October 2013, Vol 4, No 8

Hollywood, FL—There are perplexing considerations for community oncology practices under sequestration, but adapting to future practice models poses even bigger questions, according to Leonard H. Natelson, Chief Executive Officer of Hematology/Oncology Associates of Rockland, NY.
Read Article

Niagara Falls, Ontario—Research­ers have determined that 18F-fluoro­deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), a widely available and relatively inexpensive imaging modality, could be used to shape treatment plans for patients who have been diagnosed with high Gleason score prostate cancer.
Read Article

A new study compared the ability of 3 modalities—the new Breast Cancer Index (BCI) molecular test, the 21-gene recurrence score known as Oncotype DX, and the immunohistochemical (IHC4) prognostic model—to predict early and late disease recurrence in patients with ER-positive, node-negative breast cancer (Sgroi DC, et al. Lancet Oncol. 2013;14:1067-1076).
Read Article

Lambrolizumab (previously known as MK-3475) is a humanized monoclonal immunoglobulin G4 antibody that blocks the programmed death 1 (PD-1) receptor and reactivates an immune response to the cancer cells.
Read Article

The cost of cancer care continues to rise, and especially the cost of cancer drugs. Since their introduction in the 1990s, clinical pathways have demonstrated an improvement in the quality of care, while lowering costs in numerous clinical settings.
Read Article

San Francisco, CA—Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is an important construct for identifying and summarizing the evidence on the effectiveness, safety, and overall value of alternative strategies in oncology care, said Gary H. Lyman, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine, Duke University and the Duke Cancer Research Institute, Durham, NC, during the 2013 Breast Cancer Symposium.
Read Article

San Francisco, CA—In a population of patients with metastatic breast cancer and Medicare Part D claims, the mean lifetime cost of treatment was approximately $102,000, according to a study presented at the 2013 Breast Cancer Symposium by Hope S. Rugo, MD, Director, Breast Oncology Clinical Trials Program, University of California, San Francisco.
Read Article

San Francisco, CA—Management of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) was the focus of 2 studies highlighted at a press conference before the 2013 Breast Cancer Symposium.
Read Article

San Francisco, CA—At the 2013 Breast Cancer Symposium, Lawrence N. Shulman, MD, Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, told oncologists that in the current era of healthcare reform, they will need to think beyond treatment outcomes, toxicities, and personal preferences.
Read Article

Amsterdam, The Netherlands—The novel ALK/EGFR inhibitor known as AP26113 achieved good responses in reducing brain metastases in patients with crizotinib (Xalkori)-resistant and crizotinib-nave non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as well as radiographic regression of central nervous system (CNS) metastases.
Read Article

Page 2 of 4