Andrew Smith

During the past 15 years, breakthrough discoveries have revolutionized the treatment landscape for most patients with lung cancer, progress that has helped fuel an overall drop in cancer mortality.

A dramatic presentation at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting changed treatment standards seemingly overnight for women with previously treated metastatic HER2-low breast cancer. However, fundamental questions remain.

Michael A. Choti, MD, MBA, FACS, discusses the progress made in gastrointestinal cancers, plus the need to coordinate care between patients, oncologists, and surgeons.

Early efficacy data in a phase 1 trial of the agent now known as nivolumab were not enough to convince Julie Brahmer, MD, MSc, about the potential of the investigative agent.

Since Charu Aggarwal, MD, MPH, helped conduct the first phase 1 trial of pembrolizumab nearly a decade ago, she has been recognized as a pioneer in testing immunotherapy treatments for thoracic cancers.

Daniel P. Petrylak, MD, discusses important new developments in bladder and prostate cancer.

There have been efforts in recent years to improve patient adherence to oncology medications; now, oncologists may soon have 1 more tool in the form of digital pills.

More than a dozen new treatments have boosted survival times for individuals with multiple myeloma. Now, researchers are beginning trials to investigate whether any of those treatments might improve on observation for patients with smoldering multiple myeloma who are at the highest risk of progression.

Charles S. Fuchs, MD, MPH, has investigated associations between lifestyle choices of food and exercise and cancer diagnosis and survivorship, leading to important insights that have clarified the relative value of diets that include nuts, alcohol, and legumes, among other foods.

Texas Oncology and Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute knew their ability to recover from hurricanes Harvey and Irma would hinge upon the work they did before either storm arrived.

North Star Lodge of Yakima, Washington, found that making the Oncology Care Model work involved solving a long series of problems.

Architects can tailor new buildings to oncology’s specific needs and Arizona Oncology built its newest facility from the ground up rather than renting generic offices.

Cancer Care Northwest made a successful bet on going fully independent and became a dominant provider in its market.

After a trio of mergers and sustained organic growth, Tennessee Oncology has 81 physicians who provide care in 30 locations in central and east Tennessee.

Barbara McAneny, MD, hopes she can help fix American healthcare’s shortcomings while also promoting its strengths by running for president of the American Medical Association (AMA).

Hope Rugo, MD, highlights the latest efforts to improve outcomes in triple-negative breast cancer.

The partners at Cancer Center of Kansas have heard for years about all the radical changes they must make to survive as a business. They have implemented those changes required by law, but they have stood firm against fads.

The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders believes that its acupuncturist, dietitian, psychotherapist, and other ancillary service providers extend patient's lives and decrease total treatment costs by reducing hospital visits. In the past, payers did not agree and would not pay for such services, which is one reason why partners at the practice are excited about the ongoing transition from fee-for-service payments to fee-for-outcome payments.

Kashyap Patel, MD, saw the first signs that fee-for-service was doomed eight years ago. He was serving on South Carolina’s Medicaid board when he received a report about CMS’s plans to test new payment models.

Louisiana leads the nation in cancer mortality—and not in the good sense. The state’s cancer mortality rate is 14% higher than the national average. Much of the problem lies in late diagnosis. Louisiana residents are less likely than other Americans to undergo recommended screenings, so their tumors tend to be more advanced upon detection.

After flat-fee system of financing cancer care at two large oncology practices in Northern California has improved patient outcomes and increased doctor compensation while defying inflationary pressures and holding the line on treatment costs.

Ventura County Hematology Oncology Specialists opened its doors 45 years ago and has long occupied a comfortable niche in its local market.

Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada's exponential expansion is, in part, a result of both the surging local headcount and the national trend toward oncology practice consolidation.

Oncare Hawaii is unusual in the autonomy it affords to its doctors. Each physician sets his or her own hours, recruits most of his or her own patients, and then becomes the only Oncare physician to see those patients.

Competition, consolidation and attrition have reduced the number of oncology players in the Salt Lake City region, but business has never been better at Utah Cancer Specialists.

The swift increase of cancer care costs has created difficulties for independent oncology practices, but the largest of the challenges may be finding a financially sustainable way to provide good care to patients who cannot pay all of their own bills.

North Shore Hematology Oncology has found a niche for itself by focusing on ways in which it can compete against local giants.

It may be too early to say whether EHRs have increased or decreased liability for physicians as a whole, but some say the technology generally reduces total medical errors and has no effect on insurance rates.

A new phase begins for Thomas Neville, PhD, a Yale and Stanford-trained engineer and economist who worked in energy before a prostate cancer diagnosis drew him into medical research.

In ever-growing body of research confirms what many oncologists have long suspected: the stresses of their profession produce an alarming rate of burnout.