Clinical

This week in managed care the top stories included President Obama's final budget plan, value-based deals made for Novartis' new heart drug, and a look at the strides made in immuno-oncology.

In the first large-scale study of its kind, researchers at Kaiser Permanente and the University of California San Francisco found that rates of dementia risk vary across racial and ethnic groups.

A study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention has identified geographic and ethnic factors as an important determinant of vaccinating against the human papillomavirus.

Patients with advanced kidney cancer in the UK now have access to nivolumab through an early access scheme.

What we're reading, February 12, 2016: the former Kentucky governor is looking to block the current governor's plans to dismantle Kynect; Senator Orrin Hatch speaks out against Medicare negotiation of drug prices; and the link between Zika and microcephaly is growing stronger.

Carfilzomib, a proteasome inhibitor, has been approved by the FDA for use in combination with dexamethasone or lenalidomide, in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who have previously received 1 to 3 lines of therapy.

A summary of updated breast cancer screening guidelines, MEDPAC recommendations for 340B, and disparity in survival of young patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.

A study published in JAMA Oncology found that the knowledge of genetic risk influenced surgical treatment decisions in women younger than 40 years who were diagnosed with breast cancer.

At the annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, introduced Cancer MoonShot, his vision for a coalition to improve cancer outcomes. His claims on federal support for the project, however, stirred some controversy.

While the number and diversity of immunologically-based anticancer agents have increased dramatically, a number of challenging questions persist: sequencing with existing regimens, selection of best responders, cost, and patient access.

Although the United States is often viewed as having some of the best healthcare in the world, the validity of this assertion has been called into question for a number of years.

Mice administered FOLFIRINOX through the implantable device had greater tumor regression and lower tissue toxicity.

The cost issues with immuno-oncology agents are real, but so is the value that they bring to the table. How can we improve access to these agents at a reasonable cost?

What we're reading, February 10, 2016: 2 companies change how consumers purchase medicines online; CMS memo reveals the government is mulling changes to Medicare reimbursement; and Johns Hopkins will transplant HIV-positive organs to HIV-positive recipients.

As physicians and researchers question whether certain treatments for early signs of breast cancer are necessary, the first large US study will seek to determine the best way to manage ductal carcinoma in situ.

Julia Adler-Milstein, PhD, explains the importance of technology as a supporting factor in healthcare delivery, saying that it will enable patients to access their data and become more involved in their healthcare.

An investigation of why efforts to improve maternal health in the United States are lagging, and what action must be taken to lower maternal mortality.

Widespread adoption of telemedicine has not been documented, and a session at the 2016 National Health Policy Conference hosted by AcademyHealth addressed some of the current challenges.

What we're reading, February 9, 2016: Novartis signs 2 performance-based deals for its new heart drug; 8 states significantly reduced uninsured rates; and the Obama administration will ask for $1.8 billion to prepare to fight the Zika virus.

Ensuring rapid, appropriate, and sustainable access to immuno-oncology therapies for patients in Europe: what role can policies play?

The panel members that have proposed the recommendations have found clinical utility for several genomic tests to guide clinical decision in women with early stage breast cancer.

Using data gathered from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, the authors of a JAMA Internal Medicine study identified a significant decrease in PSA testing referrals by primary care physicians compared with urologists.

A deeper understanding of the interdependencies among the patients, family caregivers, and service providers revealed that if general practice teams intervene early, they may be more likely meet patients’ needs in the end-of-life care process.

For HIV-positive patients, cost considerations take on added importance because of the expensive antiretroviral prescription medications. As such, assessing premiums alone may not provide an accurate measure of plan affordability for HIV-positive patients.

The novel molecule lipegfilgrastim has been shown to be relatively equivalent to pegfilgrastim in the management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia among patients with breast cancer.

Study finds new opioid use high among adults with COPD, raising safety concerns in this vulnerable population.

What we're reading, February 5, 2016: new legislation could expand the use of telehealth under Medicare; Massachusetts finds its physicians only screen for depression half the time; and Martin Shkreli pleads the Fifth during most of his testimony before Congress.

The healthcare industry is undergoing payment reform, which includes important initiatives like addressing social determinants of health, but may not be keeping the patient perspective central as these changes are made, Lewis Sandy, MD, senior vice president of Clinical Advancement at UnitedHealth Group, said at the AcademyHealth National Health Policy Conference.

The paper in Cancer Medicine finds that cancer has a devastating and age-specific impact on the finances of young adult survivors.

Advances made in the field of immuno-oncology (I-O) in 2015 have greatly expanded our understanding of I-O and added more complexity to its value assessment.