NCCN

At the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 2020 Virtual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies, multiple myeloma expert Shaji Kumar, MD, discussed the “bonanza of treatment regimens for multiple myeloma.” Although several new treatments and combination regimens have extended survival in patients with multiple myeloma, this cancer remains an incurable chronic disease, he said.

Value-based drug purchasing, better coordination of care delivery, and earlier institution of palliative care were among the measures to lower the cost of cancer care that were suggested during a panel discussion at the 2020 virtual National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Oncology Policy Summit.

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only resulted in adjustments to the current Oncology Care Model (OCM), but it has led to considerations for future models, said Lara M. Strawbridge, MPH, Director, Ambulatory Payment Models, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), Washington, DC, during the 2020 virtual National Comprehensive Cancer Network Oncology Policy Summit.

Value-based or alternative payment models have yet to deliver the cost-savings in oncology hoped for when these models were proposed, said experts at the 2020 virtual National Comprehensive Cancer Network Oncology Policy Summit during a panel discussion on best practices for value-based agreements.

FDA issues finalized guidelines for use of in vitro diagnostics in oncology drug trials and warnings on vaping; new findings report patients bear more costs when MBC treatment is not concordant with NCCN guidelines.

Options for the treatment of patients with advanced hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-­negative breast cancer are expanding. The updated National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline (version 1.2019) for the management of invasive breast cancer is focused on HR-positive, HER2-­negative disease.

The updated National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline for non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC; version 3.2019) is focused on improving patient outcomes with immunotherapy.

The discontinuation of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is considered safe and appropriate in consenting patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) under specific circumstances and with careful molecular monitoring, according to the updated National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) management guideline for CML.