Oncology Business Management | Specialty

SABCS Interview Series

May 14th 2010

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.

E-patients: The Genie is Out of the Bottle

May 14th 2010

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.

Overview of NCCN Colon & Rectal Guideline Updates

May 14th 2010

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.

What if Medical Marijuana Is Not Legal in Your State?

May 14th 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?

The Invisible Killer in Your Home: Understanding Radon, Testing, and Mitigation

May 14th 2010

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.

Extraordinary Care Is the Mission of the John Theurer Cancer Center

May 14th 2010

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.

Oncology Gadget Watch: May 14, 2010

May 14th 2010

Three hot gadgets for Oncologists

Cancer Risk: Role of Environmental and Lifestyle Factors

May 14th 2010

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.

NOW Initiative: Payer & Provider Collaborations in Oncology Benefits Management

May 14th 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.

By The Numbers: Minority Report

May 14th 2010

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.

Phase II Data for Eliglustat Tartrate Demonstrates Efficacy in Gaucher Disease

May 13th 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 13th 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 13th 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 13th 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 13th 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 13th 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 13th 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 Updates: May 12, 2010

May 12th 2010

FDA Approval Process Longer for Generics

May 12th 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 12th 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).