Integrating Oral Oncolytics into Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Practice

The treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has shifted substantially in the past five years from use of intravenous treatments to oral oncolytics. With the transition toward oral-based therapies, the cancer care team now faces different treatment-related challenges, such as medication adherence, polypharmacy, financial toxicity, and interruptions in continuity of care due to access to oral prescriptions and use of external pharmacies. As the use of oral oncolytics increases, cancer programs and practices must prepare for the successful implementation of oral therapy programs.

Oral oncolytics offer patients many advantages over intravenous therapies but effective integration of these agents depends on the close collaboration of cancer care team members and patients/caregivers. Shared decision-making is essential during all phases of care, but particularly so when the treatment option relies so heavily on compliance. Medication adherence is directly linked to the patient’s comprehension of their disease and treatment, meaning that effective patient education is vital to ensuring oral oncolytics are used successfully in oncology clinics.

Apart from diligent patient education, financial assistance is also a critical component of establishing treatment adherence. Social workers and financial navigators can help care teams and patients manage the financial burdens of their anti-cancer treatment. To effectively integrate oral agents into community practices, ACCC developed the “Integrating Oral Oncolytics into CLL Practice” program. The goal of this program is to help cancer programs and practices navigate through the complexities of oral oncolytic regimens. 

Objectives for this program include:

• Identifying cancer programs that have successfully integrated oral oncolytics for CLL into their practice, with the goal of showcasing these programs and reviewing their operational pathways. 
• Developing materials to inform providers of the best practices and resources for oral oncolytic program implementation
• Addressing process improvement strategies and how to incorporate patient goals in treatment planning with oral agents
• Examining practical solutions shared in the practice guide, including issues of workforce limitations, presence or lack of medically integrated dispensing pharmacies, and administrative support of processes.

Next Steps

ACCC will produce the following upcoming educational resources to support this program in meeting its goal and objectives:

• A CANCER BUZZ podcast episode will highlight how patient goals are identified and incorporated up-front in treatment planning when integrating oral oncolytics
• A CANCER BUZZ TV episode will focus on the nurse’s role in care planning and the importance of patient education to ensure treatment adherence for patients with CLL
• A webinar will focus on the importance of care coordination through a multidisciplinary approach to integrate oral oncolytics into CLL care.

For more information on this program, please visit ACCC's website or contact Doreen Effange, ACCC program manager.

The Integrating Oral Oncolytics into CLL Practice program is supported by AbbVie Inc.