Share

    


In This Section

Home / News & Media / Oncology Newsfeed

Oncology Newsfeed

  • ACCC In the Press at ASCO 2018

    At the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting, we had the opportunity to connect with many ACCC members and engage a wide audience! Oncology Business Review, OncLive, and ASCO Post sat down with a number of ACCC advocates and leaders to discuss pressing issues in cancer care. 

    ACCC Treasurer Randall A. Oyer, MD, with an update on the ACCC Immuno-Oncology Institute: 


    ACCC Immuno-Oncology Institute Executive Committee Member Ivo Abraham, PhD, RN, speaks about value in cancer care: 

    ACCC Past President Jennie R. Crews, MD, MMM, FACP, describes how care coordination in immunotherapy is engaging new providers with the cancer care team:


    Dr. Abraham shares his perspective on hurdles to adoption of biosimilars in oncology:

    Watch more from Dr. Abraham on:

    Key features of a biosimilar - via OBR

    Biosimilars approved and nearing approval for oncology - via OBR

    Biosimilar pricing and reimbursement - via OBR

    Dr. McBride Discusses financial toxicity in oncology with OncLive:



    Lee S. Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, discusses how the ACCC Immuno-Oncology Institute is evolving to support integration of IO in the community through new working groups, resources for cross-specialty care coordination, and team education for this rapidly expanding field. - ASCO Post




    Dr. Zibelman discusses managing immune-related adverse events with OncLive:

     


    Posted 6/13/2018


  • FDA Approves Venetoclax for CLL, Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma

    On June 8, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted regular approval to venetoclax (Venclexta, AbbVie Inc. and Genentech Inc.) for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), with or without 17p deletion, who have received at least one prior therapy.

    Read the full FDA announcement here.

    Posted 6/11/2018



  • DOJ & Trump Administration Will Not Defend ACA’s Pre-Existing Coverage

    The Trump administration's U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on June 7, stated it will not defend the Affordable Care Act from litigation spearheaded by 20 conservative Republican-led states that aims to invalidate the ACA.  Rather than defend the law, the DOJ has asked a Texas court to overturn the ban on denying insurance coverage to those with pre-existing conditions. The Texas lawsuit, filed in February, argues that the recent congressional action to eliminate the individual mandate should result in other key provisions of the ACA being overturned.

    Essentially, the 20 GOP-led states are reviving the 2010 lawsuit argument over the constitutionality of the ACA.

    According to news reports, Attorney General Jeff Sessions explained the decision in letters to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), indicating that Congress’ action repealing the individual mandate means that ACA provisions banning insurers from denying coverage or charging more to those with pre-existing health conditions are now invalidated.

    While the ACA remains the law and there is no immediate threat to pre-existing coverage protection, legal experts are noting that it is extremely far from precedent that a sitting administration would not argue the constitutionality of a sitting law.

    Sources:     InsideHealthPolicy, Politico, Bloomberg BNA, New York Times

    Posted 6/8/2018



  • FDA Approves First Biosimilar to Neulasta

    On June 4, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Fulphila (pegfilgrastim-jmdb) as the first biosimilar to Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) to decrease the chance of infection as suggested by febrile neutropenia (fever, often with other signs of infection, associated with an abnormally low number of infection-fighting white blood cells), in patients with non-myeloid (non-bone marrow) cancer who are receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy that has a clinically significant incidence of febrile neutropenia.

    Read FDA announcement. 

    Posted 6/5/2018


  • NASEM Publishes Workshop Proceedings on Effective Patient Navigation in Oncology

    The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has published the proceedings of a workshop on improving the effectiveness of patient navigation in cancer care. The Establishing Effective Patient Navigation Programs in Oncology workshop, held on November 13 and 14, 2017, addressed where patient navigation programs should be deployed in cancer care and which patients should be prioritized to receive navigation services when resources are limited. The workshop also discussed who should serve as navigators, the benefits of navigation, and current gaps in the evidence base.

