June 2023, Vol 13, No 6

In the December 2022 and February 2023 issues of Oncology Practice Management, I identified external vendors (called specialty drug carve-out or alternate funding programs [AFPs]) that are charging self-insured employers a fee to find “specialty funding” or other resources so that employers and employees can pay sharply reduced prices, or nothing at all, for expensive drugs. However, these specialty carve-out vendors do not disclose the sources for this alternative funding or the drugs themselves, hiding the true impact of this practice on patient care and charity. Read More ›

During the 2023 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, experts presented results from a phase 2b clinical trial demonstrating a significant improvement in recurrence-free survival in patients with high-risk melanoma who were treated with a combination of an investigational personalized mRNA-based vaccine plus the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda), compared with pembrolizumab alone. Read More ›

Research has shown that caregivers actually have higher depression and anxiety than patients with cancer, according to Vicki Mackie, Founder and Executive Director of Sites and Insights, an international nonprofit dedicated to using color, art, and mindful healing programs to transform the lives of those impacted by cancer. Read More ›

As an oncology practice manager, some of the key responsibilities you are tasked with include assessing the performance of your team members and identifying opportunities for improvement. To accomplish this requires the use of effective tools to measure key performance indicators, which will allow you to determine the health of your practice’s operations. Read More ›

Results from a new study add to the evidence that programs aimed at reducing the financial burden of cancer treatment can save money and improve the quality of life of people with cancer and their loved ones. Read More ›

An April 4, 2023, Medical Group Management Association Stat poll found that almost one-half (47%) of medical group leaders have added or created part-time or flexible-schedule physician roles in the past year, while 53% did not. Read More ›

Health insurance coverage mediated racial and ethnic inequities among patients with advanced-stage cervical cancer, according to findings from a recent retrospective, cross-sectional, population-based study. Read More ›

The following clinical trials represent a selection of key studies currently recruiting patients with renal cell carcinoma for inclusion in investigations of new therapies and new regimens of existing treatments for the disease. Read More ›