Oncology

According to Howard K. Crowley, head of pharmacy strategic initiatives, Aetna Pharmacy Management, a Towers Watson/ National Business Group on Health survey found that 29% of employers rank the rising costs of specialty drugs as a top challenge to keeping health benefit coverage affordable.

This week AJMC is covering session highlights from the PBMI Annual Drug Benefit conference.

Chris Belmont, vice president and chief information officer, MD Anderson Cancer Center, says the right timing and the right context are essential to effective health data management.

Karen Lewis, MS, MM, CGC, says the goals of Healthy People 2020 are developed by looking at a variety of key areas in healthcare, and then choosing the most actionable items to improve the overall health of the general population.

Experts in treating older cancer patients say it's important to think of each patient individually, not to assume that because someone has reached a certain age that he or she isn't going to be able to withstand surgeries, radiation or chemotherapy.

COA and ASCO are issuing a joint statement on payment reform in cancer care. The goal is to improve the lives of individuals with cancer, in part by developing and supporting payment systems based on evidence-based medicine and measures of quality and value in cancer care.

As U.S. consumers are asked to shoulder more prescription drug costs, drugmakers say prices for brand-name medicines will keep rising, mainly because use of their products reduces other healthcare costs.

Amy Berman, BS, RN, says that all too often, people end up in the hospital because they don't know where else to go for treatment.

In a bid to improve treatment for men with high-risk prostate cancer, some researchers want to take a page from the playbook for breast cancer.

Scott Ramsey, MD, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, says that right now, only a small portion of health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) fits into the oncology model.

Effective management of the comorbidities of diabetes and hypertension may increase survival in older breast cancer survivors.

Starting next September, women at increased risk for breast cancer will be able to get some drugs shown to help prevent the disease without a co-pay, the Obama administration said Thursday.

The panelists discuss clinicians and their perspectives on financial constraints in treatment of NSCLC.

Dr Peskin begins by stating, costs are exceedingly consequential. Cancer care and treatment is occupying, and with demographics being what they are, increasingly larger relative total cost of care across the US, including various national organizations.

Dr Peskin discusses programs such as Choosing Wisely and how providers must be mindful of high value, cost-conscious, cost-aware care.

A look back at some of the InFocus blog highlights of 2013.

Panelists discuss screening recommendations and guidelines, including considerations for screening those patients with a smoking history.

The panelists weigh in on the appropriate standards for treating patients with NSCLC.

Dr Langer suggests that historically, there's been a monolithic approach to treating NSCLC.

Moderator Michael Chernew, MD, introduces panelists as they discuss the treatment overview of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The coming year will be one for those who have beaten cancer to develop survivorship plans, with the Commission on Cancer to require planning by treatment centers starting in 2015.

The final panel of the conference analyzes the role of the industry in healthcare, including panelists' observations on topics such as innovation. Mr Gamble, for instance, offers his insights as to how groups like the Community Oncology Alliance are working with the industry to drive the message about the quality and the value component throughout all the stakeholders. Dr Fox provides perspective on how payers can offer valuable partnerships throughout the industry, including those with pharmaceutical companies.

Dr Cliff Goodman leads a discussion featuring panelists including The American Journal of Managed Care's co-editor-in-chief, Dr Michael Chernew. Topics of the discussion include the impact of value-based pricing in the market, and how different pricing models such as bundled payments or accountable care organizations impact risk factors.

According to Dr Ramsey, both the Health Economics Outcomes Research (HEOR) model and the pharmaceuticals pricing model in the United States are broken. He says: Unless we, as a community, figure out a way to use health economics in our decision making, we are not going to stop this train of unsupportable price increases in pharma.

Mr Klein leads another discussion with Michael Kolodjiez, MD, Lee N. Newcomer, MD, MHA, John L. Fox, MD, MHA, and Jerry Conway. The panel responds to whether there are gaps in targeted gene analyses. They also discuss other issues including bioinformatics, and how payers, providers, and pharmacists might collaborate on improving care through genetic sequencing.

Jerry Conway provides a DNA-centric view of organizing treatment plans with respect to the use of some advances in genomic technology.

Dr Klein moderates this discussion, including co-editor in chief of The American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits Dr Jan Berger. The panel addresses a variety of topics as they relate to companion diagnostics in targeted treatments. Panelists respond to issues such as who should take responsibility in genetic counseling to ensure that patients have the best experience possible-whether it be in person or telephonic. Other topics covered in this discussion include appropriate consumerism in this space, the employer's role in genetic counseling, and how medical professionals are being trained or educated about these processes.

Karen uses this session to analyze payer perspectives in genetic counseling. She describes the process involved with genetic counseling and the role of the counselor. She notes that the path to becoming a genetic counselor can often be more rigorous than in other specialties. Ms Lewis also discusses the surge of interest that genetic counseling has seen in recent years.

Bruce Feinberg, DO, vice president and chief medical officer of Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions, Clinical Pathways, begins this next segment from a different perspective.

Dr Klein begins the panel discussion by asking participants to name one of their biggest challenges. Dr Newcomer responds that time and the fact that there are not enough PhDs are challenging. Ms Torda suggests that standardized data and data collection remains difficult. Dr Scanlon says it's the nimbleness of structuring data.