    Posted 5/31/2018




  • American Cancer Society Updates Colorectal Cancer Screening Guideline

    In response to increasing incidence in young and middle-aged populations, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has updated its colorectal cancer (CRC) screening guideline. The revised guideline now recommends that CRC screening should begin at age 45 for people at average risk.

    Read the ACS press release here, and the updated guideline here.

    Posted 5/30/2018


  • FDA Approves Abiraterone Acetate to Treat Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

    On May 23, the FDA approved abiraterone acetate (Yonsa, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.) in combination with methylprednisolone for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

    Read the Sun Pharma press release here.

    Posted 5/24/2018


  • NIH Releases Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer

    On May 22, The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released its Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, a collaborative effort with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.

    The report finds that from 1999 to 2015, overall cancer death rates decreased by 1.8 percent per year among men and by 1.4 percent per year among women. From 2011 to 2015, death rates decreased for 11 of the 18 most common cancer types in men and for 14 of the 20 most common cancer types in women. Over the same period, death rates for cancers of the liver, pancreas, and brain and other nervous system increased in both men and women; death rates for cancer of the uterus increased in women; and death rates for cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx and soft tissue increased in men.

    Read the full report here.

    Posted 5/22/2018



  • Decreased Survival in Clinical Trials for Some Patients Receiving Keytruda or Tecentriq as Monotherapy for Urothelial Cancer

    On May 18, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted healthcare professionals, oncology clinical investigators, and the public about decreased survival associated with the use of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) or Tecentriq (atezolizumab) as single therapy (monotherapy) in clinical trials to treat patients with metastatic urothelial cancer who have not received prior therapy and who have low expression of the protein programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1).

    In two ongoing clinical trials (KEYNOTE-361 and IMVIGOR-130), the Data Monitoring Committees’ (DMC) early reviews found patients in the monotherapy arms of both trials with PD-L1 low status had decreased survival compared to patients who received cisplatin- or carboplatin-based chemotherapy. There was no change in the adverse event profile of Keytruda or Tecentriq. Both Merck, manufacturer of Keytruda, and Genentech, manufacturer of Tecentriq, have stopped enrolling patients whose tumors have PD-L1 low status to the Keytruda or Tecentriq monotherapy arms per the DMCs’ recommendations.

    The clinical trials compare platinum-based chemotherapy combined with Keytruda or Tecentriq to platinum-based chemotherapy alone. Both trials enrolled a third arm of monotherapy with Keytruda or Tecentriq to compare to platinum-based chemotherapy alone. The monotherapy arms remain open only to patients whose tumors have PD-L1 high status. The combination arms and the chemotherapy arms of both studies also remain open. The FDA is reviewing the findings of the ongoing clinical trials and will communicate new information as necessary.

    Both Keytruda and Tecentriq are currently approved under accelerated approval for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients who are not eligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy, irrespective of PD-L1 status. Patients taking Keytruda or Tecentriq for other approved uses should continue to take their medication as directed by their healthcare professional.

    Healthcare professionals should be aware that the populations enrolled in the ongoing clinical trials were eligible for platinum-containing chemotherapy, and therefore differ from those enrolled in the trials that led to the accelerated approvals of both Keytruda and Tecentriq in the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who are not eligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. FDA recommends providers select patients for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer using the criteria described in Section 14 of each label. These criteria supported the approvals for Keytruda and Tecentriq for initial monotherapy in cisplatin-ineligible patients. Keytruda and Tecentriq are also currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of multiple types of other cancers.

    Patients should talk to their doctor if they have questions or concerns about either drug.

    Health care professionals and patients are encouraged to report any adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products and other similar products to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.

    Keytruda Prescribing Information 
    Tecentriq Prescribing Information

    Access FDA announcement.

    Posted 5/21/2018



  • FDA Approves Drug for Thrombocytopenia in Adults with Chronic Liver Disease

    On May 21, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved avatrombopag (Doptelet, AkaRx Inc.) for thrombocytopenia in adults with chronic liver disease scheduled to undergo a procedure.

    Read the full FDA announcement here.

    Posted 5/21/2018