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Oncology Newsfeed

  • President Trump Unveils Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices

    On Friday, May 11, President Trump and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II announced the administration's plan to lower drug prices.

    Access "American Patients First: The Trump Administration Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs."

    ACCC is continuing to look at the policies' implications for our members and their patients. Stay tuned for updates.

    Posted 5/11/2018



  • CMS Releases Rural Health Strategy

    On May 8, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the launch of its first Rural Health Strategy. The strategy is intended to address access to quality, affordable healthcare in rural communities, the viability of rural hospitals, and the effects of CMS rules and regulations on healthcare in rural areas.

    Read the full Rural Health Strategy here, and read the fact sheet here.


    Posted 5/8/2018



  • USPSTF Issues Final Recommendation on Screening for Prostate Cancer

    On May 8, 2018, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released a final recommendation statement and evidence summaries on screening for prostate cancer. The USPSTF final recommendation provides clinicians and patients with important new information about the benefits and harms of prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening. 

    For men 55 - 69 years of age, the USPSTF final recommendation calls for informed individual decision-making based on the individual's values and specific clinical circumstances. This is a C recommendation.

    The USPSTF recommends against PSA-based screening for prostate cancer in men age 70 and older.

    Read the USPSTF Recommendation Statement and access the evidence summary and FAQs.

    Posted May 8, 2018


  • FDA Approves Daratumumab for Newly Diagnosed, Transplant Ineligible MM Patients

    On May 7, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved daratumumab (Darzalex) in combination with bortezomib (Velcade), melphalan, and prednisone (VMP) for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT).

    Read the Johnson & Johnson press release here.

    Posted 5/8/2018


  • FDA Approves Dabrafenib and Trametinib for Treatment of Thyroid Cancer

    On May 4, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved dabrafenib (Tafinlar, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.) and trametinib (Mekinist, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.), administered together, for the treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) that cannot be removed by surgery or has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic), and has a type of abnormal gene, BRAF V600E (BRAF V600E mutation-positive).

    Read the full FDA announcement here.

    Posted 5/1/2018



  • FDA Approves Kymriah to Treat Certain R/R Patients with Large B-Cell Lymphoma

    On May 1, 2018, Novartis announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Kymriah® (tisagenlecleucel) suspension for intravenous infusion for its second indication - the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory (r/r) large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), high grade B-cell lymphoma and DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma.

    Kymriah is not indicated for the treatment of patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma. 

    Read the company press release.

    Read FDA announcement.

    Posted 5/1/2018



  • CMS to Host Webinar on Participation Criteria for Year 2 of QPP

    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, May 9 at 1:00 PM ET to provide an overview of participation criteria used to determine inclusion in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs).

    Attendees will learn about:

    • How CMS determines a clinician’s participation status in MIPS at the individual and group level
    • Advanced APMs and criteria for how to become a Qualifying APM Participant (QP)
    • Advanced APMs All-Payer Combination Option
    • APM Scoring Standard benefits for participation in a MIPS APM
    • Checking your participation status for the 2018 Performance Year

    CMS will address questions from participants at the end of the webinar, as time allows.

    Webinar Details
    Title:     Participation Criteria for Year 2 of the Quality Payment Program
    Date: Wednesday, May 9, 2018
    Time:     1:00-2:15 p.m. ET
    Registration Link:     https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms/index.jsp?seid=1091


    Posted 5/1/2018



  • NASEM Publishes Workshop Proceedings on Cancer Survivorship Care, Health Professional Education

    The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has published the proceedings of several new workshops, including a workshop held by the National Cancer Policy Forum on long-term cancer survivorship care.

    Long-Term Survivorship Care After Cancer Treatment summarizes the proceedings of a July 2017 workshop held in Washington, D.C., to examine progress made in cancer survivorship care since the publication of the 2006 consensus study report From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition. Workshop participants highlighted potential opportunities to improve the planning, management, and delivery of cancer survivorship care.

    The Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education also published the proceedings of their Improving Health Professional Education and Practice Through Technology workshop held in November 2017. Participants explored effective use of technologies as tools for bridging identified gaps within and between health professions education and practice in order to optimize learning, performance and access in high-, middle-, and low-income areas while ensuring the well-being of the formal and informal health workforce.

    Posted 5/1/2018



  • FDA Approves Dabrafenib and Trametinib for Treatment of Melanoma

    On April 30, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration granted regular approval to dabrafenib (Tafinlar, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.) and trametinib (Mekinist, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.) in combination for the adjuvant treatment of patients with melanoma with BRAF V600E or V600K mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test, and involvement of lymph node(s), following complete resection.

    Read the full FDA announcement here.

    Posted 5/1/2018


  • CMS Issues Proposed FY2019 Hospital IPPS Rule

    On April 24, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to update Medicare payment policies and rates under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and the Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System.  

    Among the proposed changes, CMS seeks to overhaul the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs to “focus on interoperability, improve flexibility, relieve burden and place emphasis on measures that require the electronic exchange of health information between providers and patients,” according to the agency’s fact sheet. To reflect this new focus, CMS proposes to change the EHR incentive program name from the “Meaningful Use” program to “Promoting Interoperability.”

    In addition to payment and policy proposals, CMS is releasing a Request for Information (RFI) to gain stakeholder input on the possibility of revising Conditions of Participation related to interoperability as a way to increase electronic sharing of data by hospitals. 

    The deadline for submitting comments on the proposed rule and the RFI is June 25, 2018.

    Read the full rule here, and access the CMS fact sheet here.

    Posted 4/25/2018