Chase Doyle
Authored Items
By Chase Doyle
February 2020, Vol 10, No 2
Tazemetostat, a first-in-class EZH2 inhibitor, has demonstrated single-agent antitumor activity in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, according to data presented at the 2019 American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting. Results of a phase 2 clinical trial showed an overall response rate of 69% and 35% in mutant and wild-type cohorts, respectively. Clinical activity was durable across both cohorts, with patients on therapy up to 2 years and responses continuing to deepen over time, researchers in the study reported. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
February 2020, Vol 10, No 2
The impact of poverty and low socioeconomic status on health and survival among children may be even more debilitating than suspected, according to new data presented at ASH 2019. Even in clinical trials, which are designed to provide consistent treatment across groups, socioeconomic status was associated with “substantial” differences in survival, researchers were surprised to find out. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
November 2019, Vol 9, No 11
As the treatment landscape in oncology changes on a seemingly daily basis, providers face increasingly complex decisions, and it is not just the myriad of therapies available: oncologists must balance drug efficacy and toxicity, clinical outcomes, and patient quality of life, all while providing value-based care. Enter clinical pathways, a multidisciplinary management tool used to guide evidence-based care for subgroups of patients with predictable clinical courses. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
November 2019, Vol 9, No 11
Patient-centered clinical pathways may hold the promise of truly personalized medicine, improving value-based care and clinical outcomes. However, according to Cary P. Gross, MD, Director, Cancer Outcomes, Public Policy and Effectiveness Research Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, substantial challenges still stand in the way of including the patient’s voice in these pathways. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
November 2019, Vol 9, No 11
Great progress has been made in the fight against cancer, but not all patients have benefited equally. Disparities exist among specific populations in terms of survival and cancer-related mortality, incidence and prevalence, as well as adverse health conditions, according to Karen M. Winkfield, MD, PhD, Director, Office of Cancer Health Equity, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Comprehensive Cancer Center, Winston-Salem, NC. Dr Winkfield discussed the topic at the 2019 ASCO Quality Care Symposium. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
November 2019, Vol 9, No 11
The economic burden faced by patients with cancer who have low income may be more pervasive than previously thought. According to data presented at the 2019 ASCO Quality Care Symposium, even patients enrolled in clinical trials are at high risk for financial toxicity. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
November 2019, Vol 9, No 11
Diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is often identified at a late stage. Analyzing the tumor-specific mutation profile of a patient with CCA can improve the diagnosis and treatment for the individual patient. The molecular profile of CCA can be done through the use of circulating tumor (ct) DNA sequencing, which may help to target specific mutations and improve treatment selection for this rare type of cancer. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
November 2019, Vol 9, No 11
New research sponsored by the National Cancer Institute highlights the uphill battle faced by patients with limited financial resources even in clinical trials. According to data presented at the 2019 ASCO Quality Care Symposium, patients with Medicaid or with no insurance had significantly worse overall survival in positive clinical trials compared with privately insured patients. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
September 2019, Vol 9, No 9
Reprogramming patients’ immune cells to treat their cancer has become the front line of cancer therapy, with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy now approved by the FDA for several blood cancers. But translating this success to solid tumors remains a challenge. At the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, Gianpietro Dotti, MD, Cancer Cellular Immunotherapy Program, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, discussed efforts to extend the application of CAR T-cell therapy to solid tumors.
Read More ›By Chase Doyle
August 2019, Vol 9, No 8
With 475 cell and gene therapy companies in North America representing a business enterprise with approximately $20 billion, new immunotherapies are moving rapidly from the laboratory to the clinic. As chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy makes its way from the academic to the community setting, however, appropriate resources and infrastructure are required to ensure the safe and effective management of patients. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
August 2019, Vol 9, No 8
Although clinical trials are essential for evaluating novel therapies and determining the most effective treatment options for patients with cancer, participation in these trials remains low, especially among ethnic and racial minorities. At the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, Kessely Hong, PhD, MPA, Faculty Chair, MPA Programs, and Lecturer, Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cambridge, MA, and Electra D. Paskett, PhD, Marion N. Rowley Professor of Cancer Research, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, discussed strategies to enhance clinical trial enrollment and retention. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
July 2019, Vol 9, No 7
Formed 10 years ago with the Affordable Care Act, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) has been tasked with developing new payment and delivery models designed to improve the efficiency of specialty care. Among those specialty models is the Oncology Care Model, which aims to improve cancer care delivery by providing higher quality, more coordinated care to Medicare beneficiaries at the same or lower cost than under traditional fee-for-service structures. At the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, Lara M. Strawbridge, MPH, Director, Division of Ambulatory Payment Models, Patient Care Models Group, CMMI, shared recent data from the model, which began in 2016 and is scheduled to run through the middle of 2021. Read More ›
Dual-Specific CAR T-Cell Therapy Targets CD19 and CD22 in Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
By Chase Doyle
April 2019, Vol 9, No 4
A chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy that targets CD19 and CD22 molecules has demonstrated safety and efficacy, in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic lymphoma (ALL), with response rates consistent with CAR T-cell therapies that target CD19 alone. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
March 2019, Vol 9, No 3
The results of a phase 2 clinical trial presented at ASH 2018 suggest that early therapeutic intervention is beneficial in patients with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
March 2019, Vol 9, No 3
Real-world data highlight the significant clinical and economic burden associated with venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with cancer. The data come from a study of 12,785 patients hospitalized with acute illnesses, of which 2002 patients had cancer. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
