Segment 5 - Value-based Decisions in NSCLC

Dr Peskin discusses programs such as Choosing Wisely and how providers must be mindful of “high value, cost-conscious, cost-aware” care. This ensures that only appropriate treatments are administered to patients with cancer.

Dr Sugarbaker suggests to the fellow panelists that the majority of NSCLC patients are not candidates for surgery because they are diagnosed too late for a procedure. Early detection would save a lot of money.

“The issue of imaging and early detection certainly resonates with payers, including myself, and not only economic but ethical considerations,” says Dr Peskin. He adds that while people gravitate toward the terms “targeted” and “precision,” one must verify that those treatments are used by clinicians and oncologists judicially.