Ronald Piana

A New England Journal of Medicine editorial by Dan L. Longo, MD, called the ability of Provenge to prolong the survival in prostate cancer patients without having any measurable effect on the tumor “surprising” and “hard to understand.”

Paper records are soon to be a thing of the past, like it or not. Check out this one-stop guide to help you navigate the murky waters of government-mandated electronic healthcare records: Supplied by Physician’s Practice.

Four months after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it,” a congressional panel has released the first chart illustrating the 2,801 page health care law President Obama signed into law in March. Check out the video…

In this video interview, Oncology board member and CancerNetwork contributing editor, Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, Institute Chair, Taussig Cancer Institute gives his opinion on how the changing landscape of the American healthcare system will affect cancer care.

This year’s “Cancer Trends” survey provides insight into ambulatory cancer care, effects of the recession, and organizational strategies that may help providers adapt to the changes in the healthcare marketplace.

This is decision time at FDA. Since the agency gave accelerated approval for Avastin in first-line treatment of metastatic breast, two follow-up studies “failed to confirm the magnitude” of the benefits seen in that first study of Avastin. Consequently, ODAC voted 12 to 1, urging FDA to reverse its approval of Avastin in this indication.

Most busy oncologists will never have time or patience to sift through the 864-page final rule CMS released Tuesday describing how health care providers can demonstrate "meaningful use" of electronic health records to qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments under the 2009 federal stimulus package.

As covered in the RPM Report, CMS announced June 30 that it had opened a national coverage analysis (NCA) for Provenge to determine whether the therapy is “reasonable and necessary.”

Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of death from malignant disease among men in the developed world. The extent of benefit and harm with widespread PSA screening is under continuous debate.

The Eleventh Lung Cancer Congress will be held July 8-11, 2010 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California

In today’s contentious debate over how to best deliver cost-effective, value-added healthcare, insurers have become the villain du jour, taking a backseat only to Wall Street fat cats.

An NCI report concluded that our clinical trial system is nearing a “state of crisis.” This seems like a case of new report, same conclusion.

Understandably, oncologists are reluctant to tell patients that there is no longer any benefit for them to continue chemotherapy. It is a conversation that alters the doctor/patient relationship, an acknowledgement by the doctor that, despite all the advances of modern medicine, “I can do nothing more to extend your life.” However, according to ongoing research, this difficult conversation is not being had enough, and patients, clinging to false hope, are being given chemotherapy when it should have been discontinued in favor of palliative care.

ONCOLOGY board member Judd Moul, MD, told the CancerNetwork blog that there will be several controversial pro-con debates featured at this year’s Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) meeting, May 29th in San Francisco. Dr. Moul will moderate a pro-con debate about the effectiveness of PSA screening during a session titled, Prostate Cancer I – Screening: Lessons from the PLCO and ESRPC Randomized Trials. Stand by for exclusive interviews and podcasts…

Almost 3 years after a controversial FDA denial, Provenge was approved, making it the first autologous cellular immunotherapy for prostate cancer. One pressing question about Provenge is how much its maker, the biotech company, Dendreon, would charge for its newly approved drug.

A new study supports previous findings that finasteride prevents prostate cancer. However, like much research in prostate cancer, the study leaves us with as many questions as answers.

Studies have shown that 90% of patients with advanced cancer experience severe pain. Studies have also found that more than 50% of patients are undertreated for their cancer pain. Considering that we have the ability to properly manage the great majority of cancer pain, why are so many of our patients suffering needlessly?

In today’s contentious debate over how to best deliver cost-effective healthcare, insurers have become the villain du jour, taking a backseat only to Wall Street fat cats. It's largely a bum rap. There are plenty of innovative insurers out there, bringing high-value coverage to their customers.

A newly released report by NCI- A National Cancer Clinical Trials System for the 21st Century: Reinvigorating the NCI Cooperative Group Program-has concluded that our national clinical trial system is nearing a “state of crisis.” This seems like a case of new report, same conclusion.

The theme of this year’s ASCO meeting is “advancing quality through innovation.” As always, the vast scope of this annual meeting is daunting. In order to give our readers an ongoing analysis of ASCO ’10, The Oncology Forum will be posting daily from Chicago, parsing out the best sessions and most relevant clinical information.

President Barack Obama has pledged government transparency of his administration. His newly appointed FDA commissioner, Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, has taken up that call, promising a wider view into an entity that has often been perceived as inaccessible. “Over the years, the FDA has been referred to as a ‘black box’ that makes important decisions without explaining them,” Dr. Hamburg said recently.

Yet oncology drugs account for only 10% of overall U.S. spending on healthcare.

A recently released Amgen-supported survey conducted by Harris Interactive, Inc., shows that a majority of U.S. oncologists and infectious disease specialists are concerned about the rising incidence of infection among cancer patients. The data indicate another problematic issue: An increase in antibiotic resistance among immunosuppressed cancer patients.

The sustainable growth rate formula, long been derided as faulty payment mechanism, could soon be replaced.

Comparative effectiveness research, embraced by Obama, is disparaged by some power-players in the opposition.

In 1998, FDA approved oral capecitabine (Xeloda) for metastatic colorectal cancer, ushering in a new era of oncology therapy. Since then, exponential growth in cancer drugs delivered orally has followed. According to an NCCN report, about 25% of the roughly 400 agents currently in the drug development pipeline are oral oncolytics.

According to a recent study, the elderly are at enhanced risk for complications associated with screening colonoscopy.

The President pitches his health-reform proposal at AMA's national meeting in Chicago. Medicare cuts will be on the table, again

Amgen and CDC have partnered on a 3-year initiative to help improve rising incidence of infection among cancer patients.

A bill hit the Senate floor today to give FDA regulatory control over tobacco. Critics argue that money spent enacting the new law would be better spent on smoking cessation.