Oncology Business Management | Specialty

The OncLive Oncology Business Management condition center page is a comprehensive resource for news and expert insights on business-focused updates and topics in oncology practices, including diversity efforts, telehealth, gaps in care, payment models, and more. This page features news articles, interviews in written and video format, and podcasts that focus on updates and best practices with oncology business management.

CMS Decision Helps Unlock the Potential of Next-Generation Testing

August 17th 2018

Provisions to a final national coverage determination that expanded coverage for next-generation sequencing tests have implications for any NGS-based cancer test provided to Medicare beneficiaries and will inevitably influence the coverage thinking of commercial payers.

Dr. Bunn on TMB as a Biomarker in Small Cell Lung Cancer

August 15th 2018

Paul A. Bunn Jr, MD, distinguished professor, Division of Medical Oncology, James Dudley Chair in Lung Cancer Research, University of Colorado Denver, 2014 Giant of Cancer Care in Lung Cancer, discusses tumor mutational burden as a biomarker in small cell lung cancer.

Dr. O'Malley on Folate-Receptor Alpha as a Biomarker in Ovarian Cancer

August 10th 2018

David O'Malley, MD, professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses folate-receptor alpha as a biomarker in ovarian cancer.

Growing Pains: OCM Results Need Close Look

August 1st 2018

Darcie Hurteau, MBA, and Alyssa Dahl, PhD, MPH, discuss the growing pains of the Oncology Care Model, a complicated payment program that is still establishing administrative processes.

Practices Struggle With Oncology Care Model Report Cards

July 31st 2018

The Oncology Care Model is a patient-centric program that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says will allow for “better care, smarter spending, and healthier people.”

Reforms Would Add Value to the Randomized Trial

July 30th 2018

Maurie Markman, MD, discusses the increasing criticism of the phase III randomized trial in oncology.

Frontline Immunotherapy Poses Fresh Dilemma for Sequencing in NSCLC

July 29th 2018

As the checkpoint inhibitors move into the frontline setting for patients with non–small cell lung cancer, the focus has been placed on the duration of therapy and what to do in the second-line setting following progression.

Inaccurate, Muddled Messages Jeopardize the Public's Trust in Science

June 27th 2018

The public’s faith in science, particularly in efforts related to health, is crucial for the successful implementation of strategies designed to improve the human condition, says Maurie Markman, MD.

FDA Approves New Abiraterone Acetate Formulation for mCRPC

May 24th 2018

The FDA has approved a new formulation of abiraterone acetate in combination with methylprednisolone as a treatment for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

FDA Warns Against Single-Agent Checkpoint Inhibition for PD-L1-Low Untreated Urothelial Carcinoma

May 19th 2018

The FDA has issued a drug safety notification warning against the use of frontline single-agent immune checkpoint inhibition for patients with PD-L1–low expressing platinum-eligible urothelial carcinoma.

CAR T-Cell Payment Codes Don't Address True Cost

May 17th 2018

CMS's initial payment codes for CAR T-cell therapies are opposed by the medical community on the basis that they would be cumbersome to implement and wouldn't reflect the full amount of care delivered to each patient.

Trump Proposes Widespread Changes to Reduce Drug Prices

May 12th 2018

President Donald Trump announced a sweeping “blueprint” to lower prescription drug costs, promising to expand access to generic drugs and biosimilars and remove incentives that keep drug prices high.

It's Fast-Forward for Cancer Drugs

May 11th 2018

More than a third of the new indications for oncology drugs that became available for patient care during the past 25 years entered clinical practice as a result of the FDA’s accelerated approval program.

FDA Approves Frontline Daratumumab/VMP Combo for Multiple Myeloma

May 8th 2018

The FDA has approved daratumumab in combination with bortezomib, melphalan, and prednisone for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant.

5 Key Elements Needed to Achieve Success With the Oncology Care Model

May 2nd 2018

Marcus Neubauer, MD, discusses the tools needed for a practice to succeed with the Oncology Care Model.

All Is Not Well in the World of Academic Scientific Enterprise

April 28th 2018

It is quite difficult for those not directly involved in the complex world of academic medicine to understand fully the process of individual professional advancement and the values that organizations place on the components required for achieving and maintaining tenure.

FDA Announces Initiatives to Streamline Development Process

April 12th 2018

The FDA has announced plans to ease the development of genetic and genomic-based tests and introduced guidelines designed to accelerate the submission process for investigational cancer drugs and biological products.

Coping With the Shortage of Oncologists

April 4th 2018

The shortage of doctors and other professionals to fill available positions in oncology practice is not news to practitioners—the American Society of Clinical Oncology has long chronicled the growing need for young oncologists to fill the ranks as senior ones retire or leave due to burnout.

CMS to Cover Genomic Testing for Patients With Cancer

March 20th 2018

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced that it will cover diagnostic laboratory tests using Next Generation Sequencing for patients with advanced cancer.

Independent Oncology Practices Must Stand Together on Policy and Legislation

March 16th 2018

Independent community oncologists play a vital role in cancer treatment for hundreds of thousands of Americans.