April 2010 | Oncology & Biotech News

NOW Initiative: Payer & Provider Collaborations in Oncology Benefits Management

May 14, 2010

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.

Phase II Data for Eliglustat Tartrate Demonstrates Efficacy in Gaucher Disease

May 13, 2010

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.

Study Sheds Light on How Palonosetron Prevents Delayed CINV

May 13, 2010

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.

Sirolimus After Liver Transplant Improves Survival

May 13, 2010

In the April issue of Hepatology, researchers from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, reported that administering sirolimus (Rapamune)after liver transplantation in patients with nonresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) significantly increased survival rates.

Lung Cancer: To Screen or Not to Screen?

May 13, 2010

Early-stage diagnosis gives patients their best chance against lung cancer. The rush to adopt lung cancer screening seems premature, however, because no randomized trials have definitively demonstrated that it improves survival outcomes. The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, aims to supply this data, with final results expected in ~1 year.

Type 1 Gaucher Disease Growing Awareness of a Rare Disorder

May 13, 2010

We interview hematologist Neal Weinreb, MD, director of the University Research Foundation for Lysosomal Storage Diseases and a researcher involved in studying Gaucher disease for more than 3 decades. Dr Weinreb talks about the risks of cancer in patients with type 1 Gaucher disease and why hematologists and oncologists need to know about this rare inherited disorder.

Case Study Presented at IPCC

May 13, 2010

At the Third Annual Interdisciplinary Prostate Cancer Congress in March, the audience viewed presentations of real prostate cancer cases treated by the speakers. How would you treat the patient in this case study? Compare your responses with those of the attendees and the expert panel.

Renowned Prostate Cancer Experts Translate Research into Practice at the IPCC

May 13, 2010

Three presentations at the recent Third Annual Interdisciplinary Prostate Cancer Congress in New York are reviewed. Urologist Leonard Gomella, MD, addresses truths and myths about prostate cancer prevention;Daniel P. Petrylak, MD, discusses the timely topic of immunotherapy; and E. David Crawford, MD, talks about screening controversies.

FDA Approval Process Longer for Generics

May 12, 2010

Healthcare professionals and patients are facing a longer wait for the FDA to approve generic drugs than they were just 5 years ago--1 year longer, in fact. The delayed approval process is due to a growing backlog of applications at the FDA.

Ifosfamide Enhances Efficacy of Cisplatin-Etoposide Chemotherapy

May 12, 2010

In data presented at the 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference, a team of investigators said adding ifosfamide to a combination regimen of cisplatin plus etoposide demonstrated strong activity and tolerability in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Biomarkers Predict Risk of Recurrence After Lumpectomy for DCIS

May 12, 2010

Being able to predict which women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) are likely to develop subsequent invasive breast cancer could prevent a lot of unnecessary treatment, said researchers from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).

International Survey Asks Oncologists What They Value in a Pharmaceutical Company

May 12, 2010

Kantar Health Research recently conducted an Internet survey of approximately 250 oncologists from the United States, France, Germany, Italy,Spain, and the United Kingdom. Using a proprietary scoring system Kantar Health calls the TRI*M Index, the research firm assessed relationships between physicians and pharmaceutical company representatives.

ASCO/CAP Issue New Guidelines for IHC Hormone Testing in Breast Cancer

May 12, 2010

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) jointly released guidelines designed to improve the accuracy and usefulness of immunohistochemical (IHC) testing for estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) status in breast cancer tumors after convening a panel of international experts to study the issue.

Introducing the Oncology Specialty Group

May 12, 2010

Oncology & Biotech News is now united with the experienced publishing, editorial, and creative staff of Oncology Net Guide and OncLive Nursing under the Oncology Specialty Group umbrella, which also includes our newest publication, Contemporary Oncology.