Oncology Business Management

Research and development in cancer has made a seismic shift toward immunotherapies, like anticancer vaccines, and the resulting tremor can be felt in the hallways and laboratories of drug and biotechnology companies large and small.

To help address delays in nuclear imaging procedures caused by an isotope shortage that resulted when two Canadian reactors went offline in 2009, the Academy of Molecular Imaging and other professional societies urged CMS to grant coverage for the use of NaF-18 PET in diagnosing bone metastases in patients with cancer.

A study presented at the ASCO 2010 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium found that adding urine testing to cystoscopy to monitor patients for bladder cancer recurrence greatly increases costs without a corresponding clinical benefit.

In February 2010, the FDA announced it would be developing and implementing stringent measures to regulate patient exposure to radiation associated with imaging studies, in particular from computed tomography (CT) scanning.

According to a study presented at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology 41st Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer, held in San Francisco, California, a combination of docetaxel(Taxotere) and carboplatin almost doubled progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with recurrent, platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer.

New evidence presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists suggests that Gardasil, a vaccine that prevents cervical cancer, also reduces the likelihood of recurrence after surgery by 40%.

A novel blood test identifies PAM4 (or clivatuzumab), an antigen that is present in almost 90% of pancreatic cancers and precancers.

Results of a phase III multicenter, open-label study demonstrated that first-line treatment with a combination of cetuximab and a taxane/carboplatin (TC)significantly approved the overall response rate (ORR)and led to slight improvement in overall survival (OS). The study did not meet its primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) as assessed by an independent radiologic review committee (IRCC).

In a new report, published in the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, investigators led by Harold J. Burstein, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, say monotherapy with neratinib, an investigational tyrosine kinase inhibitor, demonstrated substantial clinical activity in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer with manageable toxicity.

Although the latest supply and demand data for oncologists reflect a state of relative equilibrium, analysis of patient-visit data projects a shortage of thousands of oncologists by 2020.

In last month's column, I talked about Microsoft's newest desktop operating system, Windows 7, and outlined several reasons why you might want to purchase it when it comes out this year. Windows 7 will include some really cool features-like multi-touch technology and usability improvements-that can benefit medical practitioners and their office staff. Because it is in Microsoft's best interest to make the process of upgrading to Windows 7 simple and straightforward, you would think the software giant would put great effort into streamlining the experience.

Interview about the IsoFlow infusion catheter

The enactment of federal healthcare reform following a protracted, confrontational debate has left Americans bewildered and wondering, "What happens now?" Since you may soon be inundated with patient's questions, and might have a few of your own, OBTN cuts through the rhetoric, dissects the legislation, and tells you everything you need to know about the historic law and how it may affect your practice.

The January issue of OBTN featured highlights from the 32nd Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). We wrap up our SABCS coverage this month with interviews on denosumab with Alison Stopeck, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Arizona and director of the Clinical Breast Cancer Program at the Arizona Cancer Center; oral bisphosphonates with Rowan T.Chlebowski, MD, PhD, professor and chief of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center; and adjuvant chemotherapy�induced alopecia with Hugues Bourgeois, MD, Centre Jean Bernard in Lemans, France.

Melissa received a metastatic lung cancer diagnosis just a few weeks after celebrating her 40th birthday. Within hours of hearing her diagnosis from her primary care physician, she started searching the Internet about her disease and what to expect in terms of treatments.

At the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) annual meeting, Paul F. Engstrom, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center, reviewed the recent changes to NCCN guidelines for colon and rectal cancer, released as v.2.2010.

Medical marijuana has been a hot topic in the United States lately. What should oncologists do when they live in states where medical marijuana is not legalized if a patient asks about it or acknowledges using the drug, either recreationally or to manage the side effects of cancer or treatment?

Radon is an invisible, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas that is released into the air or dissolves into groundwater as uranium in rocks or soil decays.

The John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey has been a leader in the diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of cancer for more than 30 years.

Three hot gadgets for Oncologists

While family history and lifestyle factors affect cancer risk, environmental factors also play a considerable role. You will no doubt recall the movie Erin Brockovich, which recounted the story of a law firm file clerk uncovering the dumping of hexavalent chromium, also called chromium 6, into the groundwater supply of Hinkley, a small town in southern California, by Pacific Gas & Electric.

Payers recognize the need to expand benefits management for oncology but struggle to find effective solutions amid the complexity of available therapies and skepticism from oncologists, who are facing their own set of economic pressures. The National Oncology Working Group (NOW) Initiative is trying to change the sometimes adversarial relationship between payers and oncologists through a collaborative model.

There is great disparity in outcomes between whites and blacks in the United States. Find out how these numbers add up in By The Numbers.

Elena Lukina, MD, and colleagues have published 1-year results of a phase II trial of eliglustat tartrate in patients with type 1 Gaucher disease (GD1) in the peer-review journal Blood. Eliglustat tartrate is from a novel class of drugs known as glucosylceramide synthase inhibitors.

Palonosetron (Aloxi) is the only 5-HT3 receptor antagonist approved for treatment of delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) following administration of moderately emetogenic chemotherapeutic agents.