The chances for further policy changes in healthcare over the next several years are expected to be minimal, said panelists during a roundtable discussion at the 2016 National Comprehensive Cancer Network annual conference. The exception may be the Medicare Part B project for provider reimbursement for infused and injected drugs.
Assessing quality care in the age of precision medicine can be challenging. In a special session at the 2016 Quality Care Symposium, various stakeholders presented their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities related to quality care in this rapidly changing landscape.
Anti–PD-1 treatment with the PD-1 inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo) significantly improved survival in patients with head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma that progressed after platinum-based therapy, according to data from a phase 3 clinical trial known as CheckMate-141.
The realignment of incentives and enhanced collaboration in cancer research are priorities that would speed the pace of discovery, with the goal to “end cancer as we know,” said Vice President Joe Biden at the 2016 American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting.
- Cabometyx Receives FDA Approval for Advanced Renal-Cell Carcinoma
- Venclexta First BCL-2 Targeted Drug Approved for Patients with CLL plus 17p Deletion
- First Blood Test for CRC Screening Approved by FDA
- Defitelio FDA Approved for Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease After HSCT
- Oncology Benchmarks Annual Report Shows New Patient Visits, Drug Spending Are Rising
- Personalizing Therapy for Patients with Multiple Myeloma
The population of patients with multiple myeloma who are eligible for therapy has been expanded to include asymptomatic patients with certain features, according to the most recent National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline (version 3.2016).
The updated National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline (version 2.2016) for the management of advanced melanoma reflects the increasing role of immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted agents, as more data establish their superior efficacy over traditional chemotherapy.
The evidence blocks were incorporated into the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) clinical practice guidelines late last year and act as a visual representation of 5 key measures related to specific recommendations.
A higher score on a composite index of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), indicating genomic instability, correlated with improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with ovarian cancer who have received platinum-containing chemotherapy, according to results presented at the 2016 Society of Gynecologic Oncology annual meeting.
