Policies & Guidelines

Boston, MA—Family- and patient-related factors were identified as the most significant barriers to early end-of-life discussions, as well as to the timely discontinuation of cancer-directed therapies in the palliative setting, according to the results of a multicenter survey of oncologists in Ontario, Canada.

“Especially for average-risk women, decisions to undergo regular mammography screening must also consider the harms of mammography,” stated Nancy L. Keating, MD, MPH, and Lydia E. Pace, MD, MPH.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has added a new value criterion to its clinical practice guidelines in the form of “Evidence Blocks” for the evaluation of treatment options.

Two oncologists from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia have added their weight to the growing call for less intensive follow-up of cancer survivors whenever appropriate.

A revised survivorship care plan template addresses obstacles that have limited the use of survivorship plans in clinical practice, suggested an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) expert panel headed by Deborah K. Mayer, PhD, MSN, RN, Professor of Nursing and Director of Survivorship Care, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

You have just been diagnosed with cancer, and one of the first people you meet on your healthcare team is introduced as a navigator. “A what?” you think. “I need doctors, not a GPS!” But over time, you will realize this person is a great guide.

The recently released American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual report, “The State of Cancer Care in America, 2015,” is a mixed bag: the report cites multiple advances in the progress against cancer, but also elaborates on the many hurdles in implementing state-of-the-art cancer care for all Americans.

Significant gains in cancer research and prevention have led to longer survival, improved quality of life, and decreased disease burden. The 2015 annual report on “Clinical Cancer Advances” from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) outlines the biggest advances made in oncology, and for the first time designates one cancer as the Advance of the Year, as well as emphasizing the ongoing challenge of value-based care.

Screening for cancer is suboptimal among some immigrant populations, especially those whose primary care physicians are trained in foreign countries, according to results of a new study of primary care practices in Canada; specifically, women from South Asia whose family physicians were trained in South Asia were less likely to be screened for cervical cancer than nonimmigrant women whose physicians were not immigrants.

Late last year, the American ­Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) issued a policy statement on Medicaid reform, with recommendations on ensuring quality of care for all patients with cancer, including the underserved population, while also improving provider reimbursement to ensure value-based care. ASCO’s poicy statement advocates for the expansion of Medicaid coverage to all Americans with cancer, an increase in Medicaid pay­­ment rates to reach those of Medicare, and a greater emphasis on rewarding providers for the delivery of quality care.