Clinical

The diabetes drug metformin is being used in some cancer treatment trials, but study results show the use of metformin does not improve survival of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

The incidence rate for heart failure dropped steeply over a decade in a population-based study, and while hospitalization rates remained steady over time, causes shifted from cardiovascular to noncardiovascular.

New legislation introduced by a bipartisan group of US senators would make it more difficult for new and generic opioid drugs to obtain the approval of the FDA.

A qualitative study to understand clinical providers' attitudes and beliefs about polypharmacy and their perceived barriers to and facilitators of appropriate medication discontinuation.

The total number of breast cancer cases in the United States is forecast to be 50% greater in 2030 than it was in 2011 driven mostly by a marked increase in cases of estrogen receptor-positive tumors.

While statins can prevent disease in older adults, they can also cause potentially serious side effects that could outweigh the benefits, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center found combining 2 immunotherapies to be safe and elicit a clinical response in patients with metastatic melanoma.

While most patients do not benefit from early follow-up after they are discharged from the hospital, researchers from Duke University Medical Center and Community Care of North Carolina found follow-up within 7 days was associated with substantially lower readmission rates among patients with high clinical complexity and high risk of readmission.

One of the hot new cancer immunotherapy drugs, Merck & Co's Keytruda, strongly benefited patients with melanoma, lung cancer and mesothelioma, according to 3 studies presented at the American Association for Cancer Research conference.

The leading peer-reviewed journal in managed care and the world leader in diabetes research and clinical care will present the conference at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront April 16-17, 2015. Faculty presentations and panel discussions will cover clinical, behavioral and technological aspects of care for persons with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Factors most important for successful implementation of collaborative care for depression differ for patient activation versus achieving remission; both are critical to program success.

This study illustrates that where clinical trials are lacking, network meta-analysis can provide valuable insights into the potential clinical and economic benefits of value-based insurance design.

Specialty drugs expected to account for 40% of total prescription spending by 2016, according to Catamaran Corporation.

In a final rule (PDF) issued Thursday afternoon, HHS formally set an Oct. 1, 2015, compliance date for conversion to ICD-10 diagnostic and procedure codes, incorporating the absolute minimum delay imposed by Congress when it ordered HHS to roll back the conversion date previously set for Oct. 1, 2014.

Most providers associate clinical documentation improvement (CDI) with the transition to ICD-10 coding, however, CDI - a process in which care providers receive feedback from specialists who review clinical documents - may also deliver clinical and financial benefits for healthcare organizations.

Once strictly the domain of research labs, gene-sequencing tests increasingly are being used to help understand the genetic causes of rare disease, putting insurance companies in the position of deciding whether to pay the $5,000 to $17,000 for the tests.

This study examines whether patients treated with specialty pharmaceuticals have improved outcomes compared with patients treated with conventional therapies, and evaluates costs associated with these treatments.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology's algorithm to help oncologists evaluate the clinical benefits, side effects and costs of a cancer drug or therapy will be fine-tuned over the summer and should be available for public comment by the fall, said Dr. Lowell Schnipper, chair of the society's Value in Cancer Care Task Force.

Hospice care is associated with improved median survival time for the patients diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, accompanied by decreased end-of-life costs.

Enrollees in some of the health law's most popular plans will face high cost-sharing requirements that the pharmaceutical industry says could keep patients from getting the drugs they need.

Lee Newcomer, MD, MHA, of Oncology, Genetics and Women's Health for UnitedHealthcare, says the National Comprehensive Cancer Network is transforming genetic testing by utilizing a tool called the NCCN Biomarkers Compendium, which encourages evidence-based decision-making.

Pharmacists and drug manufacturers are pushing the CMS for a one-year transition period before states attempt to implement a new formula mandated under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that will significantly trim Medicaid reimbursement rates for generic drugs.

Cancer survivors often encounter a variety of health issues, the most common of which include fatigue, peripheral neuropathy, and depression. To address those specific issues, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has developed 3 new sets of guidelines on cancer survivorship care.

Christine Strahl, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, specialty pharmacy program manager, HealthPartners, says there are several new distribution channels in specialty pharmacy.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has launched a strategic initiative to define value in cancer care.

In his talk, Melanoma Guideline Update: New Agents and Opportunities for Treatment, John A. Thompson, MD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, first showed the preferred list of treatments for advanced or metastatic melanoma: ipilimumab, vemurafenib, dabrafenib, dabrafenib plus trametinib, high-dose interleukin-2, and the drugs-to-come in the category: clinical trials.

Who should receive genetic counseling and screening for colorectal cancer (CRC)? And how early should annual colonoscopies happen once those at risk are identified? These are important questions with equally important and complex answers.

Life-saving therapies that halt cancer can take a toll on the skeletal system, leaving survivors with bone loss or more serious injuries such as broken wrists, ribs, or hips. Watchful attention, screening, and therapy are needed to prevent these outcomes.