he makes when treating patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Kim, an associate professor oncology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, and medical oncologist, Gastrointestinal Oncology Department, Moffitt Cancer Center, explained his treatment decisions based on 2 case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology</em> live case-based peer perspectives program.
Julie Brahmer, MD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions she makes when treating patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Brahmer, co-director of the Upper Aerodigestive Department, Johns Hopkins Hospital, in Baltimore, Maryland, discussed her treatment considerations based on case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives presentation.
Zev A. Wainberg, MD, recently discussed the treatment considerations and decisions he makes when treating patients with colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. Wainberg, co-director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program, University of California Los Angeles, explained his treatment decisions based on 2 gastrointestinal case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology</em> live case-based peer perspectives program.
Ivan Borrello, MD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions he makes when treating patients with multiple myeloma. Borrello, an associate professor of oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and director of cell therapy, Sydney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, in Baltimore, Maryland, explained his treatment decisions based on a case scenario during a <em>Targeted Oncology</em> live case-based peer perspective presentation.
Ben Levy, MD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions he makes when treating patients with metastatic non–small cell lung cancer. Levy, clinical director of Medical Oncology, John Hopkins Sydney Kimmel Center, Washington, DC, explained his treatment decisions based on a case scenario during a <em>Targeted Oncology</em> live case-based peer perspectives presentation.
Arlene O. Siefer-Radtke, MD, recently spoke on the treatment considerations and decisions she makes when treating patients with urothelial carcinoma.
A new set of National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines have been created for the diagnosis and management of uveal melanoma. During the 2018 NCCN Annual Conference, a member of the NCCN Melanoma Subcommittee, Christopher A. Barker, MD, presented the inaugural guidelines as “the first pathway-based guidelines” to be developed for the disease.
Cabozantinib, a promising multikinase inhibitor, demonstrated encouraging antitumor activity for the treatment of radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma in the first-line setting, according to the results of a phase II study that were presented at the 2018 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Neeraj Agarwal, MD, recently discussed the treatment considerations and decisions he makes when treating patients with renal cell carcinoma. Agarwal, director of the Genitourinary Oncology Program, University of Utah School of Medicine, explained his treatment decisions based on a case scenario during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives presentation.
Ruben A. Mesa, MD, recently discussed the treatment considerations and decisions he makes when treating patients with polycythemia vera. Mesa, director of the University of Texas Health Cancer Center, explained his treatment decisions based on 2 case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives presentation.
Durvalumab showed encouraging antitumor activity both alone and in combination with tremelimumab for patients with PD-L1–low or –negative recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, according to results of the CONDOR trial presented at the 2018 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Carlos Becerra, MD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions he makes when treating patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. Becerra, a medical oncologist at Texas Oncology, Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, explained his treatment decisions based on 2 case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives presentation.
According to early results of an ongoing early-phase study presented at the 2018 Society of Interventional Radiology Annual Scientific Meeting, image-guided injections of talimogene laherparepvec immunotherapy (T-VEC, Imylgic) were deemed tolerable in patients with advanced-stage liver metastases.
Bruce D. Cheson, MD, recently shared the treatment options and decisions he makes when treating patients with follicular lymphoma based on 2 case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology</em> live case-based peer perspective presentation.
Selective internal radiation therapy with yttrium-90 resin microspheres was better tolerated compared with sorafenib in patients with advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, However, findings from the phase III SARAH trial did not improve rates of overall survival or progression-free survival. A radiotherapy approach was compared with this targeted therapy in the SARAH trial.
Prithviraj Bose, MD, discussed the findings of 2 combination trials with ruxolitinib to optimize outcomes for patients with myelofibrosis. The JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib is the only FDA-approved therapy for the treatment of patients with myelofibrosis, but novel agents and combination regimens are in development to address some of the unmet needs in the field.
John Marshall, MD, recently discussed the treatment options and decisions he makes when treating patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Marshall explained his treatment decisions based on 2 case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives presentation.
Agne Paner, MD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions she makes when treating patients with multiple myeloma. Paner, an assistant professor of medicine at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, explained her treatment decisions based on 2 case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology</em> live case-based peer perspectives presentation.
C. Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions he makes when treating patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Landgren, chief of the Myeloma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, explained how he would treat these patients based on the review of a case scenario during a <em>Targeted Oncology </em>live case-based peer perspectives dinner discussion.
Denise. L. Pereira, MD, recently shared the treatment considerations and decisions she makes when treating patients with multiple myeloma. Pereira, assistant professor of clinical medicine, University of Miami, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, Florida, explained her treatment decisions based on 2 case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology</em> live case-based peer perspectives presentation.