Consolidation ALK Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Versus Durvalumab or Observation After Chemoradiation in Unresectable Stage III ALK-Positive NSCLC
Patients with advanced ALK-positive NSCLC typically have poor response to immunotherapy; the benefit of consolidation durvalumab in patients with unresectable stage III ALK-positive NSCLC remains unclear. Herein, we compare the efficacy and safety of consolidation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)…
Cancer Clinical Trials Enrollment
Access to clinical trials is an important part of cancer treatment. However, only about 2-3% of all patients diagnosed with cancer enroll in clinical trials. This study will evaluate sociodemographic, clinical, and structural predictors of enrollment into an interventional clinical…
Pharmacy Assistance Programs for Oral Anticancer Drugs: A Narrative Review
Oral anticancer medications (OAMs) are high priced with a significant cost-sharing burden to patients, which can lead to catastrophic financial, psychosocial, and clinical repercussions. Cost-conscious prescribing and inclusion of low-cost alternatives can help mitigate this burden, but cost transparency at…
Lay healthcare worker financial toxicity intervention: a pilot financial toxicity screening and referral program
Financial toxicity is a source of significant distress for patients with urologic cancers, yet few studies have addressed financial burden in this patient population. We developed a financial toxicity screening program using a lay health worker (LHW) and social worker…
Access to Financial Assistance Programs and Their Impact on Overall Spending on Oral Anticancer Medications at an Integrated Specialty Pharmacy.
PURPOSE: Financial assistance (FA) programs are increasingly used to help patients afford oral anticancer medications (OAMs), but access to such programs and their impact on out-of-pocket (OOP) spending has not been well explored. This study aimed to (1) characterize the…
The Health Inequality Impact of Liquid Biopsy to Inform First-Line Treatment of Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Distributional Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.
OBJECTIVES: To perform a distributional cost-effectiveness analysis of liquid biopsy (LB) followed by, if needed, tissue biopsy (TB) (LB-first strategy) relative to a TB-only strategy to inform first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) from a US payer…
The costs and inequities of precision medicine for patients with prostate cancer: A call to action.
Financial toxicity is a growing problem in the delivery of cancer care and contributes to inequities in outcomes across the cancer care continuum. Racial/ethnic inequities in prostate cancer, the most common cancer diagnosed in men, are well described, and threaten…
Private Payer and Medicare Coverage Policies for Use of Circulating Tumor DNA Tests in Cancer Diagnostics and Treatment.
BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is used to select initial targeted therapy, identify mechanisms of therapeutic resistance, and measure minimal residual disease (MRD) after treatment. Our objective was to review private and Medicare coverage policies for ctDNA testing. n METHODS:…
Impact of a Comprehensive Financial Resource on Financial Toxicity in a National, Multiethnic Sample of Adult, Adolescent/Young Adult, and Pediatric Patients With Cancer.
PURPOSE: Financial toxicity is a well-recognized problem for patients with cancer. However, a crucial gap remains in describing and implementing mitigation strategies. We conducted a national survey of a multiethnic adolescent/pediatric and adult patient population served by Family Reach, a…
The evolving landscape of sex-based differences in lung cancer: a distinct disease in women.
In stark contrast to a few decades ago when lung cancer was predominantly a disease of men who smoke, incidence rates of lung cancer in women are now comparable to or higher than those in men and are rising alarmingly…
Financial Toxicity of Cancer Care: An Analysis of Financial Burden in Three Distinct Health Care Systems.
PURPOSE: The financial toxicity of cancer care is a source of significant distress for patients with cancer. The purpose of this study is to understand factors associated with financial toxicity in three distinct care systems. n METHODS: We conducted a…
Defining the clinician’s role in mitigating financial toxicity: an exploratory study.
BACKGROUND: Financial toxicity describes the financial burden imposed onto patients by a cancer diagnosis and is a growing concern. Many clinicians do not currently address financial toxicity despite patients' desire for them to do so. Current literature explores physicians' perspectives…
Systemic Therapy of Extensive Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer in the Era of Immunotherapy.
In March 2019, the FDA approved the use of the anti-programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody atezolizumab, as a first-line treatment option in combination with platinum-etoposide (PE) for patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ED SCLC) based upon…
Exploring Care Attributes of Nephrologists Ranking Favorably on Measures of Value.
BACKGROUND: Despite growth in value-based payment, attributes of nephrology care associated with payer-defined value remains unexplored. n METHODS: Using national health insurance claims data from private preferred provider organization plans, we ranked nephrology practices using total cost of care and…