March 2019, Vol 9, No 3
An analysis of real-world administrative claims data in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has highlighted the need for treatments that result in fewer adverse events, according to data presented at ASH 2018. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
February 2019, Vol 9, No 2
The economic burden caused by cancer and its treatment affects more than the patient’s bank account. As studies have shown, financial toxicity can lead to reduced quality of life, compromise treatment, and worsen clinical outcomes, and the associated devastation can extend to caregivers as well. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
January 2019, Vol 9, No 1
In a time when the country feels more politically divided than ever, there is broad consensus that Medicare should be allowed to negotiate prescription drug prices directly with drug makers, and that the FDA should expedite approvals of generic cancer drugs to lower patients’ out-of-pocket costs. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
November 2018, Vol 8, No 11
Lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel), an investigational CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, has induced durable responses in high-risk patients with aggressive relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), according to data presented at ASCO 2018. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
September 2018, Vol 8, No 9
A claims analysis of elderly patients with pancreatic cancer has shown that those receiving early palliative care consultations had lower healthcare utilization than patients who received late palliative care. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
July 2018, Vol 8, No 7
With healthcare premiums on the rise and out-of-pocket costs skyrocketing, almost every person diagnosed with cancer is at risk for being underinsured, but this threat extends beyond a patient’s bank balance. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
March 2018, Vol 8, No 3
At ASH 2017, Crystal L. Mackall, MD, Co-Director, Immunology & Immunotherapy of Cancer Program, Stanford University, CA, discussed the FDA approvals of 2 important treatments for patients with B-cell precursor ALL. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
March 2018, Vol 8, No 3
Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) may be living longer thanks to improved therapies, but the results of a new study suggest that they are burdened by ongoing symptoms and treatment side effects. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
March 2018, Vol 8, No 3
A recent survey by Consumer Reports shows that nearly 90% of Americans prefer to die at home, focused on comfort, and yet 66% of Americans aged >65 years die in a healthcare setting, intubated and in considerable pain. According to Angelo E. Volandes, MD, MPH, Internal Medicine Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, this misalignment between the medical care people want and the care they ultimately receive is the most urgent problem in American healthcare today. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
March 2018, Vol 8, No 3
The largest-ever study of palliative care trends has shown the use of palliative care services to be “sporadic at best” for patients with hematologic malignancies. According to the review of nearly 300,000 patients, there was also significant heterogeneity in practice patterns, including National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated practices, across all characteristics studied. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
March 2018, Vol 8, No 3
The prevalence of fatigue is very high across the cancer continuum, with approximately 60% of patients with advanced cancer experiencing this condition. Even for patients with curable cancer, fatigue can persist well after treatment has ended. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
September 2017, Vol 7, No 9
As the cost of cancer care continues to rise, greater transparency throughout the process of drug pricing and drug payment needs to become part of the clinical discussion, said Leonard Saltz, MD, Chief, Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, at the 2017 ASCO annual meeting. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
May 2017, Vol 7, No 5
Childhood cancer therapy can be a double-edged sword: it often leads to a cure, but long after treatment ends, some cancer survivors are still suffering its side effects Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
May 2017, Vol 7, No 5
As a result of the differences in biology, access to care, and psychosocial and socioeconomic circumstances, adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with cancer face distinct challenges compared with their adult counterparts. At the 2017 Cancer Survivorship Symposium, Emily S. Tonorezos, MD, MPH, General Internist, Adult Long-Term Follow-Up Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, discussed gaps in research and treatment in this vulnerable patient population, while proposing solutions to improve AYA survivorship care. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
April 2017, Vol 7, No 4
Innovation takes time, especially when it comes to cancer research. However, delays in the adoption of novel oncology treatments can have a significant impact on patient health, reported Jason Shafrin, PhD, Director of Healthcare Quality and Value-Based Research Methods, and Senior Research Economist, Precision Health Economics, Los Angeles, CA, who presented the results of a geographic-based analysis of claims data at the 2017 Cancer Survivorship Symposium. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
April 2017, Vol 7, No 4
ith an estimated 15.5 million cancer survivors living in the United States, caring for survivors is becoming an unmet need, suggesting an increased need for continuing education for oncology and primary care providers that is better focused on this growing population and the special needs associated with survivorship. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
July 2016, Vol 6, No 7
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) permanently eliminates the sustainable growth rate formula and provides annual payment adjustments through 2019. Although this law may ultimately stabilize Medicare physician reimbursement, oncologists are currently working to prepare for this long-term transition. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
May 2016, Vol 6, No 5
Researchers in Chicago have developed a financial toxicity grading system based on clinically meaningful changes in health-related quality of life. According to lead investigator Jonas A. de Souza, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Chicago, at the 2016 Cancer Survivorship Symposium, the tool has been validated in 2 separate cohorts of patients with cancer, with plans for a larger, prospective study underway. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
March 2016, Vol 6, No 3
Medicare is poised to incorporate new quality metrics as a guide for payments. At ASH 2015, Helen Burstin, MD, MPH, Chief Scientific Officer, National Quality Forum, Washington, DC, discussed the need for measures and reporting systems that reflect patient care and care coordination. Read More ›
By Chase Doyle
September 2015, Vol 5, No 6
The definition of value by patients with cancer does not necessarily coincide with other definitions by other stakeholders. According to one breast cancer advocate, when patients are asked to define “value” in the context of their cancer treatment, cost is not the first thing that comes to mind. Read More ›