September 2018, Vol 8, No 9

Patients with cancer are increasingly using cannabinoids (the chemical component of cannabis) to treat many symptoms, and a minority of them even take cannabis as a treatment for the cancer itself. Recent surveys have revealed that up to 25% of patients with cancer take some form of cannabis, but oncologists and other medical providers are often unaware that their patients are using medical (or recreational) cannabis. Read More ›

Oncologists are operating in a whole new world as healthcare transitions to value-based care. To thrive in this emerging environment, providers must understand the many details involved in how value-based models work. Read More ›

Tumors with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) are predictive of Lynch syndrome. The recent approval of the first immunotherapies for use in patients with MSI-H or with mismatch repair-deficiency (dMMR) in solid tumors is now leading to routine testing for MSI-H or dMMR in patients with advanced solid tumors. Read More ›

Cancer-related fatigue and insomnia frequently co-occur among patients with cancer, and emerging data have demonstrated that caregivers of patients with cancer also have a high symptom burden, with elevated rates of depression, sleep disturbance, and fatigue Read More ›

Learning how to activate and harness the immune system—the body’s built-in defense against disease—has brought the field of oncology to the cusp of a cure for at least some, if not many, types of cancer, according to an international authority in immuno-oncology. Read More ›

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 ›

At ASCO 2018, Oncology Practice Management (OPM) discussed the current state of genetics and genomic testing, the increasing understanding of biomarkers, and how they influence the treatment of patients with lung cancer. Read More ›

A novel oral agent (BLU-667) that targets RET genetic alterations, achieved durable disease control and was safe in patients with lung or thyroid cancers and RET mutations, as demonstrated by the first-in-human phase 1 clinical trial ARROW. Read More ›

A novel approach using the investigational toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist CMP-001 in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) may have the potential to reverse resistance to anti–PD-1 therapy, according to data from a preliminary phase 1b clinical trial. Read More ›