Analysis of:
Pricey Drugs Put Squeeze on Doctors (online.wsj.com)
Chemotherapy drugs are so costly that not only are the patients unable to pay co-pays, but oncologists are laying out hundreds of thousands of dollars with only a promise they will be reimbursed.
Analysis of:
Clash on Preventing Cut to Doctor Payments (online.wsj.com)
11% drop in physician re-imbursement vs HMO sponsored Medicare "advantage" programs. Who will win out?
Analysis of:
Costly Cancer Drug Offers Hope, but Also a Dilemma (www.nytimes.com)
Extraordinarily expensive Avastin makes all think twice before using, due to ?? efficacy data as well as questions re: quality of life v survival benefits.
Analysis of:
Detection of Mutations in EGFR in Circulating Lung-Cancer Cells (content.nejm.org)
We may be able to analyze EGFR mutations from periperal blood of lung cancer patients. Very frequently enough tissue fromm needle biopsies are not available for analysis. This may replace the need for new biopsies.
Analysis of:
Motesanib Diphosphate in Progressive Differentiated Thyroid Cancer (content.nejm.org)
This oral Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) inhibitor appears to have activity in radioresistant differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
Analysis of:
Efficacy and Safety of Lapatinib As First-Line Therapy for ErbB2-Amplified Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer (jco.ascopubs.org)
In a recent JCO article, Laptanib showed clinical efficacy and acceptable safety in a non-randomized trial involving newly diagnosed patients with advanced oe metastatic breast cancer. Larger trials are needed to confirm efficacy and explore if it is more potent than Genentech's Herceptin. For now,...
Analysis of:
Roche decision denies cancer drug to Britons (www.ft.com)
Avastin's recent FDA approval for m-breast cancer ( m-BCA) was lukewarm at best with no overall survival benefit yet and modest PFS data. European regulatory agencies usually require cost efficacy data and more strict data, which are not readily available for Roche/Genetech. The British market is not...
Analysis of:
Roche decision denies cancer drug to Britons (www.ft.com)
Patients who wish to receive Avastin for breast and lung Cancer will need to pay for it themselves.
Analysis of:
Medicare fees to doctors fall Tuesday (news.yahoo.com)
Rising costs for care of seniors in physician offices will be made more painful by the reimbursement cuts. Will it impede care of seniors??
Analysis of:
Europe Backs Anemia-Drug Warnings (online.wsj.com)
Due to possible tumor growth warnings will be attached to the use of erythropoietin agents.