Expert Critiques Adjuvant Tamoxifen Guideline for HR-Positive Breast Cancer
November 6th 2014In May 2014, ASCO issued guidelines recommending the administration of adjuvant tamoxifen for 10 years in women with stage I-III hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer, based on data from the collection of 5 clinical trials.
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New Vaccine Formulation Effective in Low-Grade Lymphoma
November 5th 2014The combination of a FLT3L-primed in situ vaccine, low-dose radiotherapy, and a toll-like receptor 3 (TLR) 3 agonist has been shown to be feasible, safe, and immunologically and clinically effective in a phase I/II study for patients with low-grade lymphoma
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Post-Operative Radiation Therapy Improves Overall Survival in NSCLC Patients
October 31st 2014Patients with NSCLC who received postoperative radiation therapy lived 4 months longer on average than patients who did not receive radiation but who had the same disease site, tumor histology, and treatment criteria, according to a large retrospective study.
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The Promise of Big Data Gets Closer to Fulfillment
October 21st 2014It seems like big data is everywhere these days. It's being touted as a solution for physicians and practices who would like to participate in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and accountable care-like contracts with payers.
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Bristol-Myers Squibb Challenges Patent on Merck's Pembrolizumab
September 5th 2014BMS has filed a lawsuit over Merck's newly approved immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, contending that the much-heralded PD-1 inhibitor will infringe upon patents that Bristol-Myers holds on the groundbreaking technology.
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Novel Breast Cancer Agents Aimed at Overcoming Endocrine Therapy Resistance
August 28th 2014Although advances in endocrine therapy for women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer have been made in recent years, de novo and acquired resistance to treatments remain important clinical problems, and efforts to identify effective modalities to overcome this challenge continue.
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Is Your Oncology Practice Ready for Concierge Care?
July 23rd 2014Keeping your practice financially solvent is difficult because of the uncertainty of regulatory and reform mandates, electronic health records requirements, and diminishing reimbursements. But a type of care delivery, called concierge care, is making some inroads in the primary care arena-and may hold some usefulness in oncology practice.
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Addressing the Growing Need for Geriatric Oncology
July 11th 2014Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University's Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia have developed a model for establishing a comprehensive multidisciplinary geriatric oncology center to avoid the potential overtreatment or undertreatment that elderly patients with cancer may face.
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Value-Based Payment to Overtake Fee-For-Service by 2020
July 1st 2014A new survey by McKesson Health Solutions and released at America's Health Insurance Plan's Institute 2014 conference examined the state of value-based reimbursement, and found that of the existing value-based models, payers and hospitals/health systems predict pay-for-performance (P4P) will experience the most growth
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340B Drug Program Under Scrutiny
June 25th 2014Hospitals, community health centers, and clinics that participate in the federal 340B drug pricing program are finding themselves under scrutiny from some members of Congress and the pharmaceutical industry because of recent expansion of the Affordable Care Act.
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A Third of Practice Managers Surveyed Expect Value-based Contracts to Hurt Bottom Line
June 19th 2014A third of practice managers and health care executives who participated in a survey about value-based contracts said they expected the agreements to hurt the bottom line of their institution or practice
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As Clinicians Attempt to Show Meaningful Use, Smartphone and Tablet Use Declines
June 18th 2014Health care professionals, including primary care physicians, cardiologists, oncologists, and psychiatrists are using their mobile devices (ie, smartphones and tablets) less, as compared to last year, and find themselves spending more time on a daily basis in front of their desktop computers
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Nab-Paclitaxel Compares Favorably in Pancreatic Cost-Effectiveness Study
June 17th 2014A regimen of nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) and gemcitabine is a cost-effective option for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer because it delivers a survival advantage at a price comparable to the cost of an existing combination therapy
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Bundled Payment Strategies Move Beyond the Pilot Stage
June 10th 2014Bundled payments are no longer being relegated to pilot program status, according to a report from the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI3). Instead, more and more public and private payers are committing to this model as a core payment and delivery reform strategy.
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WellPoint Study Shows Office-based Practices Deliver Less Costly Cancer Care
June 5th 2014A retrospective analysis of pharmacy and medical claims conducted by WellPoint shows that the costs to treat and care for cancer patients can be 3% to 14% less, depending on cancer type, when it is provided by oncologist-owned practices versus hospital-owned practices.
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2nd Annual Giants of Cancer Care Awards Honor Leading Researchers
May 30th 2014The ballots are in, and 16 leading researchers whose discoveries have propelled the field of cancer treatment forward will be honored during the 2014 Giants of Cancer Care award ceremony on May 30 at Riva Restaurant on Navy Pier in Chicago.
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CMS-Sponsored Website Provides ICD-10 Guidance
May 29th 2014Although the deadline for ICD-10 implementation has been moved to October 1, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed, in collaboration with physicians, a free tool that is specialty-specific and offers customizable, actionable advice and tips to ease physician practices through the transition to ICD-10.
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